My 11yr old wants an ipod touch..please tell me bout them

[Goofycampers]

I admit I'm electronically challenged. I know nothing about the ipod touch such as what are the additional costs after purchase, etc. If you have one can you enlighten me? Also do yall know who would probably have it at the best price? Thanks!

 

[got2sammies]

Hi

I bought my then 11 year old son an ipod touch 4th generation last christmas (8G) and it was around $299. I bought it at Best Buy because they had 0 interest for 6 months on purchases $250 and above. He loves it! The IPOD is wifi capable so if you have wireless internet at your house he/she can surf the internet. It plugs into a computer and must be syncd to itunes. MOST apps are free in the itunes store but as an added gift you can buy an itunes gift card and load it to the itunes account and he/she can buy the apps/songs they want. It is password protected so you can set up the account and have the password and they must come to you before purchasing or downloading anything ( a BIG PLUS). You can load your home library of CD onto itunes and put th music on the ipod, that is no charge since you already purchased the CD. It's pretty simple to figure everything out. Oh I almost forgot, two cool things I found that you can download a free app that they can text you on your phone and vis versa. Also if you have an iphone 4 you can facetime with them as long as you are connected to wifi...pretty cools ways to keep in touch...have fun!

 

[mombrontrent]

These are what my two kids have ages 9 and 12 (even though the 5 year old loves to play on them too). We bought them used off kijiji (like craigslist) for $70 each (3rd genereation). They can listen to music, play games, text (this is an easy way for us to keep in contact with them on our phones. We don't pay anything extra, all the apps they download are free (although you can purchase some although I've never found it necessary). We don;t have to pay a monthy bill but can still keep in contact with them through texing and face time. They are addcited to them

 

[Disney Addicted]

It's great!

At 11, my DD wanted one and I told her she would have to save her money. Now that might not have sounded fair, but she seems to think money grows on trees, spends it as fast as she can, and thinks she can have anything she wants. I wanted to her earn it and value it.

It took her almost a year and now she loves it. Has loads of music on it. She puts TV shows and movies on it. Most of the app games are quite good! In fact, I have been borrowing it to play a Disney app "Where's my Water". Addictive little app.

I need to figure out how to make it connect to our wireless network so she can start internet browsing & skyping/facetime with it.

Bonus - now she wants to do lots of extra work for us (and get a paper route) to save money up for iTunes cards. Works for me!

The downside - I *really* wish I had made her wait & save up for the 16 GB. The 8 GB just does NOT hold enough.

Ohh, she purchased hers at Costco (Canada) for $229 when they were $249. I'm not sure about Costco in the States, but here any device such as an iPod, laptop, computer, etc., you purchase from Costco gets you unlimited phone support for life!!!

 

[Goofycampers]

Thanks for the info! It does sound fun. So would I have to have an Iphone to be able to text him with it? Would he be able to text friends? Looking online the prices have come down. I saw them advertised for $189. That's not too bad.

 

[Disney Addicted]

Oh I almost forgot, two cool things I found that you can download a free app that they can text you on your phone and vis versa. Also if you have an iphone 4 you can facetime with them as long as you are connected to wifi...pretty cools ways to keep in touch...have fun!

.. text (this is an easy way for us to keep in contact with them on our phones. We don't pay anything extra, all the apps they download are free (although you can purchase some although I've never found it necessary). We don;t have to pay a monthy bill but can still keep in contact with them through texing and face time. They are addcited to them

Wait - what?! Ok, I knew about face time (which I need to set-up), but what's this about texting? You can use an iTouch to text? I had no clue. Can you guys please give me more information on this?! Maybe this will solve the cell phone request issue.

 

[DISdreamin']

Thanks for the info! It does sound fun. So would I have to have an Iphone to be able to text him with it? Would he be able to text friends? Looking online the prices have come down. I saw them advertised for $189. That's not too bad.

I think you'll find the 8GB in that price range, but that amount of storage may or may not be enough. I keep hearing people say to go with the 32GB, and since the device isn't expandable as far as storage, I'm still going back and forth on what to do. My DD is currently using my old iPhone (8GB) as and iPod, and I'm going to check and see how much space she's used to try and decide what to do about a new one.

FWIW, I don't think the prices on the iPods have changed too much recently. You'll find the 8GB anywhere from $175 to $199, although Target had a great deal with a free gift card and percent off last week or the week before that made it a really great deal if there were other things you wanted to buy (to use the gift cards for).

Good luck figuring it out!

 

[DISdreamin']

Wait - what?! Ok, I knew about face time (which I need to set-up), but what's this about texting? You can use an iTouch to text? I had no clue. Can you guys please give me more information on this?! Maybe this will solve the cell phone request issue.

I'd love details on this too. I think it's one of those "there's an app for that" situations, but I don't know how to do it. And I'm almost afraid to show DD how.

 

[Disney Addicted]

I totally forgot to mention the camera aspect. Another reason to go with a higher GB if you can. The kids spend so much time making videos and taking photos. Heck, every time we are in a retail shop my DD takes photos of everything she wants as "reminders" for me.

Yeah, if I ever purchase one, and when my DS starts saving - it will be for more space than the 8 GB.

On the other hand, if we're talking about much younger kids - 8 GB would be just fine. When they become teenagers, you could then get a higher GB one as a gift on year or make them save up their own money.

 

[Goofycampers]

So the cameras are only on the higher GB models? I don't think my DS would care about watching movies on it but he would love to make movies. I think he mostly wants to use it for the games.

 

[Disney Addicted]

So the cameras are only on the higher GB models? I don't think my DS would care about watching movies on it but he would love to make movies. I think he mostly wants to use it for the games.

