Christmas gifting Ipod touches

[jm-mom]

I have been reading in this list and hearing from friends how popular the Ipod touches are. My question is, why? I know some kids who are 6 or 8 years old are getting one for Christmas with Itunes cards. What "tunes" are they going to download? I must be living with my head under a rock because I just don't seen the appeal in these machines. What's wrong with a $50 mp3 player? That's all my kids have and we put music on them from cd's we either already have or get from the library. They are 9 & 11 and don't need an expensive player with hundreds of songs on it.

Yes, my girls have mentioned wanting an I-touch but only when they hear that someone else got one. They don't really want one and I'm not going to buy one just so they can feel like everyone else. (And it's not really EVERYONE else, more like 1 in 20 or even less than that).

So enlighten me, why spend over $200 on this gadget, and do so for kids so young? I'm not trying to judge, just trying to figure out the allure because obviously I have missed something.

I think it should also be noted that it's not a money issue for us. We could easily buy these for the girls, we just don't seen the need. If we bought them each one for Christmas that would be $500 and they'd expect more than one gift under the tree. If I didn't buy them that, spent around $150 - $200 total, I could put the remainder in their savings account for college. To me that is the sensible thing.

Thanks for your thoughts. I really do want to know.

 

[NYEmomma]

I would presume they'd download whatever music they want to... or whatever their parents allow them to.

 

[Marionnette]

duplicate post.

 

[Marionnette]

I have been reading in this list and hearing from friends how popular the Ipod touches are. My question is, why? I know some kids who are 6 or 8 years old are getting one for Christmas with Itunes cards. What "tunes" are they going to download? I must be living with my head under a rock because I just don't seen the appeal in these machines. What's wrong with a $50 mp3 player? That's all my kids have and we put music on them from cd's we either already have or get from the library. They are 9 & 11 and don't need an expensive player with hundreds of songs on it.

Yes, my girls have mentioned wanting an I-touch but only when they hear that someone else got one. They don't really want one and I'm not going to buy one just so they can feel like everyone else. (And it's not really EVERYONE else, more like 1 in 20 or even less than that).

So enlighten me, why spend over $200 on this gadget, and do so for kids so young? I'm not trying to judge, just trying to figure out the allure because obviously I have missed something.

I think it should also be noted that it's not a money issue for us. We could easily buy these for the girls, we just don't seen the need. If we bought them each one for Christmas that would be $500 and they'd expect more than one gift under the tree. If I didn't buy them that, spent around $150 - $200 total, I could put the remainder in their savings account for college. To me that is the sensible thing.

Thanks for your thoughts. I really do want to know.

Because they can be used for more than music. Games. A calculator. Calendar. Notepad. Various apps. and video programs.

They are compact and easy to carry, taking up some much less room than a Vtech or other piece of child-centered technology.

Kids who have an ipod touch are less likely to grab Mom's iphone and ruin it.

 

[tink576]

The gift card may not be for music but to use for games or tv shows/movies. I see a lot of families using an i-touch rather than a portable dvd player when traveling and entertaining the kids.

 

[dzorn]

My girls have used it more for movies or games than they have music. They are older but use dad's I touch. I would not have paid for it at 6 & 8 as the screens can crack. They have the older nanos that play movies.

Denise in MI

 

[vegasjulie]

I have 3 boys (ages 9,7, and 6).

They all have their own itouches, the reason being is that they love the games that I can buy on itunes for cheap, and I can load everything from a single itunes account.
They also have DSi's, but at $30 a game, this is cheaper in the long run.

 

[jm-mom]

Enlightening so far . . .

My kids use their DS for games, have no need for portable movies or tv (they read or draw or listen to music when on the road) have access to my Nook color for books and internet, have mp3 players for music and aren't allowed to touch my cell phone so running off with it would be out of the question. I understand the portability of an I-touch but I guess I'm in the minority, because my kids just don't need anything that's portable. They have their favorite books, card games, puzzle books, or their parents to entertain them if we are on the go somewhere. At home they have a real tv to watch tv and movies on, a stereo to listen to music, various video game machines to play with and so on. In MY opinion, for a young child the Ipod touch is just an elaborate toy, a luxury, and my kids won't be getting one at this point.

Now having said that, I do know high school kids who use the GPS feature, look up things for school online, etc. so I do see the usability there. Of course a lot of those kids do most of that on their Iphone though so they have the texting and talking capability too.

I have a little friend, 9 years old, she watches movies on her Ipod touch and I'm not sure how she hasn't gone blind the screen is so small! She'll watch an entire 2 hour movie that way. Go figure, my old eyes couldn't take it.

 

[smokeyblue]

I have 3 boys (ages 9,7, and 6).

They all have their own itouches, the reason being is that they love the games that I can buy on itunes for cheap, and I can load everything from a single itunes account.
They also have DSi's, but at $30 a game, this is cheaper in the long run.

