Why I love the iPod Touch

Fred Wilson posted about a month ago why he doesn't like the iPod Touch.

This is my post as to why I LOVE the iPod Touch.

First of all, I need to say that as an iPod, I hate the Touch. Yes, as an IPOD, I think the Touch really blows for the most part. (I'll post about this part later)

I think they should have called it the MacPad or MacTouch or MacPad Touch. Just anything without the "iPod" in it because its really a handheld Mac, not an iPod. Its no more an iPod than an iPhone is an iPod. Sure it can play music, but thats not what makes it special.

Around the house, I find myself grabbing the Touch and checking the web, weather, etc. instead of going and getting my MacBook Pro. I'll just slide it in my back pocket and have it handy for things like that.

The only thing I wish it had was iChat integration. Not video iChat, but just text iChat. My other family members are all up on it and it would really be nice to access that from the Touch.

If I didn't have the software update, I wouldn't use the Touch hardly at all. But Mail and Maps make it useful. I don't care for weather since the web has better weather with actual weather data. Stocks - ditto on using the web instead. Notes? Yeah, whatever. If you have a Touch, I'd pay the $20 just to get email, maps and be able to customize the home screen and add those handy little web bookmarks to the home screen(s).

Does the 8GB size bother me? No. I already work with iPods that are smaller than my library and I don't listen to my library - I work off of my extensive playlist collections so no problems there.

One thing that surprised me was that I'm watching movies and TV shows on it more than on my MacBook Pro. This might be a result of an unconscious effort to integrate it into my life more, but time will tell if this is true.

One thing is certain - as soon as there's a 3G iPhone ... I'm jumping back in on that platform. The SDK has me all jazzed up as well in anticipation.

I've said it before and I'm even more strongly behind it than ever that these handhelds (and the soon to be released one(s) ) are the most exciting platform change coming for computers/entertainment.

Just stop thinking about them as iPods! ;-)