iPod Touch bestowed Editors' Choice award

Apple iPod Touch

(Credit: CNET)

In news that shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who's perused our Holiday Gift guide, sampled our list of top MP3 players, or remembers what happened to last year's iPod Touch, the third-generation iPod Touch now proudly bears the CNET Editors' Choice badge.

As I mentioned back in September, I deliberately held off on awarding the Touch an Editors' Choice early on, waiting to see what Archos and Zune had up their sleeves before handing down final judgment. Well, all the reviews are in now and the iPod Touch remains king of the hill. Whether you're buying one for yourself or giving it as a gift, the third-generation iPod Touch does not disappoint.

To all you Zune HD fans out there who feel betrayed by our choice, feel free to pour your anger into the comments section below.

[tipoo_]

Give them the award, I'm still sour about Microsoft not loving Canada (or anywhere in the world other than the states, apparently).

*Grumbles bitterly, walks away shaking head*

[goku1gk4]

Lol, Microsoft loves no one.

[Gutsu3000]

I understand why you guys choose the ipod touch i wish i could afford one but ed-mitt (Donald Bell) you guys at c-net love apple more......right!!!!!!!

[stinkah]

No anger here; I think the Touch is awesome! I'm just struggling with whether to upgrade my old 80 GB Classic with a Touch or Classic (my entire library won't fit on the 64GB Touch).

[Renegade Knight]

Wait a Generation.

[Sabre1677]

Depends what you want to do. Music is great on both, but I think that for sheer versatility, the touch is the king. Pity I can't afford a new one, I'm still stuck on the first generation, and it still works like a dream. :D

[L33TPH1L]

I faced a similar problem back when Apple only had the 8,16 and 32GB models and I had 80GB Classic. What I ended up doing was getting a 16GB iTouch, only loading a few of my favorite play lists on and loving it. I would have my Touch in my pocket and my Classic in my bag. Using the Touch for short trips, out for a run or bike ride and my Classic for longer trips, flights and other travel.
It's been working for me.

[L33TPH1L]

I faced a similar problem back when Apple only had the 8,16 and 32GB models and I had 80GB Classic. What I ended up doing was getting a 16GB iTouch, only loading a few of my favorite play lists on and loving it. I would have my Touch in my pocket and my Classic in my bag. Using the Touch for short trips, out for a run or bike ride and my Classic for longer trips, flights and other travel.
It's been working for me.

[JarrettDeathmarch]

Keep the 80 gb for your library and get a touch, and just put stuff you always listen to frequently on the touch, thats what I did :) only I got a touch before the new gen so i only have the 2nd gen 8gb

[RNHAMBLIN]

NEXT TO MY 1968 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA GLIDE THE TOUCH IS THE COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER OWNED!!!!

[skunkpuddle]

***

[theHunsy]

Dude i agree next to my 2008 Fatboy and my 1988 FXR Super Glide .My Ipod Touch is the greatest

[blackspyder1]

if Zune HD had more app support and better browser......... :(
The touch does deserve it this time.

[Charbax]

Your review of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is full of factual errors and debunked statements, but since you are the biggest apple fanboy in mass media, you aren't going to update your review and rectify the mistakes.

[nexmedia]

Your own opinion would probably be better considered if you had pointed these "factual errors" and "debunked statements". Why didn't *you* enlighten us in your comment? FYI, before you also call me fanboy, I do not own any of the 3 contenders.

[audiodonald]

Charbax, you run a site called ArchosFans. I can understand why you're upset. I have no doubt that my review of the Archos 5 will become increasingly outdated as Archos releases firmware updates week after week--but that's just the problem. They should have made a product that worked well out of the box. That said, if the problems I encountered with the Archos 5 are addressed and/or they actually get some decent Android apps on the thing, I'll be happy to reevaluate it.

[chilipowder]

No Donald, it's this one that's the problem.

[J Rankin]

As I understand, Donald is a pretty big fan of the Zune line which is the anti-iPod.

