iPod Touch 1st Gen - projected lifetime?

I bought the iPod Touch when it first came out. It is running fine, no problems. The battery seems to be okay too.

How long is it supposed to last and will the battery be the first thing to go?

Who knows. Lifetime of a product would differ from person to person as each person has different usage habits. You can do little things to extend it's life though. For instance, if you don't use WiFi, turn it off. It drains the battery and as such, you'll have to recharge it more often.

Ive had mine for about 2 1/2 years. It works fine, the battery isn't as good as it was, probably because I did jailbreak it. But I removed it because I like my battery life.

Hah, I saw the name "crazypotatos" and just had to look at this thread.

Lifetime of your touch will depend on how often you drop it :-D

OK, actually I'm serious. And is it in a pocket/purse under physical stress? Rubbing up against keys and scratchy stuff?

Do NOT keep it fully charged all the time. Let it discharge-maybe not dead, but significantly. Keeping batteries topped up is apparently really bad for them, witness all the used "battery doesn't work" laptops for sale on Craigslist.