Sheila DelCastillo

Apple has just released the new iPod Touch, which is available in 8GB for $299 and 16GB for $399. The multi-touch surface includes Web browsing, searching for music in the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, and flipping through photos. Daisy Cerezo, a junior, always carries her iPod around campus. Her iPod, which is an older model, was given to her as a present last year for her birthday. Most ULV students can’t afford the pricier new models.

Jordan Litke
Staff Writer

The new iPod Touch contains all the amenities of the iPhone without the wireless network access and has caught the attention of ULV students across campus.

“I wish I had one,” said Adam Stahly, a senior business administration major.

Apple continues to amaze consumers with advanced technology and constant upgrades.

They have also improved the iPod Nano, which is now able to stream video on its small screen.

“Good strategy to keep people buying more,” business administration major Carlos Rocha said.

“I don’t even know what new ones are out,” business administration major Natalie Peterson said.

Although she did not know anything about the new iPod touch or the new iPod nano, she still said she would like to own one.

Students appreciate the convenience of the iPod devices because they can fit in their pockets and contain more music than any one CD can hold.

“It’s a lot better than a CD player,” Stephen Roybal, a business administration major said.

The iPod enables consumers to have their entire music collection in one place without worrying about ruining CDs in commute.

Roybal owns an iPod and feels it was a worthy purchase, but has yet to buy the new iPod due to the high price.

Sophomore English major Natalie Arizmendi agreed with Roybal about the steep prices of iPods and said she would not own one had she not received it as a gift.

On the contrary, political science major Tyler Smith felt Apple accommodated consumers by providing different levels of the technology at varied prices.

“It’s like having a computer in your pocket,” Smith said.

With the sleek design and concentrated advertising campaigns Apple seems to be appealing to a younger, often more mobile generation.

Rocha felt this technology really only applied to young consumers searching for the newest thing on the market.

“[It’s a] necessity for college students now, but not in the future,” Anthony Crawford, a junior business administration major said.

He felt the technology will become useless because similar devices are being created and technology is constantly improving.

Arizmendi felt it was good for competition for Apple to continually make their product “better.”

The iPod touch also contains Wi-Fi technology, which allows users to access iTunes. This deters people from being able to obtain music illegally.

Stahly said it helps support the bands that lose money because of piracy.

He, unlike many consumers, still believes in buying CDs as a show of appreciation to his favorite musicians.

“I don’t know that much about them,” a senior criminology major Shana P. Murphy said.

Murphy said all she knows is the commercials are entertaining and the colors are vibrant.

Apple has successfully grasped consumer awareness with an aesthetically pleasing design.

Not everyone knew which new iPods were being offered, but that did not stop them from wanting one.

Michelle Ball, a senior psychology major, said she wanted one because they are “cute.”

The new iPod touch and iPod nano are an advanced technology coveted by many consumers for their diverse features and attractive colors.

These devices have taken the world by storm and as long as Apple continues to provide upgrades, this technology will be around for a while.

Jordan Litke can be reached at jlitke@ulv.edu.