Apple iPod shuffle 512 MB White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Apple Computer
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple iPod shuffle 512 MB White (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Miss or KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid)?
Summary: 4 Stars
Let's start with the major negative. You already know it just by looking: No screen. You can't see the song you're listening to, you can't quickly find the song you want, you can't look at the clock. It was definitely a risky move by Apple. I'd like to say it doesn't bother me, but it does. I would like to have a screen.
Let's move on for now; we'll get back to the negatives later.
The first thing I thought when I saw the Shuffle was, "It's that small? I could keep that in my pocket all the time." It's truly shocking how small the thing is. I am in awe of the whole thing: An amazingly player with about 16 hours of battery life (my measurement), superb sound (at least as good as the other iPods), and a 512 MB memory that I can use to carry my work from computer to computer.
Let's look at the Shuffle's benefits compared to other flash players: size and convenience. First the size. It's almost half the size and weight of the smallest other flash player. That means it can be a permanent part of your daily life. The second factor is convenience. With other flash players, you can expect to carry around a black usb cord to connect the player to the computer. Take it from me: It's annoying. Apple was able to include the usb attachment on the Shuffle because the Shuffle is so small. That means no cord. Just slip your little Shuffle into your pocket and go. With other players, you need to take a player at least twice as big PLUS a cord. Not so easy.
Back to the negatives now. The Shuffle also lacks a voice recorder. Apparently, a great deal of people spend their time recording conversations. I never have recorded from my other MP3 player, but I should probably start being careful of what I say. This might be an important consideration for some people, particularly spies and the ilk, but I see no need for it.
The other feature the Shuffle lacks is a radio. I wouldn't mind a radio on the Shuffle so I could listen to the TV programs at the gym (they broadcast the sound on unused FM spectrum). I don't understand why Apple doesn't include this with their other iPods, but obviously the Shuffle can't have a radio because it doesn't have a screen with which to see the station.
The Shuffle is a clear winner if you want an attractive, go-anywhere, easy-to-use, inexpensive, great-sounding music player. If you want something more, such as a radio, a voice recorder (again, why?), or a way to manage the 120 to 240 songs on the player, then you have to buy something else.
Personally, I bought the Shuffle because of the size and convenience. I already have a big 20 gig MP3 player, but I wanted something I could carry in my pocket and not have to worry about. I love reaching into my pocket and copying over a file from a friend's computer; when I drive home, I listen to tunes on the Shuffle (through the car radio), then I forget it's in my pocket until I need it again.
I'd still like a screen, though.
Customer Review: You can't go wrong for 99 bucks....
Summary: 5 Stars
I got the 512MB Shuffle a few days ago (finally)....After waiting for 4 weeks for Apple to ship it....It is great for what it is....A small, cheap MP3 player that you can take anywhere, and uses the great iPod software....It is good for places and activities that you would be afraid to take a regular iPod...The whole point is that it is cheap enough to be expendable....Get a regular iPod, add case, extended warranty, tax etc. and all of a sudden you are talking 400 or 500 bucks.. At that price, you are not going to be taking it to the gym, out in the snow or rain, throwing it in a backpack with other items etc..This you can..It's 99 bucks and small...No need for a case, an arm band, an extended warranty (because of the poor quality of the iPod battery).You can take the Shuffle anywhere, wear it under a coat in foul weather, let it receive bumps and bruises...If the battery dies in 3 years, then so what! It cost you 33 bucks a year....The Shuffle does sound great, and the software for it is nice and simple....Other MP3 players may have an LCD screen, a microphone, radio etc. but their software is not going to be as easy to use as the iPod software which takes only an hour or two to get the hang of....A tiny LCD screen is probably going to be more hassle than its worth....And the whole point is for the Shuffle to be simple and inexpensive....Something to take to the gym or work....You are not going to be taking it on a trip to Antarctica, or storing your whole music library on it, all cross-referenced... That's what a regular iPod for! The Shuffle is for environments where you wouldn't take a regular iPod....It only takes a couple of minutes to install your music on the Shuffle...You can play the songs in order, and skip to the next song in the list...You don't need an LCD for 100 songs that you choose to download to the Shuffle....The only drawbacks that I have found to the Shuffle is it can be easy to lose the cap and lanyard when the iPod is plugged into the computer....The ear buds sound great but are uncomfortable....The Shuffle might not be ideal for audio books that are one, single file....If you go to another song, you will lose your place in the audio book, and the fast forward feature on the Shuffle doesn't go too fast....Do you want to wade through an hour or three of narration until you get back to the right spot on the audio book? I also bought the 30 dollar optional Dock for the Shuffle.
