By far the most popular MP3 player is the Apple iPod in its many forms. In fact, Apple models are four of the top five best-selling MP3 players. Topping the list is the iPod Touch (or iTouch), which can do MUCH more than merely play music. The iTouch is more or less equivalent to the iPhone (an Apple smartphone), but without phone, camera and video capability. When traveling, you can leave your computer behind and survive with just an iTouch or an iPhone.
As we’ve previously mentioned, any iPod (www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models) can play music and audiobooks, and some can even play videos. The iTouch can also read E-books, browse the web, send and receive email, and much more. Want to keep tabs on your budget? There are “apps” (iTouch and iPhone applications or programs) for that. Want to learn a new language? There are apps for that. For almost anything you can imagine a computer doing, you can find an iTouch or iPhone app to do it, and many of them are free. There is an app for almost anything you want to do: currency exchange rates, stock market, Skype, weather, dictionary, etc.
The iTouch and iPhone come with a base set of apps, and you get more apps from the Apple store. These apps are designed by third party programmers, and almost all of them are either free or only a couple dollars. If you’d like to see what apps are available for the iTouch and iPhone, go to www.itunes.com and click on “Browse App Store” at the bottom of the page. This website now boasts over 200,000 apps. Though games are the most popular, they comprise less than 10 percent of available apps.
The main differences between an iTouch and an iPhone, besides one being a cell phone and costing two to four hundred dollars more, is that the iPhone has an integrated microphone while the iTouch comes with a mic as part of the detachable headset. The iPhone also has a camera, video calling and GPS. Compared with an iTouch with similar configuration, the iPhone is slightly slower, has less memory available for apps, and is thicker. With the iPhone, there is also the cost of a monthly cell service plan.
As one way around the comparatively high price of an iPhone or an iTouch, you might consider buying a used or refurbished unit, which will probably save you between 1/3 and 1/2 of the price of a new one. But don’t run out and buy your iTouch or iPhone just yet. Next time, we’ll discuss other options that might fit your needs and your pocketbook better.
Free E-books online
Since you can no longer download free E-books from Google Books (though you can still read them online), here are a few more places you can find free E-books for download to your E-book reader:
www.bookglutton.com
www.feedbooks.com
www.gutenberg.org
www.manybooks.net
www.munseys.com
www.openlibrary.org
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