My answer to Apple's iPod Touch is it worth it?

So awhile ago I asked if the new iPod Touch was worth it and I got some good responses (thanks again, btw) although nothing that really pushed me to run out and get one at the time. My birthday was in the end of January and my wife decided to buy me a 16GB iPod Touch and after three+ months I think I can now the answer that question myself though it would be a "maybe" though definitely leaning towards yes. I say "maybe" because there are a few obvious features that are missing which I’ll mention in another post that would make it far more valuable although perhaps would cut into iPhone sales.

What I Like

The best feature by far is the nearly full fledged Safari browser coupled with the slick touch UI. It’s awesome to be able to surf the web naturally from such a small device. The browser provides quick access to apps like Google Reader and Google Calendar both of which I use heavily.

Second, would be the ability to quickly check several different email accounts though my work account, based on Exchange, is currently only accessible via the browser but that’s scheduled to change in June. I am, however able to use the simple Outlook Web Access site and check my work email.

Third, is the screen. Having such a high resolution screen in your pocket is huge. From full web pages to Google maps and YouTube videos it’s really awesome to have such rich display at your finger tips. Last weekend I demo’ed it to my Mom and after about a minute she was saying "I want one now!" and that’s coming from someone who is not the gadget type.

Conclusion

I believe the iPod Touch has huge potential even given some of things I think it’s lacking. I found this BusinessWeek article an interesting read and I would agree that it’s only a matter of time before we see more types of content appearing for the iPod Touch and iPhone. In fact, Google now has excellent support for the iPhone/Touch and I’m using their apps all the time now. When the iPhone SDK starts shipping we’ll see an explosion in the number of applications available which will only serve to make things even more interesting.