NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The iPad may be the darling of the gadget world, but trust me, dollar for dollar, the new iPod Touch is the sleeper pick for small-business technology from Apple ( AAPL).
Every once in a while, Steve Jobs and company really does deliver on the Apple hype circus. The recently upgraded so-called fourth-generation iPod Touch is one such Cupertino homer. (Yes, you can spend $399 for the 64GB version, but don't -- the $229 8GB version is more than enough.)![]() |
The FaceTime two-camera system enables easy video conferencing -- just one upgrade undertaken by Apple that makes the iPod Touch a great business tool. |
And as a news reader, say, looking at CNN.com or FOXNews.com, the screen zooms well and information is surprisingly easy to consume. Do it right and the iPod Touch is a heck of a business tool. WHAT YOU DON'T GET Don't expect to be dazzled by processing power, battery life, a decent set of earphones or a better way to interface with iTunes. Beside keeping in mind that this is an iPod Touch, not an iPhone -- there is no cellular connection -- there are some real dings. First off, run enough apps at the same time and the device stalls. Apple's claim of seven hours of battery life for video also seems a bit rich to me. And the unit still ships with some of worst earbuds on the market. Is Jobs deaf or what? But what really mars the unit is the horrible syncing with iTunes. Between the never-ending terms and conditions on upgrades and the slower-than-Jorge Posada syncing via a desktop computer, the experience of working with iTunes is now officially awful. BOTTOM LINE Without question, if you are considering an iPad for your small business, get down to your local Apple store and give the iPod Touch a test drive instead. Yes, it's a fraction of the size. And fancy new apps for the iPad don't run on it. But the Touch fits in your pocket, runs most of the apps you need and costs about half as much. As I have said in the past, the iPod Touch is Apple's single best device ever. The upgrades only raise that bar. >To submit a news tip, email: tips@thestreet.com.
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