Apple iPod touch: Where's My Mail?

At first, Apple's (AAPL) new iPod touch seemed like the perfect solution to the iPhone/AT&T (T) dilemma. The day after Steve Jobs unveiled it (for shipment later this month) the rush of pre-orders pushed it to the top of Amazon's best-seller list, where it was briefly the No. 1 selling electronics item.

A lot of people, it seems, like the idea of a pocket-size multi-touch Wi-Fi-enabled Web browser and music/video-player that doesn't come with all that iPhone baggage -- in particular, AT&T's wireless network and two-year contract. With the touch, you could keep your current cellphone -- and whatever wireless network works best for you -- and use the new device for your entertainment, your news, your mail...

Uh oh. Your mail. There's the rub. A mail client is not one of the applications Apple chose to put on the iPod touch.

Why not? There's no technical barrier. There's a very nice mail app on the iPhone that could be easily ported over to the new guy. After all, the two share the same user interface and operating system, and there's plenty of room for it in the touch's 8 and 16 GB Flash memories.

And there's no question it would be popular. In a survey on 9to5Mac, right, mail was the No. 1 application readers wanted to see added to the device, ahead of iChat and Google Maps.

We put the question to Apple, and got this response from spokesperson Natalie Kerris:

"no juicy explanation, we just feel it's the right feature set for that product."

Which is to say the obvious: there is no mail program on the touch because Apple doesn't want the device to cannibalize sales of the iPhone. They want to keep the iPhone, a communications product, separate in the consumer's mind from the iPod touch, a music and entertainment device.

You might think this creates a perfect opportunity for outside developers to write a mail client, but that's tricky. It's hard enough to write applications for the iPhone and the touch without a proper software developers kit. But programmers also run the risk that Apple could at any time release their own mail client -- either as a free software update or as a pay-for-download stand-alone application -- putting the programmers out of business overnight.

That's the kind of game Microsoft used to play in the PC software application market. And that's the kind of trouble a company gets into when it manipulates feature sets to suit its needs rather than its customers'.

Comments

[Rev. Sharpstick]

Uh, G-mail?

ex ped: Ugh webmail. --Philip Elmer-DeWitt

[luke]

it will come at the right time

[Nagman]

Do you really hate Apple this much. Everday we have to read your crap. Webmail nucklehead. You can access yahoo you can access webmail accounts.

[jim g.]

who needs an email client app. when you have webmail. Gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc. What kind of point are you trying to make?

Everything is going towards web applications versus client side apps. Wake up man and smell the coffee.

How were you able to publish such garbage on yahoo anyway.

[Rev. Sharpstick]

"ex ped: Ugh webmail. --Philip Elmer-DeWitt"

Client apps. So DOS.

ex ped: And OS X doesn't do client apps? If you prefer webmail to Apple's Mail app, more power to you. --Philip Elmer-DeWitt

[Keith]

I agree with the author 100%. Apple has always been good about not cannibalizing their own sales, but they've gone too far this time, and now they get NO sale to me. GIVE ME TOUCH WITH MAIL FOR PETE'S SAKE!

[iphone canada]

This article is ridiculous - most of us are using webmail - which we would get with wireless internet- who uses the old email app anyway ? Dinosaurs, government ??? Catch up with us. Life is good.

[Apple Fan]

I am a long-time Apple fan and have frequently found your blog to have a consistent and excessive anti-Apple bias. However, this is the first time I find myself fully agreeing with your observation about a company the "manipulates feature sets to suit its needs rather than its customers".

Too bad, though, that with your anti-Apple zeal you have squandered away all credibility with your readers to the extent that even a valid criticism like the one you just made is met with near-universal skepticism.

How about restoring some credibility among your readers with balanced reporting? It'll take time, but today is not a bad start.

[MacManMaz]

Your point about no Apple supplied mail client is well taken.

However, I think that you are wrong in stating that is is very hard for third party developers to write for the iPhone/iTouch. Apple has gone to great lengths to encourage third party developers. You really stepped off a cliff when you compared them to microsoft. Apple OSX is open source and Apple has been a big contributor to open source unix development. To compare their use of software and feature sets is just wrong.

Apple may very well include mail by the time that the iTouch ships and you my friend will look like a fool.

[Apple Fan]

I am the Apple fan that chastised PED in a previous post for squandering away his credibility.

But, Apple, by manipulating feature sets to suit your needs (or AT&T's needs) rather than your customers' needs, you are driving them away from your kingdom into Google's and Yahoo's arms. The way to keep your customers in your 'tent' is to make sure they cannot live without applications that you provide.

With mail in particular, the pain-point for using the browser is higher than if I could use the Apple Mail application, but not high enough for me to shell out thousands of dollars to AT&T. Hope Apple revisits its decision to exclude such apps from the sexy new devices.

[Adam]

Simple: the iPhone is a communications device, the iPod touch is an entertainment device. The question you should be asking is why should two different devices with two different function sets look so similar:
http://lindsay.at/blog/archive/2007/09/06/the-difference-between-the-iphone-and-the-ipod-touch.html

[give me a break]

It would be dumb to add that feature since the only time it would work is when you are at a wireless hot spot. The iphone checks your email as much as every 15 minutes but there is no need to have a wifi connection for this because it can use the edge network. Since you have to be in a wifi hotspot in order to get online with the touch, it would be just as easy and makes more sense to log into your email via the web browser.

[gotmac]

The iPod touch has a mail client of sorts. It's called Safari and WiFi. You can access most POP 3 mail accounts through a web browser if necessary.