That is a good point about the games. You buy games for a few dollars a peice instead of $30 or more.

The iPod touch is essentially an iPhone without the phone. You can listen to music, watch movies, tv shows and play games. You can use it as a mini computer: email, web browser, and there are many apps (programs) that you can download to do a million different things. I even use the Skype app to make phone calls (just pay 2 cents a minute for calls. It's cheaper than using my prepaid cell).

 

[southern_redhead]

We are considering getting our youngest two each an iPod Touch. Our oldest already has a Touch he bought with birthday money a couple of years ago, he has less than 10 songs on it. He uses it for watching youtube videos that his buddies post of their xbox games (go figure - I would be bored to tears), the apps/games, and listening to Pandora. He tends to grab his iPod before he drags out his laptop.

DD(9) has a Nano. She is one of the two we are considering a Touch for. She loves her Nano, she uses it to make movies all the time. She also has a couple of movies and quite a bit of music (most ripped from CDs we already had.) We are considering the upgrade for her because she is always wanting to use my iPhone or ODS's Touch to play with the apps. She also likes to "surf" the net. We do keep an eye on what she does. Mostly she will still use her laptop for online stuff because she likes games like Webkinz and Games2Girls.

YDS(8 this Nov) doesn't have anything yet. If we buy him something, we will go straight to the Touch. We are considering buying him one because he is always asking (and sometimes swiping) the iPhone and Touch. He likes the apps, and there are a few that are educational.

I will say that we are a very gadget-friendly family. We all have laptops, we have had most of the gaming systems, the kids know how to (and do) use the apps from iTunes.... DH works in the technology field, and he and I have always been a bit on the "geeky" side for this sort of thing. My kids are all still "young" for their age, they still play with toys and board games, they love to go the playground. ODS recently asked to delete his Facebook account because he says the whole thing is annoying. I think it just depends on the kids/family. One of my good friends won't buy her kids Apple-anything. She has bought them MP3 players, though, and adds music to it often (TV show songs, etc..) She calls us "early adopters". It's just different strokes for different folks.

 

[vicki_c]

My DD (she is 10) loves her iPod Touch - she bought it herself earlier this year with money she had saved.

She uses it for music, videos and movies, games, takes pictures (her camera is sitting somewhere dusty), FaceTime with me and her dad, and we all use Cozi for our family calendar so she has access to that as well. The Cozi app allows her to get e-mailed reminders of things on our calendar as well (things I choose to have her reminded of - dentist appointment, picture day @ school, field hockey games, etc.). She doesn't use her e-mail account for very much at this point, but she does have one and gets her mail on the Touch.

Our whole family also shares 1 iTunes account so we can all share music and apps purchased on that account. We are an Apple family so her having an iPod makes sense for us (we have multiple iPhones, iMac, iPad, etc.).

I don't think anyone *needs* an iPod touch, but it is more than an MP3 player. If you don't think it's an appropriate purchase for your kids, then don't buy them.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

My mom bought them for my girls (then 8) for Christmas last year. Many kids have small video game devices; I thought the touch was much more practical than a DS.

My girls check the weather on it, take pictures, record stories, practice math facts, look up wait times at Disney, and play various free games (as well as games they purchased with itunes cards.) They also "bump" friends, me, and their grandmom. Bump is an app that lets them send photos and text. My girls don't listen to music like teens but still listen to it occasionally. Sometimes they do want to buy a song.

I like that they can take it with us in the car on long trips or on a plane to watch movies, play games, etc. It serves educational purposes with many apps-- for example, my one daughter has the dictionary app. She reads the words of the day some days. Both daughters play Words with Friends (a form of Scrabble). It is something that they will be able to use for many years for multiple purposes. Many of their friends have them, and many of their friends don't. It depends on the kid whether or not it would be appropriate.

My daughters use them frequently [one grabbed hers to take a picture of her hair (she put it in a crazy ponytail for soccer practice), while I was typing this response. Then, she ran outside to continue the kickball game she was playing before she changed for soccer] but they, as shown here, don't consume my girls.

Hope this helps you see why some kids have them...

 

[surfgirl]

Enlightening so far . . .

My kids use their DS for games, have no need for portable movies or tv (they read or draw or listen to music when on the road) have access to my Nook color for books and internet, have mp3 players for music and aren't allowed to touch my cell phone so running off with it would be out of the question. I understand the portability of an I-touch but I guess I'm in the minority, because my kids just don't need anything that's portable. They have their favorite books, card games, puzzle books, or their parents to entertain them if we are on the go somewhere. At home they have a real tv to watch tv and movies on, a stereo to listen to music, various video game machines to play with and so on. In MY opinion, for a young child the Ipod touch is just an elaborate toy, a luxury, and my kids won't be getting one at this point.

