So the picture on the left is what my iPod Touch looked like after I had applied the software update announced at Macworld earlier in the week. The big question is, however, is it worth the £12 price tag that Apple have cheekily applied to it? I think the short answer is no, it’s not and only serves to highlight the differences between the Touch and the iPhone. It also raises questions as to whether the Touch is trying to be a music player or a fully featured PDA.
The update itself adds five new applications: Google Mail, Google Maps, Weather, Stocks and Notepad. While all can be used offline to make the most of them you really need to be connected and that means wifi. The problem is that there are now so many ways to access maps and mail that having another is just overkill. For example, I have both Google maps and mail on my phone and my BlackBerry which have GPRS/3g allowing me to get information anywhere, anytime. Also, Apple take note, they were free to install.
Despite that It has to be said that all the applications and Google Maps in particular are beautifully implemented and a joy to use. I can imagine me using some of these while listening to my music and connected to public wifi but the Touch to me is not a PDA – yet…