Ever since the BlackBerry was released in 1999, technology with the touch screen ability has been available in more and more products. Apple has been the most successful with the touch screen products, from the iPod Touch to the extremely popular iPhone.
The newest addition to the touch screen universe is the Hewlett-Packard TouchSmart PC.
This past week Apple released its quarterly report with good news. The iPod Touch sold 11.1 million in the latter half of 2008, which is 18 percent higher than last year’s report. Apple sold 6.9 million iPhone units in the latter half of 2008, which is a huge increase from last year’s 1.1 million.
Recently, there have been at least 15 more touch screen phones added to the list, competing for a shot to better the iPhone, which still holds a huge lead over its competitors. With its prices at $199 and $299, the iPhone has a chance of staying at the top for quite some time, although with the recent release of the Google G1 phone, Apple could see some competition. T-Mobile released the Google G1 phone on Oct. 22 at a very low price of $179 for a two-year contract.
The newly added touch screen phones range from different brands on all cell phone carriers, allowing customers to keep their phone provider but also allow them to choose a touch screen phone.
John Matthis, a sophomore Duquesne student, said that he would be willing to buy a phone with touch screen technology.
“I would buy one because they are cool,” Matthis said. “There’s no other practical reason.”
The iPod Touch is no longer the only touch screen MP3 player; three more have come onto the scene. Samsung is on the list of newcomers with its release of the YP-P2, with its prices ranging from $179 to $229, depending on how much memory is wanted. France has entered the MP3 competition with the Archos 605, which features Wi-Fi and Mac compatibility. The Archos is either $259 or $399, again depending on how much memory is wanted. Australia has also entered with its MP3 player, Life! LXPI. Life! is the cheapest of the MP3 players, only costing $189, which is a great deal cheaper than the iPod Touch, which is priced anywhere from $229 to $399.
