...
This left me with one question - if they have to give 'em away are Apple justified in setting the £59.99 RRP? In short, is the cachet in the product quality or is it all brand name and minimal substance? Naturally, I endeavoured to find out...
DESIGN
The Shuffle's small - about the ... Read review
The smallest, most wearable digital music player in the world now comes in three new ... more
colours vibrant blue, green,&pink. Get a 1Gb, 240-song iPod shuffle or a 2Gb, 500-song model?available in original silver and all-new, vibrant blue, green, and pink. Clip it to your sleeve, your belt, or your gym shorts for music wherever you go. This 1Gb iPod shuffle comes in green and provides up to 12 hours straight of skip-free music playback.
Postage & Packaging:from £4.85 Availability:refer to website
The smallest, most wearable digital music player in the world now comes in three new ... more
colours vibrant blue, green,&pink. Get a 1Gb, 240-song iPod shuffle or a 2Gb, 500-song model?available in original silver and all-new, vibrant blue, green, and pink. Clip it to your sleeve, your belt, or your gym shorts for music wherever you go. This 1Gb iPod shuffle comes in blue and provides up to 12 hours straight of skip-free music playback.
Postage & Packaging:from £4.85 Availability:refer to website
Advantages: Small, lightweight, easy to set up and use, fast to upload to. Disadvantages: Earbud earphones are uncomfortable.
...to give 'em away are Apple justified in setting the £59.99 RRP? In short, is the cachet in the product quality or is it all brand name and minimal substance? Naturally, I endeavoured to find out...
DESIGN
The Shuffle's small - about the same length as a roll of Chewits and half the thickness - which is great for slipping into a jeans hip pocket. There are smaller players on the market, which are cheaper and just as ... ...for it is advisable as Apple seem unlikely to rubberise/acetone coat the outer shell in the future.
The navigation controls are nice and simple too, if a little too sensitive therefore they're prone to skipping tracks if you bump them accidentally. It's an attractive, functional layout that's very touchable and pleasant to use (the keys aren't sticky and are well spaced). I've read a lot of complaints about the lack of a navigation ... more
I swore I wasn't going to get an iPod of ANY variety, size or hue. Not for any sensible consumer reasons either, I just didn't want to turn into an iPod junkie, watching my free time slide through the hourglass of ripping and uploading all of my CDs to a massive hard drive, then do what all Windows-users do - which is bore friends to death with the social kudos of iPod ownership.
I'm not one of those people. I'm one of those 'if you bought and paid for it and haven't got at least 3 free ones by now - you're a MUG!' kinds of people. Which is how I ended up with a 512mb iPod Shuffle and added 'not owning an iPod' to the list of things I've readily gone back on the minute a free one's been dangled in front of my piggy little, tech-hungry, eyes.
This left me with one question - if they have to give 'em away are Apple justified in setting the £59.99 RRP? In short, is the cachet in the product quality or is it all brand name and minimal substance? Naturally, I endeavoured to find out...
DESIGN
The Shuffle's small - about the same length as a roll of Chewits and half the thickness - which is great for slipping into a jeans hip pocket. There are smaller players on the market, which are cheaper and just as effective in the hip-pocket field test. It's also so light that you don't realise you're carrying it. I use the handy, surprisingly strong, lanyard that came with the package to carry it, both around my neck and threaded through my jeans belt. I can't help thinking that although the lanyard makes the Shuffle more like a piece of leisure and fitness jewellery - including a belt/pocket clip instead would have been better.
The Shuffle case itself doesn't like metal - zips, buttons or coins - and is prone to acquiring hairline scratches in seconds. I have, in all sincerity, seen more durable stained glass windows. So of the extensive collection of Shuffle accessories that are available, picking up a cheap plastic or fabric outer sleeve for it is advisable as Apple seem unlikely to rubberise/acetone coat the outer shell in the future.
