My dd has one and can connect to our home wireless as well as other wireless Hot spots {some are totally free and some need to be logged in and some cost a bit}.

[Browse Anywhere
iPod touch is the only iPod with built-in wireless access to the web. Whenever you're connected via Wi-Fi, you can access your favorite websites to read news, check scores, pay bills, and go shopping. And if you're using the new 32 GB or 64 GB iPod touch, you'll notice that web pages load even faster than before.]
from amazon page-
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Generati.../dp/B002M3SOBU

so on Amazon a 8G 3Generation is going for 199.00 right now & just for comparison....
compare that to a little net book type thing where you get a keyboard & larger screen -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=...011&sort=price

to me the itouch is more for music & kids that can see the little screen well LOL

the netbooks or mini laptops might work better for your use.

cnet netbook reviews -
[Whether you call them Netbooks, mini-laptops, or sub-notebooks, these small, low-cost, low-power systems are the hottest thing to hit laptops since the touchpad. We suggest at a minimum, an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB or larger hard drive, and Windows 7 Starter Edition, with Bluetooth as a preferred option for tethering a smart phone for mobile broadband access.

Higher-end options are becoming more prevalent, with 11.6-inch displays, higher screen resolutions, and new graphics hardware, such as Nvidia's Ion GPU, helping Netbook prices move out of the $299-$399 range. ]
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-netbooks/


itouch vs netbook
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=...c48c66f0d3c525

just for more info- here is some wireless router reviews -
http://wireless-router-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://www.firewallguide.com/wireless.htm

nextag price comparison-
http://www.nextag.com/serv/main/buye...er&plw=&phi=50