Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.

I don’t own an iPhone—I have an iPod Touch. Every list of “Best iPhone apps” includes a lot of apps that are totally useless to those of us without constant Internet connection. Do you see the problem here?

For an application to be great for the iPod Touch, it needs to meet a few criteria: it has to have excellent offline capabilities, as well as fully-functioning online usage when you’re connected to Wi-fi. It has to be simple to use, because many Touch owners aren’t super tech-savvy. And, last but not least, it has to make your Touch a lean, mean, awesomeness machine. Which is a totally objective measure, I promise.

As an iPod Touch owner tired of iPhone lists, here are 1 of the best apps available for the iPod Touch. Screw iPhones.

Kindle (Free)

If you’re into reading longer-form things, like books (those still exist. No kidding.), Kindle’s a great app that syncs your purchases and reading spot with Amazon, your desktop reader, and even your Kindle if you have one. Read offline, sync whenever you can.

Tripit (Free)

You know those confirmation emails you get whenever you book a flight, or car, or hotel? Just forward them to plans@tripit.com, and Tripit automatically builds an itinerary for you. Download it to the Tripit app on your Touch, and all your necessary information is there when you’re checking in, boarding, or telling someone when to pick you up—all without paying the $653 per minute airports demand for Wi-Fi.

Instapaper (Free/$4.99 for Pro)

Instapaper, as far as I’m concerned, is the killer app for the iPod Touch. It gives you an offline version of all the articles you’ve saved from the Web, that you can read whenever you get a chance—for me, on the subway to and from work every morning, that’s a lifesaver. Anytime you’ve got a few minutes to kill, fire up Instapaper and read a bit. Next time you connect, your list gets synced back to Instapaper’s Web app.

Tweetie 2 ($2.99)

Twitter optimized for an iPod Touch is tough to pull off, but Tweetie makes it work. You can read and write tweets offline (everything gets saved as it was when you last synced), and then get caught up next time you get a connection. Offline Twitter’s actually a great way to catch up on Twitter, actually—no stream of new stuff to distract you.

Doodle Jump ($.99)

The Doodle Jump (iTunes link) tagline is correct: it is the most addicting game in history. You’ve got a little guy with a huge nose, and by using the accelerometer, you jump him from platform to platform, trying not  to fall. Play it for just five minutes, I dare you

NetNewsWire (Free/$4.99 Pro)

If you’re an RSS fan, NetNewsWire is as good as it gets. It syncs with Google Reader, lets you share items via Twitter or email, save them to Instapaper, and more. It also saves your feeds for reading offline, so you can play news catch-up right after you play Twitter catch-up with Tweetie. A lot of RSS readers on the iPhone OS are clunky and slow–NetNewsWire just works.

Remember the Milk (Free with $25 RTM Pro account)

Remember the Milk is not only the best task manager on the Web, it’s the best one on the iPod Touch. Search through and organize your tasks, add and complete them, and get everything you need to do, done—all without an Internet connection. When you’ve got one, RTM automatically syncs, so your Web version is up to date as well. There’s a pattern here…

KICKMap (Free)

KICKMap (iTunes Link) really only for those who live in New York, but if you do, this is one heck of an app. All it is, frankly, is a big, hi-res picture of the New York subway system. In a strange neighborhood? Fire Kick up and find out how to get home. Your train’s not running? Check out Kick for an alternate route.

Dropbox (Free)

All your files. On your Touch. Offline. For free. I don’t do a good job of hiding my love for Dropbox, and the ability to do everything from view Word documents to watch videos, all offline, is pretty metal. A warning, though: you have to mark a file as a “Favorite” with a star before it’ll get downloaded for offline use.

iFitness ($1.99)

iFitness (iTunes link) is a gym rat’s best friend, or a great trainer if you’re new to it. It’s loaded with workout ideas for you to try, as well as demos for just about any exercise out there. Keep a workout log, get ideas, and get huge, all on your Touch.

Crosswords ($9.99)

Crosswords (iTunes link) automatically downloads and saves some of the world’s best crossword puzzles for you to do, every single day. It’s not a cheap app, but it’s my new favorite way to kill time, and feel brilliant, all at the same time. There’s even a choice between writing in pencil (if you’re a pansy) and writing in pen (if you’re awesome).

These apps will make you more productive, better read, and fully non-social because you’re so addicted to crossword puzzles. But they all make an iPod Touch every bit as useful as that other iThing everyone loves so much.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to play Doodle Jump. See you in 47 hours.

What’s your favorite app for the iPod Touch?