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!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Blue (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL

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.

Want to buy Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Blue (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Pre-Owned 1GB iPod nano® - Black (1st Generation) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Purchased this iPod Nano for my teenage daugher for her birthday. Why pay $100 more for new, when pe-owned works just as well. She got what she wanted for her birthday, and I used the money I saved to throw her a birthday party.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pre-Owned 1GB iPod nanoandreg; - Black (1st Generation)

Product Description:
All pre-owned iPods are quality tested and receive a cosmetic check and cleaning, an inventory of all components, download and play tests, product repackaging and, if necessary, battery charge, restoration to default settings and replacement of components.

Want to buy Pre-Owned 1GB iPod nanoandreg; - Black (1st Generation) at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I love the iPod. Always have. At home, we have five, including this one: the 4GB iPod nano black.

Before you leap, realize two things: (1) this iPod is extremely fragile compared to other iPods, particularly the tough-as-nails iPod mini (a drop of a couple of feet onto a linoleum floor took out the screen); and (2) the black version gets scratched very easily, and shows scratches far more than any white iPod I've owned (after a day and before dropping the damn thing, it already looked awful from scratching -- and it was treated with kid gloves).

Okay, if you can live with those caveats, and invest in a durable protector (we bought the arm-band holder, which does a lousy job of protecting the iPod nano)--none of which are out yet--then this new iPod is truly an amazing bit of technology. It's tiny (it feels even smaller than the photos suggest), has great sound quality (better, I think, than any other iPod I've owned), and the display is gorgeous (even though tiny).

For me, the mini (now defunct, but bargains still abound) is the better choice given its sturdiness. I'm not up for museum-relic care for my electronics, which would certainly help if you own one of these.

Another beautiful, functional gizmo from Apple.Just know what you're getting.Some websites claim the nano is sturdy. I can tell you, from first hand experience, it isn't.So, you be the judge. (Sure, the thing still played, but replacing the screen will set you back at least $90, and, even on the web sites in question, the screen broke.)

(Oh, and if you see someone taking shots at the iTunes software, don't believe it. It's the best music software out there, and its integration with this--or any--iPod is a joy.)

__________

Follow up ... Apple has admitted a problem with some of the nano screens and is doing the right thing: replacing the units with new ones. BRAVO!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL

Product Description:
Includes: earbud headphones, USB cable, dock adapter, & iTunes for Mac and Windows. Apple 4GB iPod nano - Come one, come all and witness the incredible shrinking iPod!! With the nano, Apple introduces the latest member of the highly successful iPod family of digital audio players. The nano is aptly named since it's a fraction of the size of it's larger iPod cousins. It has the width of a pencil and comes in at a feather-light 1.5 ounces. For Apple's next trick, they've taken this new diminutive iPod and added all of the features of a regular iPod. You get a bright full color display, Apple's famous click wheel, and up to 14 hours of battery life. With that said, take a peek behind the curtain and be amazed at the rest of what the iPod nano has to offer... Connector for optional dock Stereo Minijack Hold Switch Charge Time - about 3 hours (1.5 hour fast charge to 80% capacity) Audio Support - AAC (16 to 320 Kbps) / Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store) / MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps) / MP3 VBR / Audible (formats 2, 3, & 4) / Apple Lossless / WAV / AIFF Photo Support - JPEG / BMP / GIF / TIFF / PSD (Mac only) / PNG Sync & Charge via USB Cable Adjust audiobook playback speed Create multiple on-the-go playlists Shuffle songs or albums Repeat one or all 20 Equalizer settings Backlight Timer Display Contrast Alarm - On / Off / Silent Sleep Timer Date & Time Display time in menu bar Color - Black Supports - Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later, Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later, Mac OS X v10.3.4 or later Unit Dimensions - 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 Unit Weight - 1.5 ounces

Want to buy Apple iPod nano 4 GB Black (1st Generation) OLD MODEL at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Apple iPod nano 16 GB Red (4th Generation) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The iPod Chromatic (or nano 4th generation) is better than any previous version. With a larger screen, twice as much memory, accelerometer, new genius playlist creator, and colors that are POP'N hot, this iPods a keeper.

