Manage updates with the Download AppApple iPod Touch (second generation, 16GB)
Manufacturer: Apple Part number: MB531LL/A
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The second-generation iPod Touch includes features that are light-years ahead of the competition, its design has improved, and its price has finally come down to earth.
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CNET editors' review
Apple iPod Touch (second generation, 16GB) price range: $232.75
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Reviewed on: 09/11/2008
The good: The second-generation Apple iPod Touch has it all: music, videos, photos, podcasts, e-mail, Web browsing, Internet radio, games, Nike+, Wi-Fi music downloads, and an App Store for adding thousands of custom features.
The bad: The second-generation iPod Touch may be overwhelming to users looking for a simple music player; audio quality is average; and iTunes software is required.
The bottom line: The second-generation iPod Touch includes features that are light-years ahead of the competition, its design has improved, and its price has finally come down to earth.
User reviews
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It's worth the money!
by jcrew123 on September 12, 2008
Pros: Better video quality, internal speaker, side volume bar and the genius!
Cons: Chrome back cover that will probably be scratched to death if you don't purchase a case for it.
Summary: I have just upgraded from the 1st gen. touch to this unit. Overall design is beautiful. I am very pleased with the video quality of the screen as apposed to ...
Summary: I have just upgraded from the 1st gen. touch to this unit. Overall design is beautiful. I am very pleased with the video quality of the screen as apposed to the 1st gen. Touch. Images look very clean and sharp. Nice littles touches like the app store, and now when searching thru your songs, it displays below it, the album name and artist. I am very impressed with the Genius feature as well. It takes you out of the habit of putting together your own songs, and allows you to hear songs that you probably forgot you had. Of course, this is depending on how much music you have on your device. The more the better this feature works. I could go on and on about this awesome Ipod. Great buy and awesome new features!
11 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great product. Not an Mp3 Player But A computer
by random truth-22471513702271725 on September 13, 2008
Pros: apps, music, video, internet, pictures, podcasts, games, speaker
Cons: no bluetooth support yet.
Summary: The product is excellent. The screen is like bullet proof. The new stainless steel back hides more scratches than the chrome of the old one. It has excellent audio quality ...
Summary: The product is excellent. The screen is like bullet proof. The new stainless steel back hides more scratches than the chrome of the old one. It has excellent audio quality in my opinion. (the headphones that come with it are crap but I use v-moda vibes.) The graphical capabilities of the device are amazing. Sure you will not get console quality games but just wait. It takes about a year to make console games. Best MP3 player I have ever used. It goes onto youtube, plays games. plays music, surfs the internet Dang it just replaced my computer. I would wish though that they let the bluetooth chip do more than just nike+.
7 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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One of the Best Mobile Devices Available
by z1221 on September 13, 2008
Pros: New lower price, The App Store with a variety of content options, wifi, iTunes Mobile, and built in speakers
Cons: iTunes only connectivity, Maps and location service is not perfect but works just fine.
Summary: Looking at buying an iPhone or smart phone? Don't want the contract or the high data plan price? Then, this is the perfect device for you!
Summary: Looking at buying an iPhone or smart phone? Don't want the contract or the high data plan price? Then, this is the perfect device for you!
6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent product
by ChrisMLost on September 13, 2008
Pros: Great Audio, External volume control, much improved software 2.1, Sleek design, Wifi, Mail, App store, Battery life, Stunning Video playbac
Cons: Stainless steel back will be prone to scratches
Summary: Apple have got it perfect this time, my 16gb first gen Touch had good audio quality but it wasn't as good as my old 5.5 video ipod. I ...
Summary: Apple have got it perfect this time, my 16gb first gen Touch had good audio quality but it wasn't as good as my old 5.5 video ipod. I bought the new 32gb 2nd Gen touch and there is an improvement in audio. (Use quality headphones to hear the difference). 32GG is plenty for me even though as I only carry about 1200 songs around plus I have 7 movies, and 14 tv shows and a good few Apps and I still have enough room left to handle impulse buys. The screen is gorgeous and very bright and clear, UI is much improved over 2.0.2 for the older models. The volume controls are a welcome addition as is the speaker, which although tinny it's fine for showing off the gaming capabilities of the touch. The ipod touch is a great little mobile device, ideal for gaming, music, video, photos, email, web browsing and lots of fun Apps as well. Overall this is a fantastic and worthy update to the iPod line, not a dramatic update but a welcome one.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very buggy, not ready for market
by ArtTatum on September 15, 2008
Pros: Typically nice Apple ergonomics, well designed, nice looking, good screen, good feature set.
