Apple iPod shuffle 512 MB White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
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List Price: Our Price: $49.99 You Save: $20.00 (29%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $15.00 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod shuffle 512 MB White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Love it
Summary: 4 Stars
i bought my iPod shuffle for a very specific use, listening at the gym or on a bike. for for me size and the interface were the reasons i bought it over a Mini (dont even get me started on other brands, none of them have a usable interface) At first, i missed that there was no screen, in that some times a song comes up i dont recognize and it would be handy to see what it is. But I can live with that. I can always check on iTunes what it was.
But what i really love is the deceptively simple interface is even better than i thought it would be. I knew having large well placed buttons would make it easy to navigate with out looking while i was working out, but they are much more tactile than i thought. I wore my ipod under my shirt, and even thru clothing, it was very easy to feel the buttons and navigate. there was no fuss at all to control it.
which exactly what i want when i working out. All other mp3 players have tiny little buttons all over the place with no rhyme or reason. As designer, i find it funny how they miss boat with trying to be "cool" but unusable. where as apple makes it usable first, then look good.
the lack of screen is a minor issue for me, the interface that much better than any of other players on market that do have a screen.
another good thing is it is FLAT. i hand tthought about that untill i had it for few weeks. Beig n flat means it is more compofrtable whether it it is worn hanging around my chest, on my arm band or even in my pocket. one other brand of mp3 which looks cool, made me envious untill i realized it was a triangle extruded. those corners would be poking me why i work out.
the ear buds are probably weakest part. volume is outstanding and quite surprising given how small it is.
Customer Review: Great sound; decent form factor; minor issues
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the 512 in mid-January 2006 when I got tired of waiting for the rumored new Shuffle that didn't come until, well, this week. Now I'll give my current one to my wife and get a new one. But I've enjoyed the original shuffle, though it has some minor problems.
First, the sound is very good. I encode my CDs in all AAC files due to the fact that I think the sound is better than the MP3 or other format. I also encode at the highest rate possible. I still have room for about 45-50 songs on the 512 shuffle. I thought before I bought it I might also use it as a thumb drive, but I haven't for various reasons. The main (really only) use I have for this is while jogging. It works very well for that, though you likely will need an accessory to hold it. That's one of the minor issues that looks to be corrected with the new model.
Another issue is the location of the off/on(play in order)/play shuffle switch on the back. I like the idea of the slider, but its directly behind the other controls. That creats a problem when trying to turn it off with one hand while attached to a belt clip. You can do it, but often you will inadvertantly hit a control as well. Its not a huge problem, though. Likewise, the size of the unit clipped on a belt forces some people to move it around their waist as it sticks straight up. Its going to stick into even the flattest stomachs!
I still like the unit and would buy it again. Forget the lack of a display. If you want that, get the Nano. The purpose of this unit is to shift through 40-100 songs or other files (depending on encoding format) while you are active, whether jogging, walking, going to/from school or work, etc. For that purpose, its great. Even greater if you don't need to clip it on yourself.
Customer Review: Novelty gismo that has run its course
Summary: 1 Stars
For those of you who is considering buying this here is my experience with it. I bought this a year ago and for the first 6 months I would have given it a 5 star rating without question. I didn't care about the lack of display and not being able to select my songs. I was sold on its size and the fact that I didn't have to worry about damaging it by dropping it and hitting it somewhere. I didn't care about paying 99 cents per song on iTunes. I knew what to expect going in.
And now I'm just annoyed at this. It doesn't charge appropriately. I think the internal batteries are dying and someone said I should send it to Apple to have it replaced. I'm not going to bother. Just the concept of sending something back for a replacement part doesn't sit well with me. It is a big hassle (considering postage and trip to the post office) for me. I would just as well discard it. Also, my shuffle doesn't play certain songs. I've downloaded Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Groovejet" from iTunes and pasted to my shuffle 5 times and the shuffle still does not play this song. It plays every other song in the drive. What gives? So annoying! I could probably paste it 99 times and have one other song in it(100 song total) and it still probably wouldn't play it. Also, my shuffle nowadays plays a few songs and stops. It's not a battery issue in the sense that if I reload it, it will still play those exact same songs. It seems like there is nothing else to read(play) from then on. This shouldn't be since I filled the shuffle with songs to the max. This didn't happen to me in the first 6 months. Oh well so much for technology. I may next go for iPod Nano but if that has the same problems after 6 months of use I won't bother. Hope I can find good constructive feedback for that product.
Customer Review: Superb replacement flash player and complement to iPod
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased the iPod Shuffle as a replacement to my flash player (256MB). I have a 3rd gen iPod and use a flash player when jogging and at the gym, so my comments are from that perspective.
The lack of a display is not an issue for me, due to my usage of the player. Prior to receiving and using the Shuffle, I was a bit concerned about the limited ability to navigate to different songs on the Shuffle and the shuffle aspect of the player. However, after actually using it, I am sold on the shuffle aspect of the player.
Initially, I allowed iTunes to load the Shuffle randomly from my music library; but found that there are a lot of songs that I don't care to listen to when exercising. So, I started loading songs using the 'drag-and-drop' method. Once loaded, I switch the Shuffle to play random and I'm good to go !! I'm only listening to songs I chose to begin with, so random is nice. Although, playlists are nice; it is extra work to create them.
I left the player on all day yesterday to test the battery life and the battery charge light was still green after 8 hours. This is the point at which my old flash player (powered by two rechargeable alkaline AA cells) would need a fresh pair of batteries.
As for the sound quality, it's excellent. Just as good as my 3rd gen iPod and old flash player.
My only complaint about the design is that there is no 'reject' button. Although the Shuffle has a 'next song' button, I can see the utility of a reject button in addition to the next song button that would mark the song for removal on the next sync with iTunes. This would make removing songs that I did not want on the Shuffle easier and 'refreshing' it with new music from time-to-time easier.
Customer Review: Ipod, The Cheap Way
Summary: 3 Stars
MP3 players have really come in a long way since they were so popular a few years ago. It seems like everybody wants to buy one of these agdgets. but the prices are just too steep for just so many to afford. Apple definitely has known what it is like. With the mammoth success of the Ipod MP3 players, many people who want those MP3 players get them anyway they can. Although it has been a great ordeal, many just want a little more convience in the price, and also the size. Most of the Ipods are about the size of a walkman. Well, there is one that could be better, but is a good value for those who want the MP3 craze of their own.
Apple's Ipod Shuffle, is a more compact size MP3 player who want not just the convience, but the price as well. The device can hold as many as 100 different songs that can be downloaded from the internet, or burned to the computer from compact discs. The device is a little trickier to operate and is a little more of a hassle. One reason, is that it has a very short battery life. Only 12 hours of musical playback, where other MP3 players like Rio or Sony can have their devices with double, and possible triple the length of battery life. Another disadvantage is there is no LCD display. Unlike the other Ipods that show what is playing on the Ipod, this one makes it seem like a mystery to others who want to just guess on what the song is on the player.
All in all, the Apple Ipod shuffle isn't really all what is said it was cracked up to be. For those who want the MP3 craze, I honestly suggest you pass this one up, and consider with the Ipod Mini, or another MP3 player. This one is shuffled out of tune.
Price: B+
Easy To Operate: C
Convience: B-
Overall: C 1/2+