Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Blue (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Apple's iPod Shuffle is a compact MP3 player that's great for working out, running or just plain music listening on the go.The new lower price as of January 2008 makes the relatively high cost of the device a little more bearable. Great as a gift, extra player, or exercise companion.

Pros
- Newly lowered price!!!!
- Compact and functional design
- Nicely integrated clip - No case needed!
- Great family of Apple accessories
- Great for those already used to iTunes
- Included in-ear headphones are great for a starter pair
- Lots of great color options (silver, green, purple, blue)
- Highly durable player
- Apple brand and reputation

Cons
- Still a premium price compared to competing players (total $ and $ per gigabyte)
- Competing products offer more features, including fm radio and voice recording
- No screen to view track names
- Difficult to control / select tracks via playlists
- Proprietary dock / jack for syncing
- Small capacity (1GB) with no expandability
- Limited native file format support in iTunes (MP3, AAC), though you can easily convert
- No drag and drop music control
- Non iTunes fans are still forced to deal with software limitations

The Form Factor

Size has always been the iPod shuffle's greatest asset.The integrated clip is no doubt its second greatest asset. This unit works fine with no extra case, though there are still options. The composite case comes in one of several popular color options, including the silver, blue, green and purple. And of course, the unit's durability is great, probably because of the simple design.

Apple chose to use a proprietary headphone jack for syncing, which most competing players accomplish with a standard USB B port.Overall, still a great design.

Durability

Apple deserves points for the more durable player in this group. Even with the composite body, these guys do hold up to a lot of abuse. Creative's failure rates are too high, but Sandisk's Clip is gaining ground in this area.

Capacity

The 1GB size for the shuffle was the only option from Apple for a long time.The market has been flooded with 2GB players from the competition.In addition to lowering the price in February 2008, Apple finally added a 2GB option available now at Apple stores. Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (2nd Generation)Still, as Apple finally ups their size, Sansa now has their Clip in a 4GB size.SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)

Creative Zen Stone Plus 2GB MP3 Player
SanDisk Sansa c150 2 GB MP3 Player (Black)
SanDisk Sansa Express 2 GB MP3 Player (Black)
SanDisk SDMX7-2048 Sansa c250 2 GB MP3 Player
SanDisk Sansa Clip 2 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Features and Software

Competing players over simple screens for track viewing as well as FM radio and voice recording.The Zen Stone Plus by Creative and the Sandisk Clip each offer all three features at better price points. Apple's reliability and brand loyalty has allowed the shuffle to survive with limited features.

Competing players also offer drag and drop syncing using standard USB cables or, in the case of the Sansa Express, via direct USB.Apple still requires the proprietary dock.

For a 1GB MP3 player it seems excessive to have to use iTunes software to sync your software.Competing players have even worse software, but allow you to drag and drop files on these devices like USB thumb drives.

iTunes is both a curse and a blessing, depending on your point of view.For those who are used to iTunes or totally new to MP3s, the interface can be a great plus.For anybody who want more direct control over their music collection, some of the features within iTunes can become burdensome.

Once again, if you LOVE Apple and iTunes, or if you are totally new to MP3s the software will still be a net plus for you.

For those that care about file options, Apple's software allows only MP3 and AAC. You can easily convert other formats to these, but be aware of the limits.This is only a negative for those really loyal to a certain file format, such as the growing group of WMA users.Having to have 2 format copies of all your music can really hurt as your collection grows.

Sound

The sound this unit produces is pretty good though not great. While I still feel the first generation shuffle sounded much better, the tradeoff was worth the smaller size.

Cost

The shuffle's price has finally come down to about $50 for 1GB or $65 for 2GB. While not a bargain, this price makes the sting much less painful for Apple loyalists.On a dollar per gigabyte and absolute dollar cost, Apple continues to charge a premium for their brand.

1GB of flash memory is going for under $10 retail, one fifth the lowered cost of the shuffle.In addition, competing players like the Sansa Clip continue to offer more features at a better prices. If you want a small player and you are open to brands beyond Apple, your options continue to expand.In addition to the Creative Stone and the Sansa Clip, new models from Samsung and Sony have added even more options.

Once again, Apple's reputation is well deserved. This model requires you to pay a premium for it, though a slightly shrinking premium.:-D

Conclusion

If you must have Apple and need a small player for high impact workouts, choose this or one of the new 2GB shuffles. If you want to stay with Apple and can afford it, stepping up to the Apple iPod nano 4GB will cost you $140 but gives you 4 times the capacity and video.Still, if you're not an Apple die-hard, the Sansa Clip and other options deserve consideration.

Research your options and choose the player that's right for you.Overall this is a good player at an improved price.

Enjoy!!!

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Product Description:
The 1 GB iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 240 songs on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. And now it's available in your choice of remixed colors. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion.
Controls
iPod shuffle pays respect to its bigger siblings with a circular control pad that puts the "go" in ergonomic. Click the center button to play and pause. Click the outer buttons to move back, skip forward, and adjust volume.

Pop the iPod shuffle into the included dock and sync with iTunes. View iPod shuffle dimensions.

The shuffle switch lets you mix up the iPod contents, or play playlists in the order you want. View larger. Clip
Thanks to a built-in clip, iPod shuffle goes with anything. Clip it to your sleeve, lapel, coin pocket. No matter where you wear it, iPod shuffle speaks volumes about your style.
Shuffle switch
Embrace your inner rebel: Flip the shuffle switch to mix up iPod shuffle's contents. Flip it again to play your handpicked playlists and albums in the order you synced them from iTunes.
Battery indicator
Green means go, amber means you're low, and red means you've almost hit zero. But with up to 12 hours of battery life, the iPod shuffle may keep rocking even longer than you do.
Headphone jack
The headphone jack does double-duty as a dock connector. Flip iPod shuffle upside-down and drop it into the included dock. Connect the dock to your Mac or PC for a quick sync and charge. Away from your computer? Charge on the go with the optional Apple USB power adapter.