The navigation controls are nice and simple too, if a little too sensitive therefore they're prone to skipping tracks if you bump them accidentally. It's an attractive, functional layout that's very touchable and pleasant to use (the keys aren't sticky and are well spaced). I've read a lot of complaints about the lack of a navigation screen with the Shuffle, but providing you've set it to tracklist play instead of shuffle play you can use the skip button to hop through the tracks you're not too keen on at the moment effortlessly. With only 512mbs of storage space that's actually a fussless convenience.
In all, I'd give the design £25 out of £60. And now to where the rest of that £35 DIDN'T go:
PLAYBACK
Given the nature of the MP3 player's portable-hard-disk design it's possible to put more, or less, than the advertised 120 songs on the iPod Shuffle depending on your own rip quality. Ripping your own CDs at 128-192k byterate gives optimal audio --> hard drive capacity function and that suits me fine - I tend to go as low as 96k encoding when I'm using digital conversions from old analogue mono sources and make good use of drive economy.
The problem with the Shuffle's playback ability is with the dreadful earbud earphones - I used them for two minutes before I got fed up with them and I reached for my decent set of headphones which improved the playback 10-fold. With 99% of any music system's playback quality being judged in the speaker output and amplifier capacity - Apple need to go back to the drawing board here. The earbud phones are cheap, uncomfortable, create scratchy back-noise and let more environmental noise in than anything else.
For packaging the Shuffle with a 99p set of earphones and single-handedly writing off the primary purpose of buying an iPod (to listen to digital-quality music on the go) - the Shuffle is still only worth an RRP of £25. That £35 is still missing...
SOFTWARE
The main reason for indulging in an iPod ahead of cheaper brands is the AAC codec - Apple's own format and Digital Rights software. This codec is unique to Apple and it is the cornerstone copyrighting software behind their iTunes music store. The Shuffle will play MP3, WAV and AAC - it will not support WMA (Windows Media Audio). So this cuts out 90% of download music stores - and into Microsoft's WMA-DRM licencing profits from the consumer end. However if you use iTunes and your own CDs, it's not going to affect you as much as if you buy music downloads from Napster or Woolworths.
As I use tracks on my iPod from my own collection, having the iTunes software sitting on my desktop is an annoyance - especially their regular updates on what's new/available in store. This is a minor annoyance as the software disk itself is very easy to install and you can opt out of iTunes, or just uninstall it with very little difficulty.
Getting tracks onto the Shuffle itself is a simple matter of drag and drop. Once the drivers are installed, the Shuffle plugs straight into an available USB port on your PC and you can transfer tracks straight to it. The USB connection also charges the Shuffle's battery up, which is a pain in the neck when the power runs out in a place that doesn't have a computer with the required drivers and a free USB port.
This doesn't cause any problems if you're only going to use it at the gym, on a commute or when walking the dog - i.e. if you're likely to be at home within the 6-8hrs of battery life - it's a big problem when it comes to packing the Shuffle for your holidays. Smaller than a personal CD player/walkman it may be but whenever I've taken one of those on holiday the most I've had to pack is some extra batteries, with the Shuffle I'd need to find room for a laptop in my hand luggage. The simple solution is to buy a docking cable to charge it with. But who would buy, for example, a mobile phone for £60 in the knowledge they'll have to go back to the shop and buy an additional charging cable for it at a price of £10-£20? It's silly.
So, what would you be paying £60 for? A £25 512mb music player with the kind of earphones you'd get with a 99p novelty radio, 120 songs worth of storage that'll get you to Thailand but recharging it when you're halfway there'll be a problem, unless you've remembered to pack the IT department of a medium-sized company.
Is it worth the RRP? No.
Once you've added in the price of new headphones, a protective case and a non-USB mains dock for long journeys you're getting up to a £100 end pricetag. The Shuffle is sold as-is which, in my opinion, is incomplete as an entry-level MP3 player set and not good value for money. As a gift to receive it's lovely and only disappoints when you're left holding the bill for all of the 'extras' that are not included. As a gift to give? You're paying £35 for the iPod brand name alone and once you've racked up the number of 'extras' that aren't really 'extras' at all because they're 'required' to get the most from the Shuffle as a player - it's far too expensive for the 512mb capacity.
