The tiny Shuffle remains the iPod Apple makes the least of a song and dance about, but it's no less a player worthy of buyers' consideration than its label-mates.
The second-generation Shuffle Apple revamped last week remains almost entirely the same as the version announced way back in 2006. The colour scheme has been changed …
I still love my Shuffle, a year on. The battery life is amazing. Speaking of which, pedants like myself will spot the awkward double-negative on the first page: "The manufacturer reckons you'll get about 12 hours' continuous playback out the gadget. Our testing over the past week or so gave us no reason not to doubt that figure." Sorry (!)
I love my lil' shuffle - I've got a proper Classic for most of the time, but I wasn't prepared to go running with the classic on a belt loop - the shuffle makes for a brilliant player to attach to my shorts before I hit the roads.
My only issue is having to keep two seperate libraries, one for the classic and one for the shuffle. If they'd let me have two different ipods on a single library it'd be even better.
And to think, I swore I'd never get an ipod - now I have two and never want to move away from them :)
I love my Shuffle. I don't miss the screen at all - I was raised on cassette walkmen and making your own mixtapes, so not having a display telling me what's next is no loss.
As for the irritating dock, you can buy rather handy connectors for about a fiver - myincipio.com/product/IP-300 (no, I'm not affiliated with this lot - I have something that looks exactly the same but came from a different manufacturer).
I have a couple of 1Gb Shuffles for tunes while riding, and they are the perfect tool for that. Easy to attach/pocket/whatever and cheap enough to be practically disposable in the event of rain.
Paris, because she's as easy on the eye as the Shuffle is on your ears.
Not sure what you mean. I've got the same as you - a Shuffle and a Classic. I've got an auto playlist that picks out top rated, non-classical or opera, not listened to for a while songs. My Shuffle's synced to that playlist (which is bigger than the shuffle, so it just picks a random selection). My Classic is synced to the full library. Syncing to playlists is the way forwards.
Hear hear. I agree that it's a criminally underrated product.
I've got a 1Gb, first-gen Shuffle and it has replaced my old portable DiscMan as the choon-delivery system of choice when I'm out cycling - replace the crappy Apple 'phones with something decent and Robert is indeed your mother's male sibling.
I don't find the1Gb capacity limiting either - mine's about 75% full and gives me enough tunage for, say, a 200km ride (usually 10-11 hours on the road for me) even if the battery doesn't have quite enough grunt to go the distance. Currently considering an 8Gb Touch for office use, but for outdoorsy things the Shuffle wins hands down.
As for the 2G Shuffle, just bought one for my sister as a birthday present - my only gripe would be that the colours are a little bit gaudy. Also, I was also one of the 'will never own an iPod' brigade until SWMBO bought me one for my birthday :-)
The clip together with the sturdy casing really is genius. I use mine for audiobooks and my currently favourite songs to shuffle around. Battery life is very good IMO. I had some trouble recharging it unter Win2K, but I got a 3rd-party USB power adapter. That can also easily be packed up when traveling. I'm tempted to buy a second 2 GB one in one of those shocking colours ...
"My only issue is having to keep two seperate libraries, one for the classic and one for the shuffle. If they'd let me have two different ipods on a single library it'd be even better."
I don't quite understand your problem, I have my classic set to sync the entire iTunes library and then have the shuffle sync from a playlist I've created. Or you could get it to pick randomly from your entire library.
Bought a day glo orange one some time back for the gym and jogging and just have in syncing what it can fit from my '5 star' rated songs. Battery life is good normally stick it on charge once a week (never seen the battery warning light). Sound quality is good enough considering the listening environment.
the G increment, refers to the fact that the 1st gen shuffle, some time back now, was a glorified USB mem stick, in nasty white plastic, which went grey very quickly. Pop the cap off, stick it in ur USB and it filled its (meagre) memory with a random choice from your library, available in 512mb and 1gb, if memory serves (which it sometimes doesnt)
So, these are still the same 2G models, but with some 'funky' new colours and a bit of a price drop. A review to tell us nothing has changed, a little unnecessary maybe, but there would be more complaints if we'd had nothing
Gave it away. Crap sound, average battery life, and limited play options. A player for people that hate music basically. I really don't see the point, you can't choose what to listen to, and when it plays something it sound crap.
£45 is practically disposable? How the other half live, eh?
I think the shuffle looks like a great piece of kit but couldn't possibly justify the cost. £45 for a 2GB player is appalling. I can buy a 16GB MicroSD card for (just) less than that and stick it in one of those USB-Key style MP3 shufflers that catalogues give away free when you place an order over £10!
Okay, it might look shit, not have the "tactility" of the Shuffle or whatever else but, hey, I'm carrying nearly all my music for less than a shuffle that can only carry a tiny fraction and it will take a AAA Battery.
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Apple 2G iPod Shuffle
The tiny Shuffle remains the iPod Apple makes the least of a song and dance about, but it's no less a player worthy of buyers' consideration than its label-mates. The second-generation Shuffle Apple revamped last week remains almost entirely the same as the version announced way back in 2006. The colour scheme has been changed …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Saturday 20th September 2008 12:40 GMT
Martin Edwards
Good review of an underrated product #
I still love my Shuffle, a year on. The battery life is amazing. Speaking of which, pedants like myself will spot the awkward double-negative on the first page: "The manufacturer reckons you'll get about 12 hours' continuous playback out the gadget. Our testing over the past week or so gave us no reason not to doubt that figure." Sorry (!)
Posted Saturday 20th September 2008 20:50 GMT
Christian Berger
iPhone shuffle? #
When will they finally bring out the iPhone shuffle which just randomly dials numbers when you press a button.
