boy 2 has told us he wants it for christmas :-/

im not really up on the ipod touch/iphone thing, so could do with a bit of advice please. is it too much like a pda for a 12 yr old to get any use out of? he seems quite happy that it does msn, but he gets that on his laptop. and he also says you can watch sky sports news on it. er……great. altho i cant see how. its not a tv player as well is it???

hes well set up in his room with xbox 360, laptop, lg cookie touch screen phone, and an ipod nano that shows videos.

and while he hasnt asked for much this christmas, so i dont mind forking out for something he really wants, is this just something he's heard them going on about at school and decided he wants one without really knowing what it is?
i said i wasnt really up on the iphone/touch thing, but am i right in thinking the touch is just exactly the same as iphone but without the phone? and am i also right in thinking it doesnt have a camera?
if so id have thought the latest nano would have been better for him, but you try telling a 12yr old that 🙂

thoughts please 🙂

>hes well set up in his room with xbox 360, laptop, lg cookie touch screen phone, and an ipod nano that shows videos.

WTF!

>hes well set up in his room with xbox 360, laptop, lg cookie touch screen phone, and an ipod nano that shows videos.

WTF seconded!

but you try telling a 12yr old that

dear 12 year old, you have a phone, you have an ipod, go jump.

WTF+1

Has he got wooden bricks? And an orange?

Just for reference, my daughter, who is the most spoiled child in the Universe (stupid father overcompensating for "deprived" childhood) has just got an iPod Touch for her 17th birthday.

he wouldnt know what they were 😉

also if you think this is going to get you out of nagging for a wee while then think again because the whole point of the touch is that you can download apps (which YOU pay for via itunes) to give it more functionality. by the sound of your wee darling he is going to want all the latest apps to show off to his friends. enjoy.

*falls over* Wtf is it with kids these days? My Wife's cousin is getting a laptop and an ipod for Xmas and she's 11!!!! 😯 I'm sorry but I think the whole giving kids gadgetry malarkey is wrong! Get them playing outside and using their imagination like they should be doing.

is this just something he's heard them going on about at school and decided he wants one without really knowing what it is?

Yes exactly that ^^.
On the subject of 'WTF', my niece is 8 and last year got an iPod Nano for xmas and this year is getting an iPod Touch FFS. She also doesn't really know what one is borne out by the fact that when my kids were playing on my iPhone the other day her dad had to point out that "that's what an iPod touch is like sweetie"

She's 'effin 8 not 18. Her parents spoil their 2 kids rotten and they have almost no control over them. Their 4 year old boy painted our coir carpet last year, when we told them about it they just said 'oh dear, he's so naughty'- no offer of a replacement or a proper bo**ocking for the boy 😯
Too much 'effin money 😡

to be fair to the boy, he hasnt been nagging, just said he wants one. and he also gets out playing footy for the school and his mates etc, so he does get exercise too 🙂

but yes……..maybe a reality check needed.

didnt know you had to pay for all the stuff that goes on it too. as far as 'kids these days etc etc', hes just got the same stuff as the rest of his little bumchums. life of luxury eh? never got stuff like that when i were a lad etc etc 🙂

Both my nieces (11 and 12) have iPhones. The mad thing is, their mum won't let them take them to school so they also have 'school' phones.

And they have a PS3, Wii etc.

My brother drew the line at allowing TVs in their bedrooms though.

My brother drew the line at allowing TVs in their bedrooms though.

oops. forgot that. but then youd have to have one with an xbox wouldnt you 🙂

My 12 year old son saved up pocket money, xmas money, etc and bought an ipod touch. He loves it, uses it all the time. He already had a nano, psp, etc. Certainly isn't 'too much technology' for him.

Don't see the problem with buying one if you think he'll use it.

ipod touch on a monthly contract,as if he wants to surf the net etc etc thats what he will need! Ouch. Or they start at £139 Amazon, is it his only present or does he expect more?

