Shuffles are perfect for Podcasts
I originally bought a MPIO piece of junk mp3 player a few years ago before I upgraded to XP and didn't think an iPod could handle Windows ME. After I upgraded to XP a year ago I immediately downloaded and installed iTunes to see what the fuss was about. I loved it at first sight. I mostly used MusicMatch before and really didn't like it much, but it was the best of the non-iTunes bunch. I find iTunes to be the best all around music libray manager I've ever used. It's just so easy and fun to use.
I really couldn't afford to buy an iPod just yet - I almost bought a Mini, but finally when the POJ MPIO battery door broke (cheap and ugly construction) and I immediately went out and bought a 1g shuffle for $99 (The price had just dropped).
I loved it. I don't miss the screen much since I mostly listen to audiobooks and podcasts. Especially podcasts. I'm really addicted to those things and have to have my daily dose of Richard Vobes and Adam Curry.
With the shuffle, I have a small rugged player I can tuck into my shirt pocket and have with me all the time - in the office, around the house, doing yardwork, walking, ect. Listening mostly to podcasts which range from 30 to 60 minutes, I only have 30 to 40 loaded at one time and don't need a screen to jump around. In fact, my screen needs are satisfied by a KISS simple low-tech method - I print the playlist, fold it into quarters and tuck it in my back pocket.
Two months ago I got a bonus at work and decided to spring for a 4g Nano. I still wanted something that would fit into my shirt pocket and I didn't trust a hard-drive based player to be rugged enough for my on-the-go needs. I like the Nano, and use it mostly for listening to music, but I have to tell you - the Nano sits mostly on my bedstand and I use the Shuffle 90% of the time. I love the fact that I can operate the controls by feel without having to pull it out of my pocket to check the screen.
Now the question is when to buy another Shuffle for music and keep the original for podcasts.