The latest and greatest iPod

The newest iPod Touch is the 5th Generation, the first edition with Retina display. It was released in October 2012 and it comes in just two sizes: 32GB (list price $299) and 64GB ($399). Apple also makes the 5th gen iPod Touch in five colors: black, blue, pink, white, and yellow.

The previous 4th generation iPod is still available. It was only black or white, but it was made with four storage capacities 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The prices on these vary wildly because sometimes you'll find them in new condition, but many times they're refurbished. So it depends on the retailer and supply for a particular model.

Why should I get it?

Well, this is the latest improvement on the product that really started it all - 'it' being the seismic shift from portable CD players to MP3 players and the true rise of digital music.

The design is tried and proven to work well, and accordingly it's easily the most popular portable MP3 player. If a company decides to design a new accessory for portable MP3 players, chances are they'll design it for use with the iPod Touch. Dozens of headphones are designed to complement its sleek look. Hundreds of cases are created to keep it safe from bumps and falls. The biggest brands in audio equipment for auto and home build USB ports into their nicer receivers, head units, and boomboxes because they know an enormous portion of their potential customer base will want to hook their iPod Touch up to their equipment. Popularity and ubiquity translate to increased compatibility and usability.

What else can it do?

Everything. One fundamental characteristic that sets the iPod Touch apart from almost any other MP3 player other than its easy interface and common sense design - what led it to obliterate Microsoft's Zune challenger and eclipse other players currently on the market - is that it does far more than play MP3s.

You can message people. Surf the web. Take and share photos. Video call on Skype. Watch Netflix or Hulu Plus. Listen to Spotify or Pandora. You can even play games that take advantage of the internal accelerometers to let you maneuver more immersively. There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps on the App Store right at your fingertips. And Siri comes standard, so you can ask when a movie's playing near you, get directions to the nearest restaurant, and so on.

Quite simply, it can do essentially everything an iPhone can, just without the ability to connect to a cellular network. But if you're around WiFi most of the time (as most people are at home or at work), who cares?

And it's a heck of a lot cheaper, especially if you find a deal through us. : )