OTHER TECH

Carrying the iPhone on the subway and in the office has made me feel very, very good. People stare at my fingers as they glide across the bright, colorful screen. Colleagues at the office ask if they can try it. I haven't felt this cutting-edge since carrying around the original iPod when it was brand new.

Shortly after I started using the iPhone, Apple dropped the price from $599 to $399 and announced it would launch in late September two iPod Touch models: 8 GB, $299; 16 GB, $399. These new iPods exorcise the phone and, naturally, the AT&T contract. But the Wi-Fi connection, Internet browsing, and multi-touch interface remain, along with all of the iPod's audio, video, and slide-show features (minus the camera). In addition, you can now log onto the iTunes Store via Wi-Fi from an iPhone or iPod Touch, stream 30 second samples or pay to download songs, and synch them back to the computer. And in New York and Seattle, you can tap a logo on your screen while waiting for a tall coffee with a flat lid and sample or buy music on the Starbucks menu via the store's Wi-Fi. (Apple says this feature will be available in the San Francisco Bay area starting November 7.)

Checking email is more time-consuming on an iPod Touch, since email clients like the AOL applet are gone, but it can still be done, though only via Wi-Fi since AT&T's EDGE network won't be built in.

If you're a heavy cell-phone user, an Apple iPhone with the monthly AT&T plan is competitive. But if you're like me and use a cell phone sparingly, I expect you'll be more interested in getting your fingers on an iPod Touch.

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