Giveaway: The Official iPod shuffle Opinions Thread

[maherbeg]

Seems like a great player, as well as a thumb drive. Now if only it did bluetooth as well...

[aecarp]

Aside from getting in on the giveaway, I do have some strong feelings on the shuffle.

Being a new iPod owner, and someone who's slowly slipping into the grasp of obsessive-compulsive disorder, I was mortified when I heard that the iPod's harddrive could potential be wrecked by a jolt at just the right time. I am super over-protective of my new baby, and go to great lengths to protect it.

I also like to snowboard, and do other potentially high-impact things. So, considering all of this...I can't think of a better companion than the shuffle. It's inexpensive enough that I'm not crushed if I wreck it. Not too mention, it's smaller, lighter, and still retains the classiness that I (and everyone for that matter) finds so intriguing about the iPod line.

So in summary...hooray for the iPod shuffle.

- Alex

[bstpierre]

Well, I didn't have any iPod at this time, but it is surely a dream to get one. The best in his category, a perfect design, doing exactly what it is supose to do and doing it well, playing music whenever you are.

Simply the best one!

[AngerBoy]

AngerBoy wins an iPod shuffle!
Congratulations from the iPodlounge team

Well, I recognize the drawbacks listed by all the naysayers on this board, but frankly, I think it's still a pretty fantastic addition to the iPod lineup. And here's why:

My notoriously technophobic mother has been dropping hints for a long time that she'd like an iPod. I (and the rest of my family) have been discouraging her from buying one, mostly because we don't believe she would be able to master (let alone take maximum advantage of) all of the iPod's functions. Plus, she doesn't own nearly enough music to make the purchase financially worthwhile.

But the Shuffle seems to be a perfect match for her. No menus to negotiate, few controls to master, and a small (yet solid) memory bank that will keep her handful of CD music always accessible.

And who can criticize a $99 iPod?

So it's got my vote. And I'm sure it'll have my Mom's vote too -- I'm off to buy her an adorable, glossy white birthday present.

[Tammy05]

The new iPod shuffle looks great. My friend just got his and I was able to play with it for a bit. Its small and handy, whats there not to love. I like how its really light and small, easily left in your pocket, or hanging around your neck. Its a great deal with such a low price.

People who couldn't afford the ipod before, can now enjoy the ipod shuffle.

[iPat]

I love the 1 Gb shuffle that I got this week - it's so small. I think that's the biggest thing I like about it. Light enough that I keep looking for it!

I've ordered some others as gifts...

[Mike Nasvadi]

I just picked up a shuffle for my wife today and it is tiny, nice and really easy to use. Give that girl an LCD screen and I end up with 10 million questions. Plus it was only a hundred bucks!

I wish it came with the dock though...that would have been perfect. I will have to settle for 99.9% satisfaction.

[rickdog213]

My opinion on the apple shuffle is that is just a simple mp3 player and very portable.also to intruduce others to the ipod revolution.

[fredsm]

Pros :
- interesting basis price
- good-looking, much much better than other usb-flash players
- it's an ipod = integrated to iTunes (imho, best software I ever used to manage my music) !
- it might sound redundant, but its look is very trendy ...
- it's very light and compact, so it can fit into any of my pockets and it's definitely less fragile than the other ipod models (because of no screen and the lightness) and I wouldn't fear to use it even in very crowded situations (like the parisian metro at 8 am on weekdays).
- as it's cheaper, I would have less fear to get mine stolen (you know, people who don't hesitate to tear your cell phone or ipod off your hands in the street)

Contras :
- the lack of screen : the shuffle mode definitely doesn't need a screen, if you have 240 songs that don't have any link one to another. But when you have much more than 1Gb of songs and that you've ripped all your cd albums, it's impossible to manage ! I mainly use iTunes in shuffle mode, but when I wanna listen to a particular album, I instantly find the tracks and i put the shuffle mode off. You can do that with a "conventionnal" ipod or ipod mini - not with the iPod Shuffle. That's a good reason for me to wait for the new iPod Mini or the 5G ipod (no ! I won't be able to wait, it'll be a mini ! - why am I so obsessed by the fact of buying something BRAND new ? lol)
- you need to buy the power adapter or the battery pack if ever you consider using it far away from your computer (trip ...). The 30 € + expense makes its price less interesting. When you consider an iPod mini costs 110 € more and that you have 4 more hard drive capacity, a very nice screen, a click wheel and the power adapter is included ... I think it's worth it to spend some more bucks ...