Ohh, no! I'm sorry. I did not mean for it to come across that way. I meant my daughter can quickly add a lot of material saved on to her 8 GB just in the way of using the video camera & photos. Often she will want more apps, music or tv shows only to find out she needs to remove photos & videos to make room.

The camera comes on ANY of the 4th generation models, regardless of the size.

 

[tyedye]

There are a few different apps that you can get that allow for texting over wifi. It assigns you a phone number. DS used one to text me and I didn't repsond because I didn't recognize the number. I guess it randomly assigns the number and the area code he got isn't even local.

Or if you get a new ipod or at least one that can upgrade to the latest iOS which is 5 then you can text using iMessage to others using iOS5 but if it's using an ipod touch you will still need a wifi connection for it to work.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

For texting or even making calls using various I products look in to a google voice number.

 

[got2sammies]

Wait - what?! Ok, I knew about face time (which I need to set-up), but what's this about texting? You can use an iTouch to text? I had no clue. Can you guys please give me more information on this?! Maybe this will solve the cell phone request issue.

The app is called textnow and it is FREE... it will assign you a fake phone number that will pop up on the person you are texting..

"Thanks for the info! It does sound fun. So would I have to have an Iphone to be able to text him with it? Would he be able to text friends? Looking online the prices have come down. I saw them advertised for $189. That's not too bad. "

you do not need an iphone to text him only a regular phone that you normally text with. But you do need an iphone 4 or another ipod to do facetime

 

[Goofycampers]

Thanks for all this great infor. Now I have to decide how many GB. So how fast does the 8gb fill up?

 

[mickeymaker2003]

TextPlus is another free texting app. If you use it to text a cell phone (any kind of phone, any carrer), it counts just like any other text for the person who gets it. There is no charge to you to use the Text Plus program. I have an iPhone, but no text plan because I just use TextPlus to send and receive texts for free (it uses data from my plan if I'm using the 3G network instead of wi-fi, but no per-text fees.)

If you are communicating with another i-device (ipod touch 4th gen, iphone), you can use their messenging thing as well.

My four and a half year old has been having a ball sending us text messages using a 4th gen touch. She can only spell six words (mom, dad, her name, I, love and you). When she wanted to send a longer message, I wrote it down for her and she copied it word by word and sent the message. I figure it is good literacy practice. She reads the messages we send back to her too.

 

[mickeymaker2003]

Thanks for all this great infor. Now I have to decide how many GB. So how fast does the 8gb fill up?

If you put movies on it, very quickly. I had three Disney movies on there (Digital copies) and about 200 songs and I had to delete one to make room for other stuff. Each movie takes over 1 GB of space. For just apps and some music, he should be fine with 8. Going to 32 GB adds another $100 to the price.

I would make sure to get the 4th Generation. It has a lot of neat things that the 3rd doesn't (camera, FaceTime, iMessage, Find your iPod, etc). There are some used 4th gen out there, but they often sell for almost as much as new ones. I got my DD a used 4th gen for $100, but that is the cheapest I have ever seen by far. Usually they want at least $150 and you can get it for about that new at Target this week (use a 10% off coupon printed from their website to save off the original $195 price, plus you get a $20 Target gift card and 5% more off if you use a Target card to buy it). You can also get the $20 gift card with the 32 GB and use the coupon on it as well.

I highly recommend an Otterbox Defender case for it. You can't use a docking station with it (but you can buy a $9 extension cable to still use docks/speakers) but it will do a good job of protecting the iPod. My daughter's purple one just shipped and as soon as my mom and I get Touches (Black Friday) we'll be getting the blue and red ones for us. I already have the Defender case for my phone. They run about $23 on amazon. The cheap silicone case I have keeps trying to fall off anytime you swipe near the edges. It is a pain!

 

[Goofycampers]

TextPlus is another free texting app. If you use it to text a cell phone, it counts just like any other text for the person who gets it. There is no charge to you to use the Text Plus program. I have an iPhone, but no text plan because I just use TextPlus to send and receive texts for free (it uses data from my plan if I'm using the 3G network instead of wi-fi, but no per-text fees.)

If you are communicating with another i-device (ipod touch 4th gen, iphone), you can use their messenging thing as well.

messages using a 4th gen touch. She can only spell six words (mom, dad, her name, I, love and you). When she wanted to send a longer message, I wrote it down for her and she copied it word by word and the message. I figure it is good literacy practice. She My four and a half year old has been having a ball sending us text reads the messages we send back to her too.

'



OMG that is too cute!

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

does anyone have any parental controls on their childrens, and if so which ones?

I imagine DS10 will be surfing in his room and may want to put some control on that

 

[mickeymaker2003]

I use the parental controls. I turn off:
App Store
Safari (internet browsing)
purchasing within apps
iTunes (ability to buy songs)
Ability to add programs
Ability to delete programs
Explicit content
You Tube
Game Center Multi-player games
Game Center add friends
Maill account changes
Location changes

I leave on:
FaceTime
iMessaging
Camera

I lock it down pretty far (she's 4 1/2). Each option can be turned on or off indepedently, so it is quite customizable. When you don't allow access to a thing, the icon for it isn't on the screen. Right now, there is no App Store, iTunes or Safari logos on her touch because they are all disabled through parental controls (under Settings, Restrictions)

When you set up the controls, it asks for a pin number (4digits). Any time you want to alter the settings, you have to enter that code.

If my daughter wants something on there, I alter the parental settings to allow it, install whatever it is or do the task, then put the restrictions back on.

If you get a 4th generation, make sure you enable the "Find my iPod" thing on it. It can help if you lose the device. It will either plot its location on a map or if it is somewhere where you are, make the touch make a long loud noise.