Cons: Wifi does not work at all with WPA secured networks. Battery life was supposed to be improved but is MUCH WORSE than it was with my 1st gen Touch.
Summary: Wifi on my unit does not work with WPA secured routers at all. Many others are having the same problem (see Apple Support discussions). The battery drains very rapidly, much ...
Summary: Wifi on my unit does not work with WPA secured routers at all. Many others are having the same problem (see Apple Support discussions). The battery drains very rapidly, much quicker than it did with my 1G Touch and improved battery life is allegedly one of the benefits of going from 1G to 2G units. If you read through the Apple Support discussions, you'll see that the 2.1 software "upgrade" created a huge amount of bugs with both 1G and 2G Touches.
I like mine for what it offers but I bought it specifically to serve as a small, handy wifi device with other fun features. If Apple doesn't fix these bugs soon I'm returning it and going with something else. Apple seems to gotten into a bad habit of pushing new products out that have not been fully tested (latest iPhone anybody?) and yet they still charge top dollar for their products.
By the way, I wish CNET actually spent more time with products before giving them rave 4 -5 star reviews. Giving a 4 1/2 star review to something this buggy is irresponsible. Getting the first full review out there is not as important as offering an accurate assessment of a product.5 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Sweeetest iPod Yet
by ajtrek on December 21, 2008
Pros: Outboard Volume Controls, Slimmer Form Factor
Cons: None That Are A Deal-Breaker
Summary: Upgraded to the 2nd Gen iPod Touch from 1st Gen Touch. Main reason was the outboard volume control on the 2nd Gen. So not a lot to say here versus ...
Summary: Upgraded to the 2nd Gen iPod Touch from 1st Gen Touch. Main reason was the outboard volume control on the 2nd Gen. So not a lot to say here versus what?s been posted by CNET?it?s the best player on the market for feature set versus price point. The buyer of my 1st Gen hasn?t taken delivery yet so I had a chance to make a display comparison of which I?ve heard no mention.
The display on the 2nd Gen displays colors differently and photos are less shadowy resulting in a little more detail (to my eye) and therefore not as dark as on the 1st Gen. Some may find the difference appealing while others may not. Personally, I haven?t decided which display I prefer. However, if you haven?t owned an iPod Touch before or can?t make the comparison (as I did) the slight difference will be meaningless to you. I?d be interested to read your take on the displays, if you have an opportunity to make a comparison. You can post your comment at aj66204@gmail.com
Bottom-line?the 2nd Gen iPod Touch still carries on the tradition of ultra-cool.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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My first iPod. Coolest thing since sliced bread.
by dbag65 on October 12, 2008
Pros: iTunes (because its idiot proof), ease of use (1 simple fold out quick start guide, and thats enough), design, size, the sceen
Cons: don't breathe on the back or it scratches, it ain't cheap, lag on the aspect switch, total device storage 14.5 gb not 16 gb, must be the software. I'll miss the FM tuner in my Walkman, no protective covers yet
Summary: My first hand held MP3 player is a Sony Walkman phone. Which is fine....but...its only got room for 300 songs, its klutzy to load, and its tempermental.
I ...Summary: My first hand held MP3 player is a Sony Walkman phone. Which is fine....but...its only got room for 300 songs, its klutzy to load, and its tempermental.
Bought a case so I won't wreck the edges (Griffin, leather covered plastic). Works great with Apple earbud jack. Other jacks don't quite fit through the case hole. Guess an adapter is on my shopping list.
I wanted a device with more storage and something I could connect to my car stereo and the stereo at work. I was torn between this and the 160GB iPod Classic. I weighed the arguments. Did I want to load every CD I'd ever bought in my life on the thing or was the larger screen worth less storage? The screen won. I bought the 16 instead of the 32 because frankly, editing the library would be required on either, this is $100 less. I've loaded everything I felt I wanted on the thing to start and its only 1/4 full. I'm walking around with 2000+ songs (cumulative running time 3.2 days according to iTunes), a bunch of video podcasts, some games and aps, and 3/4 of an empty drive. Time to dig out more CD's.
I'm a bit baffled by the actual storage capacity. iTunes shows the stored information in different colors on a bar graph. "Other" is a tiny lil sliver, everything else is listed by mb. Why is the total drive capacity 14.5 gb on a 16gb device? I guess the device software takes up the rest and it lives hidden on the drive.
Video podcasts make cardio at the gym go by so much faster. Hell, by the time the daily Anderson Cooper 360 is over I've only go a few minutes left on the treadmill.
