iPod shuffle - What do you think?

[gamestriker]

I've been thinking about getting an low-end iPod lately. Something simple and functional. At first I looked at the mini since its a "real" iPod (read "has a screen"). Then, I took a second look at the Shuffle. It got me thinking that I really don't need space for 1500 songs, and that there are songs that I would probably never listen to, which I would keep in my library (in other words, I'd only have songs that I listen to alot or that I really enjoy). The shuffle is also extremely portable. I never realized how small it was. And its much cheaper than a mini. (I could do a lot with 50 bucks...say 50 more songs for my shuffle? a dock and charger block maybe?)

The one disadvantage is having to click through to get to a song when you want to here a specific song. Though, I figure if you pick the songs that go into the shuffle carefully, you won't care what the song plays next.

I really just want to get an idea from people (preferably from those who have one or have used on extensively, no offense to the rest ) of what they think of the shuffle. I also have a few questions about it like:

- How durable is it? I mean its the size of pack of gum...and gum isn't that durable in terms of getting crushed, stepped on, thrown, dropped, etc.

- How confortable is it to where around your neck and in your pocket? Is it better to carry it around the neck or in the pocket?

- Like the post title says, what do you think of the shuffle? Your overall impressions, thoughts, recommendation on whether to buy or not, etc.

- I've heard talk that their may be an update for the shuffle in July (aka Macworld), boosting it to 2GB (thats would be very nice), adding more features, and such. I'm thinking of waiting for that. Should I wait?

I appreciate the help.

 

[Xtremehkr]

I like my MiniPod, but would have considered iShuffle.

Biggest draw is the size, biggest drawback is the lack of an interface.

I rarely feel that 4 gig is not enough for what I use right now, and the size of the iShuffle is a plus. That may change though. In the future I may have a MiniPod and an iShuffle.

An iShuffle with a user interface would be great, hint.

 

[sentrido]

I have the 1 gig shuffle. I like it a lot. I use it for work and it makes a convienent flash drive, and the large size really helps in a pinch moving files. The 200-300 songs are more than enough if your gonna see your computer everyday. I got one for my girl friend cause she runs a lot and borrowed it on a business trip. I was going to get an ipod but after using her shuffle i found it was plenty of music for me. So I got my own. I have always just carried it in my hand, its so light and the controls are so passive it works fine that way. It could sit in a shirt pocket no problem. The glossy sefice will get scratched up a bit, but it survived the bottom of my bag fine. I do make sure to remove the headphones from the jack, it just looks like trouble. I think somebody makes an aluminum case, but i cant see the need unless you work in construction. Oh, filling it is hella slow though. I have to give it a 10. Buy it if light and stupid simple fit your needs.

 

[Daveway]

I find mine perfect for riding the bike, going out in the boat, and bringing to bed. Yes, I said bringing to bed. Many people like me, like to listen to music in bed and its better than bringing a big ipod in that has touch buttons.

The shuffle is very comfortable, it has nearly no decernable weight so you can barely feel it on you.

 

[TheMasin9]

great device

i find that the shuffle is a truly great low end ipod for apple. for any of us who have extensive music libraries and often forget what all those libraries encompass, the shuffle is a great way to get re exposed to that kind of music, course i have an ipod loaded with my 3500 songs as well, but having the shuffle for biking, running, as well as the occasional walk to class is great. I highly recommend the 512, just because of the fact that more than likely in 120 songs which is say roughly 8 hours of music, you will probably be niear your computer to refresh and recharge the shuffle as well. thats just my point of view.

 

[Alasta]

I've had mine since they first became available and I really like it. If you ever want to be able to locate songs on your iPod then don't buy a Shuffle but if, like me, you only ever want to play songs at random, then the Shuffle is great value.

Durability is good. It's so light that if you dropped it, there wouldn't be any significant impact. My only gripe is that when I plug it into a USB port on my iBook, it blocks the adjacent port so I can't have my mouse plugged in at the same time. I'm tempted to buy a dock for it, but they seem to be incredibly overpriced for what they are. Yea, I know, I could just use a regular USB extension cable but it just seems so fiddly and inconvenient.

I do seem to have a problem whereby when I refill it, I have to delete everything off it, disconnect it, reconnect it, and then hit the 'autofill' button. The 'replace existing content' box is checked so I've no idea what is causing this problem but noone else seems to be experiencing this, so don't let it put you off purchasing one.

 

[Flickta]

Oh, filling it is hella slow though.

Do you have USB 2.0? And it is still slowly filling?

 

[Piarco]

I'm loving mine. I got the 512MB on a whim, and 3 months later I'm using it more than my 6GB mini. Bought initially for the gym, its so convenient to take everywhere and anywhere its more often than not out with me.