My first iPod was the iPod nano 1st generation white. I loved it. Second I had a second generation nano in the color red. the color was awesome with the same great features. Until 2008 I had the second generation.

I had no idea what I was missing. The 4th generation iPod nano (chromatic) includes all new features, built in accelerometer and all new genius feature. No longer do you have to wonder which music goes best together, a couple clicks and you have a brand new list of songs that go well together (from your own song collection.) The accelerometer is great because it recognizes when the iPod has been turned on it's side and will automatically change the screen orientation to match. Giving you more room to read and navigate through your music.
The wide screen coverflow menu makes selecting your favorite music even easier.

Let's not forget battery life, ample life on this iPod, even with the extra memory and bigger screen.

I giving this iPod five stars.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple iPod nano 16 GB Red (4th Generation)

Product Description:
With eight amazing colors, a new curved design, and great new features, iPod nano rocks like never before. The Genius Playlist feature finds the songs in your music library that go great together and makes a playlist for you. With its built-in accelerometer, iPod nano is made to move. Give it a shake, and it shuffles to a different song in your library. Turn it on its side to flip through your album art in Cover Flow. And tilt, move, and play accelerometer-inspired games (games available separately). Watching movies, TV shows, and video is even more fun on the sharp 2-inch screen. And your photos (up to 14,000 of them) look great in portrait or landscape view. Available in 8 GB and 16 GB models, the 16 GB iPod nano puts up to 4,000 songs or 16 hours of video in your pocket. testing bold

Want to buy Apple iPod nano 16 GB Red (4th Generation) at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Samsung YP-Z5AB 4 GB Digital Audio Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I owned a Iriver H10 5GB which died 13 months after I purchased it. The player was problematic at best when it did work.Very poor customer support etc, so I wanted to do a lot of research before I spent $200+ dollars on a player.FYI if you plan on running purchase a MP3 player that uses flash memory, any Hard drive based model does not take shock well.
I eventually got down to the Samsung 4GB and San disk 4/6 Gb models.I decided to purchase the Samsung and have been very pleased. I was used to windows media player and have mostly WMA files and some WMA-10 (copy protected files).It was seemless to transition to Samsung.I used playlists already on my computer and added about 2 GB of songs and was up and running in 20 minutes max.Player charged fully in 1.5 hours and the playback is excellent.I have never submitted a review before but since it was hard to find many opinions online I wanted to share mine. The only downside is that you do have to plug into a computer to charge but this is not a big issue for me. I do not travel often and I have a laptop I can use if need be.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung YP-Z5AB 4 GB Digital Audio Player (Black)

Product Description:
The 4 GB flash memory Samsung YP-Z5 digital audio player is a great choice for carrying your music collection with you wherever you go. But it also works seamlessly with PlaysForSure online music stores and subscription services such as MTV's Urge, Napster, Rhapsody, and Yahoo,

The YP-Z5 supports online music stores such as Urge, Napster, Rhapsody, and Yahoo. allowing you portable access to tens of thousands of songs downloaded from these services. It features compatibility with MP3, OGG Vorbis, WMA, and WMA-DRM10 (digital rights protected), JPEG image viewer, a long lasting rechargeable battery for up to 35 hours, and a 1.8-inch color screen.
Weighing in at just 2 ounces, this ultra-thin, elegantly crafted player has a durable aluminum body that prevents scratches and smudges and offers large tactile buttons and a multi-directional touchpad. It also features an intuitive and visually delightful GUI (graphical user interface) designed by former Apple iPod software designer Paul Mercer.
The brightly colorful 1.8-inch LCD displays album art, and you can also show off photo slideshows from transferred JPEGs (while music plays) and even customize the screen's wallpaper with your favorite picture. It features eight EQ presets and Samsung's proprietary DNSe portable 3D sound technology (with three 3D settings plus a user customizable setting). You can choose to shuffle all tracks or only within a certain artist, album, genre, composer, or playlist. Other features include browsing by database (artist, album, genre, title) and timer settings for the display's backlight and sleep mode. It connects to PCs via a USB 2.0 connection (cable included) and it's compatible with Windows XP SP1/SP2 systems with Windows Media Player 10 software.
The Samsung YP-Z5 uses PlaysForSure technology. Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you're shopping for a portable music or video device and you want to make sure the digital music and video you purchase will play back on it every time. Match the PlaysForSure logo on a large selection of leading devices and online music stores. If you see the logo, you'll know your digital music will play for sure. Choose from a large number of digital music and video stores, including MTV's Urge, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, Napster, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, and many more.

