Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Best MP3 Player. Period.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was a bit skeptical about the shuffle at first, but I decided to go buy the 1GB version and just try it out. I immediately fell in love with how small it is, which is a huge selling point for me because I only use it for when I'm walking around campus or when I'm at the gym. The iPod MINI is still too heavy for me-- I don't want it weighing down my pants (I'd put it in my pocket) when I'm at the gym, and I just don't want to deal with the belt-clips. The Shuffle doesn't weigh anything-- you could even just let it hang from the headphones if you wanted.
I don't need to listen to every single song that I have, so the 1GB gives me more than enough room for my favorite 130+ songs. I've had it for just over two weeks and I'm still not tired of the songs on it. You could also use the random-sync mode in iTunes to add songs at random to the player so that you get a surprise you turn it on.
Also, what's really incredible is that other than transferring the music to the device initially (it got a slight charge on the first day), the battery light still reads as "green." It's supposed to go "green, amber, red" to let you know how the battery is holding up. This thing has an incredible battery life, since I have been using it every day since I bought it for several hours a day. The specs say 12 hours (I think) until the battery goes dead, but I'm sure I've been listening to it for way more than that. My best friend bought one the same day (also the 1GB) and his battery has lasted a long time too. We love the shuffle.
The only complaint that I have is that you have to use iTunes to get the music onto the device. I'm not sure if there is any 3rd party software out there that will let you get around this, but I hate iTunes and so that's my only complaint. The way I see it though, I'm only going to sync it every once in a while, and it's something that I'm happy to put up with in order to use this awesome MP3 player.
My other complaint is about the white iPod headphones that come with the Shuffle. How can I put it nicely-- THEY SUCK. They have absolutely NO bass response and they flatten out the tone of almost every song. At first I was disappointed with the sound quality of the MP3s through the shuffle, but I switched to my good Sony headphones and there was a tremendous difference. The songs sound so much better, and I felt relieved that it wasn't something wrong with the player itself (because there is no equalizer on the shuffle, but it's not needed). Despite the fact that the iPod earphones look good and they have a short cord that doesn't get all tangled up all the time, I think that they are uncomfortable and don't sound good at all.
I've been looking for a great MP3 player for years, and this one definitely wins me over. If you are in the market for an MP3 player, and you want something for the gym or something active, or if you just want to be discreet and not have some clunky player attached to your waist, this is definitely the way to go!
Customer Review: Great for what it is: A simple flash based player
Summary: 4 Stars
Simple and elegant. This is what makes the ipod line great. I have owned a 20gb ipod for just over 2 years. It just happens to be the biggest ipod ever made as it is a second generation machine. I have used it long and hard enough that I have replaced the battery. With Etymotic Research ER-6 earbuds, the sound is phenomenal. So, why a shuffle?
I commute about 2 hour a day using buses, trains and subways. As a female, I don't always have pockets or belts to attach my ipod. It is usually in my bag. As I get jostled around, I don't know how many times that either the earbuds are pulled out of the ipod or out of my ears (ouch). At first I wouldn't even consider the shuffle, but as I thought about it, I realized it would be great for the commute for the following reaons:
1. I can listen to all the songs that I have purchased through iTunes.
2. I can listen to audiobooks downloaded from Audible.
3. The ipod is light and hangs around my neck so there is no trying to find a place for it in my bad and/or losing the song as the earbuds get ripped out of the ipod or my ears.
4. As I tend to lose stuff, I am not going to be as upset to lose a $150 shuffle as opposed to the 20GB ipod that I paid a premium for as an early adopter.
5. I tend to listen to the same 200 or so songs out of the 1900 I have on my ipod.
So, what do I think now that I have it in hand? I like it. I like it a lot. The sound quality is surprisingly the same as with the ipod. With $100-$150 earphones there seems to be no difference. It is light and works great for the commute. I'm not hung up on the fact that it does not have a screen I did put a few favorite songs on twice so it would be more likely to show up. Also, if I want, I can set it to play in order and those songs will come up. Rating songs in iTunes is very helpful for this. All in all it makes a great supplement to my regular ipod.
