Apple iPod Shuffle (second generation, 1GB, silver)

November 4, 2006 01:32

5.0/5
I just don't understand all of the complaining about "no screen." Waaaaaah. Look outside of your own universe people. There are those of us who want to go to the gym, or ride a bike, or go jogging and we don't need 120,000 songs and we don't want to bother with a screen and looking up artists, songs, etc. and I don't want this dead weight hanging off an armband or in a pocket. I want compactness and compatibility. I have a nano and it doesn't play video, but I don't *****. I understand its purpose. You need to understand why this product is being made and who is ultimately going to use it and buy it. Finally, I find it amusing how everyone talks about its functionality and lack of a screen, etc., but no-one talks about the sound quality...it's a freakin' music player after all! Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh - I just want to complain and say the same thing everyone else has..... wahhhhhhhhhhhh...btw, I think it sounds just fine...waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.

- Tech2005

November 4, 2006 04:27

3.0/5
For a cheap mp3 player that will hold a decent amount of tracks, this isn't a bad buy. The redesign looks a lot better than the original, though it wasn't really a selling point for me. The clip is nice to have, but it seems a little weak. Yes, it doesn't have a screen, but that would just end up shortening the battery life, so I can live without it.

What's irritating is the fact that, comparing it with the 1stGen 512MB Shuffle I have, the sound quality is worse. There's a little static if you twist the plug, as CNET mentioned. However, there is also a soft high-pitched whine that does not occur on the old Shuffle. Perhaps it's just my unit (and if you're the type to blast music loudly, you've probably lost that portion of your hearing anyway), but I'm a little disappointed.

- bluemonq

November 3, 2006 08:10

4.0/5
As it lacks bass as all the ipods do here's the tip and then it'll sound tons better...go to your music library...then select all in edit...right click anywhere...choose get info...you'll see a box...drag the volume slider 95% to the right and change the eq setting to hip-hop...select ok...and ok the change for multiple items in the next screen...when your screen turns back to blue...click anywhere...resync your shuffle...and wow!!!...just lower the volume before you replug your headphones in so you can readjust it...and now you have a little powerhouse...I give it an 8 because it came with the old style headphones, but I don't use them anyway...

- JJJJJETS

November 3, 2006 05:38

3.5/5
There's a cleaver workaround for choosing your music on a Shuffle:

Select Shuffle mode and keep advancing to a new song until you get to the album you want to listen to, then turn shuffle off and go to track one.

While it's not as easy as a screen, it gets the job done.

- birdbrainz

November 6, 2006 07:07

4.5/5
I ordered 2 second generation iPod Shuffles direct from Apple and had them personalized with custom laser etching. When they arrived they looked beautiful and you couldn't ask for a simpler mp3 player.

I've read complaints about the lack of a screen and that it might be too small. How can an mp3 player be too small???? The smaller the better if you ask me. I clip the new shuffle to my belt loop or even my shirt and I never have to worry about it getting in my way, taking up too much space in my pocket, or worry about a screen getting scratched. I can't think of a better gym accessory.

Why do you need a screen? If you are loading the songs onto your own iPod, I imagine you recognize each song as it plays and don't need a visual reminder. Also, the whole point of the shuffle is too keep things simple and to get away from the navigational tools that people use to listen to the same songs in their collection over and over again. With the shuffle you might hear a song that you forgot about....the next song is always a surprise.

The new iPod shuffle is a great little player and I reccommend it for anyone who cares about style and minimizing bulk, while still getting to listen to all their favourite songs. This player isn't for the hardcore techy who must have all their music perfectly categorized all the time and have every song instantly accessible. That's not the point of the shuffle, that's what the Nano and iPod Movie are for.

- Two Dollar

September 13, 2006 08:15

4.5/5
I'd have to say that Apple has done it again. Personally, i can see this as a great 2nd mp3 for anyone with a pvp or other high-capacity premium player that supports video.
Its size makes it perfect for day-to-day use and the included dock and a decrease of ports to just one(!) just seals the deal.
although audio battery life is but a mediocre rated 12 hours, i can't blame it because of its sheer size.
I am definitely getting one of these to sub in for my old RCA =)

- neutrality_is_bliss

November 16, 2006 08:15

4.5/5
How can CNET seriously mark the score down for the size being too small. In the age of gadgets getting smaller and smaller, Apple designs one that is very small, why complain about it?

If another company besides Apple came out with one that is similar size, I bet James Kim would love it. The Mobiblu Cube2 is about the same size, and no negative mention was about size in the Cube2's review cons. Is it just because it's from Apple?

Also, here's something Apple doesn't want you to know: the Shuffle doesn't have a screen. What!? So how am I supposed to see what songs are coming up? Oh wait, that's the point of this player, the iPod SHUFFLE.

- cpearson

March 21, 2007 09:59

4.0/5
I have alway hated Apple, and Itunes, I hate being forced to use a certain application to use a product. My girlfriend got this item to work out with, I was convinced it would be good for that purpose so I didnt totally pursuade her away from it. She bought it, and I was jealous, after a week and half I went out and bought one. I love this products size, and built in clip. I just wish I could charge it with a usb cable, hate having to take the dock whenever I want to transfer music or charge. Overall I love this product.

- JRHOADES20

January 16, 2007 08:32

5.0/5
All I hear is "Wah wah! There's no LCD!" Well look at the name "iPod SHUFFLE" The purpose of this is to not know what the next song will be! Now that I've got that out of the way here's what I think makes it perfect. The small size makes it almost unnoticeable. If you constantly forget where you put your things, this is not the player for you. The simple design is also a plus. Just a play/pause, stop, rewind, fast forward, and volume up/down. The clip is a first on all the MP3 players I've ever seen. Now I can clip it to my backpack walking home. The clip is also a fashion statement. So all the people that want to be noticed should buy the Shuffle if they're not going to whine about the lack of LCD. This is probably one of the best MP3 players I have ever had. Go buy it if you're willing to give up a LCD for design and something that lives up to its name.

- goldberg3971

November 22, 2006 03:24

3.5/5
Ok. This baby just about won it all around for me -- until that is, I found out that it does not support AIFF or Apple Lossless formats.

I guess Apple thought that they should play the 'parent role' by limiting our ability to gobble up the 1GB of memory using a high bitrate/lossless codec format. Bad move.

Who is Apple to say how I should think about my music as it relates to playback quality? So what if I can only squeeze 50 songs onto the unit (admittedly, one can probably put more than 50 at lossless). To me, quality is more important than quantity. If I wanted quantity of music, I'd get the Nano or Ipod and benefit from more storage space and better navigation options.

Wow. I'm really disappointed. I do love this little guy. Apple -- can you send us a software update to enable AIFF/Lossless support. Think 'Let the consumer decide'. Or, anyone in the community 'hack savvy'?

- euromark