WiFi works like a dream, I've seen mention of people having issues. I logged it on to the networks at home and work in moments and it works great. Humph... why is there a little red 3 on the Facebook ap I added?......Oh I have 3 messages in my Facebook inbox. I added the NY Times app. Whole newspaper articles pop right up. I logged into my email account with Safari and checked my email. The email software on the iPod does not want anything to do with a direct pop3 check at bellsouth.net, oh well.
I'm most impressed by how intuitive it is to use. The touch screen works like a charm and basically with a few taps you can figure out how to make everything work. If you need more help its a tap away through Safari when you're in WiFi range.
I bought protective films from a third party provider, on the Apple site. The front film is brilliant. The back, not so much, but will help with scratching. The back film does not follow the backs sexy curves so it's loose around all 4 edges. There are rubber looking edge protectors available at Apple and other places for gen 1 devices. I assume they won't work with this because of the new volume buttons. I want an edge cover before I bang the crap outo the really pretty shiny metal sides.
I bought it direct from Apple online. It was easy to track and made it here from China in 3 days. 4 days less then Apple advised when I placed the order.
I am rapidly becoming a full Apple convert. I want it to work. I want it simple. I want great industrial design. This is a home run on all fronts. It makes my Walkman look like a Victrola in comparision.
Updated on Oct 25, 2008
The iPod was doing a weird clock thing when I synced. Weird as in date and time randomly changed... by varying, often huge intervals. I looked it up on the Apple site help. Many folks were having the same issue syncing with a PC. Apple obviously fixed it and sent an update through iTunes. It stopped happening.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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LOVE It... Gotta Have It!
by Lioness73 on September 12, 2008
Pros: Large screen for viewing videos, movies, photos, album art, etc. Substantial sound for fairly quiet settings that don't require the use of headphones. Extra added benefit of large selection of free "downloadable" applications & Wi-fi access!
Cons: I haven't experienced any cons as of yet; but I'll be sure to let everyone know... Trust me!
Summary: I love the new iPod Touch 2.0! I can play, respond to email, surf the net, listen to music, watch movies and videos, browse photos and the list goes ...
Summary: I love the new iPod Touch 2.0! I can play, respond to email, surf the net, listen to music, watch movies and videos, browse photos and the list goes on and on! It's a portable entertainment center that can make any boring day sustainable with your trusty "sidekick" (sorry T-Mobile)!
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Ipod Touch needs Flash Player in Safari
by xakic38 on September 13, 2008
Pros: you can listen without headphones. Volume slider is good.
Cons: Safari browser needs Flash Player.
Summary: It's frustrating that flash based navigation controls (or any embeded flash content for that matter) will not work in the ipod Touch Safari browser. Since most video on the ...
Summary: It's frustrating that flash based navigation controls (or any embeded flash content for that matter) will not work in the ipod Touch Safari browser. Since most video on the internet is flash based it likely means that approx. 75% of websites don't work with the ipod touch Safari.
3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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2nd generation ipod touch wi-fi defective!
by cnet_newbie2012 on September 22, 2008
Pros: love the new volume controls on the side, they work well, and the built in speaker is very handy. Also, it is slimmer and lighter.
Cons: The wi-fi seems to be defective. On both of the touch products I purchased. A bad batch? Or is the complete product line defective! I would wait for them to fix this before purchasing. There is still no built-in camera, no recorder, and no FM radio.
Summary: I bought an iPod Touch 16 GB, 2nd generation, last week, and quickly noticed that it would connect me to a wi-fi network, but would not give me an IP ...
