Apple iPod shuffle 1st Generation (512 MB)

Product MPN
MPN M9724LL/A
Key Features
Storage Capacity 512 MB
Number of Songs 120
Family Line iPod Shuffle
Main Storage Type Built-in Memory
Audio Capabilities
Audio Format MP3 • WAV • AAC
MP3 Bit-Rate 8 kbps - 320 kbps
Frequency Respone 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz
Screen
On Screen Display Playlist / Table of Contents • Play Mode
Connectors
Interface USB 2.0
Outputs Headphone Jack
Other Features
Additional Features Upgradable Firmware
Power Supply
Power Source Rechargeable via USB cable
Battery Life 12 hrs.
Dimensions
Width 0.98 in.
Depth 0.33 in.
Height 3.3 in.
Weight 0.78 oz.
Warranty
1 Year
Miscellaneous
Product ID 23509199
Release Date 11 February, 2005


The iPod Shuffle, a flash memory-based digital music player based on iPod's shuffle feature which lets users "experience their music in a million different ways." Smaller and lighter than a pack of gum, iPod shuffle comes with its own lanyard so it's ready to wear right out of the box. iPod shuffle works seamlessly with iTunes' AutoFill feature which automatically selects songs from a user's music library to fill up iPod shuffle with just one click. iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever.

Pros:

1. Price - The iPod Shuffle is cheaper than most flash-based MP3 players having the same amount of memory.

2. The famous iPod elegance and simplicity - all iPods are designed so well, are easy to learn and a joy to use.

3. Size/weight - even compared to other flash-based players, the iPod shuffle is small and very, very light.

4. Plays AAC files - This is the real selling point for people who already own iPods and have a substantial library of music already in AAC format. You might not feel too comfortable bringing your $300, 6-ounce iPod to the gym, with its delicate hard drive and other moving parts. Now you can load 6 or more workouts' worth of tunes onto a device that weighs less than 1 ounce and has no moving parts. While there are many such flash-based players on the market, the iPod shuffle is the only one that can play tunes from your existing collection of iPod-friendly AAC files.

5. Amazing sound quality for such a tiny device - I've done careful A/B comparisons between my iPod shuffle and my "big" iPod (which has awesome sound quality), and it's extremely hard to detect any difference in sound quality.

Cons:

1. No LCD display to help you navigate among the songs on the player. In my view, this will be the deal-killer for many people who would otherwise buy an iPod shuffle in a heart-beat. Say you load 100 songs on your iPod shuffle. Once you unplug it from your computer, the only way you have to navigate to a specific song is to keep forwarding to the next song until you find the one you want. What a pain! Those clever Apple marketing folks have tried to put a positive spin on this, saying "Random is the new order" and calling the player "the iPod shuffle." But people aren't stupid. Anyone familiar with flash-based players knows that almost all of them have displays to help people quickly navigate among the tunes on their player.

2. No FM tuner or voice recorder. Many other flash-based MP3 players have these features (though none as inexpensive as the iPod shuffle).

3. Battery life rated at "up to 12 hours" is low for flash-based MP3 players. Competitors typically achieve 15-20 hours. However, to be fair to the iPod shuffle, the competing models usually require you to use AA or AAA batteries, which adds to the weight of the device.


OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Despite its name, the iPod shuffle does not force you to listen to your tunes in random order. Using the iTunes software on your computer, it's easy to create a playlist or download specific songs you choose to your iPod shuffle, and then listen to them in the order in which they were downloaded to the player.

If you're not familiar with the iTunes software, let me tell you - it is very well-designed and easy to use. (If you'd like, you can download it free from itunes.com and start using it now, before even buying an iPod, to see how you like it!) iTunes makes it easy to manage your library of MP3 and AAC files, and download and manage the music on your iPods. iTunes is also your portal to Apple's online music store, where you can download almost any song for 99 cents or almost any album for $9.99. However, the iTunes software does NOT push you to shop at Apple's online music store - you don't ever have to see if if you don't want to.

Now that I've lived with my iPod shuffle for a while, I've adapted to the lack of display, and really don't mind not having one. I also like the simplicity of the iPod shuffle.

The iPod shuffle is an amazing device, if you are comparing it to a portable DVD player or the original Sony Walkman that started the whole portable music revolution. The shuffle is slim, sexy and slips easily into a pocket or purse. These features, coupled with it being an Apple product that is selling for half the cost of the original iPod, has made it an impulse buy for many people.

For those who take the time to do a detailed comparison with other digital music / MP3 players, the Shuffle starts to look a little anemic and less of a value.

The Pros (Positives)

+ It Sounds Great! The original iPod as well as the iPod Mini have gotten bad marks for low-end (base) output. The shuffle makes even the lower-end earbuds it comes with sound super. Higher end earphones sound fabulous!

+ The four-way rocker plus pause/play switch on the front is convenient and simple to operate. The same can be said for the two position power switch and battery-check button on the rear.

+ The Shuffles .08 Ounce weight and lipstick-on-steroids size make it extremely easy to take with you.

