iPod Touch & Wifi

The most interesting comment from Apple's 2008 Q1 quarterly earnings report came from CFO Peter Oppenheimer.

"This new iPod [Touch] has the potential to grow the iPod from being just a music and video player into being the first mainstream WiFi mobile platform running all kinds of mobile applications."

Unfortunately, WiFi hasn't proven to be a reliable public utility. Searching for free public access tends to be a frustrating experience, even in downtown Chicago with its diluge of WiFi signals. I've tried to use both my MacBook and iPhone to connect to these seemingly free WiFi networks, and it rarely works. There are weak signals and "fake" open networks that actually require you to log on and pay via a web page (mostly hotels.). I don't even bother with WiFi on the go anymore, and unfortunately have to rely on EDGE. I hope Apple is thinking more toward wireless broadband services with broader coverage in the future, like the Kindle's lifetime subscription to EVDO. Wouldn't it be cool if you could buy a $20-a-month unlimited data plan for the iPod Touch, like the iPhone has from AT&T? Now that would change things, especially if there were broadband speeds.