Ever since I got my iPod touch during the holidays, I've been websurfing and tweetsurfing to learn about it. By the way, tweetsurfing is done by using Terraminds' free twitter search engine. At least, that's what I have been using quite happily.
One common complaint about the stock iPod touch is that it doesn't have an IM client built in. The iPhone also doesn't have an IM client but at least it has SMS as a substitute.
I have an iPhone and an iPod touch and I carry both around with me whenever I leave the house and most times in the house. So, I always have the SMS client of the iPhone. But, I also have twitter which I check regularly.
Maybe twitter can serve as a more generic, web-based way to stay in touch (no pun intended). I do think if you have an iPod touch, some kind of web-based IM or Twitter client would be essential. Of course, since everyone has a cell phone and a lot of people use SMS on whatever cell phone they have, I guess my iPod touch pals are covered there.
Now that you can make a webclip button for your favorite twitter client, you are set there.
One last issue is connectivity. Unfortunately the touch doesn't have Bluetooth so you can't get connectivity from your cell phone. That sucks and of course is almost certainly due to the demands of AT&T to keep the that sort of functionality for the iPhone only. Of course, too the iPhone's Bluetooth is crippled.
All this leads me to mention my hopes that somehow we can (1) be freed from the cellular provider obstruction of free wireless access or (2) we can get a lot more wi-fi hotspots out there. I have to believe the cell providers have killed the wi-fi proliferation that we used to see.
Finally, I can't get a decent AT&T signal in my new condo in Tiburon. Why oh why can't I talk on the phone using wi-fi in my house? I am very encouraged to see that T-Mobile is offering just that now with some phones like the BlackBerry Curve.
Update Jan 31: I am using wi-fi to make any calls outside my local calling area when I can with Skype. To clarify, I want the wi-fi in my iPhone to be able to use wi-fi to fill in when my EDGE voice quality drops. I believe that is what T-Mobile is starting to offer.