What's in the Box
4 GB Samsung YP-Z5 flash memory digital audio player, earphones, USB cable, installation CD-ROM, and printed operating instructions.

Want to buy Samsung YP-Z5AB 4 GB Digital Audio Player (Black) at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Apple iPod nano 4 GB Silver, Clamshell Package (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was very surprised when My Ipod came just three days after I ordered it.I was able to download all the music and it operated as advertised right from the start.I highly reccommend this product to everyone.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple iPod nano 4 GB Silver, Clamshell Package (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

Product Description:
An anodized aluminum top and polished stainless steel back. Five eye-catching colors. A larger, brighter display with the most pixels per inch of any Apple display, ever. iPod nano stirs up visual effects from the outside in.
And it'll wow you for hours. Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on a single charge. All that staying power and a wafer-thin, 6.5-mm profile makes iPod nano one small big attraction.
Cover Flow
If a picture says a thousand words, think of what all the album art in your collection might say. With Cover Flow on iPod nano, you can flip through your music to find the album you want to hear. Use the Click Wheel to browse music by album cover, then select an album to flip it over and see the track list.


In addition to listening to music you can now enjoy TV shows, movies, video podcasts, and more. View iPod nano dimensions.

The iPod nano comes in a host of exciting new colors.

Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on one charge. View larger. Music
Use the Click Wheel to adjust volume, navigate songs, browse in Cover Flow, or explore the Music menu by playlist, artist, album, song, genre, composer, and more. Want to mix things up? Click Shuffle Songs. iPod nano makes your music look as good as it sounds, thanks to its bright color display.
Movies
Buy movies from the iTunes Store and you can sync them to your iPod nano to watch anywhere, anytime. Up to 5 hours of video playback means you can watch two movies back to back. And for your viewing pleasure, the 320-by-240-pixel display--with a whopping 204 pixels per inch--is 65 percent brighter than before.
TV Shows
There's always something good on iPod nano. Browse thousands of episodes of your favorite TV shows on the iTunes Store, buy them for just $1.99 each, then sync them to your iPod nano. Watch last night's episodes this morning, or buy a whole TV series and play a pocket-size marathon.
Podcasts
The iTunes Store features thousands of free video and audio podcasts, including indie favorites and offerings from such big names as ABC News, Comedy Central, ESPN, PBS, NPR, and many more. Browse and subscribe to podcasts, then sync them to your iPod nano. You can even play video podcasts on TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.
Audiobooks
The digital shelves of the iTunes Store are stocked with thousands of audiobooks--including exclusives like the entire Harry Potter series--so you can catch up on your reading wherever iPod nano takes you. iPod nano even recognizes where you left off reading and bookmarks your place.
Games
Put hours of fun at your fingertips. iPod nano comes with three games--Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike--and you can download more from the iTunes Store for $4.99 each. All iPod games are designed specifically for the iPod interface. And all of them look great on the 2-inch color display.
Photos
iPod nano holds up to 7,000 photos you can sync from your Mac or PC via iTunes. Use the Click Wheel to scroll through photo thumbnails. To see a photo full screen, click the center button. You can even view your photo slideshows--complete with music and transitions--on a TV using an optional Apple component or composite AV cable.
Extras
Calendars, contacts, and a screen lock appear in the Extras menu, along with a few more handy items. Take the world clock, for example. Spin the Click Wheel to choose different clocks for cities all over the world. For workouts, use the built-in stopwatch to log your best times.

