As noted here, I just got my 512MB iPod Shuffle after lunch.
Having opened, charged, loaded, and listened to it, I thought I'd post a quick review.
Overall opinion: it is fantastic!
Points:
Some minor cons:
My advice: as soon as you see one, buy one. Figure out the justification on your way home.
Having opened, charged, loaded, and listened to it, I thought I'd post a quick review.
Overall opinion: it is fantastic!
Points:
- It weighs nothing. I know that supposedly it weights a bit less than an once. But, having worn it for over an hour around my neck, I've noticed that it has no perceptible weight whatsoever.
- Sound fidelity is the same as my 4G iPod's. I'm sure some people will post how the specs differ, but, to my ears, they sound the same. Fidelity is at least as good as the Apple headphones can deliver, and max volume is way too loud (so plenty of oomph).
- I thought the lanyard would be a bit dorky. Maybe it is. I don't care. I love my 4G, but it is just way too easy to wear the Shuffle. Goofy or not, the lanyard keeps the controls right where you want them.
- As mentioned above, if you get a shuffle, you will wear it everywhere except the shower (and that's only pending the availability of a waterproof case). It is just way too easy to bring with you. And, unlike the iPod, who cares if the case gets a scratch or two? No display to scratch, no shiny back to mar.
- Apple was right. The shuffle play just seems right. I loaded off a folder of my favorites, and the shuffling is great fun. For whatever reason, when using my 4G, I want control. Here, I yield to the whims of the Shuffle, and it feels great.
- Lack of a display is no big deal. Maybe some will want one. Personally, the lack of a display makes me care less about scratches, probably extends the battery life, makes it smaller, and makes me more likely to shuffle. You wear it around your neck (or, soon, on your arm). You'll not look at the display anyway.
- iTunes treats the Shuffle right. Autoload is nice, reserving room for files is nice (I need Mac <-> PC transfer, and this makes it as easy as my old USB flash drive... of course).
- You get a free 13-song album off of iTMS (not any 13 songs - the 13 on the album Apple put together).
Some minor cons:
- I wish Apple would include something to shorten the headphone cord. The lanyard makes the headphone cord seem about a foot or so too long.
- USB 2.0 (and/or the Shuffle's internals) make song loading slow - about 5 minutes to fill my 512MB version).
- Audiobook use is a bit tougher (presumably - even though 98% of my iPod listening is audiobook-based, so far none of my Shuffle use is) due to lack of a display to see where in the book you are. No big deal unless you lose your place and need to forward/reverse to it more than a few minutes worth.
My advice: as soon as you see one, buy one. Figure out the justification on your way home.
tis true.