Posted Saturday 20th September 2008 20:50 GMT
Pooka
Mmmm..... #
I love my lil' shuffle - I've got a proper Classic for most of the time, but I wasn't prepared to go running with the classic on a belt loop - the shuffle makes for a brilliant player to attach to my shorts before I hit the roads.
My only issue is having to keep two seperate libraries, one for the classic and one for the shuffle. If they'd let me have two different ipods on a single library it'd be even better.
And to think, I swore I'd never get an ipod - now I have two and never want to move away from them :)
Posted Sunday 21st September 2008 08:26 GMT
Matt K
...connectors... #
I love my Shuffle. I don't miss the screen at all - I was raised on cassette walkmen and making your own mixtapes, so not having a display telling me what's next is no loss.
As for the irritating dock, you can buy rather handy connectors for about a fiver - myincipio.com/product/IP-300 (no, I'm not affiliated with this lot - I have something that looks exactly the same but came from a different manufacturer).
Posted Sunday 21st September 2008 08:26 GMT
Paul MacLeod
Perfect companion for motorbiking #
I have a couple of 1Gb Shuffles for tunes while riding, and they are the perfect tool for that. Easy to attach/pocket/whatever and cheap enough to be practically disposable in the event of rain.
Paris, because she's as easy on the eye as the Shuffle is on your ears.
Posted Sunday 21st September 2008 08:26 GMT
Tim Miller
Different libraries #
Not sure what you mean. I've got the same as you - a Shuffle and a Classic. I've got an auto playlist that picks out top rated, non-classical or opera, not listened to for a while songs. My Shuffle's synced to that playlist (which is bigger than the shuffle, so it just picks a random selection). My Classic is synced to the full library. Syncing to playlists is the way forwards.
Posted Sunday 21st September 2008 16:22 GMT
Simon Ward
Re: Perfect companion for motorbiking #
Hear hear. I agree that it's a criminally underrated product.
I've got a 1Gb, first-gen Shuffle and it has replaced my old portable DiscMan as the choon-delivery system of choice when I'm out cycling - replace the crappy Apple 'phones with something decent and Robert is indeed your mother's male sibling.
I don't find the1Gb capacity limiting either - mine's about 75% full and gives me enough tunage for, say, a 200km ride (usually 10-11 hours on the road for me) even if the battery doesn't have quite enough grunt to go the distance. Currently considering an 8Gb Touch for office use, but for outdoorsy things the Shuffle wins hands down.
As for the 2G Shuffle, just bought one for my sister as a birthday present - my only gripe would be that the colours are a little bit gaudy. Also, I was also one of the 'will never own an iPod' brigade until SWMBO bought me one for my birthday :-)
Posted Monday 22nd September 2008 09:18 GMT
Joe K
2G huh? #
So theres no difference, other than a price drop, and this warrants a review and G increment?
Posted Monday 22nd September 2008 09:18 GMT
Anonymous Coward
I agree #
The clip together with the sturdy casing really is genius. I use mine for audiobooks and my currently favourite songs to shuffle around. Battery life is very good IMO. I had some trouble recharging it unter Win2K, but I got a 3rd-party USB power adapter. That can also easily be packed up when traveling. I'm tempted to buy a second 2 GB one in one of those shocking colours ...
Posted Monday 22nd September 2008 10:08 GMT
Anonymous Coward
RE: Mmmm..... #
"My only issue is having to keep two seperate libraries, one for the classic and one for the shuffle. If they'd let me have two different ipods on a single library it'd be even better."
I don't quite understand your problem, I have my classic set to sync the entire iTunes library and then have the shuffle sync from a playlist I've created. Or you could get it to pick randomly from your entire library.
Posted Monday 22nd September 2008 10:08 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Great product, #
Bought a day glo orange one some time back for the gym and jogging and just have in syncing what it can fit from my '5 star' rated songs. Battery life is good normally stick it on charge once a week (never seen the battery warning light). Sound quality is good enough considering the listening environment.
Posted Monday 22nd September 2008 11:11 GMT
D@v3
Re 2G huh? #
the G increment, refers to the fact that the 1st gen shuffle, some time back now, was a glorified USB mem stick, in nasty white plastic, which went grey very quickly. Pop the cap off, stick it in ur USB and it filled its (meagre) memory with a random choice from your library, available in 512mb and 1gb, if memory serves (which it sometimes doesnt)
So, these are still the same 2G models, but with some 'funky' new colours and a bit of a price drop. A review to tell us nothing has changed, a little unnecessary maybe, but there would be more complaints if we'd had nothing
Posted Monday 22nd September 2008 12:14 GMT
Anonymous Coward
I got one as a gift #
Gave it away. Crap sound, average battery life, and limited play options. A player for people that hate music basically. I really don't see the point, you can't choose what to listen to, and when it plays something it sound crap.
Posted Tuesday 23rd September 2008 14:26 GMT
Bassey
Re: Paul #
> cheap enough to be practically disposable
£45 is practically disposable? How the other half live, eh?
I think the shuffle looks like a great piece of kit but couldn't possibly justify the cost. £45 for a 2GB player is appalling. I can buy a 16GB MicroSD card for (just) less than that and stick it in one of those USB-Key style MP3 shufflers that catalogues give away free when you place an order over £10!
Okay, it might look shit, not have the "tactility" of the Shuffle or whatever else but, hey, I'm carrying nearly all my music for less than a shuffle that can only carry a tiny fraction and it will take a AAA Battery.
This topic is closed for new posts.