Want to buy Apple iPod nano 4 GB Silver, Clamshell Package (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Philips SA9200/17 GoGear Super-Slim 2 GB Flash MP3 Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just picked mine up for $135.00 at Office Depot, literally, because of how it looks. It makes the iPod look silly, casual, and plain in comparison. All gloss black, with well-designed navigation shapes that illuminate a warm blue when active, and disappear completely when inactive.

The navigation is INCREDIBLE. I've used a few iPods, and prefer the layout and interactivity of this Philips's navigation. It's got one button for forward (down a level), one for backward (up a level), and then a single line down the center for scrolling, which is highly-accurate (touch-sensitive).

My favorite part is that you can download album art OR CREATE YOUR OWN IMAGES (200 x 200 pixels) that will display while playing any particular album (or song if you configure it).

Battery life is excellent. Fonts and design are above average. Price might seem a little high, but I actually find myself THANKFUL that I spent the money and got the most attractive mp3 player I've seen to date.

Usually kind of anti-Philips, but this product is a serious home run.

Also, don't pay attention to the fact that it says Windows Media Player 10 compatibility ONLY, you can browse and use it as a pretty high-speed hard drive from My Computer easily and effectively. So, I use iTunes as my player and manager, and then just drag the album folders from my iTunes installation folder right to the Music folder of the device in Windows Explorer, and it's super fast. Then, just create a .jpg named Album Art.jpg (with the space in the filename) and put it in the same directory as the album, and whala, that's what'll show while songs from that album play.

Anyway, INCREDIBLE PRODUCT. I haven't been this excited to use a consumer electronic device since I bought my first PDA.

Final notes:
Surprisingly smooth, fluid, and classy navigational animation. I was IMPRESSED by an mp3 player. The headphones seem pretty sweet too, loud, crisp, and portable. I'm not headphone expert though. But this is my 4th mp3 player.

5 effing stars. Well-deservedly.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Philips SA9200/17 GoGear Super-Slim 2 GB Flash MP3 Player

Product Description:
Chic, dependable, and ultra-intuitive, the GoGear SA9200 MP3 player letsyou enjoy the world of digital music anywhere, anytime. The compact device measures amere 1.81 by 3.45 by 0.35 inches (W x H x D), making it small enough to fit in a pocketor purse with ease. Yet its 2 GB of built-in flash memory stores up to 1,000 songs, so youcan listen to all your favorite MP3 or WMA tracks while working out or commuting.And thanks to the 1.7-inch color LCD screen--which offers a resolution of 128 x 160pixels--you can also share up to 560 JPEG photos with friends in slide-show format,complete with a custom soundtrack in the background.
The GoGear SA9200 is a breeze to control thanks to the sensory touchpad, which letsyou navigate through hundreds of songs easily and smoothly--or one at a time--in just afew seconds. The scroll key senses your finger movements on the touchpad and adjuststhe speed to your navigation through the menus or tracks accordingly. An enlargedalphabetical letter, meanwhile, helps you keep track of your position in the menu whilescrolling for songs and artists. As a result, you know exactly when to release your fingerfrom the touchpad. The device even lets you control playback and browse at the sametime--a rarity among many MP3 players.
Another handy feature is the unit's PlaysForSure compatibility, which guarantees a widechoice of online music stores and synchronizes your collection easily with WindowsMedia Player. And audio-centric listeners will dig the GoGear SA9200's variety ofequalizer settings--you can choose from classic, dance, electronica, hip-hop, lounge, pop,R&B, rock, spoken word, or custom--and the SRS WOW bass enhancement. Otherdetails include a soft fabric pouch, a USB 2.0 interface (cable included), and support forID3 tagging.
The GoGear SA9200, which runs for up to 14 hours per charge of its lithium-polymerbattery, is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
GoGear SA9200 MP3 player, headphones, soft fabric pouch, USB cable, software CD- ROM, quick-start guide, user's manual.

Get 60% OFF

Want to buy Philips SA9200/17 GoGear Super-Slim 2 GB Flash MP3 Player at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below: