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PROS
Tiny, weighs almost nothing, stylish, easy to use, easy to transfer songs, good battery life.
LOWS
The maximum unit size is 1 gig. Is that enough for you? Your call.
OVERALL
Although the Shuffle isn't a real iPod, it rules it's own domain. The domain of people who don't need to take around their life's collection of music with them.
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The iPod came out, everybody went crazy, and then the iPod Mini came out, and everyone flipped over backwards. iPod Photo… not as big a hit as the others but still received well. Now Apple has released the Shuffle. This MP3 player in the iPod line is unlike any other iPod's that have been produced. I don't know if it even should be called an iPod. It sure as hell don't look like one. Incredibly slim, no screen, a miniature copy of the scroll wheel which is not even a scroll wheel.. and well… just look at it. The Shuffle is an out of the ordinary product for Apple, and although it steps over all the rules that the iPod laid down, it still proves to be a top-notch Apple product.
If you are used to the b-e-a UTIFUL square boxes that the iPod comes in, get ready to be turned down. The Shuffle comes in a small green box, still attractive, but not as cool as the original iPod's. What is included in the package is very similar to the iPod. You get a green CD case with an install CD for iTunes and the works, the two sweeeeet Apple stickers, and the user manual and warranty info. You also get the typical ear buds. Also included in the Shuffle package is a small plastic card that gives you a quick overview of how to use the thing. This comes in handy. When you first see the player, you will probably say to yourself… OK NOW WHAT. There is no screen. That's right, NO SCREEN. So technically you won't really know what you are listening to unless you recognize it. But then again, this is your music ladies and gentlemen.
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In a way, you can say that the Shuffle came at the wrong time. Perhaps it would have been better if the Shuffle was out there before ANY of the iPod series came along. For people that are looking for MP3 players to buy, the fact that the Shuffle is only at a maximum of one gig may really turn them off. But the Shuffle is not meant for people like… me, who actually can take up 18 gig of space on an iPod and really listen to it all. The Shuffle is right for you if you have just about 100-200 songs that you want to listen to. I can remember back in the day when I had Rio MP3 players, and 128 meg was like… a godsend. So remember that people, the Shuffle is not this robust MP3 jukebox like the iPod… but it still can hold a lot.
And for one hundred bucks!?!! Come on, you get the awesome Apple style and design of this baby. The Shuffle is TINY. I mean it, TINY. I can walk around with this thing in my pocket and honestly forget its in there. It weighs next to nothing, I don't know the exact weight, but its besides the point…you will not notice this thing. On top of that, its slim and not thick at all. The headphone jack is located at the top of the unit, and because it is not surrounded by any other trivialities, it is very easy to connect the headphones and remove them when necessary. The Shuffle is quite streamlined. The front has a big play/pause button on the front of it, and around it is a gray circle. This gray circle is the equivalent of a touch wheel or scroll wheel on the iPod. Here you have your fast forward and rewind buttons. And here's an Apple first: volume is controlled by buttons.
