If your after a small mp3 player with the ability to hold your favourite tunes the iPod Shuffle is what your looking at right now. Although it costs more than its competitors it seems to be very stylish and seems to be a cool product to have but is it all its cracked up to be.
It can hold about 250 songs which is good as you can put your favourite music on it. It's not the sort of mp3 player that would be your main one but it's ideal for usage in the gym or when your jogging or in any place where you can't put stuff in pockets or hold onto anything big. I would use it more as a secondary mp3 player where you can use it just to store your latest selection of favourite tracks because 250 songs is clearly not enough to hold the majority of peoples music collection. The battery life is quoted to be 12 hours and on this front the iPod seems to deliver which is quite pleasing. You will probably have to charge it up 2-3 times a week depending on how much you use it which isn't bad going but I would have liked to have seen a slightly longer battery life.
The Apple iPod Shuffle is tiny and has a little clip on it so it is easy to put it on your trousers or your shirt. This makes it a doddle to carry around,
the player is so tiny and you will probably forget it is there because it is so small. Also it will not drag on your shirt as it only weighs a tiny amount. Basically the shuffle is great for just putting anywhere on your body as the clip is just about the right size to clip onto just about anything. This is very handy as you won't have to stuff it in a pocket where it could get scratched or damaged more easily. The iPod Shuffle is perfect if you listen to music on the go especially if your a runner/jogger as it is secure and the clip never comes undone and it is so small so it never gets in your way.
It comes in five different colours, all of them are very vibrant apart from the silver which is more has a more subtle dull tone. Personally I like the lime green, ornage and the bright blue shuffle because I just like the colours but you can also get the player in pink or silver if you please. Of course as with every apple product the design is impeccable and it can be used as a fashion accessory as it is a very cool player. The player is very small and at just 16 grams weighs virtually nothing but despite this it is fairly hard and durable which is surprising. I guess it is because it's made of a hard plastic and there isn't much in it to damage and the fact that it is very compact. So don't worry if you drop it as it is unlikely to brake.
There is no screen and the iPod can be put in shuffle mode or song order and choosing your track is made simple using the easy to use click wheel. The only real let down is the poor quality headphones. I would suggest getting a different pair to wear if you want good music sound quality and of course I would recommend using the Shuffle with iTunes to make the most out of it. Apple basically force you to do this anyway I suppose so if you don't like Apple or iTunes or iPods I would stear clear of this little player. The Apple iPod shuffle will work on most operating systems, obviously it works on any Mac but it will also work on windows but i'm not sure if it works on any other system. Apart from this the player is simple to control and even the most useless technical person will be able to control the iPod as there is only a limited selection of controls that are very well laid out.
My only big gripe with the Apple iPod Shuffle is its cost. I can't justify why a 1GB mp3 player costs so much when all it offers is the bare minimum in the way of features. If you look at the iPod compared to other mp3 players on the market you will notice you get more features for less money. All the Shuffle does is play music, the only thing it does offer is shuffle mode but that is about it in the way of extra features which rather disappoints me. The price of this little machine is £55 which is rather high. Yes the iPod is very stylish and does its job very well but I just feel there is no value for money in this player, if you want my opinion go and buy something else like the zen stone. To be honest the zen stone offers exactly the same as the ipod shuffle except it only costs £28. Now that is a decent price. Now that creative have released this product I think you should go for the stone rather than the shuffle if your looking for a small mp3 player. They are virtually the same and I cannot justify the £27 price difference just for it being an Apple product.
Overall I find the Apple iPod Shuffle a very simple and basic mp3 player. Sure it looks cool and is very stylish but if you weigh up what it has against the cost it isn't really worth it. Go elsewhere and you will find much better value for money. The Shuffle isn't a bad player its just that it doesn't offer enough features for my liking and thats why it gets a n average rating of 3/5.
The world's smallest digital music player, the 1GB iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 240 ... more
songs on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion. You know what they say about good things and sma...
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The world's smallest digital music player, the 1GB iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 240 ... more
songs on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion. You know what they say about good things and sma...
Postage & Packaging: £4.39 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Quite inexpensive, hard wearing, attractive, tiny, good quality Disadvantages: Only comes in one colour, doesnt have usb connector attached like older model
ice_pink 18.01.2007 (18.01.2007)
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Review of Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB
Advantages: Very strong and portable. Extremely good value for money. Disadvantages: Some may prefer a larger capacity. Other than that, no disadvantages at all.