Donald is the most impartial tech journalist that I know of. "biggest apple fanboy in mass media"...ouch man that's heavy. Coming from the guy who runs ArchosFans?

The bad part about being an Apple fanboy is that you're a fanboy...get where I'm going with this?

[Renegade Knight]

I've wondered why the shift in Archose Ratings. I have a well reviewed 605. The next generation though which seems to do more things dropped a fair chunk in the ratings. That I didn't understand at all.

That's different than the touch which is a good device on it's own merit (it's major failing is that you have to use iTunes with the dang thing).

[Charbax]

I posted the debunk of each of the "The Bad" statements posted in Donald Bell's review in the mp3 player forum, because there is no way to post comments on reviews at cnet:

> The bad: GPS signal reception is poor enough to make the feature useless

GPS is improved in the latest firmware
It's absolutely not a signal reception issue, it is a firmware issue and has been fixed in the firmware 1.2.11 http://update.archos.com/7/archos5/changes_firmware_archos5.html "GPS: quicker time to fix and improved position accuracy" Donald Bell should update his review or just let me have his job.

> many popular Android apps are unsupported

Android 1.6 and 2.0 support higher resolution screens
The apps need to be updated for 800x480 screen for them to work. Archos will upgrade the Android version to 1.6 and 2.0 to support more apps.

Are you going to accuse Archos of not going out and converting all the apps to work on 800x480 resolution while it is the absolute only Android product on the market with a medium density 4.8" WVGA screen?

It's like requiring from a PC company releasing the worlds first awesome 1280x1080 PC monitor, that they should be the ones to go out and convert all the 800x600 optimized websites for the bigger screen.

> Flash video support is hit or miss

Flash 10.1 support coming for Android
How come should it be Archos job to provide Flash support in Android? The Flash 10.1 support is coming in Android 2.0 due within the next few months. This has been announced. All Youtube videos work up to Youtube HD by Archos using the Youtube API to pull the video files without supporting Flash in the browser yet.

Apple has never supported any flash at all yet Donald Bell would NEVER mention that in "the bad" points for his "Outstanding 4.5/5 iPod Touch review:

> quote from iPod Touch review: The bad:
> The video cameras found on the iPhone 3GS and iPod
> Nano remain conspicuously absent. The lack of
> refinements to its audio quality, hardware design,
> and video playback leave us feeling just a little
> uninspired.


> no multitouch support for keyboard or gestures

I'm pretty sure the Keyboard is faster to use on an Archos horizonthally even as it's a resistive screen. Just for the fact that the keyboard on the Archos screen is 2x larger than on the iPod Touch in horizontal mode.

Also, using a full sized foldable Bluetooth keyboard is possible on the Archos and impossible on the iPod Touch, and provides the ONLY way to reasonably be able to type long posts (like this one I am writing right here). Nobody cares to write long emails, long forum posts on any touch screen (resistive nor capacitative) and nobody wants to do it either on a Droid-like keyboard. Only the full sized foldable Bluetooth keyboard and the Archos with a stand put on a table is usable as a pocketable (Archos in one pocket, the foldable Bluetooth keyboard in the other) Laptop replacement.

> text copy and paste is a chore

How about blaming that on Android 1.5 instead of Archos, Android 1.6 and 2.0 coming out and being updated in the Archos may supporteasier to use Copy/Paste.

> the glossy design shows fingerprints.

As if the 4.5/5 Outstanding iPod Touch has never ever shown anyone's fingerprints. It's like saying the Archos has a design that is too beautiful and too shiny and too awesome to be a good point? Talking about design is a subjective thing and not objective. Donald Bell can say what he thinks subjectively about the design, but not put them on the short-list of Objective bad things.

[Charbax]

I did post in the Mp3 player forum under the thread "Donald Bell is the biggest Apple fanboy in the world" with a very simple point-by-point explanation why each of his "The Bad" points on the Archos Android are very easily addressed.

But there is no way he is going to rectify any of these random and totally unsubstantiated "The Bad" points.