Summary: I bought an iPod Touch 16 GB, 2nd generation, last week, and quickly noticed that it would connect me to a wi-fi network, but would not give me an IP address, meaning, I was supposedly connected, but had no access to the Internet! I found you had to turn on wi-fi, let it connect, wait at least 15 seconds, turn off wi-fi, then turn it back on again, before I could connect properly. I took it back for exchange, and there were no problems with that at the Apple store. Getting the new one home, one has to connect to iTunes before you can even access the iPod at all. But trying the new one at home later that day, and it has the same problem with wi-fi!!! So either they had a bad shipment of iPod Touch, or the whole product line is defective! Either way, I would NOT PURCHASE one right now. Why are people so impressed with Apple products? I certainly am NOT.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Part number: MB531LL/A
- Description: Now everything's in play with iPod touch. Games designed for iPod touch technology are just a tap away. Browse hundreds of games from the App Store right on your iPod touch, download what you want, and you're ready to play. Developers all over the world are creating exciting games unlike anything you've ever seen on an iPod or mobile device. Many games come alive with stunning 3D graphics and immerse you in the action with the advanced technologies in iPod touch. There's even a speaker built in, so you can hear all the action. Remember what it felt like to flip through your CD or record collection? Cover Flow brings that feeling back. Just turn iPod touch on its side and flick through your music to find the album you want to hear. Tap the cover to flip it over and display a track list. Tap again to start the music. Even view the lyrics while you're listening. Say you're listening to a song you really like and want to hear other tracks that go great with it. The Genius feature finds the songs in your library that go great together and makes a Genius Playlist for you. You can listen to the playlist right away, save it for later, or even refresh it and give it another go. Count on Genius to create a mix you wouldn't have thought of yourself. Fill up your iPod touch with audio and video from your iTunes library. All you have to do is choose the playlists, videos, and other content you want to sync and let iTunes do the rest. Arrange the icons on your Home screen any way you want. Even move them to another Home screen. Create up to nine Home screens for quick access to the games and applications you download from the App Store and to your Safari Web Clips. Whenever you download an application from the App Store, a new icon appears on your Home screen. And if you check the same websites every day, just create Web Clips and you can access the sites directly from your Home screen with a single tap. Not happy with how they're organized? Reorder them any way you want by dragging them around the screen. iPod touch includes built-in Nike + iPod support. Just slip the Nike + iPod Sensor (available separately) into your Nike+ shoe and start your run. The sensor communicates wirelessly with your iPod touch, tracking your time, distance, and calories burned. It even gives you voice feedback on your progress. Movies and TV shows pop off the 3.5-inch widescreen display. Choose from thousands at the iTunes Store and take them with you everywhere. Browse the web with Wi-Fi. Get rich HTML email, including attachments. Get directions and live traffic reports. Feed your YouTube addiction. Its advanced technologies enable iPod touch to respond to both touch and movement. It also finds wireless networks and connects you to the Internet. The contoured design feels even better in your hand. And the volume controls and built-in speaker let you turn up the sound.
General
- Product type Digital player
- PC interface(s) supported Wi-Fi,
Hi-Speed USB - Flash memory installed 16 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Weight 4.1 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 2.4 in x 0.3 in x 4.3 in
- Color Black
- Included accessories [Jul 2, 2008 from CDS: Miscellaneous] Polishing cloth,
Docking station adapter,
USB cable - iPod Generation 2G
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards Apple Lossless ,
WAV ,
MP3 ,
AIFF ,
Audible ,
AAC - Playback modes Random play / shuffle,
All tracks repeat,
One track repeat,
Playlist - Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Supported bit rate 16 - 320 Kbps
- ID3 tags support Yes
- Additional features MPEG-4 playback,
Variable bit-rate compatible,
JPEG photo playback Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Diagonal size 3.5 in
- Resolution 480 x 320
- Backlight display Yes
- Display menu language Danish,
Chinese (traditional),
Chinese (simplified),
Kazakh,
Swedish,
Finnish,
Polish,
Portuguese,
Norwegian,
Italian,
French,
Dutch,
Spanish,
Russian,
English,
German,
Japanese Audio Features
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Timer Wake,
Sleep - Built-in clock Alarm,
Timer,
Digital clock - Addtional features Nike + iPod support,
Genius technology,
Phone book,
Battery level indication,
Calendar,
Upgradeable firmware,
Cover Flow,
Multi-touch interface,
Web browsing,
Date display,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Notes Speaker System
- Speaker(s) 1 x Speaker Built-in
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Digital graphic
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Impedance 32 Ohm
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included USB cable - External
- Connector type 1 x Docking station,
1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm,
IEEE 802.11b/g (Wi-Fi) Battery / Power
- Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
- Mfr estimated battery life 36 hour(s)
- Recharge time 4 hour(s)
- Power device type [Feb 24, 2011 from CDS: Power Device] None
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices [Dec 3, 2010 from CDS: System Requirements] USB port (compatible with 2.0 specification)
- Operating system Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3,
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP3,
Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later
Product series
-
Apple iPod Touch (second generation, 16GB)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: 16 GB,
3.5 in,
36 hour(s),
4.1 oz,
Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion,
Apple Lossless,
WAV,
MP3,
AIFF,
Audible,
AAC,
Digital player -
Apple iPod Touch (second generation, 8GB)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: 8 GB,
3.5 in,
36 hour(s),
4.1 oz,
Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion,
Apple Lossless,
WAV,
MP3,
AIFF,
Audible,
AAC,
Digital player
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Apple products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Apple
- Address:
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014 - Phone: 1-408-996-1010
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