Conclusion : the reason I fell in love with the iPod few months ago is partly because of the screen and the click wheel. The ipod shuffle has no screen (and therefore no need of clickwheel). And I think an iPod or iPod Mini would be more adapted to "my" way I'd consider to listen to my digital music, away from my computer. If I had to BUY an iPod, I would spend some more bucks for a bigger one (mini or normal) with a screen & a click wheel.
But be sure that if I win an iPod shuffle, I would also use it assiduously (just not the same way) ...

[jack.richins]

The iPod shuffle is okay. I wouldn't call it a bad purchase, I simply don't see a single thing Apple has done to improve upon the basic flash based mp3 player. If this were some asian company directly selling this device, no one would buy the "no screen is a feature" sales pitch. It's simply a basic flash mp3 player with an Apple logo that will play iTunes music store music. So if you really care about Apple or buying music from iTunes, then this is the player for you. Otherwise, I don't understand the attraction.

Jack

[kalee]

I'll definitely get one as a small-and-portable-while-walking-around device. My 3G 40GB is a great sit-down-and-listen device, but is just too big for my pocket.

For that reason, the shuffle really wins over any other flash device. I already have all of my music in iTunes and am very comfortable managing it there. I've had lots of flash players before, but I never really used them because it was a hassle to move songs off and on the player. Now that that problem is solved, it's a no-brainer for me.

Now if I could only find one in stock...

[LupinIII]

I like the simplicity. purely apple. of course everyone will rag on it, but when it sells 5 million units, then people will be all about it, so i will officially say i like it quite a bit. I think its great for a snowboarder like me. I have fallen on my 20 gig a couple times, and now i have no worries. I will be picking one up this week. The big question is, will people buy cases for it? how will it accessorize? My wife is gonna start a company making fashion cases. ##### I hope it works for her. See what the Shuffle has done for people! Thats why Apple is so cool. its the whole community that thrives.



Editted - No advertising is allowed -removed link.

[benjammin725]

the iPod shuffle is a step in the right direction as far as im concerned. it is the same classy product yet it has become avaliable to the masses in such a way that it will not tarnish its sterling reputation. it still has an amazing amout of storage capacity for its size plus excellent battery life and is radically easy to use (i stopped by the apple store near my home the day they arrived). i was amazed by the size of it, which is not represented well until you see it in real life or next to the iPod mini. Plus, it was not designed with only new users in mind. It would be perfect for use as an auxiliary iPod for use while working out or going to school. Apple definitely knows what its customers want and delivered with the iPod shuffle

[Break]

When the first rumors of a screenless iPod came out, I knew they would be true. The shuffle is exactly the kind of product you expect from Apple. It's simple - almost overly simple at first glance, but extremely easy to use and perfect for the user. I love the size - so unbelievably miniscule - smaller than any other player of its capacity I have ever seen.

However, I do wish they could come out with a super thin screen as an optional $80 accessory and it could connect to normal sized iPods to update/change songs. Also, I wish it could handle multiple playlists and some way indicate which playlist is playing (perhaps with a one box LCD). Hopefully we will see these features in upcoming shuffles.

I'm glad Apple decided to release a flash player - finally you can run with an iPod without feeling like you're killing it. It feels so solid. It's great.

I would consider getting the 512 model, but 1GB seems like too much for a screenless MP3 player.

[TheSameCharm]

i think its ridiculous. its just another way that apple is pulling the wool over apple whore's eyes. other companys make mp3 players that hold more songs, have a screen, and are just as easy to use. bs if you ask me.