I can think of some "the bad" points for the product, but those have nothing to do with the complete nonsense Donal Bell has attributed to it. Cause if you complain about lack of GPS (fixed in latest firmware), Flash support (coming when it comes for Android), wvga apps support (coming when Google supports it in 1.6 and 2.0 firmwares), copy and paste (Android copy/paste is fine and can only be improved by Google), or the glossyness of the screen (wow, I mean, wow).

Why don't you put in ipod touch's "the bad" that it does not support any of the web's most popular video codecs such as DivX, wmv, Youtube HQ/HD, it has no Bluetooth/usb keyboard support, a crappy low resolution small screen that always needs zooming and scrolling to view websites (compared to the size of the device), can only work through the crappy bloatware itunes software, the ipod apps are not multi-task and important apps for VOIP/GoogleVoice/Latitude/Ustream/Qik/Turn by turn GPS are not allowed on ipod touch, no camera even with add-ons (Archos can have external camcorder add-ons), no GPS, and it cost the same as much superior Archos 5 Internet Tablet which has 2x larger screen, 2.5x more screen resolution, 10x more storage options at same prices...

[d_adams]

Wow dude, you really don't like Apple I guess... Might I point out, all of your 'factual errors' that you pointed out were(and some still are) facts when mr. whatshisname reviewed the product. So, he was right at the time. I think he replied somewhere here saying that if the archos improved, he'd review it again. What I don't like the most, is that you keep saying "don't blame Archos for problems with Android" when the guy didn't blame archos at all, but rather just pointed out a flaw in the player. The player includes the Android software, so Android is in fact part of the player. Even if Archos didn't design the software, they did make changes to it and put it in their player.

Now, I'd like to point out a factual error in your post: it is easier and faster to type on the iPod touch keyboard than it is to type on an Archos keyboard. I own both devices, and the capacitive touch screen enables me to type nearly as fast as I can on a keyboard, as apposed to really really slow on the resistive screen. I guess my main point here is, maybe you should try an iPod touch, before you bash it.

Like I said, I own both an iPod touch, and an Archos. I prefer the touch, because its got more features(apps make it like a digital swiss army knife), it's easier to use, and it is a tad smaller (I find the archos uncomfortable in my pocket). The one area where the Archos is better, is video. The extra inch of screen makes it better for movies.

[Charbax]

Using Better Keyboard 3.5 on Archos 5 Internet Tablet Android, typing is much faster in horizonthal mode than on the tiny screened ipod touch.

None of the touchscreen technologies come even close to a normal keyboard. That is utter nonsense.

Nobody would want to type long blog posts, forum posts, blog comments, long emails or anything like that using any type of touchscreen technology. And it's not much better using a G1, Pre or Droid hardware keyboard.

Touchscreens are 30% or less the speed of a full sized keyboard. Droid like keyboard is 50% of a full sized keyboard.

Archos is the only to support full sized Bluetooth or USB keyboards. And you can use foldable keyboards and simply carry those in your other pocket.

[frankybones]

Okay, Charbax, okay. We get it. Archos 5 tablet supports full-sized keyboards. Has it occurred to you that some people don't like carrying around full-sized keyboards in their pockets? I don't care if it folds up, rolls out, or whatever, it's not easier for most people, and it frankly isn't worth it. You say (as if it were proven fact) that people don't type anything too long on any touchscreen technology. I say (and it is my opinion) that the iPod/iPhone keyboard is the closest virtual keyboard to matching the accuracy I get while typing on a physical one. Honestly. And I'm not an Apple fanboy or anything, but is it so hard to believe? It's utter nonsense? While I'm not saying capacitive is always better than resistive, capacitive bundled with multitouch really does speed up typing. You can begin to suppress your next key before you've finished releasing the last, and not have errors. It's a more natural feeling, because many people do that while typing on physical keyboards. I've used the Archos 5 keyboard before, and I have to push harder on the screen while typing, and it gets confused if I try to push two points at once. Although it's bigger, it's not the same as easier or faster.