Sound quality is definately better than the mini, which is maybe another reason the mini isn't used as much as it should be. I'm not bothered about a screen as I set up a playlist for the Shuffle to sync to, mainly consisting of my favourite tracks and anything I have purchased recently. So I never mind what track is next as they're all good. For this reason I bought the 512Mb rather than the gig.... I think 120 tracks is enough variance. And the price of the gig is too close to the 4GB mini to make any economic sense, unless you are using it as a flash drive also - but thats just my opinion

As for durability, it does scratch easily. I've even seen one of my friends shuffles that was scratched before she took it out of the box! But they're not usually glaring unless you go looking for them. Still, I bought an XtremeMac tuffwrapz for it, as well as the carrabena clip. Looks cool with both on!

 

[brap]

Though, I figure if you pick the songs that go into the shuffle carefully, you won't care what the song plays next.

That's the way to do it.

- How durable is it? I mean its the size of pack of gum...and gum isn't that durable in terms of getting crushed, stepped on, thrown, dropped, etc.

Super durable, with the cap attached. I'd guess less so if you were abusing the USB connector...

How confortable is it to where around your neck and in your pocket? Is it better to carry it around the neck or in the pocket?

I you're working out, have it around your neck. Otherwise -- well, you're just begging someone to come and mug you.

- Like the post title says, what do you think of the shuffle? Your overall impressions, thoughts, recommendation on whether to buy or not, etc.

Perfect for situations where you don't need music for really long periods, and for situations which the regular ipod would be damaged.

- I've heard talk that their may be an update for the shuffle in July (aka Macworld), boosting it to 2GB (thats would be very nice), adding more features, and such. I'm thinking of waiting for that. Should I wait?

Um... if you want it now, get it now. If you can wait, then wait. Personally I have the 512, and it's more than enough.

 

[weg]

I've been thinking about getting an low-end iPod lately. Something simple and functional. At first I looked at the mini since its a "real" iPod (read "has a screen"). Then, I took a second look at the Shuffle.

...

The one disadvantage is having to click through to get to a song when you want to here a specific song. Though, I figure if you pick the songs that go into the shuffle carefully, you won't care what the song plays next.

Have you thought about buying a non-Apple flash player WITH a display? iRiver offers wonderful Flash MP3 Players (much better sound than the iPods), and there are other manufacturers who offer much cheaper players than Apple. Of course you couldn't use the iTunes Music Store then (at least not hassle-free).

 

[Maxiseller]

I like my shuffle. It is extremely durable. Mine's been thrown, crunched, put into the bottom of a bag and tossed around, and the overall damage is zero. Thats what I love about it; and thats why I didn't buy the mini.

I orignally owned a 20G 3rd generation iPod, but I was so scarred of it getting scratched and dented that I rarely used it unless I was going someplace and I had a bag to keep it in or somthing.

Go for the shuffle, you will find it so easy to use it's a pleasure. Please don't get an iRiver flash based music player; the joy of being able to reach in your pocket to change a song without looking is truly liberating - and of course you can happily purchase music legally from the best online music store in the business.

 

[student_trap]

Ive had my shuffle for two weeks, and i have to say that now i would be lost without it. It goes everywhere with me, and i don't even know its in my pocket its that small and light. If you are going on a long journey and want all of your music, then get a regular ipod, but if you just want music while your out, in the gym etc, go for the shuffle, its just so easy. My library is huge, but i just select my favourite tunes or let it autoselect them and i know that i am going to like what is played, and if for some reason i dont, I just hit forward - there really is no need for a screen in this respect. My initial plan was to buy a shuffle and then maybe get a 30gig photo, but now i cant see any reason to bother. The shuffle is the way to go!
(btw, befcause I sync it every few days, I haven’t actually charged my shuffle since its first initial charge, and I use it for about 3-6hours a day, oh, and I am shocked that such good sound can come out of such a tiny player!AND you can use it as a flash memory key-what more could you want?)

 

[panda]

its great

I like my shuffle. It is extremely durable. Mine's been thrown, crunched, put into the bottom of a bag and tossed around, and the overall damage is zero. Thats what I love about it; and thats why I didn't buy the mini.

I orignally owned a 20G 3rd generation iPod, but I was so scarred of it getting scratched and dented that I rarely used it unless I was going someplace and I had a bag to keep it in or somthing.

Go for the shuffle, you will find it so easy to use it's a pleasure. Please don't get an iRiver flash based music player; the joy of being able to reach in your pocket to change a song without looking is truly liberating - and of course you can happily purchase music legally from the best online music store in the business.

totally agree with this and all else said.

the shuffle is great. i have the 1gig and it is plenty.

finding a song is problematic, but your careful planning suggestion sounds good and i have one too:

TIP if you have recorded a few tracks from one album (in sequence), when you play back in 'shuffle' mode, eventually one will come up, or you can skip till you find one. at that point, if you switch back to sequential play, you can then hear the other tracks in sequence, or perhaps you have to skip fwd or bck only a little bit to find the exact song you want from that album, or to play the whole album.

make any sense? somehow, it helps me to find and play tunes i want to hear.

using this method, has kept me happy and not missing a screen at all.

-as to the wearability, it is always in my pocket, out of the way and not dangling loose fgrom my neck. it does scratch, but at least one is not as precious about that as with a mini. and i can accept the scratches.