The fact is the iPod touch is not the iPhone. If you want mail, and the other features suck it up and get an I phone and quite whining. So, you'll be stuck with AT&T for a couple of years. By then Apple will probably have cut deals, if they haven't already, with other carriers and you'll be able to switch.

Shame on everyone who want's everything for nothing. The new tools Apple is introducing are revolutionary pieces of equipment never before seen and I think they're doing an incredible job at introducing new technology to the world.

So grow up all of you complainers and get a life. You can't have everything.

[Philip Elmer-DeWitt]

MacManMaz writes:

However, I think that you are wrong in stating that is is very hard for third party developers to write for the iPhone/iTouch. Apple has gone to great lengths to encourage third party developers.

ex ped: I think if you talk to iPhone developers you'll find that most disagree. Apple invited them to write apps using Safari's web tools, but it didn't provide the kind of software developer kit they need to easily write native apps. They've had to do that for themselves. (If I've got something wrong here, I'm sure I'll be swiftly corrected.) --Philip Elmer-DeWitt

[Tom]

Well, it's been rumored that both the iPhone and the iTouch use the same binaries for both platforms since they both run OS X. I.e. Safari on both devices is the same physical program. I imagine it won't be very long before someone comes up with a way to copy the Mail binary from the iPhone and copy it to the iTouch.

For me though, I think the application that needs to be there more is iChat. Kids today all seem to have phones but they use them more for text messages far more than they do for voice. I can understand why they didn't put it on the iPhone because I'm sure AT&T would go ballistic if they lost all that SMS revenue. The charge to send text messages on phones is just ridiculous!

[Loonesta]

You want onboard email, buy the 8GB iPhone instead of the 16GB Touch - they're both the same price now.

[Jim]

More misspelling as usual.

Maybe you should let me proof read your work first before you post anything on the web.

Here we go:

"The day after Steve Jobs unveiled it (for shipment later this month) the rush of pre-orders pushed it to the top of Amazon's best-seller list, were it was briefly the No. 1 selling electronics item."

"were" what? Did you mean where?
BTW, I just checked, it is #1.
I'm sure your corrected blog WILL NOT reflect that.

You left out the camera! iPhone has one, touch does not. Like always, your reports are full of holes and negative towards Apple.

Like before, I call for your firing.

[noah]

Unlike the rest, I completely agree with with this article. I dont think people realize that the web browser on the toutch and iphone has zero add ons or plug ins(ie, flash) THEY CAN NOT VEIW GMAIL, YAHOO, ECT!! or at least apple has it set up to not allow. Thats why there is a separate youtube app, and maps app, stocks... So yes, apple is manipulating the market.

[Bigmouth]

The "no mail" complaint has to be one of the stupidest things I've read. There are plenty of reasons to criticize the Touch (e.g., limited streaming audio capabilities) but the lack of a dedicated e-mail program isn't one.

Noah, are you retarded? I can access mobile versions of gmail and yahoo with the most rudimentary browsers (e.g., on my Pal TX and Treo 650). So no, Apple is not manipulating the market.

[noah]

ok, you can view you mail through browser, but there are still simple program apps that apple is not putting on the touch, stocks, weather, traffic would be nice. Why would you hold out on those apps???

[Dylan]

To be honest, I'm amazed that iPod Touch has Wi-Fi and Safari. I totally expected Apple to release a touch based iPod that would simply so the things that the now renamed iPod Classic does -- play music, videos, oh, and I guess calendar and contacts, since iPods have had that for awhile.

(Which raises the question, where's the Notes app? iPods have had a notes reading feature for some time as well, if I'm not mistaken. Where's the outcry over the loss of notes?)

So why did Apple give it Wi-Fi if that's not really an iPod feature? Two reasons. One, they got that new Wi-Fi music store client, and by adding Wi-Fi to the Touch they increase the number of people that can use the store, that means more sales for Apple. Second, it helps to deflate the one thing people talked about with the Zune.

Once Wi-Fi was decided to go on the Touch, the YouTube application was probably an easy sell. After all, viewing videos is what iPods can already do, and adding YouTube makes sense.

Why Safari? As Steve Jobs said in his presentation, it's there because a lor of Wi-Fi spots requiring logging in by a web page, and he even goes so far to say including Safari will make the Wi-Fi experience "be done right" as opposed to Microsoft's flawed version. Also, it doesn't hurt to increase the people using MobileSafari so more developers do "Web 2.0" apps like the Facebook one that got demoed.

Now onto MobileMail -- unlike MobileSafari, there's no immediate reason for it, unlike the logging on to Wi-Fi feature that got Safari on board. Meanwhile, there's already a touch device that does email -- the iPhone, and Apple wants to increase sales there, as seen by the dramatic price decrease.

Also Apple can always add Mail later if they decide to change their mind. It would be a simple software update to do so. But if they added Mail first, then later decided it was too cannibilizing or whatever, they couldn't remove it later, obviously. So for now, they're being conservative, and for many people it sucks, but for others -- hey, have you seen that the iPhone is a lot cheaper now?

[MacManMaz]

PED writes:

ex ped: I think if you talk to iPhone developers you'll find that most disagree. Apple invited them to write apps using Safari's web tools, but it didn't provide the kind of software developer kit they need to easily write native apps. They've had to do that for themselves. (If I've got something wrong here, I'm sure I'll be swiftly corrected.) --Philip Elmer-DeWitt

I too have read that about iPhone developers, however, I stand by my statement that you just cannot compare the way microsoft and Apple handle third party apps and open source. The former would not allow any third party app whatsoever (seen any e-mail client for the zune to use thru wifi?) and the latter encourages third party apps, even though it apparently didn't make it "easy" enough for some of them.

