iPod Shuffle: Underwhelming but seeming reliable so far.
Written: Jan 22 '05 (Updated Mar 27 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Size... MRSP versus other 1 GB flash based MP3 players. Easy to use...
Cons: Might be too simple for users, no additional features, battery life mediocre.
The Bottom Line: Basic and Cheap... You will either love it or hate it.
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| yusakugo's Full Review: Nokia N73 Smartphone |
Yay... received my iPod Shuffle from Amazon recently. Maybe I should have waited a while longer and gotten the free shipping instead. I am rather underwhelmed by the iPod Shuffle but I can kind of see its appeal... especially if you want something small, lightweight and extremely simple. To me, it seems that the iPod shuffle is more suited as a companion to a more full featured MP3 player or to someone who wants as little effort or thought as possible in their MP3 player.
Can Apple's brand new white addition to the iPod family be another big hit for them? If I learned anything from PalmOne success with their Zire models, a company brand name, ease of use, and pure simplicity can win a ton of customers... and the iPod Shuffle will likely do the same despite what I think about it.
Short Take
If first impressions were all that counted, the iPod Shuffle would have that almost knockout punch. A size smaller than a Trident gum package with the ever popular iPod white and controls reminiscent of the iPod and iPod mini creates quite an impression. However, the truth is that the iPod Shuffle is an extremely basic MP3 player that severely undercuts the price of other 512MB and 1GB flash based MP3 players.
You have a large amount of space for songs... up to 120 songs on the 512MB model and up to 240 songs on the 1GB version. You get one of the simplest interfaces for an MP3 player ever. The integration with iTunes is superb. The ease of syncing with your computer (a Dell 4700 in this case) is as simple as plugging in a USB flash drive.
Downsides are that you have no LCD screen which makes it difficult for those times when you want to pick the song you want to listen to. There are no other features after MP3 playback and the shuffle mode. There is no voice recorder, no FM tuner, actually no recorder feature at all, and no equalizer functions. All you get is play, fast forward, reverse, and volume controls... oh yeah and the power switch with shuffle tracks option.
In the end, the Shuffle is either a love it or hate it experience... and pretty much nothing inbetween. Personally, I would look at other options since I wanted more than just a simple MP3.
iPod Shuffle style?
The iPod Shuffle weighs less than an ounce (0.78 oz.) and is actually smaller than a pack of Trident gum. I mean... I saw the pictures and the description on the internet... but when you actually hold one of these things in your hands, that is when it actually registers how small it is. In reality, the iPod Shuffle isn't that much smaller than other competing flash MP3 players but Apple wants you to think so. The Shuffle comes only in white. It feels like a remote for a boom box than a flash MP3 player. Controls are kept to a minimum... 5 buttons really. That's right, invoking the circular controls of the iPod click wheel is the Shuffle. The large central button is the play/pause button. Four raised buttons surround the play button (which makes it very easy to find the play button just by feel) which controls the volume, fast forward, and rewind. The back of the player has a large sliding switch to turn off the Shuffle, Normal Play mode, and Shuffle Play mode. The top of the player has just a headphone jack. The bottom of the player has the USB connector covered by a cap or one of a number of accessories (like the included lanyard). Otherwise, the Shuffle's surface is smooth and clean (yeah, I there's the LED with battery check panel under the power switch). Note that there is no dedicated hold switch on the Shuffle. To lock/unlock the buttons, you hold the play/pause button for 3 seconds.
Muzak?
Well... the big question is whether the iPod Shuffle sounds as good as the iPod. I would say that it is close (but not as good still) but I did have a minor hiss in silent spots on songs. This is based off the standard white iPod earbuds (the differences are quite a bit more pronounced with higher quality earbuds). I doubt that many people would complain on the sound quality of the Shuffle. However, the volume levels don't quite reach the same levels as the iPod mini... it is definitely more subdued. Note that someone recommend updating the firmware... that so far has removed the hiss and increased the volume a bit. Remember, there are no equalizer settings so you can't make those slight adjustments to improve the sound to your liking. The delay between songs is very short.