As a freebie, for yourself and from a reputable source (I received mine through amazon via a reward scheme) it's actually a bargain worth having. Inexpensive, convenient for short journeys and because of its simplicity in set-up and navigation - it's the ideal first MP3 player if you're moving from more cumbersome portable player formats. Changing headphones didn't cost me anything extra (I already had a good set of Panasonic 'phones) and the rubbery plastic case I use to stop it developing more hairline scratches I bought from a market for £2 - so the additional cost of fixing some of the Shuffle's little faults can be done for pennies. I still can't leave the country with it for more than a day, but the £60 saving means a £10 charger doesn't look too steep on the balance sheet. Reputable sourcing also means I've got a year's guarantee under UK consumer law if the Shuffle develops a fault.
So if it meets your needs and you're going to get a Shuffle - don't buy one. Even if £60 is your idea of small change. There are cheaper alternatives that need less accessories and the Shuffle is a waste of money when you can get one for nothing from a well-affiliated, reputable service. At least that way you can have additional consumer protection into the bargain.
That's a good deal and, until Apple deflate their prices or offer a more comprehensive package, it's the only deal worth taking.
Advantages: Small, Sleek, Minimalist & Sounds Great Disadvantages: No Screen
...down. Which market is Apple targeting? The answer is clearly those looking for an entry level player and a price tag to suit. The Shuffle comes in two flavours either half a gigabyte (512mb) priced at around £60 or one gigabyte (1024mb) around £80. At this price tag Apple have made some compromises but if you are enticed by what you've read then read on.
My decision to purchase the Ipod Shuffle earlier this year was a risky, yet informed decision. ... ...would seem strange purchasing another Apple product but I was hooked on the design of the Shuffle and had read many other positive reviews of this product. I've put my faith in Apple one more time and thus far have not been disappointed. I purchased my Ipod Shuffle from Argos for about the going rate of £69 for the 512mb version early this year. The box is tastefully presented, small and compact complementing the sleek design of the Shuffle itself. ...
Ross-Murray 07.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Apple iPod Shuffle
Advantages: Light, Trendy and very Stylish Disadvantages: No LCD screen, headphones did not fit my ears
...of this is in the apple trademark white and it looks the business. Accompanying is the installation CD as the shuffle has to be installed on your PC with iTunes. I purchased the cheaper 512mb which is plenty for me, there is a more expensive 1gb that retails around £100.
Next i had to run upstairs to get going. The iPod comes with a booklet for installation and how to use. This is very easy to read and understand. It guides you through installation. ... ...from here as well. You put the CD in your driver and away you go - it only takes minutes. As well as installing your iPod, iTunes is installed. I do not know how i lived without iTunes. It is a simple music player, but it has various abilities to make a create playlists, store music, it is also a CD burner ( make your own CDs ). iTunes also comes with a music store with about half a million songs. Here you can type in a artist and look for new and ...
lynnephillips 25.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Apple iPod Shuffle
Advantages: Very small, lightweight and compact Disadvantages: No wall charger.
...of £19.99. Best avoided.
Apple bought out the shuffle which was very expensive. I think the original one was about £70 for a 512mb and £100+ for the 1gb. There was no way I was going to justify that sort of money for the gym.
Then the boys at Apple cracked it. A 1gb MP3 player for £55. It is made to the high quality standard of the original Ipods but was on par with price to the cheap chinese ones.
The extremely small size, being 1.62 inches long ... ...I pre-ordered one from the Apple website. Sure enough it was delivered on 1 November 2006.
Opening the box I could not believe how small it was. It had all the relevant functions for use at the gym. I have read other reviews and in disadvantages they have included 'no scrren, can't choose what you want to play, songs come out in a random order'. Hello? that is the point of the shuffle. If you want to see what song is playing - get the original. ...
yackers1 12.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Apple iPod Shuffle
Advantages: small light weight battery life is excellent Disadvantages: no screen scratches easily
...symbol of shuffle and the apple logo, and a see-thru peep box where you can see the shuffle. The back of the box shows clearly the features and specs of the product.
It plays AAC, MP3, WAV and audible formats, and need Mac or pc with a USB port, and iTunes program to add your songs to your shuffle.