I didn't want to be plugging and unplugging into my computer's USB port 10 times every week....The connector on the Shuffle sticks out and looks easy to break off....It is easier and safer to plug and unplug it from the optional Dock instead...It provides a place for the Shuffle to stand, and charge....And I don't like plugging and unplugging something into my 2,000 dollar computer every day....If something is going to break, it will be the 30 dollar Dock, not the USB port on my computer.....
Customer Review: Much more good than bad
Summary: 4 Stars
Overview: I have the mother of all iPOD's, the 60GB iPod Photo, but due to the size of it, I found that it was a bit heavy for dog walking and trips to the gym. It was at this point I thought of purchasing a 2nd iPod, the Shuffle. I have owned it for three weeks now and I love it!
Pros:
-Inexpensive-Just $99.00 and you can shuffle 120 of your favorite songs.
-Size-The size of this little guy is infectious. It is amazingly small and light and almost like not even having a player with you at all.
-Simplicity-If you are familiar with iTunes, the Shuffle is a breeze to operate. There is no wasted space and no wasted buttons.
-Durability-The Shuffle seems to be very durable because it does not have an LCD screen.
-Sound Quality-Item sounds great. Just as good as my iPod Photo.
-Versatility-Ability to play songs in order of playlist or shuffle. You can also download playlists, or have the player randomly choose songs from your playlist.
-More Versatility-This item can also be used as a 512MB Jump Drive! One of those will cost you $50, so you might as well buy the shuffle!
-Minimalist-the fact that the item charges directly from your USB Port saves clutter and cords.
Cons-
-Lack of Accessories-This is Apple's new catch: We will make it inexpensive to lure you, then we will try to sell you expensive accessories. iPod and Apple accessories are horribly overpriced, but are very imaginitive. This item does come with a tie for around your neck, but no arm band. There is also no protective cover.
-More Lack of Accessories-The Shuffle charges off of the USB interface, but the way the item is designed, it does not fit into my USB drive (because of the casing around my USB ports on the PC). I'm not sure how common this is, because it fits easily into my laptop, but it's another way for them to sell you an accessory such as the dock ($30) or a USB extension cable ($20), which I purchased.
-No digital readout-I don't think this is a big deal at all, but some people do. If you take this for what it is, that should not be a problem.
-The switch on the back is difficult to move from OFF to Shuffle to Direct Play. I'm not sure why they did not put any grooves on this switch to make it easier to move.
Overall: I love this unit due to the size, weight and sound quality. I use it in the gym, walking the dog and on short trips. If you want a simple solution that interfaces with iTunes and don't need more than 120 songs to shuffle at a time (or 240 with the 1GB), this is your ticket! Be aware that if you want an armband and need to get the dock, your $99 Shuffle just went up to $160, or darn close to the $199 it costs for the 4GB iPod Mini which holds 1000 songs.
Customer Review: The iCult has gone far enough
Summary: 2 Stars
I was never a real big fan of the iPod. Many say it's just because I cannot save 300 bucks to buy one of them. I personally would not want to make such a stupid move as that. The iPod is nothing more than a white plastic fad that will come and go just like many other gizmos of our past (i.e. Tamagachi, Mini CD players, etc.). Personally, I think the iPod Shuffle proves the point that this iPod business is nothing more than a costly cult.