I for one, am going to buy an itouch and use it for entertainment and simple PDA functions with the occasional web mail access. It seems to me that it is by far the best device for that at this point. If I wanted a communications device with full e-mail, I probably would buy the iPhone.

[MacManMaz]

Even you, Mr. Dewitt, have to agree that expecting the first version of any groundbreaking tech gadget to suit everyone's wants and or needs is pretty unreasonable.

There were a lot of features that were not on the original iPod (wifi wasn't even discussed) and look how far that has come.

[mark]

I agree with ped that we could've expected those apps on iPod touch because they already existed on iPhone. It's not like Apple had to do anything new.

But for now, Apple doesn't believe that users will get a "good enough" experience with just wifi for communications like chat and mail. It believes you'd be better off with the almost "always-connected" iPhone. Putting mail and chat on the touch would raise user expectations that just couldn't be met. Over time, as wifi hotspots increase, I could see Apple add it.

For us tech geeks, we'd be happy with just the feature even if the experience wasn't great. So we should be happy to just use webmail and some web-based chat.

[mark]

Someone will say that chat and mail are on our laptops using wifi only, so why not iPod touch.

Because iPod touch is expected to be used while walking, and a laptop mostly not.

[innhitman]

Are you stupid? Or did you have to submit ANY negative article on the iTouch, so you just thought for 1/2 a second and came up with this?

If you can't figure out how to get your email on the new iTouch, then you don't even need to have a computer.

I don't know about anyone else, but I run into FREE wifi spots all day long. That's all you need along with Safari.

[Yev]

You again, I thought business 2.0 is going away, can't happen fast enough for me.

[glen engelmann]

how about referencing other media players that have email support?

how about mentioning all the amazing features instead of picking one lame one to whine about?

a multitouch wifi ipod with a 3.5" screen sounds pretty amazing to me...

[Dave Small]

The apps that are missing from the iTouch are not only Mail but also Stock Quotes, Weather, Google Maps, and the Camera.

I own an iPhone and find it very convenient to just push a button and bring up stock quotes, weather, and google maps. It's much less convenient to navigate to a web page, log in, and get the same information. It looks to me like a case of the AT&T deal driving the feature set rather than customer needs and wants.

When your mail app connects to a Pop3 server it downloads your mail to the iPhone. Since the iTouch wouldn't be connected all the time it isn't likely to be your primary email client. If you only visit a WiFi hotspot once in a while then all of your email would download at that time. That could be a bit of a pain with perhaps duplication of effort. It would have been nice if Apple had made the Mail app a user configurable option.

[Nodack]

I keep reading about iPhones bagage being AT&T and the two year contract. Would it have mattered which carrier was used? When it comes to carriers it seems each person has one they like and all others suck. "The dreaded AT&T two year contract". I was curious, is AT&T the only carrier that makes you sign a two year contract? All of these articles imply that AT&T is the only carrier that makes you sign a contract. As far as I know EVERY carrier makes you sign a contract. In fact that is a big reason many people haven't purchased an iPhone yet because they are stuck in their non AT&T contracts. My point that this two year contract thing is a complete NON issue.

Next the email issue. Every article that mentioned the iPhones mail app has bashed it. It's not compatable with business needs yada, yada, yada. Now Apple releases the iTouch and now the writer complaines that they left out Apples "very nice" email program. The only time this site has called anything Apple nice and it still ends up a bash. Lol

[casey]

This is funny because I called apple the day these were introduced and asked them if it had a mail program. They told me it did so I pre-ordered it!

[rich]

you can check mail at any wifi spot, if you're on the web, go to hotmail duhhhhh, go to yahoo mail, duhhh, does Steve have to hold your hand too....

[markot]

If you need the apps, just buy the iPhone and, if you don't need the phone, don't activate it. Yes the iPhone costs more, however when did it become required to include all features at every price point? I expect someone to complain that the shuffle doesn't play video, since everyone knows it shares much of it's design with the nano and now the nano plays video!

ex ped: If you don't activate it, the iPhone doesn't work. --Philip Elmer-DeWitt

[APPLE FAN]

You guy didn't realise the fact that Steve Jobs said this iTouch is targeted at us, people live outside USA and didn't have chance to use the iphone until one or two years later.

[Sebastian]

Web mail is not replacement for a true mail client. For one thing, in mail.app, I could compose and read messages even when there is no network connection and then send them when I am at a hot spot. And not everybody's company has a webmail server. No need to get abusive about people who don't want to use gmail (some people don't like to be spied on, thank you very much).

[J]

What's with all the mindless defense of Apple? Philip is just pointing out that Mail is something that could have been easily added and is in demand. Sure, Apple had it's reason for leaving it out, but I hope they decide to put it in as well.

[Martin Pilkington]

Some people need to stop being so defensive. Yes the iPod touch is great, I'm getting one. But the only real flaw I can find in it is the lack of email support.

And yes there is webmail, but lets be honest here, web apps suck compared to desktop apps. They're severely limited and what they can do and while they're improving they're still several years behind desktop apps and require a browser to run, an internet connection to view them and are hindered by network latency.

[yet another steve]

Of course they're manipulating feature sets. Because these are devices, not platforms.