-battery life is short, but not a problem if you don't intend to be away from your computer too long.

go for it and enjoy it

 

[kjr39]

I bought a 1GB for my wife and what I have noticed is that the Shuffle gets used if she is at all going to be moving (gym, walks, working around the house.) Her 10GB iPod is only used at work anymore and she defers to the Shuffle.

I have used it a few times and like it better around the neck than in my pocket.

It is durable and ours has been thrown, sit on, stuffed in gym bags, stepped on, etc and is still going strong...

I'm waiting for a replacement to the Shuffle, not because 1GB isn't enough, but I'm thinking they are going to refresh it soon and I really do not need it now...

 

[geese]

I've got a 1Gb-er wich doubles as a USB stick.

Its great if you plan to change the songs on it regularly- not so great if you're going travelling for a few days.

I tend to put a few of my favourite albums on it, then autofill the rest. It takes about five minutes and its ace.

The only gripe I've got is that the computer (happens on both PC and Mac) tends to run very slowly and 'beach ball' when you're copying your tunes. This doesnt tend to happen on the minis or biggi ipods

 

[rjphoto]

Wow, Seems like everyone loves the Shuffle!

While on a visit to CompUSA my wife spied a Green Mini, her favorite color. Her birthday was coming up and made the statement that she would like one for using while working in her garden.

Over the next few weeks I read everything on this forum regarding the Mini and the Shuffle as far as durability, bouceability and most of all (since she is working with water alot in the garden) splashability.

So, I ended up buying her the 1Gig shuffle with the splash proof case from Apple.

I pre-loaded my PB with "ALL" of her CDs and created a play list including them and some 70's stuff from my 25 year class reunion. After she opened it we plugged it in and loaded the play list. On my old PB with USB 1 it took about 5 minutes to load 7 hours of music...that's half the useable space after I created a 250Mb flash drive on it, too.

I was worried she wouldn't use it, but it is around her neck any time she is out side.

It's been almost 3 weeks and I've only recharged it 1 time for her. She leaves it on and hits the pause button when not in use.

The funniest thing that has happened is a phone call with her dad. She's not a tech type, but she was rattling off the specs like a pro and telling him how "COOL" it was.

Now I have the problem of buying 2 more for ours sons' birthdays coming up.

 

[sentrido]

Do you have USB 2.0? And it is still slowly filling?

yea, a 1.33 powerbook. Its not so bad adding a few songs but filling the whole thing just takes a while.

 

[denm316]

I feel the same as many people.

I had a 15GB 3rd Gen iPod and my music library actually surpassed that about a year after I got it. I took the iPod to the gym all the time but I did notice it was there, I am not saying it was really heavy but something smaller would have been nice. I was going to buy an iPod mini but then I saw how small the shuffle was. I picked up a 512MB Shuffle and love it. I can not even tell it is in my pocket when I am at the gym. It seems much more stable then the iPod seeing as it is just plastic. I have dropped it a few time and was never once worried. I did not use my iPod for about 2 months after getting my shuffle and just recently sold it on eBay.

My next iPod will be a mini when it has a color screen and supports the Apple Digital Camera connector.

Overall...you cant go wrong with the shuffle.

 

[m-dogg]

the suffle makes a great sportsPod to me. I bought a 512 a couple months back and loaded it with a playlist of workout tunes and haven't changed it since. I use it when skiing/biking/hiking/etc... and can't be bothered with changing songs anyway. and at a much cheaper price I don't have to worry about breaking my full size (& more expensive) 30 gig iPod...

I don't think I would like it much if it was the only ipod I owned though...

 

[JonMaker]

I have a 1GB shuffle. I wanted to get a thumbdrive, but I found that for the size I wanted, an iPod shuffle would only be marginally more expensive. I have about 750MB of data on the iPod, and about 200MB of music (I update it *very* regularly).

I wear the iPod on the lanyard under my shirt, or under a jacket. I find it very sturdy (relatively). I would throw it at the wall and not expect it to skip or be damaged.

My only issue is that I can't use it with an eMac, since the USB ports on the sides of the eMac are obscured, and the keyboard's ports are not powered.

 

[geese]

My only issue is that I can't use it with an eMac, since the USB ports on the sides of the eMac are obscured, and the keyboard's ports are not powered.

I use my shuffle on an emac- i just use a USB repeater cable (or you can similarly use a hub- dont waste cash on a dock though!).

You can use the keyboard USB ports though- it'll be slow and it wont charge up and you can transfer data.

 

[Kid Red]

I you're working out, have it around your neck. Otherwise -- well, you're just begging someone to come and mug you.

Wow, you get mugged in the gym where you live in Kentucky? Tough town. Nice to know to so I can avoid that area of the country.

 

[leekohler]

I have a 512 Shuffle. I never wanted an iPod until it came out. The reason? Other iPods are too damn big. I wanted something I could use at the gym and not notice. It fits in my pocket and I never even feel it. Love it!