The Shuffle plays only MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store, M4A, M4B, M4P), Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4) and WAV. This is from Apple's web site.
In my case, I had 1GB of space to fill up. I loaded around 110 songs and kept 512MB open (to try the flash drive option). It took me a couple of minutes to fill up a half GB so the transfer rate is quite decent... but the unit is compatible with USB only. USB 2.0 ports are much preferred.
As A Flash Drive
Note that I've only used the Shuffle on computers with iTunes 4.7.1 installed on a Windows XP computer. Under those conditions, it appears as a removable drive. You can drag and drop files just like with the other iPods... heck, it seems to be just like a USB flash drive. One of these days, I have to try it in a computer without iTunes installed.
Transfer speeds are good... easily a half GB in five or so minutes (under my best conditions).
Battery Life
I've only recharged the Shuffle one time so far. That charge gave me just under 10 hours of MP3 playback over the course of two days with an hour of use as a flash drive on a low power USB port. Note that the battery is not user accessable. The battery is fully charged in 4 hours and 80% charged in 2 hours.
However, there is a catch here. The Shuffle DOES NOT come with a AC adapter. The only way to recharge the Shuffle out of the box is by plugging it into a high-powered USB port. Older USB ports may not charge the Shuffle!
Stability Questions?
Someone had asked me about how well the unit works under sport conditions... well, no problems or stoppage of play under light jogging. I did vigorously shake the unit up and down and side to side through most of a 4 minute song on startup and tried two more times just prior to songs transitioning without stoppage of play. I wouldn't try this with a hard disk based MP3 player.
AutoFill
iTunes integrates quite well with the Shuffle assuming you use iTunes for all your PC music needs. The more you use iTunes, the better the iPod Shuffle will adjust to your music tastes. Note that AutoFill will fill up most of the available space on your Shuffle... you might see that anywhere from 1 to 10 MB of free space is left on the Shuffle after an AutoFill. I tried the AutoFill function several times during the initial charge before filling the iPod Shuffle with a half GB of songs I regularly listen to.
You have several options with the iTunes AutoFill option. You can have the Shuffle filled with the songs you rate highest, songs you listen to often, or just have it fill randomly. If you're new to iTunes, it will take a while for the AutoFill function to fill your iPod Shuffle to your liking.
On the other hand, you can set which songs get transferred and the order they will play in instead of using the AutoFill feature.
Accessories
You don't get much in the iPod Shuffle package... a USB cap, the lanyard, a USB cable, and a CD-ROM with iTunes 4.7.1. You don't get an AC adapter to charge the Shuffle. You need to pay extra to some important accessories like the USB Power adapter. I'm not exactly fond of the lanyard... the Shuffle inserts into the lanyard via the USB connector and I'm worried how tight that connection really is. You could possibly lose the Shuffle with a hard yank or so. The three more interesting accessories from Apple are the AA battery pack, the more secure looking sport case with lanyard, and the armband. Each cost $29.00 before taxes and S&H. The USB power adapter also costs $29 as well.
Price?
I paid $149 and have a $15 Amazon gift certificate for a $150 purchase in electronics. If you want tips on getting a better deal, you can read my epinion The Art of Buying... Getting your money's worth!.
In the End
The iPod Shuffle will likely be a success for Apple but it definitely is a hate it or love it item. I am not so fond of it personally but I can see who Apple can be successful selling this item to. Although it is bigger, I still prefer my Creative Nomad II MG over the iPod Shuffle for the greater number of features and the clearer sound in a flash memory based MP3 player... and yeah, I know the Nomad II MG is several years old but I still love it. Overall, I still prefer a mini-hard drive MP3 player although I am having a harder time deciding whether I like the iPod mini or the Creative Zen micro more.
For those of you who are wondering about the Sony PSP's MP3 capabilities, check out my review here. It is an okay MP3 player overall... but not a first choice for primary MP3 playback.
Recommended:
No
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yusakugo
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Member: Rich Go
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