Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 Player Review

Apple pretty much defined the marketplace for MP3 players with its introduction of the iPod. Prior to the iPod, there were a variety of competitors selling digital music devices that played MP3 encoded digital music files, but there was no defining product, and no one had claimed the portable music player space. The iPod changed all that, giving us a whole slew of follow on "i" products to accompany the popular little music player. The main iPod product came first, then the iPod mini, then the iPod Shuffle. The first shuffle was pretty much an afterthought of a product. It was the size of a pack of gum, but unlike all other music players on the market, it had no display screen, no way to see what you were playing or what was available or what was coming next.. What is the iPod Shuffle, why was it designed like this, and what does the new iPod Shuffle offer? Keep reading in this Shuffle guide..

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Why the limited design of the Shuffle? The fact is, Apple had to defend its turf against low cost rivals offering competing MP3 products. Creative Labs, Sandisk, and others offered MP3 players at lower price points than the iPod, which comes with an amazingly fixed price -- visit any store, and the price is always exactly the same, $299, $249, $199, whatever -- isn't competition great?? So Apple wanted to sell its 2GB nano for $199, while others offered a similar 1GB player for $99. What to do? Spit out a low cost, bare bones device that they could also sell for $99 - the Shuffle. And to figure out a way to explain the fact that it had no screen or display of any useful information, you turn that fault into a feature by calling it a "shuffle" -- oh yeah, its great to NOT know what is on your MP3 player or what song is playing, it's all just random and shuffled! That's cool! So as you might guess, we don't really like the idea or concept of the shuffle. You just don't sell a music player with no screen on it. But regardless of what we think, the Shuffle has found a loyal following and has been popular enough that Apple introduced a new Shuffle in 2006 to replace the old one. The new Apple iPod Shuffle is now amazingly tiny, one advantage of having no LCD screen on board. Now, the Shuffle is barely the size of a quarter (it's actually square in shape, but about that size), with a built-in clip that allows you to attach it to your shirt or shorts. What's new with the Shuffle? Keep reading..

New Apple 1GB Shuffle Metal

The new Apple Shuffle has a 1 GB storage capacity, enough to hold about 200 songs. It sells for $79 (see Amazon.com or any electronics retailer). Like all the iPod models, it connects to your computer and uses the Internet connection and the iTunes software to manage your music collection and let you buy music downloads online. It's billed as the world's smallest music player, and we don't doubt it (sure, take away the screen and it's easy to shrink your product down!). The controls are pretty simple - it has the standard circular thumb wheel on the front as do all iPod, allowing you to control volume or switch or replay songs. There is a switch that allows you to move between playing songs in order or shuffling them up, along with a power switch and a headphone/docking jack. The docking station it comes with has a tiny connector that of course looks like a headphone jack, since it fits in the same slot as the headphones. There is also a battery indicator light - green, yellow, and red warning you when to recharge (when it comes to batteries, Apple has had some problems in the past with batteries dying, requiring you to return your iPod to get a new battery, or buy a new battery -- they have a special section on their website apple.com/batteries explaining how lithium ion batteries work and how charging and recharging them affects their lifespan). If you buy it from Apple.com or an Apple store, you can get a custom engraving on the back (your name, loved one's name, etc.). One drawback is that the docking station/charging pad required access to a computer if you want to keep your Shuffle charged - sometimes tough if you are on the road or something without PC access.

Apple Shuffle Specs

The specs of the Shuffle are:

• Dimensions: 1.62 x 1.07 x 0.41 inches
• Weight: .55 ounces
• Battery Life: about 10-12 hours
• Playing Time: 1GB holds about 200 songs, or about 65 hours of song time

Closing notes - if you want a small, simple MP3 player that is only $75, the Shuffle might be perfect for you. If you want anything fancier, like a screen to see what you are doing or option for pictures and video, look elsewhere. The iTunes software and website are simple and effective as always, a great selling point for Apple MP3 devices -- but conside the iPod Nano as an upgrade if you want something a little more.

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