iPod Touch is Missing an E-mail App
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 9:09pm 15 comments (last by anon)
After Steve Jobs finished his big speech introducing the iPod Touch, there was some talk around Six Apart Headquarters about it lacking in storage (my three year old iPod stores 40GB) capacity, bluetooth, phone capability, etc.
Not to say it isn't still cool, that iPhone screen is beautiful and in just the few months since then, they have crafted a new dock with visual depth, clearer text and icons which are so much more distinct. And then there is the fact you can browse the web because it has both wi-fi and Safari built right in. How cool is that?
Well, that is cool and all, but when you think of the iPod Touch as a PDA or a mobile internet device, with access to the web, your address book, and calendar, one of the four pillars of the internets becomes noticeable for the fact it isn't there. Yep, e-mail.
Since it uses wi-fi it won't always be connected to the internet, but reading and composing e-mail off line isn't exactly a foreign concept. If any company can make the outbox as invisible as possible it would be Apple.
iPod Touch could probably be the killer PDA, and not just a killer iPod, if Apple adds a mail application. For now though, I think I'm going to hang onto my black and white, 40GB iPod for a while yet.
15 Comments
Anonymous Monday, September 10, 2007 at 9:14am
how often do you need to check your email and write email? you can just use a web app when you are out and about and in a wifi spot...
Jamison Monday, September 10, 2007 at 4:21pm
The problem with checking email through a web application is you will have to stay put at a wifi hotspot while you read and write your email.
A true mail client could received and cache messages for offline viewing. With e-mail built in, I would be able receive mail at home, work or a hotspot, then read and reply offline while I'm on the subway.
craig Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 3:33pm
I really wanted to buy it, but not without an email application and calender updatability--no way.
Joe Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 10:55pm
I have say, after owning one, its worth it to NOT wait. The mail will (most likely) come eventually, as will the calendar update ability, along with maps, stocks and weather. If these things don't come eventually, you can just hack the iPod, and install the iPhone apps onto the iPod (which I have done, and it works great) and plenty of people out there have posted the iPhone apps to download, so you don't have to have an iPhone to install them (like you previously did). And in terms of bricking, inability to update or return or whatever, if something goes wrong, you can just simply do a hard reset on the iPod (hold down the power button and the home button while connected to iTunes) and everything will be fine and dandy again.
So, its totally worth it to buy the iPod now, later, whenever, even if it doesn't have mail or maps or some calendar abilites, or whatever. It can do soooo much more (like type all of this effortlessly, which I'm doing).
But if you're gonna get one, get the 16GB, I got the 8 (due to monetary issues) and I'm really missing the other 1/2 (especially in comparison to it 60GB video). But yeah, its definatly ok to buy it now, because you don't really have anything to worry about, and its definatly worth it to spend the extra $100 for the extra space.
Jamison Friday, October 26, 2007 at 4:59pm
Thanks Joe. Now that Apple has announced they will allow third-party apps (and not to discount web apps, they just can't be run offline or store data on the iPhone/iPod Touch) it kind of changes things because developers will provide mail, notepad, calendar, etc. apps if Apple doesn't. So we will have them one way or another.
A friend told me something last night I hadn't even considered: Apple is limiting the iPod Touch featureset so they can test the waters for what features will really sell. Since they can always release added software in an update they can always fix things later if they discover the lack of mail or stocks or whatever is hurting sales.
Matjara Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 8:27pm
I've been watering my mouth lately over this beautiful piece of engineering by apple, but I still don’t know whether I should buy it or wait for next apple’s surprise (since I bought an ipod nano and 1 month later the completely transformed ipod nano comes out). I don’t want to make the same mistake again. So I have one question that would probably help me make a decision, am I going to be able to send an email through a web app (hotmail, yahoo, etc) if I’m in a hotspot?
Jamison Friday, November 23, 2007 at 2:03pm
Matjara,
Web mail that works in Safari should work on an iPod Touch, so you can use it whenever you're at a wifi hotspot. Here's something else to consider, Apple has announced they will let developers build third-party applications for iPhone and iPod Touch. Though there is little more information available than that, Apple will either have to make Mail available on iPod Touch or a third-party will almost certainly provide an alternative.
With only about 6 weeks until MacWorld SF though, your best bet (unless someone is getting you one as a gift) would be to see if Apple introduces anything new. If they don't you, can probably still find post-christmas sales going on.
Matjara Friday, November 23, 2007 at 5:50pm
Jamison,
Thank you for the information. I will certainly wait a few weeks more for MacWorld SF. Its better to wait, than to be sorry. Its very likely for Apple to introduce Mail for Ipod Touch, since it might represent a big downfall on the sales.
Tyler Saturday, December 29, 2007 at 4:15am
I Jailbroke my iPod and installed the iPhone mail app via Installer. Works like a charm.
iMaster Friday, January 4, 2008 at 2:05pm
You can download the iPhone apps (Mail, Stocks, Maps, Weather and notes)to your iPod Touch using the installer app which can be downloaded on www.jailbreakme.com. Add source http://repo.us.to/ and install preps 1st. For help to get installer app go to http://lifehacker.com/337863/how-to-install-third+party-apps-on-your-new-iphone-or-ipod-touch.
Jose Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 8:47pm
Im sure that by now you all already know this, but with a 20 dollar software upgrade, you can now get almost all of the apps that the iphone has, including mail, google maps, weather, and a few more. My question is, can you send email from the ipod touch?
Cory Wilson Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 9:37pm
$20? Nah, you can get everything the iPhone has and more for free. It's a really easy hack.
(This message was typed on my iPod touch. It's super easy to type in landscape mode.)
Anonymous Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 7:50pm
u can just jailbreak ur itouch and get e mail (www.jailbreakme.com)
anon Monday, April 28, 2008 at 10:54pm
so, if the main reason i was getting an ipod touch over an ipod classic was to send emails.. should i stick to the classic???
Randy N Saturday, September 8, 2007 at 5:16am
I agree 100%. I had been salivating for the iPhone-without-a-phone version to come out.. people are whining about the lack of storage space (learn to manage your library, folks, if you're into video you're going to amass a library that will never fit on your portable device) .. but it's the lack of an email app that strikes me as the glaring omission. Enough so that I find myself able to resist the purchase.
I already have a fantastic iPod. Sure, this one is cooler.. but a serious app for wireless communication would have made the ipod touch a completely different device- not just a niftier iPod.