IPOD Touch Question..

I don't have a smartphone, but I do have an old iTouch and I can tell you that it is getting harder and harder to find apps that will run on the iTouch. Most say you need an iPhone or iPad to run them. Something to think about. Also, with a smart phone, you most likely get a 3G connection so she can access internet anywhere. With the iTouch, you need a wi-fi connection.

My 8 yr old received a used IPOD touch for his last birthday. He loves it and uses it frequently to play games and listen to music. We have not had any trouble finding apps that are compatible with the touch. He wants a phone for his 9th birthday....good gracious...lol!! I wouldn't buy myself an Iphone much less my child. Sometimes we go way overboard as parents trying to keep up with the other kids. Check out craigslist for a used IPOD touch but do your research to make sure you don't get scammed. We were truly blessed to get one for $125.00 from a teenager upgrading to the Iphone.

The iPod can do everything the iPhone can except text and make phone calls as long as you have a wifi connection. At least that was the case last year - my husband's ipod was the same as my iphone 3. Not sure if the ipod's been updated to match iphone 4. My daughter uses my old phone as an iPod. I would suggest going to the apple website and take a tour of the device you're considering buying. Also take a look at iTunes, maybe even the app store, so you can get an idea of what's available.

My kids both have an itouch and they love them. They do need a wi-fi connection to access the internet, but they can send texts on them when they do have that connection. There are tons of free aps/games that they are trying out and playing all the time. They both have them on in their speaker/chargers at bedtime and go to sleep to their own music.

Have you considered just getting her a very basic phone replacement? They aren't very much these days. And depending on your carrier, going with a smartphone as a replacement will cost you in the long run for service. Most companies, if I understand it correctly, are doing away with "unlimited access" completely, so you might end up incurring large monthly fees to give her that constant 3/4g access.

You can get a jailbroke (meaning you don't have to have AT&T to use it) iPhone 3g or 3gs for $100 or less. It will work as a phone and do all the same things as an iPod touch will do. My husband has one that a friend bought him. The main differences between that an a new one is that he can't send/recieve picture messages, no visual voicemail, and he can only use internet in wireless "hotspots" So he doesn't pay for a data package. It is also a used phone, that might be more the direction you will want to head in.

I was also thinking about doing the IPOD touch for my son but now that you bring up getting the smart phone I think that might be my move. You can do all the same things so why not go with something you know she will be needing.

Look on craigslist and find an iphone that someone is selling for whatever reason. Not activated it's an ipod touch, down the road if you decide to get her a phone, you can take it to verizon/att and have it activated and the iphone expense is out of the way. Just a thought...

If she is not hooked on the idea of it being that small, for the money, check out the Kyros Coby 8024. I just got one and it's the BOMB. I had to take some time to update all the software and I had to do a little googling to find out how to get netflix on it. But I have my audio books from audible.com, e-music, my kindle books, my nook books, and my Sony books, all on one device :) It's awesome. It's an android platform and there are tons of free apps for it. I paid 168 for it. It's 8 inches. So it's not the IPAD, but it may as well be.

I heard a man at a store this weekend say that most people back and buy the IPODS again and again because of loss and theft. My daughter had 2 stolen from her in highschool.