THAT is the real issue... will they ship a small touchscreen OSX device that's actually a platform? I think that's where it's headed... but I think OSX as currently implemented on iPhone/touch isn't ready for software developers (not secure enough, and no well thought out public API).

As a developer right now on the touch, the best I can do is a web app. Web apps for email and already quite available. Now add an SDK and make it a real platform and we'll see unimagined new kinds of apps developed. My gut (with no inside info) tells me we'll see that sometime next year. It's too compelling and too obvious. But going from a device to a platform isn't trivial and should be done right. Which is why we don't see it today.

[Luckystar]

ipod touch was not "briefly" n°1 selling electronics item. It's sticking to the top since its launch.

[Luckystar]

ipod touch was not "briefly" n°1 selling electronics item. It's sticking to the top since its launch.

[Luckystar]

ipod touch was not "briefly" n°1 selling electronics item. It's sticking to the top since its launch.

[Dan Scotty]

i am a long time apple user and fan of their products.
however, i recently descovered that my ibook has exactly the same graphics card as the more expensive powerbook.
the only differene is that apple disabled certain parts of it to force people the choose the more expensive version with 'dual screen' capeabilites.
this is a similar cheat to what has happened to the ipod touch.
i am losing my trust in apple.

[Scott Davis]

I also noticed the missing e-mail client. Those that tout Web mail clients have apparently not attempted to use such clients on the iPhone on a regular basis. Even using them on a regular Mac can be iffy at time (cough, cough, Yahoo).

I found the dedicated e-mail client on the iPhone more responsive and easier to use than Web mail clients. I also liked the automatic polling and notification. This makes sense, because the client was built specifically for the platform's screen size and user interface (including touch motion).

Web mail clients do not always work well on small portable devices. Nokia has struggled with them on their 770 and N800 internet tablets. Both include browsers and e-mail clients. And they are several developers creating and perfecting the CLAWS e-mail program for the platform. Clearly, there is still some value in an e-mail client.

Apple needs to open up the iPod touch to widgets can be added. Expandability is the future. I won't buy an iPhone because AT&T's reception is poor and I don't wish to pay $60 a month on a two-year contract.

Adding the missing widgets to the iPhone touch will increase the value of the device. It may ding sales of the iPhone, but there are many of us who don't want an iPhone but would like some cool small Internet device from Apple.

Finally, if I recall correctly, Flash is missing from the Safari on the iPhone. I suspect it may be missing on the iPod touch. If so, a lot of Web mail clients are going to be in a world of hurt.

[Jim]

I read Business 2.0 is going away; HOW SOON?

I'm already boycotting all the companies that advertise on Business 2.0.

It can't be a minute too soon.

I call on everyone that think PED only posts garbage, doesn't add anything and only take up bandwidth, start boycotting with me.
Please check out PED's previous blogs, I've corrected his spelling and grammar just about each and every time.

I'm starting with GM and Samsung as I see their ads on this page. No GM and Samsung in my house.

ex ped: As I told Jim, my greatest fan, by private e-mail, Time Inc. has decided in its wisdom to shut down Business 2.0 and keep me. I'm now employed by Fortune magazine as an editor. I will continue to write Apple 2.0.

Jim, if you are going to rid your house of products made by any company that advertises in Fortune, you've got your work cut out for you. But why stop there? Why not boycott Time Inc. and all its advertisers? --Philip Elmer-DeWitt

[Sebastian Lewis]

The reason is simple: It's an iPod, not an iPhone. The technology for the two is almost exactly the same (with the iPhone having a few extra hardware additions) but Mail does not make any sense on an iPod (nor does iCal or Contacts) and as such, it doesn't belong. The Good News is, if your current cell phone is a Blackberry and you still want an iPhone without the phone, then there probably isn't a problem.

Sebastian

[Marc]

Yes that's why I'd rather buy a PDA. Then I can browse my PC via my network and stream video, check email, play games and music. I don't like the iPod touch from what I have seen of it. However I do think the so called "iPod Classic" looks lovely. If I wasn't the owner of a 6month old iPod Video 5.5g then I might get one.

[Jim]

>>>I'm already boycotting all the companies that advertise on Business 2.0.<<<

I don't drive a GM so that's easy. Samsung may be tough, lot of their memory and microprocessors are everywhere, including inside Cisco Routers. But, I don't own their TV, computer monitors and cellphones.

So, Fortune hired you? Maybe they could hire me to proof read your work before posting for spelling and grammatical errors?

[brikabrak]

i have to wonder, to all you people screaming that webmail is the second coming of christ, while the mail app is an evolutionary dead end that should be abandoned forever... have you ever used the mail app? sorry, but i like to turn on my computer (or phone, or hopefully ipod) and instantly see that i have 15 new emails, without having to go to my comcast account, gmail account, and yahoo account seperately. webmail has it's uses, but just can't compete day to day with an email app.

[b]

jim, lay off. nobody's forcing you to read this column. it's a blog not a news story and should be read with that in mind. since you think you know where the author's POV is coming from before you click on it you either read it because it's of interest to you or out of some perverse need to get your blood boiling. read something else. that's a bigger message than your rants and sad boycotts.

[Matthew]

Well, with Safari included, you can access your mail anyway through the internet. The mail application just adds a convenient shortcut. It's not the end of the world.

[Macguy916]

uhhhhh dont you think apple could have a software update with a mail app.

