Apple iPod touch (2010)

Now that the iPod touch is in its fourth generation, Apple finds itself at interesting crossroads. The company simply doesn't have any competition right now in the high-end portable media player market. iTunes remains as popular as ever, and there is still no slicker device for surfing the web and downloading hundreds of thousands of apps. So at least for the moment, the iPod touch's biggest foes are its predecessor (for would-be upgraders) and maybe the iPhone 4 (for those who would rather not pay a monthly fee for AT&T's spotty service). The good news is that Apple has graced every model in its flagship PMP line with a sharper Retina Display, snappy A4 processor, and fun FaceTime feature for making video calls. Last time around the 8GB model had a slower CPU and couldn't play the latest games as smoothly as the higher-capacity versions, but now the 8 GB ($229), 16 GB ($299), and 32 GB ($399) touch all have the same guts. Despite a few weaknesses, the new iPod touch creates even more distance between Apple and the rest of the field.

Design

Just when you thought the iPod touch couldn't get any more portable, Apple managed to slim it down further. At 3.6 ounces and 0.28 inches thick, the latest version is 15 percent thinner and 12 percent lighter than the third-gen touch. The gorgeous 3.5-inch display (all 960 x 640 pixels of it) dominates the front, and underneath that you'll find the trademark home button, which is easy to press. Above the screen is the VGA camera, and the bottom of the touch houses the dock connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, and speaker.