iPOD TOUCH 7TH GENERATION
On my search around the house for microSD cards, USB
leads, power leads etc (quite a common practice) I found my old, blue, iPod Nano 7th Generation and my iPod Touch 5th Generation, both great MP3 players. I
liked the size of the iPod Nano and brightness of the display, I also thought
it the perfect size for just throwing in a pocket or bag but on charging and
starting up I found the screen to be corrupt and unusable as for the iPod Touch 5th Generation I found the storage space a bit lacking, only 64gb, for my catalogue of music
as it stands now. So now to purchase the most up to date iPod Touch I could, the last
produced was iPod Touch 7th Generation so I decided to get myself one with 256gb storage.
I think that most people these days would say, "Why do
you need an MP3 player when you have your smartphone with you?" Personally,
I always thought it was handy to have a music player that has one purpose that
it does extremely well, which iPods (all makes and models) used to do, and
they did it exceptionally well. When you consider that the original iPod which was
released on 10th November 2001 and my recently purchased iPod Touch 7th
Generation which was originally released on May 28th 2019 and discontinued on
May 10th 2022 still functions as they were originally intended 7 years on. Apart from the iPod Nano screen which is probably fixable, not looked into this though.
| Nano 7th Gen | Touch 5th Gen | Touch 7th Gen |
|---|
| Release | Sept 7 2005 | Oct 11th 2012 | May 28 2019 |
| OS | 1.0.4/1.1.2 | iOS 6.0
| iOS 12.3 |
| CPU | X
| Cortex-A9 Apple A5 | Apple M10 |
| Graphics | X | SGX543MP2 | GT7600 plus |
| Memory | X | 512MB DRAM | 2GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 1-16gb | 16, 32 or 64gb | 32, 128 or 256gb |
| Display | 2.5" LCD | 4" Multitouch LED | 4" Multitouch IPS |
| Rear Camera | N/A | 5MP | 8MP |
| Front Camera | N/A | 1.2MP | 1.2MP |
| Wi-Fi | N/A | 802.11a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1
|
When it comes to the software needed for the computer
side of things, everyone used iTunes which was also released in 2001 alongside
the original iPod. I loved the coverflow view in iTunes on my computer and once
installed on a modern(ish) laptop it is just as I remember. Easy to navigate and find the music I want.
Once the iPod Touch 7th Generation is connected via a
lightening connector, this connector now discontinued, to the laptop iTunes
recognises it straight away and it is ready to sync my music and music videos.
Unfortunately some of my music is in WMA and MP4 format which has caused a few
issues such as duplicate files and the need to convert files to MP3, this is no
great hardship just a little time consuming.
Is iTunes still needed?
Doing a quick search online it does appear that iTunes
is no longer the only software available and that there are paid and unpaid
alternatives that can be used such as WinAmp, MediaMonkey but for that
authentic feel I decided to go with iTunes.
Official & Primary Software
Apple Music/iTunes: The default for managing and
syncing music, movies, and other media between your computer (Mac/PC) and your
iPod.
Third-Party Alternatives (Windows & Mac)
CopyTrans (Manager/Transcoder): Excellent for managing
music and transferring files to/from your iPod without iTunes on Windows
TouchCopy: Transfers music and other content from your
iPod to your computer or iTunes on both Mac and PC, supporting older
click-wheel iPods
MediaMonkey: A powerful media manager for Windows that
can sync with iPods and use tools like qaac for high-quality encoding.
Syncios: Offers comprehensive file transfer and
management for iOS devices, including iPods.
Sharepod: One of the original tools for transferring
music from iPods back to your computer.
 |
| MediaMonkey |
Custom Firmware & Advanced Options
Rockbox: An open-source firmware replacement for
certain older iPods, adding features, file format support, and customization.
Key Considerations
iPod Model: Older iPods (Classic, Nano, Shuffle) work
best with older iTunes versions or dedicated managers, while iPod Touch uses
iOS.
Apple Music Subscription: Most older iPods cannot use
the Apple Music subscription service; they play purchased or ripped music.
Direct Transfer: You can often treat older iPods as
external drives to drag-and-drop files, bypassing playlist management.
Would I recommend someone getting a second-hand iPod
these days?
If you are planning on purchasing an iPod in 2026 do a
lot of research, examine what storage space you may need for your music
catalogue and how much music will you need while you’re out, do you travel a
lot and therefore need a lot more music storage space with you. If you find
your smartphone adequate for your needs then a separate music player is
probably not for you, however if your smartphone is used for phone purposes
only but you want music while out and about then the answer is probably yes. I
also found a music player handy while hoovering.
Do you need a music player with a screen?
Having a screen is nice but is it essential for your
needs, only you can decide. I have had music players with screens and without
and I prefer a music player with a screen just so you can look at the player
and see the album artwork and know straight away who the artist is and the
album name.
Michael