+ Because the iPod Shuffle IS an Apple, technical and 3rd-party product support is strong.

Cons (Negatives)

- No Display! No Display! No Display! Can you tell I think this is extremely important? Without a display and no way to select individual songs or play lists or even tell the status of your battery at a glance, the Shuffle is crippled in comparison to even some of the $39.95 memory-stick players on the market.

- Low Comparable Value. There are a large number of similarly-sized players available, with additional features like A Display, FM Radio, WMA and open MP3 support, for as little as $49.95. To view a list of eBay auctions for 512M players that fit this description, use the following path and search criteria:

Buy> Consumer Electronics> MP3 Players & Accessories> Search for 'mp3 player 512'

- Proprietary Software / Format(s). The Shuffle comes with a customized version if iTunes that locks you into the iTunes site for music downloads. Although iTunes has a lot to offer, I would rather have an MP3 player that was WMA (Windows Media Audio) compliant. The WMA standard is supported by many Online Music Vendors, as well as an increasing number of audio blog sources.

If you’re a Mac user don't think you need a Mac MP3 player! Many other MP3 players support BOTH Macs and PCs.

- Limited Color Choices. 'OK,' I admit it's not that big a deal. Still, with other vendors I can choose to give my girl/girlfriend/wife her favorite hot pink color MP3 player, give other people yellow, green, blue, etc. and get myself the sleek black color I prefer.

The iPod Shuffle demonstrates that affordable and useful personal electronics can come in a small and attractive package. For me, the Apple name is not enough to justify spending more for fewer features!

At first I was attracted to the Ipod shuffle for its design ethic. The clean minimal-ness of it all; just the basic transport and a USB port. Unlike the 2nd generation I like having the USB on the player itself - you don't need to carry any adapters around.

Even though the unit seems simple, the unit comes alive when hooked into iTunes. I love the Auto Fill feature where you just click one button and let the laws of randomness fill your iPod. Of course you have full control of what you want to listen to. You can manuallly drag and drop your favorite songs into your player as you please.

Personally I like having only 512MB of memory. With such basic controls, searching for a particular song can be laborious. However, you fill it with whatever you feel like listening to and go! 512MB holds plenty of music for the amount of time I plan on listening... Plus, its called a SHUFFLE for a reason, let it do what its good at - playing music back randomly. But, I've noticed when playing back, the player likes to organize things by song title. This could be an asset in finding a particular song for playback.

I know some people complain that this Pod lacks a screen. Ah, but this is a hidden benefit. This allows you to actually LISTEN to your music! Plus, if you are working out or doing other activities, its one less thing to distract you. I really have a pet peeve about people whether on the train, walking in the street, or just out and about staring at little LCD screens - Especially Cellphones

And lastly, the thing I really like is when listening to long selections (especially Podcasts) the player is able to hold its place. If you have to stop listening, just hit pause. Even if you have to shut it off, your selection will be right where you left it when you get back to listening. Also, speaking of pausing... If for some reason your headphones become disconnected while listening, the iPod automatically pauses! When you plug the headphones back in, you can hit play and resume where you left off. To me these are unique features worthy of a 'well done'!


And lastly, the iPod Shuffle CAN act like a Flash Drive. This is kind of a weird little side feature. First of all, Ipods like to have ONE computer as its main host. When you start sticking your shuffle into other computers, iTunes generally wants to erase the contents and refill it with music from the new computer. When you set up your iPod to be a Flash Drive, you partition it into two parts. Now you have a (smaller capacity) music player and a (custom sized) flash drive. I am not sure what you would want to put on the Drive side (photos, text files, etc) but if you put Music files on this side, the iPod will NOT recognize them during playback...

So, I like the simple, rugged, and quick element of the player. Yes, it is different than the other iPods, but it seems to cater to a different audience...

This is an amazingly small version of an Ipod that can hold a fair amount of music (about 12-15 CDS or so) and play it back with the really great sound that Apple's much pricier Ipod players have. The great thing about an Ipod is that you can essentially load your CDs onto it though Apple's Itunes software and then use your Ipod to access the CDs or lists of songs you create from these CDs on your computer. The negative of this the Shuffle player is that you basically load down a batch of CDs or lists of songs from your computer and have pretty limited control on how you access them - either just shuffling though them on a random basis or skipping through them in order. Is this a bad thing? It depends on what you want. If it is a chance to have a good batch of songs to play through without a lot of need to select specific songs, it is great -- kind of like a super radio station that can play selections you want to hear, either randomly or in some basic order. If you want to create a music library in your pocket to easily select from a mix of songs, the Shuffle doesn't work well.

The unit is great when you want a mix of music (say for a plane trip or for a week of daily runs) or a program in a certain order (say a talking book). The unit is incredibly easy to load up (just plug into the USB port of your computer -- also charges here) and Itunes software is a cinch to use to import music from CDs (or purchase music files from Apple).

Given the price, it is (by the standards of Ipods) a good deal as a way of getting great sounding music in a small unit. It presents a nice alternative to a heavier and much more expensive Ipod -- good things as long as you accept its limitations.