[kj]

Hey Jim if you are buying this iPod to check ur e-mail than I see something worng with that you have a phone, computer, or just use the webmail if you have to check on ur iPod. Its not to hard just have to think.

[Nodack]

I don't see what the deal is. Isn't the iTouch supposed to be a video iPod with a touch screen. The wifi and the browser make for nice perks.

Why us everybody so defensive here? Because this site pops out about one Apple article a day and in all of those articles they haven't been able to write about one good thing Apple has ever done. Apple could come out with a product that turns rocks into solid gold and this site would write an article that complains that it doesn't turn garbage into silver.

[MarkM]

The first posters point about web-based mail minimizing the impact is an important one. Unfortunately they chose to make it in such an immature way that they do disservice to their own point.

It also points out, I think, that they're not likely skilled, employed professionals. A professional would know that most employers do not use gmail or any other web based mail.

Way to go guys, you made yourselves look like doofs -- not the author.

[MarkM]

"I don't see what the deal is. Isn't the iTouch supposed to be a video iPod with a touch screen. The wifi and the browser make for nice perks."

Yeah, who would EVER want to use an internet connection to check an IMAP email account?

[Jeff]

Lack of mail is the problem for me with this device. iPhone is great for you who live in the USA or other places Apple chooses to launch service, but this device is for EVERYWHERE. Some of us outside of those areas just may need to check our email on a WiFi connection. If the device has a Wifi, it is natural it should have email. Sure you can use webmail. I personally use it only when I have to; I hate webmail in general. As it stands, the new iPod feature set is like putting a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari.

[JJ]

I just love the total American bias in your reasoning for getting an iPhone instead.

Email would indeed be a killer feature for the touch (I encourage all and everyone who agrees to bug report that Mail is missing to Apple!).

It is not a matter of getting an iPhone instead. There are no iPhones outside of US soil at this point in time. There will be a _LOT_ of iPhone touch (I'm eagerly awaiting mine!) very soon.

Excellent device, just a few small applications and it is Newton reborn indeed. (Mail, Notepad, Calculator and we are set more or less)

[Anonymous]

You can still get email on the iTouch, but you will have to use safari to get to either yahoo, gmail, etc. webpages and sign in. Takes a bit longer, but you still get mail...

[Anonymous]

Those of you who suggest a webmail client is the right answer aren't contemplating that a light version of Mail.app would be optimized for the device's form factor and email's task-specific workflow. The user experience would be dramatically improved (more efficient, easier-to-use) over webmail.

Mail.app is also an IMAP client so the mail would stay on the server where I want it and wouldn't be downloaded to the device.

[Wil]

Is it true? no flash enabled?...

another question... will I be able to use any wireless network? even when it is security enabled and you need to log in to use it?...

Just want to know how reliable the iTouch is and the wireless limits...

thanks

[Danno Bonano]

I can't believe the ignorance of some of the Apple Fan Bois on here. Crap, I have been defending Apple for the last decade and I am ashamed about some of the comments on here.

The fact is, Mail.app exists in a format to include on the iPod touch. If Apple is worried about confusion with the iPhone, the at least allow it as an installable option through iTunes. Seems absolutely assinine that they have the app but won't include it on the iPhone. They don't need to code anything special. Especially for all the folks that won't be seeing the iPhone until some time next year at best.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn't want some of these apps out because they are afraid future international buyers may choose to buy a readily available iPod touch and use with their cell phone instead of buying an iPhone. It wouldn't stop me. And regardless, I'd be buying Apple products anyways.

Don't get me wrong, I love Apple....their products....their software.... but blatantly withholding (crippling) a device when software is ready is purely a Microsoft move. I hate to see Apple starting to do this. Next we'll have Mac OS X home edition, business edition, ultimate edition etc..

(If Apple didn't include features because it required additional coding/development, this kind of action is fine....but the App does already exist.)

[Bubba]

MacManMaz said "OSX is open source." What is open source and where can I get it? I don't mean Darwin. Where can I get ANYTHING Apple makes, free or for sale, that is open source? Oh wait, you can't.

This is why Apple jumped on the open source marketing BS wagon. People believe anything.

BTW, I'm not saying anything should or shouldn't be open source. Just that this guy bought the BS.

[Jen]

Apple always leaves things out. Where Creative and other companies load their products with piles of extra tools and features, Apple seems to get by on popularity alone.

[Yo]

I am very happy that Apple is introducing the Touch. This is the perfect toy! I will use it to watch video's, carry my photo's, listen to music and occaisionally (when I am in a hot spot) tap the net. For communication and work I have a serious tool...my Blackberry 8830 and a real network Verizon. I don't care if the iphone let me walk on water I would never have switched to the Cingular/ATT network period. I've been there & done that and was forever saying can you hear me now?? Thanks but no thanks. Not having a mail app. is of no consequence.

[Kirby]

How in the world can anyone call webmail a suitable replacement for a good email application (like Mail, for example)??? For anyone working in a fast paced industry, the perks of having email contacts filled in for you with the click of just a few letters, or not having to enter a password, or having your address booked synced in a format that can be exported to other devices is not just useful, but sometimes the difference between getting a job done in time and missing a deadline. Webmail? Really???

[Kirby]

Oops, I didn't read some of the other posts and wanted to add this comment to my other above. Apple gets by on impeccable design, not undeserved "popularity." Their understanding of the user-interface is what makes them a leader. I have an Intel Mac and have Windows loaded for small apps or internet sites that aren't formatted for macs, but when I can I avoid Windows. The iTouch is straight out of the Jetsons and sells itself on sleekness alone. However, the blatant price manipulation is a discredit to their customers who know that they took steps to handicap a product that could have easily been that much better.

