Biggest problem facing the shuffle

[threeball]

I think the Shuffle got it right with the price, since the storage you get for the price is good. It is pretty small, which can be good, but I prefer players that are bigger which you can grip and hold firmly. But the biggest problem facing this player is best explained here(credits to Thasp) with the example being an 11th grade classroom at school:

"hey, joe, do you have the new eminem song on there?"
"sure, let me find it"
[180 clicks and six minutes later later]
"here it is!"
[friend walked away five minutes ago]

Remember that you have to click, the iPod has to start playing the song, and you have to recognize it. This could take anywhere from 2-5 seconds at least. What if you have 200 songs on there and you are looking for a specific one? It may not happen often, but it will. Thats why the inlcusion of the screen is essential, or at least put it on a remote, or at least include a number display. Sure, they took off the screen to lower the price and make it seem like a good value, but I don't think it was worth the sacrifce.

[jedk]

Originally posted by threeball
Sure, they took off the screen to lower the price and make it seem like a good value, but I don't think it was worth the sacrifce. That's why the mini is still there.

[Matrixsjd]

I see the shuffle as a secondary DAP, I'd get one just to keep some songs on for when I go jogging/exercising. Since I find the regular ipod a bit big for such things, plus I'm afraid of damaging the moving parts inside, so the solid-state ipod shuffle is perfect for those situations.

[threeball]

Also how do you know if the battery is about to run out?

[jaysee]

Matrix, I see what you mean (and if I was going to buy one, which I'm not, that's why I'd buy it) but that means that the market is limited to people who already own a 'real' mp3 player (something with a larger capacity/screen etc. like an iPod or mini or another brand) and people who just want a buget player. I'm sure there are quite a few of these people out there but is it enough?

Time will tell, I suppose, but it's not really an iPod flash player as I was expecting it to be - I thought it would be similar to the bigger ones not just a shuffle player.

[ham_man]

This is just the excercise iPod...

-Andrew

[Matrixsjd]

Originally posted by threeball
Also how do you know if the battery is about to run out?

There's a battery indicator on the back.

[snafu]

If you set it to not shuffle, and you know your CDs well, and what order they're in, it should work out. I think Apple could have added a two or three line (doesn't even have to be backlit) screen, and maybe a more sensitive scroller; as I'm guessing the clicker on this is rigid and hard to operate. Then again, this is Apple we're talking about, so you never know.