This Tuesday was new and updated iPod day. I was most interested to see what changes were going to be made to the iPod Touch. I wasn’t looking forward to the rumored price drops, as it meant that my first generation iPod Touch would be worth even less.

First, the bad news (for me anyway) – the 16GB and 32G iPod Touch each dropped by $100. At $299 the 32GB iPod Touch is still more expensive than the updated 120GB iPod Classic. It still all comes down to functionality though. The 16GB iPod Touch costs the same as the the 16GB iPhone (initially anyway).

The extra features added to the second generation iPod Touch are external volume control buttons and a  built-in speaker. Having used both the Touch and the iPhone, I know that these are the two things I miss the most when switching from the iPhone to the Touch. The first generation of the Touch requires a double tap on the Home button to get to the on-screen volume control. External volume control buttons are much better. As for the speaker, I use it a lot on the iPhone. It also enhances the gaming experience.

The changes to the second generation iPod Touch make the hardware platform a bit closer to the iPhone.