I'm thinking about getting an iPod shuffle, and I was wondering how durable these things are. Would they break easily? Can they get damaged from shaking? Do they get scratched easily?

Shaking won't damage the shuffle as there is no hard disk like in the bigger iPods. I'd say the shuffle is very durable and you feel like you can throw it around a bit. The shuffle's casing is made out of the same white plastic as is used on the full sized iPods, so that can be quite prone to scratching.

Since the shuffle has no hard drive, shaking really shouldnt be an issue. Since the shuffle is all white, scratches shouldnt be very visible even if they do occur. Asking about it's durablity after it's only been out a few months might be a bit premature... but it sure looks nice. Remember that Apple isnt reiventing the wheel here, usb/flash sticks have been out for years and years and proven very reliable. Heck, I have a usb on my keychain.

I suspect the buttons would be the first key component to give out first. But over that time, the flash storage probably would have increased 5-10-folds at the same price point and it's probably time to upgrade anyway.

As for the casing. It's plastic. Short of cosmetic wear and tear, it should last a heck of a long time. 10000+ years in the landfill...

i have a flash drive that i have dropped off my house many times (20ft down) and it landed on a very hard surface but i still use it all the time. im not sure about how long the controlls could last but the memory is pretty freaken durable.

Quote: Originally posted by smorzander
i have a flash drive that i have dropped off my house many times (20ft down) and it landed on a very hard surface but i still use it all the time. im not sure about how long the controlls could last but the memory is pretty freaken durable.

Might I inquire what you are doing on top of your house waving your flash drive around? LOL


I dropped my shuffle pretty hard on the concrete getting out of my car the other day and it was fine. They don't hit the ground with very much force since they are so light.

My iPod shuffle does NOT scratch easily at all. Just buff it sometimes. (-:

the shuffle doesnt have as much mass as the regular ipod so if u drop it it wont break gravity goes easy on the shuffle lol i have yet to dro pmy mini tho

if i get a shuffle i will take it everywhere and i will finally feel safe bringin an ipod to school

they are very durable i dont go anywhere without it, it doesnt scratch as easy as the reg ipod. Its nice buy one

Quote: Originally posted by Grego
Might I inquire what you are doing on top of your house waving your flash drive around? LOL


I dropped my shuffle pretty hard on the concrete getting out of my car the other day and it was fine. They don't hit the ground with very much force since they are so light.

i just like to toss it around (so small and cute) and sometimes it goes shooting off the loft.

My shuffle already has a chip on the edge. and it's only 3 days old. ouch

mine has a chip too but only cause some dumb girl dropped it one asphalt.

My shuffle broke when I had it three days. Then I tried to put my Aplle earphones through the opening in my Apple sport case and cracked one of the sliding locks. So far, I am not impressed with their reliability.