Just know that bigger doesn't always mean better. If you're sour that iPod Touch won again instead of Archos 5, why not take the opportunity to review Archos's areas of needed improvement. Sure it's got great hardware, but the iPod touch won because the OS build has so much attention to detail paid, users like it more overall. We're not all techies in this world, and better specs don't always mean a better pmp. And even if you don't consider Android OS to be a point to be criticized, what about the people who don't know what Android is? They're just going to think that Archos left out support for ____, not Google. And if you're convinced that everyone needs flash to view their favorite websites, think again. I'm personally thrilled that I've seen less sites containing flash in recent years, making it easier to get what I need from the internet. Besides, the numbers speak for themselves. Check out this article from 2007 (http://blogs.computerworld.com/iphone_browsing_marketshare_closes_in_on_1). Just two years ago browsing on mobile Safari surpassed browsing on any mobile. I don't know what the numbers are now, but the people have spoken, and they don't agree with you; lack of flash is no more a flaw than lack of a blender attachment: we probably don't need it, and implementing it would be too sloppy, not worth it.

That's great if you want to use your Archos 5 and enjoy it. But why can't other people enjoy their iPods? You're obviously biased, running a site called "ArchosFans" and all. But is everyone who disagrees with your theory of specs over usability an Apple fanboy?

[sjgibb]

Doesn't bother me... I have my Zune HD already hidden away for Xmas Day and I am bursting to get at it! :-) I have 2 mates here in the UK that already have their HD's and they have been raving about them. To own a Zune HD in the UK will be excellent, the UK media player market is practically Apple or nothing. I already own an old Zune 30 (which is still going strong) and love being different from the rest of the country. Kind of ironic that to be different you have to NOT buy apple... I remember when that was Apple's slogan. :-)

[vudog]

Or even more ironic .... that you're choosing Microsoft to be different. ;o)

[Yelonde]

If you want to be different, then don't buy an MP3 player at all, problem solved :D

[egrant1978]

...or if you REALLY want to be different, go buy a tape deck. That'll show 'em.

[FutureGuy]

I would have been surprised if it was any other way, this is CNet after all. The only thing more surprising would have been if the TheCultOfMac.com had picked the Zune.

[Portal12]

Picked up the 64GB Touch and I couldn't be happier. I was shopping against the new Zunes, but too many people complaining about too many random things drove me away. The lack of focus was also disappointing, no one seems to know if an App store is coming or not. I knew what I was getting with the Touch.

What would have swayed me to the Zune? Full app support, maybe even just download links without the need for a locked down App store. An internet browers with flash support (This would be the killer app that would sway me in a moments notice). And a 64GB version.

[revolver777]

Wow, you can find ALL of those things and MANY more on the much better Archos!

[d_adams]

@revolver: yes you can get all that with an Archos....if it doesn't crash on you, or the battery doesn't die in a year, OR if the maddeningly crappy software doesn't make you chuck the thing off the top of a very high building! If none of that happens, you will agree that the Archos is an excellent player...

[jmpetersen]

I've been enjoying my Touch (1st gen) since the first week it was released. It's been through countless system upgrades, that keeps it 95% as capable as the new Touch (I do miss not having a speaker).
But the battery life blows after a couple years of use. The Mophie battery pack keeps it going once I get home for the evening.

I won't buy another until it includes the video camera (Imagine that will be a real battery killer).

[rhomaion]

That is awesome... because that is the same thing my brother and I have also done. 3rd gen has the bluetooth now we just need a camera... and a microphone would be a neat bonus but I won't count my chickens before they hatch.

[d_adams]

I'm still using my 1st gen too. It's 1 year 8 months old now, and it's still awesome, but after my 500th charge, I can only get 1 day + a few hours out of the battery. Still, it's better than my archos that I got last Christmas. The battery in there only lasts (maximum) 4 hours, and it takes two days to charge!

I will buy an iPhone next, I think.