One of the things that did upset me though is this: It is supposed to work with all macs; however, there is a caveat. You *may* need an adaptor or better yet the ipod shuffle dock if the shuffle doesn't fit "some computers" (sarcasm mine). I blithely assumed it would be some Windows box. Come to find out that it is too big for the recessed usb ports on the eMac. I was livid. I felt that two Apple made items should be compatible. I borrowed a male to female usb cable and it worked fine, and I also have a Powerbook that I can charge it with, but it was an unpleasant surprise.
The shuffle is not for everyone as it lacks the features of its more expensive brothers and sisters as mentioned in previous reviews. However, I believe it is perfect for what it is, and it exceeded my expectations as a device (compatibility issues aside).
*Note (2/10/05) I just found out I can fast forward, rewind and set bookmarks in audiobooks with the Shuffle. That bumps the rating to 5 stars! I just can not change it on the scale section. kmm
Customer Review: What's the fuss about?
Summary: 3 Stars
I got my Ipod shuffle a few days ago after weeks of agonizing over what kind of MP3 player I should get. Here's what I have decided:
Pros:
1. Small, cute, unobtrusive. Gets mega-points for form factor.
BUT it would be nice if the sliding switch on the back had a raised bar on it for traction, also the tactile feedback on the buttons is a little shallow, but livable.
2. Works well with Itunes, and Autofill makes quick work of usually a time-consuming task.
3. Flash based media won't skip
4. USB charging good for those who don't want extra cables (like me)
5. Can be used as a jump drive. In fact, you can adjust your settings to reserve space for music, and the rest for data.
CONS:
1. Can't tell if the darn thing is on.
In direct sunlight with sunglasses on, you can't really tell what color the indicator light is. It pauses for a second before playing the song, so I end up hitting the play button twice and it pauses. This is further confounded when I tried to hook my shuffle up with an FM transmitter, while driving. After nearly endangering my life and the lives of others in the car with me, I decided to just stick to the radio.
2. No multiple machines.
I have a laptop, and a desktop. The desktop has most of my media. The laptop has about 6 gigs of music that I use while I'm in school. Apple has a "One Shuffle, One computer" policy. How can you reconcile the two? Choose one machine, and migrate files regularly.
3. Itunes must be closed to use as a removable HD (aka "jump drive")
This is more of a "programming quirk" than a gripe. Once you get used to it, it isn't a big deal.
4. USB 2.0 is still slow
I know its the standard, but it still takes about 10 mins to load up your Ipod Shuffle with a gig of music. I understand its the best simple solution out there, but I'm impatient
5. Is it done?
I leave my machines on all the time, and when a machine is on and the shuffle is plugged in it will treat it as it is accessing a drive (hence, blinking orange light). Unfortunately, that's also the light pattern that tells you "charging". Who knows when your Ipod shuffle is fully charged? You got to unseat it and check the back, or plug it BACK in and if it blinks green, you're good to go.
This fares better than other mini mp3 players like the Panasonic SV-SD80 that I had becuase:
1. Itunes software is intuitive and elegant vs. Panasonic's clunky, slow andproprietary Real Player software that you can't re-download (which is why I had to get a new mp3 player).
2. Doesn't need a docking station to recharge
3. No proprietary media reader
Otherwise, they're about equal, and in many usability respects the SV was better.
Moral of the Story: There is no perfect MP3 player out there yet.
Customer Review: True Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Apple combines three brilliances in one: superb industrial design, excellent engineering, and perhaps most impressively, marketing that targets (and helps foster) consumer desire/need like almost no other high-tech company.
One the design front, Apple has reduced the already intuitive iPod interface to a level of simplicity that's just a half step short of a one-button mouse. The slider switch on the Shuffle's rear provides two modes: shuffle or linear play. The buttons on the front give you the sort of controls every tape deck or CD player makes familiar: play/pause, next track/fast-forward, previous track/fast-rewind, volume up, volume down. That's it - that's the entire Shuffle interface.