[Dustysage]

With the Safari browser, users of the iTouch will still be able to do just about anything they want with the device, even if Apple doesn't make it easy for them.

Mail - Use Gmail
Google Maps - Just point your browser to Google and click "Maps"
Stocks, use the superior www.finance.yahoo.com or any of your favorite stock sites.

For a media player, the iTouch will be in a league of its own. And, like the iPhone, new features are sure to be added over time to boost sales. ;)

[Tim Fuller]

No need to get abusive about people who don't want to use gmail (some people don't like to be spied on, thank you very much).
------------------

You're being spied on. Don't fool yourself. That argument has absolutely nothing to do with the Itouch. There are legitimate complaints that could be made (and have) about using web based versus client based email. You are only fooling yourself if you think you're not being spied on in either instance.

It's not like you live in a free country. This pre 9-11 thinking is gonna doom us all to hell.

Enjoy.

[Jim]

I used to subscribe to Fortune Magazine also.
Not anymore. No need for it.

[Bill]

Give me access to Airport Express from the Touch or iPhone. Option should be Play via Speaker, Headset, Airport if one is in range

[at]

If the iPod touch doesn't launch with email I'm getting a Nokia N800, it's just that simple. yes Apple makes pretty toys, but i'm not drinking Job's cool-aid on this one. The functionality is so much less on the touch that it's painful, and the price is the same as the N800.

[Matt]

Hmmm...been playing with my Touch for a few days. Much nicer than perhaps I expected. But its an entertainment toy not a techy workhorse. Agree that for that you need the blackberry. Main jiggles got to be the lack of flash/streaming media. For a wifi enabled plaything its a major drag - youtube is archaic these days - I want my media from stage6 and revver and i want to be able to listen/watch the BBC news live. Surely not too much to ask/implement?

[Fresh]

Perhaps the most cited rationalization as to why Apple has not included Mail.app on the touch: They are attempting to distinguish the two devices as either an entertainment or communication hub. Therefore, as email is a form of communication, it should not be included on the iTouch. Right? Then let me ask you this. Why, on a communication-centric device, would Apple have included iTunes. Apple has already blurred the lines for these gadgets with respect to this convenient classification that many are turning to as a way of justifying this move. Mail should have been included, simply because iTouch is completely capable of running it, and benefitting from it.

[Ipod Touch Tricks]

Just to let you know I created nice blog with ipod touch tricks let me know what you think plz?

http://www.ipodtouchtricks.blogspot.com

[Fraser Bowers]

For those of you web mail lovers or more specifically GMail users, the iPod touch will not impress you. Checking your email is no problem, but I've tried and tried and there is no way to reply to emails. As far as Hotmail goes, that's extremely buggy anyway, and on iPod touch that is no exception. So unless you're willing to sit tight and wait for Apple to release Mail for iPod touch, you may want to consider the iPhone.

[bk]

i'm a big apple fan and i use mail all the time, so the thought of having to use a crappy web mail interface instead of fully featured mail application with all my user settings is enough to make me sick.

apple please put mail on the itouch, there's no reason not to. by the way where i live the whole city is wifi, so there's no problem with it syncing every few minutes...

[Rick]

I read half of the latest on this rant.. could not take any more.
I have the 8 gig touch. I get my gmail on it but as far as responding to them I can only put text in the subject area. I agree it is great to use in airports, and if you need to respond get out the phone, or send a short in the subject area.. To the Gmail folks: it would not take much for Gmail to restructure the Text area to install a field that would work like the subject area. Talk abut captured clients and advertisement crowd..
Other than that this thing is great. Apple has responded to the questions I've had on it, and basically that is more than I ever got out of the Gates folks. It is new and there will be changes, the market will drive it to where it should be, if not, it will be another one of the flash in the pan items. There have been several of them returned that I know of for the reasons that are stated here so someone should be looking at the return rate and addressing that.... For the rest of US, they sell cheese at most grocery stores, buy some and enjoy it with our whine.

[chris]

I use gmail on my ipod touch...someone said you couldn't but sure do...

[Doug]

The iPod touch lets you compose in gmail if you use the standard html view, rather than the dynamic view. Hopefully google will sort this out. But you can use it for the time being... I do.

[Wowfanboys]

For all you 'idiots' that are trying to denounce a very legitimate point (the iphone has a dreaded non web based mail client while the ipod touch does not). Pull your heads out of Steve Jobs ass.

The reality is that the touch could very easily include this and Apple is just started to act like Microsoft now or any other greedy computer hardware / software company.

Well done Apple you have finally failed to impress.

[M. Thai]

I agree with Wowfanboys, in that the majority of the Apple fan base posting on this article are a bunch of ignorant crybabies. It amazes to see just how vehemently they defend a stripped down iPhone over a valid complaint.

There's several reasons people prefer e-mail applications over having to access their webmail over and over to read e-mails. Having e-mails on hand is a valuable attribute. Having all those e-mail accounts organized in one spot is another . But of course, the whiners can't comprehend that.

Why wouldn't I buy an iPhone instead? Because I don't need all the features and I definitely don't need to be tied up with AT&T's services.

By the way, I vote for "Jim" as being the biggest idiot of the bunch.