[Sabre1677]

I think you can get a replacement battery on the Apple Store. They'll even replace it for you for "$79 (iPod touch) plus $6.95 shipping, subject to local tax"

Ah, the 1st Gen. I've been missing it since I was mugged three weeks ago *cry*

[CliffK2]

I liked my first gen iPod Touch and just bought the third gen iPod Touch. I like it. The only thing that would make it better would be a camera.

[shutchi2]

I've owned both, have to say sound quality on hd is better than the touch for now, but that's a pretty subjective criteria. I hate surfing on both of them, give me full flash support or forget about it.

[Eunuchorn]

Nope, I'm still not buying it. The guy with somebody else's liver needs to get the message that Wi-Fi is here to stay and that his iPod Touch should be the mirror image of the iPhone, inside and out, EXCEPT for a network SIM card. Why?

1) So Skype users can also hold the iPT to our ears to talk just like a real cell phone without all the strings 'n' things
2) So images can be captured
3) So Apple can start looking even "greener" by promoting VoIP to unclog the 3G network
4) To make a truly "almost iPhone" available to everyone not interested in floating AT&T but having access to everything else but cell calls and texting (you'd think this would be a no-brainer based on iTunes and App Store sales alone), and
5) So that the U.S. A., at the very least, would become "iPhone and iPod Touch Nation" without any doubt whatsoever, finally putting the nail in that coffin.

There you are. Can you take care of that for me, Donald? If you're having a problem, just ask that apple-head Steve for help. Go for it and send your progress reports to my email. Thank you.

[d_adams]

I really doubt they will do that. Those are good reasons, but you have to take into account that Apple's iPhone business is bigger than the entire iPod business, and they're not likely to release any device that competes with it.

[jaroslaw_k]

Sorry, but I will never even consider buying any piece of hardware that requires me to install iTunes on my computer. Since any iPod is a brick without iTunes, and no iTunes will ever defile my computer again, I will never have to deal with iPods again. To be more specific: any MP3 player that requires proprietary software for music transfer is automatically disqualified. And it really doesn't matter how many exalted CNET journalists select it as product of the month, year, century of even millennium...

[Renegade Knight]

I broke down and got a touch (my stereo supports it) and I have to admit nice as the touch is, I have to pig wrestle with iTunes to get it to do what I want. I'm losing the battle.

[inflammable]

I agree with jaroslaw_k. I also thinks that having a proprietary software is a way to take the freedom away. And even if almost every home stereo, car stereo supports ipods... I currently prefer using my Blackberry with full AVRC BT profile to play my music on my BT car stereo or BT Headsets... The Blackberry lets me copy/paste music from and to it... and I rather have an 8 GB microSDHC card than 16 even 32 built in.... in the near future ill be able to match those numbers with another card if I need it...

BTW I disagree with the comment made above by Charbax even thought I still have few Archos devices around... and the reason is that I see that Archos has fallen into trying to copy apple instead of trying to impress with performance and features....
My almost 4 years old AV500 still works great and the original battery last near 5 hours of video playback, and yes I have a spare battery... (which you will never see on an Ipod)

So there you go... Cheers to us who still love the itunes-free mp3 players

[jimmylittle]

proprietary software? really? You hate running Windows, or OSX, or the Zune store, or iTunes, or Palm desktop, or Harmony central, or any other software that makes a device easy to use? iTunes is a bear, to be sure, but so is manually arranging songs in folders and dragging those folders onto a music player. I'll do a little media conversion (which is free and dead-simple on a Mac) in order to gain the convenience of synching content instead of dragging and dropping.

If you obtain your music and video through the regular, LEGAL channels, iTunes does just fine. So does all the other "proprietary" software that MP3/4 players use. You run into issues trying to play all those file obtained from "alternate" sources...

[warp9tenor]

Um, jaroslaw, you do realize that the entire iTunes library has been DRM-free for over a year now? Oh, maybe not - guess that's why you wrote what you did. Or maybe you just don't like iTunes for some subjective reason that has less to do with facts than with your personal preferences. Which is perfectly OK - just be honest and say THAT. Or maybe it's just that you prefer to "purchase" music, rather than to actually buy and pay for it legally. Oh well, none of my business anyway ...