Deskside, the iTunes software is also very simple to use, and the linkage between iTunes and the Shuffle is effortless. You can create a specific list of songs for the Shuffle by dragging and dropping from your library (which you can populate by ripping your own CDs or seamlessly downloading from the iTunes store), or even better, you can let iTunes fill the Shuffle with a random selection of songs from your library.
The marketing brilliance is two-fold: on the hand, Apple has realized that many of us who own traditional iPods typically listen to them in shuffle mode. I rarely listen to albums on my 20GB iPod, and I rarely use playlists. Given that, and given that I've selected all the music on my iPod, I don't really need a display. I rarely want to look for a specific song, and I never need to be told what's playing.
Second, 1GB = 240 or so songs, which is more than enough for a cross-country flight (or an international flight, really, given that you don't listen to your iPod every minute), or a good day's roadtrip. I typically travel with a laptop that holds hundreds of CDs worth of material from which I can refill the Shuffle every day. If you're listening at the gym for an hour or two, you wouldn't even need to reshuffle your Shuffle more than every few days.
These marketing innovations - no display, and no moving disk - greatly lessen the load on the Shuffle's battery. That allowed Apple engineers to get enough of a play charge out of a small, very light battery. The result is that the Shuffle almost ceases to exist when carried on its lanyard or in a pocket. I now find it impossible to "lug" around my regular iPod.
Apple's entry price for the 512MB makes for flashy ads, but it's worth opting for the pricier 1GB model. As delivered, they're both usable, but most users will find charging the Shuffle off a computer's USB port to be onerous and slow; thus a $29 charger is needed. Those buying a Shuffle for use while running will also need to invest in an armband. Each of the increments is small, but before you know it, the flashy entry price point has more than doubled. Is it worth the final price? Absolutely.
Customer Review: Shuffle Still A Great Choice
Summary: 5 Stars
When the Shuffle came out early in 2005, it had its day as the newest and coolest in the iPod lineup. I was an early adopter. Since then, the Nano and the video iPod have arrived. So how tempting is the Shuffle almost a year after its introduction?
I remain a Shuffle fan. I would buy it again even given the choice of the newer models. It's not just that it costs less -- I prefer it even without factoring in the price.
The Shuffle is a real workhorse and a tough unit -- there's no need to worry about scratches. I've used mine without a case, keeping it in pockets and bags with keys, pens and other sharp objects, and have never obsessed about keeping it pristine. Despite this, it still looks good. A case for a Shuffle is completely unnecessary. With a Nano, by contrast, a case is, by all accounts, a necessity if you want to avoid scratches that spoil the look and, moreover, reduce the functionality of the tiny screen (which is a pity because a case hides the Nano's good looks and adds to its size).
I use the Shuffle for audiobooks and podcasts as well as for music. It is an excellent device for these purposes. And the sound quality is just as good as on a bigger iPod.
Battery life has been good. I get the rated 12 hours, if not more. (I did buy Apple's AAA battery adapter for use on long journeys, but have never actually had to use it. That said, the fact that you can use AAA batteries is a plus over the other iPods.)
I also I like the fact that one can plug the unit directly into a computer without wires. Wires, like cases, complicate the iPod experience - more "stuff" means more mess and more not to have with you when you need it.
The absence of a screen does not bother me. I regard iTunes on my computer as my way of looking inside the Shuffle -- there, I can decide what to manually place on the Shuffle and in what order. There is no need to have iTunes randomly fill the device with the "autofill" feature, although that can be fun when you are in the mood. Likewise, there is no need to have the Shuffle play what is on it in a random order -- if you prefer, you can play it in the order you established using iTunes.
The 1GB capacity is plenty for the way in which I use the device. I keep my library on my laptop and, using iTunes, simply decide what I want to have on the Shuffle at any given time. I don't see the need to keep everything on an iPod at once so long as it is on a computer to which the Pod connects.
In short, the Shuffle's simplicity and elegance define its appeal. To complain about the features it lacks is to miss the point. It's like complaining that the Mini is a small car. Simplicity is the Shuffle's whole point. In a world of clutter, the Shuffle is a tidy device that works. The fact that it is the least expensive iPod is a bonus.