Now having said that, I do know high school kids who use the GPS feature, look up things for school online, etc. so I do see the usability there. Of course a lot of those kids do most of that on their Iphone though so they have the texting and talking capability too.

I have a little friend, 9 years old, she watches movies on her Ipod touch and I'm not sure how she hasn't gone blind the screen is so small! She'll watch an entire 2 hour movie that way. Go figure, my old eyes couldn't take it.

So are you asking for information why? ... which you've received.

Or are you being critical? .... "my kids use books..."


We don't have DS's or MP3 players. They use the Itouch for all of that. When we travel, sometimes we drive about dinnertime and reading just isn't possible (it gets dark this time of year). I don't like lights in the back of the car while I'm driving because I think it is distracting, so, yes, they do watch movies (and the portable DVD player was rejected because it runs out of battery too quickly). They like to listen to music but if we had a separate MP3 player, that would require another program to manage music. This way, I can sync all of the Idevices in Itunes and carry one charger (we have a combination of Itouches, Ipads, and I have an Iphone). It actually is easier than multiple devices and multiple types of devices.

 

[vicki_c]

So are you asking for information why? ... which you've received.

Or are you being critical? .... "my kids use books..."

I have to say I'm thinking along the same lines - these types of questions never seem as innocent as they are stated to be - they usually seem like a backhanded way to criticize the choices of others or act superior. And I got that vibe as well from the OP's 2nd post.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well, my kids have no use for a home television - not when we can be making shadow puppets as a family! Why read books, when we can just make up our own stories, and act them out in the living room? We don't use crayons, but instead make our own, using ground up flower petals as the pigment - it's also educational!

I can't even imagine giving kids ds's, and spending $30 on games! Now, off to grab the pots, pans, and wooden spoons - time for the family band session!

 

[willowsnn3]

Wow!!! Lots of good info here. I am so technically challenged, lol, I can't even figure out MP3s. When my cell phone contract ran out a few months ago, some of my students tried to tell me about different phones, lol, like watching movies on it.......I thought why in the world would I want to watch a movie on a tiny cell phone when I have a 55 inch tv, I'm now thinking about this Itouch for a couple my grandsons. And then maybe they could teach me how to use it.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Folks, aren't you getting a little snarky? Although I bristled at the my kids have books (I am an English teacher - of course mine do too), I understood the OP to mean "why should the gadget replace what we have?"

OP - The itouch (or two in my case) fits in my purse without the worry of paper, pens, markers, etc... it has drawing apps on it. My kids still read, but not really in the car. (I don't encourage it as I get motion sick...)

You have a Nook color--it is convenient - stores magazines and books and even has wifi - itouch stores games (in lieu of DS), books, camera, paper/ pencil and even has wifi.

I think the luxury items are the giant stuffed animals that my mom bought my girls the year before...they do nothing but take up space...the itouch allows for creativity, play, and learning. Isn't a Nook Color a luxury too? (Mind you I have one and I am fortunate to have many luxuries.)

 

[mrodgers]

Nintendo DSi at Target.........$150
Decent mp3 player...............$50
1 game for DSi..................$30
Notsogreat inexpensive camera...$90
Kindle/Nook....................$80?
Bag or case to carry all the stuff?

Total just for that............$400

Ipod Touch.....................$200
Camera included
Video included
Surfs the internet
Surfs Youtube
Electronic reader app
App for using as a phone (through wifi)
App for texting (through wifi)


Many free games and apps and you could purchase 20
pay games and apps yet to make up the difference in
price without even including all the other functions.

My oldest wants an iPad. I am trying to talk her into an iPod Touch. Her $50 mp3 player is like a brick of gold to her. She would be happier with something she could carry in her pocket or leave in her backpack during school so she has it on the bus rather than carry the mp3 player and DS game as she does now and not being able to take the iPad with her. (aside from the price, which is why she wouldn't be getting an iPad that costs more than the family computer.)

 

[yesiamcrazy]

We have 2. One for the parents. One for the almost teenager. But the other kids LOVE to use them too. It's an mp3 player, a video player (great when you get stuck somewhere and they can watch a full length movie), it's got games (we get free ones mostly, and they don't get lost like ds games), my oldest uses it to text his friends (he doesn't have a cell phone like many friends do), it's got face time (like skype but for apple products), a camera, you can get ebooks like a nook and with the right kind of case it fits safely in a pocket or purse.

I think it's a great gift.

 

[yesiamcrazy]

My oldest wants an iPad. I am trying to talk her into an iPod Touch. Her $50 mp3 player is like a brick of gold to her. She would be happier with something she could carry in her pocket or leave in her backpack during school so she has it on the bus rather than carry the mp3 player and DS game as she does now and not being able to take the iPad with her. (aside from the price, which is why she wouldn't be getting an iPad that costs more than the family computer.)[/QUOTE]

And we have both and they are practically the same.