[d_adams]

I like iTunes. I like the organization, I like the ease of use, I like the simple layout, and I like the features it gives you. I rip my music from CDs (I don't have the money to spend on the iTunes store), and I can't imagine an easier way to do this than with iTunes. Once you've digitized the files, you change the name, track number, add lyrics, etc etc etc... Then, once it's all organized like you like it, you just push "Sync", and it's on your iPod. I just can't image why that would be harder than hunting around on your hard drive for all the files you want, then dragging them one by one to your music player. iTunes = organization.

[Justin94326]

I don't get it...what's wrong with iTunes?

[Justin94326]

I don't get it...what's wrong with iTunes?

[mlbeuchert]

Still no Flash Player support in the third-generation iPod Touch:
As a new iPod Touch owner, who likes to watch international news stations such as German, French and Italian channels that show news in Flash Player format, the iPod is virtually useless as far as that part of news coverage goes. Very disappointing!

[d_adams]

have you checked for a news app? Apps support video streaming now.

[MartySB]

Wow! Cnet awarding another heap of praise on Apple! What a shock.

I used to respect Cnet's advice on technology, but their slavish devotion to anything that the Cretins of Cupertino put in a white case is beyond annoying. I have a small collection of barely functioning iPods that I've put away in favor of more dependable and vastly more affordable music players.

[Sabre1677]

If an iPod ain't functioning right, 9 times out of 10 it's your fault.

Just an observation :D

[ofrancis]

Love my touch, great gadget but it's (and many other devices) problem is that after a while of ownership and usage the battery just doesnt hold a charge well enough to justify taking out for the day. As is likely the hope of the folks back in Cupertino, the only consumer solution is to give your old Touch to your kid nephew and go buy a new one. Presently I have my older 1st gen unit permanently tethered to the USB charge/sync cable, wifi turned on and it is used essentially as a remote (remote app) to control itunes my 'itunes computer' the one with the big speakers, also it paired with the 'touchpad app' and logmein ignition it's a total remote control interface to control my main itunes computer without fussing with the keyboard and mouse. Kind of a pricey remote after a year or so of ownership. My newer 32GB unit is doing okay tho...

Battery exhaustion is expected with anything that depends on them and alas the iPod and now the macbooks have these sealed inaccessible ones...hmm.

Great product, no doubt but lets keep the 'magic super-long-lasting battery' but also the means to replace it.

[etslee]

Wow! people complaining about Apple getting recognition for their products! What a shock!

[revolver777]

How much do your monthly cult donations?

[jberghorst]

Zune HD! HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Neumenon]

Hi Donald:



You are a shill for Apple.



Please leave your journalist credentials at the door for you have no integrity - like your workmates there at CNET/CBS - and kindly leave town...



The company you work for increasingly has no credibility in this field anymore. CNET can leave SF as well. We'll do fine.
[CNET editor's note: Offensive language deleted.]

[robschoenfeld0511]

Donald Donald Donald, said like a true Apple fanboy. The 3rd gen Ipod Touch is a great device but no different then last years model except with some additional speed. There is abosolutely zero innovation to this device. Spare me the app store argument as well 9 out of 10 apps are garbage.

[thomson1]

Running the numbers:

9/10 X 100,00 apps = 10,000 good apps.

Seems more than enough :)

[rhomaion]

How so, so, so,... I'll just put the 'true' in here so I don't take anymore space although it is needed.

[Yelonde]

The 3rd gen iPod Touch is no different then the 2nd gen, but it is still miles ahead of the zune HD. Screw having an OLED screen, I would rather have larger resolution on the iPod Touch, the apps, the internal speaker, the bluetooth, the 3rd party hardware, and quality, and the ease of use.

[d_adams]

Why did you get one if you don't think it's worth it?