stripminer's Full Review: Apple iPod shuffle 1st Generation (512 MB) MP3 Pla...
I recently received a 512 MB Shuffle as a gift from my family. I really didn't do a lot of comparison shopping when it came to the selection of a MP3 player to be honest with you. I knew Apple had a solid reputation and at $99 I was willing to ask for one knowing that I wouldn't feel guilty about asking for it.
Please excuse my style of review writing, I will not drone on about the technical aspects of the Shuffle. I never do that in a review, all the info is available at apple.com and in several of the reviews you will find here at Epinions.com
I love the Shuffle !! It holds 120 songs or approximately 8 hours of music. If you are running back to back marathons or are commuting more than 250 miles each way you might need more song storage. In my humble opinion you don't need to be able to hold your entire CD collection on your Ipod. The idea behind the shuffle is simple, it takes a sample of your music library each time you hook it up the USB port on your PC ( if you want to download a specific playlist it will do that too ) My Itunes collection is less than 120 songs so I guess I am all set in that area, I merely have to mix the shuffle by turning it on and off or moving the shuffle button up and down.
The sound : With the headphones inserted correctly the sound of the Shuffle is very good. It has decent range and you can hear the little intricacies of the music such as cymbals and accent notes. The headphones are fairly large "buds" that don't fit in my four year old's ears but fit in mine nicely.
Comfort: The unit is truly small, about the size of a pack of gum. It slides easily into your pocket and the reach of the supplied headphones is fine for me ( six feet tall ) It is very comfortable in a pants pocket and on the supplied lanyard it is barely felt.
The Price: 99 bucks, about the cost for dinner for two at a decent restaurant. It is the entry point for Apple and I think it's a fair price for a cool little MP3 player.
Ease of Use: Apple does a great job of making you feel comfortable with their products. It came in a very appealling box with clear instructions on its use. You download the Ipod software and Itunes from the provided CD ( if you don't have Itunes already ) You then plug your new Shuffle into a USB 2.0 port for 4 hours to charge it.
By default the Shuffle will open Itunes and then automatically load up with a random list of songs. You can configure Itunes to download a specific playlist to the shuffle if you want.
The unit itself is ergonomic and easy to figure out, play, pause, volume up and down, previous song, next song. All those commands are done with a "wheel" in the middle of the player. It's very easy to figure out.
Some people want a display on their Ipod, so far I have been using my ears to tell me what song is playing. Honestly do you need a display? I suppose some people like to plot what song is next etc but I like the random aspect of the Shuffle. I don't really spend too much time looking at my Shuffle, I turn it on and do what I am going to do while wearing it. I don't plan my day musically, I just listen. Maybe I am easy to please. Remember we are talking Apple quality and ease of use for under $100.
OK, ,I promised not to drone on so I won't. Bottom line, The Ipod Shuffle will play approx. 8 hours of music, you won't know your wearing it because it is so small and it will cost you less than 100 dollars. Those three criteria make this unit unbeatable. You can get more storage and a display but you still are listening to MP3 music on an Ipod. The shuffle does it all on a basic operating platform, less to break for a much lower cost.
It sounds great and is a delight to own for such a reasonable price, if your on the fence don't linger there long, get the shuffle, you'll love it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99 Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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