To open and get into the actual was tough as I had to use a knife to slice the plastic on the top off. === In the box ===
Ipod shuffle
Lanyard
And ... ...One year limited warranty booklet
Apple computer software license agreement
== Product ==
The shuffle is sized at 8.38cm in height and width 2.5cm. It is Very small and slightly smaller then the Ipod nano. It is made of plastic and very light weight and weighs 22grams. The front has the circular interface which is similar style to the other Ipod. On the dial it has volume up and down, rewind and fast forward, and the middle is the play and pause ...
kitty_l 15.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Apple iPod Shuffle
Advantages: great length of music 12hrs, compact Disadvantages: none i wud say, maybe no games
...always download it from the apple internet site.
AFter i put a hundred songs onto my ipod shuffle, which only took like couple of minutes (which is another good thing), i charged my shuffle up. I started charging my shuffle like around 8 pm and it finished charging around 11 o clock. only 3 hrs to charge up, Faster than charging the normal ipod. Get that normal ipod! Now, when i powered the shuffle, and tuned to the max volume, i nearly fell off ... ...any problem, you can contact apple support where you can get it either serviced or fixed easily. There is basically how=to-guides. The price is very good for it's functions. I would prefer to get 100 pounds of this than 220 pounds of normal ipod.
Another thing, if you are consider getting one, please change the earphones, you don't want to get our shuffle stolen do you? ...
zikiman 31.01.2006 (05.03.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Apple iPod Shuffle
Sound Quality
Ease of Use
Look & Design
Range of Features
Value for Money
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Advantages: Battery life is strong; appearance; small and light Disadvantages: No screen; lacks a hold switch; 1GB memory is small
APPLEiPOD 1GB REVIEW
INTRO
I absolutely adore iPods, and I'm a HUGE fan of Apple and their products. I have several iPods myself (check out my other reviews on the iPod Classic and iPod Nano 4G), but don't always get round to reviewing them all.
When the iPodShuffle first arrived on the scene, it was tall and white, and I remember it cost around £40. I owned one of these and thoroughly enjoyed owning one, but loathed the fact it didn't have a screen to look at. So, when this version of the iPodShuffle hit the shelves some years ago now, I was hesitant to make a purchase, because this iPodShuffle too does not boast a screen.
But, being an iPod fan, I went along to my local Argos store and bought one for myself. Right now, a couple of years later, they're still selling on Argos for around the £30 mark (£31 to be ...
Advantages: Easy To Use And Very Portable Disadvantages: None So Far
AppleiPodShuffle 1GB
The AppleiPodShuffle is a great mp3 player and it's very easy to use. With 1GB of memory you can go wrong. You can hold up to 250 songs which is great. Some people think this mp3 player is a waste of time due to the fact that it has no screen. However I think this mp3 player is easy to use especially when you're doing sport activities such as running or going to the gym.
The click wheel on the front of the player is somewhat like the click wheel on the iPod Nano. The only difference is that this click wheel is not touch sensitive. You click the middle button to pause and play the music. On the click wheel you can adjust the volume of the music and change the song.
One of the individual features about this iPodShuffle is the clip on the back. This means you can wear your iPodShuffle. You can clip it to ...
Advantages: Easy To Use, Not Expensive Disadvantages: No Screen
AppleiPodShuffle 2GB
The AppleiPodShuffle is a one of the smallest iPods Made by Apple so far.
The iPodShuffle has 2GB of memory, which will hold up to 500 songs.
If you only want the 1GB version of the iPodShuffle then it will only hold up to 250 songs.
The iPodShuffle can play music but that is about it, it's just a simple mp3 player for listening to music on.
Even though the iPodShuffle doesn't hold pictures or videos it is still very good for using out and about.
Available Memory
- 1GB (250 Songs)
- 2GB (500 Songs)
There really are no disadvantages with the iPodShuffle other than the fact that it hasn't got a screen.
Even though the iPodShuffle has not got a screen it is still very easy to use.
You still have a circular click wheel like all of the other iPods.
The only difference is ...
