Can You Please Explain the iPod Touch to Me?

Be aware that you will have to enter a credit card # to establish an "App Store" account. I would recommend that you do not give your son the password to the App store account or you could get tons of App fees and "in-App" fees put on your card without your knowledge. If you have him "approve" the Apps he wants and you secretly put in the password you shouldn't have problems with him downloading inappropriate Apps either.
That being said.... We LOVE our Ipod Touch!!! Its like a mini IPad... and more convenient to travel around with.

No fees, the internet works wherever there is WiFi. It's an expensive gadget, but fun for the kids. DH bought a used one a couple of years ago and it's still the reward that my kids want most. They'll do just about anything I require for the chance to have 10 or 15 minutes on the iTouch. If I were you, I would by *you* or *the family* one that you let him use. It's too expensive a gadget to worry about him leaving it somewhere, dropping it, etc. Make it a privilege, not a toy.

Well my 13 yo has one, but I couldn't begin to tell you how they work. He saved up all his birthday money for it. Anyway, yes, they work on wifi, and there is no service fee. At home, they need the security key code from our wifi to jump on the internet, but not in public places, not sure why. But it is great in that, when I don't want him on the internet, in his room, I just change the wifi key code and he is instantly off the internet!! If there is an Apple Store around you, you might go check it out, they let you try them out there and ask all sorts of questions, and their service is great. Good luck!

We have the iPod touch. The internet works pretty much as on any laptop. If you are near free WiFi spot - it'll pick up the connection. For a secured connection you'll need a network key. Also, download I-tunes - it's the program which allows you to manage stuff on iPod. If you are planning to use their store, use your credit card carefully. You'll have to open an account with them, but I do not remember if they ask credit card number right up front. Anyways, I like to try new games and gadgets. But I am cheap and do not buy them. There are a bunch of trial ones, but they all ask for CC when you try to download them. There is one trick that I learned when I just got iPod. You can set your account to NOT use any CC as a payment. But they are not giving you a direct link to the page where you can set it. So make a search on help and type something like "no credit card ". And you will find this page, where there is an option of not using any CC. This way I still can download free or trial stuff and not to leave my card number anywhere. Any songs that you want to upload on iPod can be put there from CDs or any MP3 collection you have on your computer.
And check iPod frequently - kids like downloading stuff. My daughter knows to ask me first, but I still check :-)

my 14 year old has my old one, as i got a new one with more memory space. hubby has an iPhone. there's no way i'd buy my 7 year old one. he can borrow mine or brother's if he's that bored. the only way that my 14 year old is getting a new one is if i upgrade mine again or he buys his own.