The iPod shuffle weighs a mere 15.6 grams (0.55 ounces), and measures just 27.3 mm (1.07 inches) high by 41.2 mm (1.62 inches) wide by 10.5 mm (0.41 inch) deep (and this depth, by the way, includes the clip). It is the ultimate portable music player, encased in robust aluminium that resists the smearing caused by dirty or damp fingers.

There’s also a choice of five colours: blue, green, pink, red and silver. A range of hues may not seem significant, but if you fix your iPod shuffle to your clothes like a badge, you may want a preferred colour.

The device that holds the iPod shuffle in place on your clothes or bag, incidentally, is a clip fixed to the back. Any such clip must be secure and reliable: if you’re jogging, working out, or commuting to and from school or work, you don’t want to drop or lose such a tiny piece of electronic equipment. The clip on the iPod shuffle feels completely trustworthy.

Features

The main feature of the iPod shuffle is the offset ergonomic ring that has the volume, previous/rewind, and next/fast forward controls, with the play/pause button in the middle. Both the ring and button respond positively and feel good to the touch. They give you the confidence to use them without needing to watch what you’re doing – a handy ability if you’re squashed amidst commuters on a bus or train.

The on/off control is neatly located on the bottom, together with the shuffle switch. This switch lets you hear your songs in random order, or listen to them in your chosen sequence.

There are two status lights on the iPod shuffle, one on the top, and one on the bottom. The different messages the lights can give you may take a while to learn, but the most important – the battery status indicator – is straightforward. A green light means you have a 30% – 100% charge; an amber light means you have a low charge, somewhere between 10% and 30%; and a red light indicates you have less than 10% of power remaining. At other times, the status lights tell you when you’ve pressed a certain button, and whether the iPod shuffle is up and running as an external storage disc. They also warn you if there’s a problem.

One of the two accessories that accompany the iPod shuffle is a set of earphones. These rest comfortably in each ear and have an adjustable cable. If you’re happy to use less discrete headphones, different manufacturers offer a compatible range.

The other accessory is the USB dock. The iPod shuffle slips easily into position on the dock using the earphone port as the connection. There’s also plenty of cable from the dock to a USB 2.0 port on your computer.

Once you connect the iPod shuffle, iTunes appears on the computer screen. If you’re already familiar with iTunes, you’ll know what to expect. If not, it’s worth bearing in mind that iTunes is not just software that enables you to organise and transfer music to your iPod shuffle. The iTunes Store, for instance, lets you buy songs and albums, plus audiobooks and podcasts (although many podcasts are free).

As for the other iTunes features, use them to place the content of your CDs on your iPod shuffle; put your music into playlists; create automatic music updates; arrange the order of your songs; set the same sound level for different tracks; and adjust the volume limit. In other words, your iPod shuffle may not have a built-in screen, but you can still view and control your content through iTunes.

Technology

The iPod shuffle comes in two versions. The 1GB holds around 1,000 playback minutes – or approximately 240 songs. The 2GB model can take about 500 songs. The audio compression format that achieves this is 128Kbps AAC (advanced audio coding).

The iPod shuffle also supports further audio formats, including AAC (8 – 320Kbps); MP3 (8 – 320 Kbps); MP3 VBR; Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4); AIFF (audio interchange file format); and WAV (Waveform). You’re unlikely to need anything else in the normal course of events.

Frequency response is 20Hz to 20,000Hz, which is exactly what you need for high quality sound reproduction.

Performance

A music player is all about ease of use and sound quality. When you start using the iPod shuffle’s controls and connect it to iTunes, you will have no doubts about the versatility and simplicity of this device. When you plug in your earphones and begin listening, you also experience first class sound quality with a wide volume range. The maximum volume is so high, in fact, you may want to restrict it via iTunes.

The other key performance factor for a portable music player is battery life. Despite the iPod shuffle’s tiny dimensions, the built-in battery keeps going for 12 hours. You can then charge it using the USB dock or connect it to an Apple USB Power Adaptor (available separately). Either way, you’ll be 80% charged from empty in two hours, and fully operational in four.

Conclusions

Pros

Cons

The type of iPod that suits you best will depend a lot on what you need it for and your budget. At present, the iPod line consists of the iPod shuffle, the iPod nano, the iPod classic and the iPod touch.

The shuffle acts as a basic music player with 1GB of memory, while the touch offers full media playing capabilities, a touch screen user interface, up to 32GB, safari browser, Wi-Fi and even YouTube.

As you probably know by now, Apple gadgets and computers aren’t cheap. While the nano and the shuffle are pretty affordable at, $49 and $149 respectively, you could be forking out hundreds of dollars for a classic or a touch so you want to be sure of what you are getting.

Ideally, when you will want to buy something it is good to try it out beforehand. However, this is not always possible so the next best thing is to see it in action. Search YouTube and other video sharing websites for videos of people using and voicing their opinions on their iPods.

Another excellent way to gauge the quality of a product is by reading reviews. You will find thousands of reviews and customer testimonials on the internet that will give you a good idea of what you are getting. Also check out blogs and forums. You will find useful advice and opinions everywhere on the internet.

Even though there is no screen on the iPod, there is still the standard click wheel on the front face that allows the user to navigate through its songs. Every iPod has the click wheel so that the user can go forward and backwards through the playlist. While most iPod models have a menu screen, the iPod Shuffle lacks this feature. The songs are shuffled on one playlist and the user has the choice to start the playlist over each time the iPod is used, or they can set the iPod shuffle to continue where it left off each time they leave the iPod Shuffle.

Since there is no screen on the iPod shuffle, the battery life is portrayed through blinking lights on the front and back of the iPod Shuffle. When the iPod shuffle is charging, the light will blink an orange color. Once the charge is complete, it will be a green light. When the iPod shuffle is losing battery, the light will either be orange or red. There is a card included with the iPod that informs the user of what the lights are indicating.

The 2nd generation iPod shuffle is much smaller than the first iPod, and has a back clip that covers the whole back side. The newest version of the iPod shuffle still has the click wheel, but has no screen. The casing is durable like that of the iPod Nano 2nd gen. Both models of the iPod shuffle are successful amongst runners and other people that use their iPod for workouts. The iPod shuffle is small enough that it will not get in the way of most body movements.

Apple created the iPod shuffle in hopes to appeal to the active type of people. Even though they are not as advanced as the rest of the iPod family, they are intended for those to listen to music on the go. A person can get several hundred songs onto their iPod, which is enough for a couple of hours worth of music.

There are two generations of the iPod shuffle that people have the option of choosing from. While they are small and compact, the iPod shuffle has a lot of potential, and can still be useful for many people. They are the smallest of the iPod family, and are great for many people.

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