I actually took some time out of my life to try the iPod Shuffle, and I wasn't surprised. It is an overpriced jump drive. For those who do not know what a jump drive is, a jump drive is a USB "key" storage device that can be directly plugged into a USB port to save data and other things. Realistically, the iPod Shuffle does not differ from other USB key players out there (i.e. Ridata OLE3000 MP3 USB Pen Drive WITH DISPLAY, Apacer AS820 MP3 USB Pen Drive WITH DISPLAY AND LINE IN, Transcend JetFlash MP3 USB Player with DISPLAY AND LINE IN, etc.) Keep in mind that the models that I just listed are just as small, if not smaller, than the iPod Shuffle with the DAMN LCD included. They also have those in White if you desire that color.
Let's talk about the most important part of the player; it's battery life. Most of the iPod's listed before had mediocre at-best battery lives (8 to 16 hours compared to others clocking at 32 or higher). This averages at around 12 hours of battery time. Of course, there are several other USB MP3 players that clock higher play times, even though some of them may use a AAA battery to operate. All-in-all, the battery specifications and performance of the iPod shuffle is satisfactory.
The audio quality of the iPod is nothing special. I could never understand why most people would get the iPod based on its audio quality when there are so many other players that can much better audio quality on all fronts. The iPod shuffle is no exception to this paradox. All of the iPods use a SigmaTel Audio processing unit to process the sound, which is alright for a portable device, but doesn't really product great sound like the Creative Zen or iRiver MP3 players. The chipset is also supposed to have bass and treble control, but this iPod locked that capability because of the lack of screen, meaning that your music is going to sound a little better than flat most of the time. The only way to set it is through iTunes, but that still shows its crippling dependency on the computer.
In order to do ANYTHING on this thing, you need a computer. It pretty much has no purpose other than looking pretty without a computer to connect to.
The iPod shuffle, in my opinion, is a worthless buy and the money can be spent accordingly elsewhere.
Customer Review: The little stick of fun
Summary: 4 Stars
The most amazing thing about the Shuffle, bar none, is its weight. Actually, it's weightlessness. You don't know that you are wearing it. If you pick it up, it feels like a piece of plastic holding air. At .78 ounces, that's the equivalent of 20 small paper clips.
The first time I held one in my hand, I knew I had to have one. Never thought I could convince my wife to spend three H's on a big iPod, and with a cell phone and a PDA already, didn't need another weighty device hanging off of me.
Enter Shuffle.
I've had it for the past few weeks. The lack of a screen is a small minus. Sometimes it would be nice to know what's coming next, or find a particular track. But it's easy enough to skip if you hit one you don't want to hear -- which is rare, because after all, it's your music.
Sound quality is fine. Battery life is OK, too, about 10-15 hours.
Now, for the quibbles. Charging the Shuffle is a pain. You have to have it plugged into a USB port. I don't know about your desktop, but mine is on the floor, and it's a pain to plug and unplug. It's no problem on the laptop. Also, it takes 4 hours to fully charge. That's weak compared to the competish. (It's like, who cares that you have USB 2.0? You could USB 0.000001 and still transfer the songs in 4 hours.) There should be a quick charge option, an adapter, or something similar. You can get a docking station, but that defeats the $99 price point. Sony's offering a similar enough player with 70 hours (!), although it's a bit heavier and doesn't work with iTunes.
Transferring songs is also a pain. There are hacks using the Shuffle in disk mode -- others here or on iPod web sites can tell you how to do it -- but directly uploading songs from Shuffle to computer is made difficult as a bar (albeit a low one) to piracy. I'm sure Apple is trying to keep the record labels happy, but it should be easier.
Anyway, the last few weeks I've rediscovered my music collection -- another plus of the Shuffle. Although you can set up playlists, I prefer random. I've listened to great tunes I forgot I had. Old Santana, Marley, Zeppelin and U2 mixed with a little Green Day turns my grocery shopping into a groovy concert. And I've had probably 20 people ask me what's hanging around my neck. (19 positive, 1 jerk who joked that it looked like an alarm for elderly people for when they fall and can't get up).
Final thought -- get the 512, not the 1 Gig. There is no point having more music (16 hours) than battery life (12 hours) without a screen. 120 songs is just fine 99 percent of the time.