Apple's second generation of the iPod Touch MP3 player is its best iPod yet.
Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
Aside from its rounder form, the bottom edge of the Apple iPod Touch is unchanged from the original version. Apple's 30-pin connector sits at the center, while a standard 3.5mm headphone jack sits off on the right.
Although the second-generation iPod Touch (left) and original iPod Touch (right) measure about the same thickness at their middle, the tapered edges of the 2G Touch lighten its weight and improve its feel.
Apple's Cover Flow music menu is a bit useless on the smaller screens of the iPod Nano and iPod Classic, but it's a fantastic way to browse music on the iPod Touch.
Competing MP3 players like the Samsung P2 (right) do an admirable job emulating Apple's touch-screen control. But when push comes to shove, it's easy to tell which of the two companies has more experience with software design.
It's a small thing, but the amount of parts enclosing the iPod Touch have shrunk from three pieces on the original model (back, bezel, and glass) to just two pieces on the second-gen (back and glass). Maybe it's psychological, but the two-piece construction of the second-gen Touch feels more durable than the original, in spite of its thinner design.
CoverFlow is fun, but when you want a more exact way of finding a song, you'll need to scroll though a list. Fortunately, Apple provides quick tabs for sorting at the bottom of the screen, and a fast-find alphabet strip on the right side.
Taking some design cues from the Apple iPhone 3G, the second-generation iPod Touch has a rounded back and includes a rocker switch for volume adjustments.
