So I put down the $20 for the iPod Touch updates.
Here is my 5 minute review:
New features:
- Mail. Supports Google, Yahoo, .Mac, and AOL. Also supports POP and IMAP with impressive auto detection (better than Outlook's). Features are fairly rudimentary but for getting mail on the road it's very good .Overall: 9 out of 10
- Maps. Somehow using various WiFi routers in the area it can get a reasonably good location. So how good was it? OH MY GOD IT WAS GOOD. It located me within 100 feet. It's about as good as my GPS. Of course, you need to have Wifi near by so it's not a replacement for GPS but for $20, you now have a portable near-GPS device. Overall: 10/10.
- Stocks. Nothing big here. This is just a gadget.
- Weather. A very nicely done weather gadget that automatically shows a 5 day forecast.
- Notes. This is a surprisingly useful addition to the iPod Touch. Last night, I remembered a feature I wanted to mention to be added to Sins of a Solar Empire. I knew I wouldn't remember it and it was 4am. So I went down stairs and emailed it. But I always keep my iPod nearby (I surf the web from bed, yes I'm a geek). If I had had this feature last night, I would have used it.
So there you have it.
Is it worth $20? It was to me. But I don't based my purchasing on emotional needs or principle ("wah, it's not fair, I shouldn't have to pay"). I base it as to whether it's worth $20 to me. And the answer is, yes. The map feature is surprisingly good and the really well designed mail handling is worth it.
Update: Found the Advanced options in POP, email works quite well.