Strip out an iPhone’s ability to make calls, and you’re basically left with an iPod touch. This media player pumps out clean sound and sharp video, but it also does much more. Bundled with nearly the same apps as the iPhone—including Mail and mobile Safari—the touch is a personal organizer, stock watcher, map reader, and whatever else you make it. Nike + iPod tracks workouts, and the App Store opens up the device to serve nearly any need. The iPod touch reaches far beyond media playback, bundling organizer and computing abilities into its touch-driven interface.

At its most basic, the touch rocks as a media player. Songs sound clear, with rich sound across the spectrum. The pack-in earphones are still mediocre, however; we recommend an upgrade to hear all of the touch’s ability. Video is fluid, keeping a steady frame rate on the 3.5-inch screen. Colors are bright and clean, but in a side-by-side comparison with an iPhone 3G the iPod looked a tad washed out. But movies and TV shows still look great. A built-in speaker gets moderately loud—albeit garbled—but is great for gaming and temporarily sharing media with a group. And we were usually impressed by the Genius feature, which automatically generates playlists of similar songs from your music library based on a selected track.

Since the touch includes Wi-Fi, we were able to download albums directly to the device through the iTunes store. That process worked well, running in the background and then automatically uploading to a Mac when we synced with iTunes. We wanted to download TV and movie content as well, but the iTunes Store doesn’t support that option, leaving us skimming the YouTube app instead.

The touch also includes nearly all of the other Apple apps from the iPhone: Safari, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Stocks, Maps, Weather, and more. The App Store opens up even more options, letting you download new apps directly on the touch, or transmit them through iTunes when syncing with your desktop.

Unlike any other iPod or iPhone, Nike + iPod hardware and software is built directly inside. This running tool uses a wireless, shoe-based pedometer ($19) to measure speed, distance, calories burned, and additional data. We just had to sync the sensor in our Nike shoes, and the touch tracked each step. The interface is bigger and easier to see when running than on an iPod nano. But we wanted even more details directly on the device, such as a real-time graph comparing the current distance and time to previous days. As-is, we had to upload via iTunes on a Mac and then browse the Nike + website for scraps of information.

The iPod touch fits between a stripped-down iPhone and souped-up iPod. Lacking the hardware to make calls, vibrate, take pictures, or locate specific position through GPS, the svelte touch feels noticeably thinner than the iPhone. But general location awareness (via Wi-Fi), Maps, Mail, Safari, and App Store support make the touch do much more than other iPod models.

Music and movies are just the beginning. A media player at its core, the iPod touch extends the Mac experience into your palm.

iPod touch
COMPANY: Apple
CONTACT: www.apple.com
PRICE: $229, 8GB; $299, 16GB; $399 32GB
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS X 10.4.1 or later; USB 2.0 port.

Great-sounding audio. Clear, fluid video. Wi-Fi and apps add exceptional versatility. Safari expertly surfs websites. Nike + iPod built in. Small speaker good enough for portable gaming or sharing YouTube audio. Side-mounted volume rocker. Impressive battery lasted 6.5 hours for video or 38.5 hours for audio.
Nike + iPod requires computer connection to upload or download. Less contrast than iPhone. Weak bundled earphones. Can’t buy TV shows or Movies from the touch.