I've got a 2nd gen touch and love the video playback and internet-ability. I have no complaints at all.

I had a 1st gen before I got an iPhone and I loved it. Terrific media/internet thingy. (And I bought mine before the app store made it a casual gaming device too. Now it does media, internet, AND Sudoku!)

You can also use it to make Skype calls as long as you have wifi access, so it can also be a phone in certain circumstances.

Steph,

I just bought an ipod touch and I'm happy to address questions, post links I've found helpful, etc. I have a 32 gig and I love that thing like I birthed it.

You asked about video playback and Internet-ability. I'll address both.

a) video playback is awesome. The videos you play back are those on youtube or those in your itunes library, right? I like being able to watch it "letterbox" or widescreen and the picture quality is very good. I have had no problems with skipping or pausing. The screen is much better than my 60 Gig Ipod from about 2 years ago.

b) Internet is excellent and the connections I get with the touch are easier and smoother than my connections with the macbook air. The touch knows where you've been in terms of previous hot spots and will connect to those if you come back. The speed on wifi is pretty good generally and there are some companion apps that I use that makes me more than happy to have offline access to documents, to do lists, etc.

Okay, you guys are making me really happy with my decision. Now I have to decide if I go for the instant gratification (the Apple Store is in the mall that is directly across the street from my office), or wait and see if MacMall runs a sale as we get closer to Christmas.

video playback is awesome.

Excellent!

The videos you play back are those on youtube or those in your itunes library, right?

Yup. I have this idea that watching, say, The Daily Show will keep my ass on the treadmill at the gym.

Internet is excellent and the connections I get with the touch are easier and smoother than my connections with the macbook air. The speed on wifi is pretty good generally

Right on!

Steph, my co-worker bought a refurbished iPod Touch on the Apple site and it's working well. I have to say my refurbished Nano has lasted longer with fewer problems than the other two iPods I bought brand new.

Probably worth waiting to see if there are any Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, Steph.

I have a pronounciation question that is geekier than natter--how do you pronounce PostgreSQL? People keep calling it post-gree here. But Wikipedia says it's post-gress-queue-ell. I have been calling it post-gress, myself. Lazy. Have any of you guys heard post-gree? I'm thinking I've never heard it said out loud before this month.

But Wikipedia says it's post-gress-queue-ell.

That's how I say it. In my head. (I don't think I've ever said it out loud.)

I don't think I ever say it, but the people I've met who actually use the thing say Post-Gress-queue-ell.

It's not a shop with a big open source history, so I think everyone's making these up as they go along. I just want to either be right or minimise the number of blank looks I get. Preferably (a), but (b) is politically useful.