[Deena]

I probably sound like an idiot but: If I wanted the iPhone for the various features that are lacking on iPod Touch, but didn't want to give up my old phone (or pay fees for stopping a contract), could I use the WiFi without phone? or does Apple require Wi-Fi to be enabled via the phone contract?

[mash]

I couldn't agree more with the original article. It's a pity that as consumers we have been so well trained by whatever vile spin these corps churn out that we spring to their defence when they sell us crippled products.
Anyway, I'm writing this from an iPod touch and it is very nice - it's just a pity that i've spent the equivalent of ~$400 on something that is just an advertisment for an iphone (unfortunately not yet available in my locale).

[Justin]

To the guy that said OSX is open-source, you're out of your mind. Do you knwo what that term even means? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source
Have they provided their source code somewhere? For the entire operating system?
Because, no. It's not open source software.

[Serious Problem]

Come on guys, this is a serious problem!

[hitcher]

It is not just the missing email client that I fin annoying. It is also not possilble to add calendar appointments via the ipod touch.
It is quite clear that they desperately try to draw a line between the iPhone and the iTouch. And personally I think the line is in the wrong place. From a technical point of view and even from a customer's point of view the iPhone shouldn't be more than an iTouch with integrated mobile phone.
Unfortunately Apple decided to see it differently...

[Matthew Pare]

I didn't make it through reading all the comments before I just felt like I had to post my own. mpare is the name and from the comments made here you can call me a 23-year-old dinosaur who prefers client apps, in general and when they increase productivity, over web applications. It is true that web mail and other internet applications have fueled our relative accessibility to the communications hub. The web in general is the hub of information and is a great place, web apps are great in providing near universal gateways/portals to information but email is one of those applications that can increase productivity in a separate application and in fact I think that the user shouldn't be forced to use any single solution. I don't think the author of this article is manufacturing garbage in the form of words, nor do I think the author "hates Apple." I think the author is pointing out an odd occurrence in marketing and customer needs vs. marketed product. I made the switch to apple products nearly a decade ago, before all the recent hype, and have been relatively happy with the choice. Over the years I have noticed apple doing peculiar things in marketing and product development, some extraordinary and others reminiscent of disliked competitors of current and past. In the end these issues can be funneled by consumer demands and we just need to remember that without the consumer these products and innovations would not exist. I'm fine with apples decision not to launch their entertainment devices with communication conveniences. Just the same I'm content, though not enthralled, with apple not releasing an official SDK and/or other development resources with their product. I'm also happy that, as of yet, apple has allowed, though it should be our rights and not an allowance, its consumers to hack its products to bits. But as a developer, I will not buy a product that I cannot develop for freely. I'm saying the previous with direction that apple is not facilitating external development and with the very real realization that I can hack together an application for the iPhone/iTouch but I have roots in open source development and back ground in electrical engineering and if there is not a product that meets the needs of the consumer someone will develop it...

[Receptional]

Wow - the number of people criticizing the author's obviously pertinent comments leads me to suggest that Apple has a small army of blog watchers deceitfully adding their propoganda. Whilst I sincerely hope that I am just joking - you guys need to get a life.

Web based email has its use, but not as the sole option for a mobile device. I have an Itouch and found this article whilst trying to find exactly what the author was looking for - an email client download for the iTouch. Sure - I have Yahoo and Gmail but I learnt long ago that when on the underground... or an airplane... or in the wilds of Scotland, you need something that lets you work offline. Even if you CAN get online in cities and towns and hotels on WiFi, you probably been to pay by the hour - at which point I go straight back to my laptop tablet and download the emails through Microsoft exchange. That usually gives me the next 3 hours work right there in 30 seconds of connectivity.

of COURSE there should be an email client for the itouch. And an organizer system for that matter. Todos, RSS feed reader and general useful stuff.

Still - itouch does have a Skype facility if you look hard enough. Not exactly itouch making phone calls, ut clever nonetheless.

[me]

for all of those saying "duhhhh webmail"
webmail is not cool, have you ever heard of something called imap? im not saying thats why i want to use a client, but theres more out there than you are used to using. i PERSONALLY love a client with imap. i get notifications when msg comes in and can check the email anywhere. im not even a mac user, but would love the ipod touch if it came with an email client. its ridiculous that we are denied a technology for keeping their profits up on the other failing product.

[Henry Gomez]

No Mail, no sale for me. And I'm an apple exclusive user for 12 years.

[kruss1971]

Jim: "I call on everyone that think PED only posts garbage, doesn't add anything and only take up bandwidth, start boycotting with me.
Please check out PED's previous blogs, I've corrected his spelling and grammar just about each and every time."

Based on your grammar, you should probably retire from your correction efforts.

[Wow what a bunch of Apple Fanatics...]

Wow...

Just have to add... Wow...

Personally, aside from the screen size, I prefer my Treo 650 to the iPod Touch and iPhone. Why? Thousands of third party apps for a platform. I can throw full size vids, and music of any size onto any number of SD cards, and watch them without re-encoding, ditto for any music files I have. No re-encoding.

I don't have to use iTunes, or i anything else. i have access to real email clients, and a plethora of anything else I could want.

Why then did i buy an iPod Touch? Because if Apple is smart, or dumb, it will become a platform. I'll Jailbreak it, and install the iphone apps as in case anyone hasn't noticed they are so similar because of mass production. It's far easier to use the same hardware bits (omitting parts when cheap enough to do so; ie. no hardware redesign required) to make multiple products. The touch is the phone, with no phone (or camera), it even has a speaker, and I wouldn't be surprised if it finds a mic too.