>ipod touch on a monthly contract

Eh ?

no he will be getting fifa 10, and then a few ickle things as stocking fillers. we already spent up on boy 1, and need to find something for boy 2s main pressie, so its helpful hes actually thought of something. i just didnt want to firstly, waste my money, and secondly, buy him something that he wouldnt get use from if a new nano would have been more suitable.

cheers

if he is going to get the most out of a touch you need to have wifi in your home – although I guess you do by the sounds of all the technology you already have

yes, got wifi ta.

full stop, what does your lad do on it if you dont mind me asking? once youve got the music out the way, what can it actually do for a 12 yr old?

ta

My brother drew the line at allowing TVs in their bedrooms though.

We've done the same, up until now. Out daughter is 9 in January, and she is getting a TV/DVD thing for her room. It won't be hooked up to the TV though, just for watching DVD's when her friends come to stay. To be fair to her, when the TV is on it's monopolised by her little brother and cbeebies.

once youve got the music out the way, what can it actually do

games and apps. these can vary from free 'lite' versions upwards. some cost .59p some cost a fiver, tenner, it all varies.
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/games-and-apps/

WTF again!

I felt ridiculously guilty asking my parents to chip in for my motorbike insurance at 17 when I was working all the hours god sent to pay for the thing. Thats probably about the same cost as an ipod, but served the practical purpouse of taking me ont he 40mile round trip to school each day.

Probably why I now spend my evenings tinkering in the garrage with 'toys' whilst my housemates who own every gadget under the sun and always have done just drink, take pills and inject themselves with shit before spending the evening on the laptop or infront of the TV.

I'm 23 btw, 12 years on from asking for a game boy and not getting one.

once youve got the music out the way, what can it actually do

Has he started the masturbatin yet?

You can't beat an internet browser that you can hold in one hand and use under the covers… 😛

no way would he do anything as depraved as that! how dare you!! he's sweet and innocent! not my boy! never! *cough*

My eldest two both have them. They are 12 and 11.

They love them. They mostly use them for playing games (free downloads etc). They also use them to email schoolfriends etc and a bit of web browsing.

The Apple reconditioned store is the best place to get them if they have stock.

The only problem is that my 3 year old has announced she wants one for Christmas.

Too much stuff in his room! I won't let my kids read this thread. Does he do any homework? 😉 I've told all my kids if they want a TV etc in their rooms I'll get them one for Xmas, when they reach 18. We have portable DVD things for sleepovers.

no way would he do anything as depraved as that! how dare you!! he's sweet and innocent! not my boy! never! *cough*

😀 Just saying, you might want to check what filtering you have in place on your wi-fi!

we've always told them if they start getting notes in their planners for no homework, or dont keep their rooms tidy, then they dont use the stuff. works pretty well for boy 2, altho boy 1 spends a fair bit of time twiddling his thumbs on yet another ban 🙂

sadexpunk as others have said games and apps, mostly free but he's bought a couple at 59p. He's got loads of the things to amuse his small mind many based around killing people, etc.

Doesn't surf the net on it as he has a pc in his room but it was great on our summer holiday as our appartment had free wifi and we could relax at the pool with a beer and surf the web.

ipod touch for a 12 yr old?

Shouldn't swaps be in the classified section? 🙂

Personally I don't think he has too much stuff in his room. Console, laptop and phone is hardly tech overload, but it sounds like some folk here are stuck in the mindset of "I only had an old orange and a broken stick when I were t'lad, an it twere nuff for me"

(but then I'm not a parent yet, so feel free to ignore me)

i cant see how. its not a tv player as well is it???

Yep. You can watch live TV from BBC, ITV, Four and Five. And watch stuff on iPlayer.

There is a "Sky Mobile TV" app, but you have to pay Sky £6 a month for it!

GrahamS how do you watch tv on an ipod touch, do you need to stick a big ariel on it and plug in a freeview box?

GrahamS how do you watch tv on an ipod touch

Nah, you just go to http://iphone.tvcatchup.com/ for streamed live TV.

And http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/iplayer/ for BBC iPlayer.

I'll get the youngster on tha case tonight, thought I was gonna have to install an antenna there for a minute.