Much like the PSP, this product will be far more useful after the community has its way with it. If Apple helps, then even better... they can reap the rewards from supporting a community desiring this sort of platform... If they don't, then we'll see iPod Touch Linux, or iPod touch hacked OS X, and a whole whack of apps anyway.

Regardless, aside from.. wait 2 things... (Wifi, and screen size) the iphone really isn't revolutionary, nor is the touch. It's simply a PDA masquerading as a media player. A lousy 2 format media player for that matter.

Again, I hate iPods, I hate iTunes... I bought the touch for the fact that it will be un iDone.

[Wow what a bunch of Apple Fanatics...]

Forgot one last thing... Mainly because its been mentioned already.

IMAP
IMAP
IMAP
IMAP
IMAP

Webmail is fine for some things but != IMAP

[John]

Crippling access for dotMac users sucks. All you guys defending Apple's decision to cripple the iPod touch, sniveling that "you CAN get webmail on it, on gmail or yahoo, etc.", well DUH! But what you are forgetting is that Apple apparently has made it such that dotMac subscribers cannot get access to THEIR webmail through the touch. So they are penalized for paying for Mac's own overpriced web services, once again. Nice going, Apple. I was all set to get myself an iPod touch, but now there's no way. (And i don't like the iPhone because it sucks as a phone to have something that huge... personal preference)

[John]

Crippling access for dotMac users sucks. All you guys defending Apple's decision to cripple the iPod touch, sniveling that "you CAN get webmail on it, on gmail or yahoo, etc.", well DUH! But what you are forgetting is that Apple apparently has made it such that dotMac subscribers cannot get access to THEIR webmail through the touch. So they are penalized for paying for Mac's own overpriced web services, once again. Nice going, Apple. I was all set to get myself an iPod touch, but now there's no way. (And i don't like the iPhone because it sucks as a phone to have something that huge... personal preference)

[Matt]

just jailbreak it, ive got mail on mine, along wiht ms word, a time table for school, and i can fix my website on it with a php sever.

jailbreaking is the best thing you can do! it doesnt hurt it at all and with one click on itunes you can revert it. all it does is remove apples selfish 3rd party programs barricade.

[Will]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned this, but the *reason* it sucks not having the email client is because mobile safari + webmail clients don't allow you to attach pictures from your Touch or save attached pictures to your Touch. I'm not sure the iPhone's email client allows the latter either, but I am sure it allows the former at least, for use with it's built-in camera. I'd like to see a mail client that supports both, but I'm not willing to hack my phone to do it.

I still love my iPod Touch, though, and they have announced a proper SDK in Feb'08; I'm anxious to hear the details on it. I'm sure it will fully support the slick multitouch interface (unlike the current web kit, which recieves only simple events pre-processed by mobile safari), but it's not clear how much access it will provide to the ipod's stored media or the wifi connection.

[Nick]

I have one, and none of the webclient's work. None. Not gmail, hotmail, yahoo, OWA. It sucks!

[David Wilkes]

For any of you who stated that the iPod Touch was not suited for Mail because it was a Wi-Fi only device and would not be available often enough, I beg to differ.

You're forgetting those of us who live and work (and play) in Wi-Fi hot spots. I'm a student at GA Tech and live on campus. As such, I spend all of my time in a Wi-Fi hotspot - indoors, outdoors, when I'm sleeping - literally everywhere. I prefer CDMA - Verizon, Alltel - and refuse to use AT&T. So, the Touch would be perfect for me to check email when I'm 30 minutes (round trip) away from my room and don't feel like going to the library or student center.

I also don't like webmail interfaces. Sorry.

[Wolf]

Actually, the iPod / iPhone thing is really annoying. I live in Vermont, where AT&T refuses to allow Apple to distribute iPhones because AT&T would have to pay other carriers for the coverage. As if that isn't assinine enough, Apple will brick your iPhone if they find out you live here and have one. To add further annoyance, I don't even bother with cell phones here because A) they don't even work at my house and B) they irradiate your head, if you believe European news over American. (I have a Virgin Mobile for emergencies and traveling. It has NO contract and requires only $20.00 every six weeks, avoiding the abusive contract crap that most other carriers dish out with glee.) Even more obnoxiously, Apple won't let developers like Quicken or Filemaker produce simple synchronizable software for the iPhone or the iPod Touch. I own my own business and domain and it would look really unprofessional for me to use gmail or yahoo for business correspondence; yeah yeah, I could forward it or use webmail through the browser but guess what? That's an unneccesary PITA.

So. I use a Palm T/X. The wifi is great for checking e-mail while traveling. The PocketQuicken lets me keep track of my accounts and finances. The MobileFilemaker lets me run my business database on the road or in the studio. I can play tunes on it with multiple SD Cards. It synchronizes all of this relatively painlessly with my Macbook.

I'm Apple in every regard, but the iPhone and iPod Touch are retarded due to Apple's disregard for simple and easily addressable solutions that they forbid for their own needs. The devices are clearly impaired for the sake of Apple's business model. So I guess I won't buy one. It's a shame though- I'm sure it would be even more seamless than the Palm, which I finally broke today after 3 years of daily use & carry.

[Sergio Sousa]

Dear Philip,

Thanks for the warning about the missing e-mail app on the iPod touch. To me it is not a deal breaker, but I feel an e-mail app would be much faster on a WiFi connection than all that Gmail Ajax mambo jumbo running over Safari.

Regards,
Sergio Sousa

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