I just got my new shuffle in the mail today. I needed something for running and dreadmilling when it is too snowy/icy to run outside.
My initial impressions:
Pros
Great little thing (small)
strong clip
easy to use (hooray for buttons!)
simple, multi-position switch on the top lets you play in order or shuffle. Voice over button is easy to use and works well.
Easy to sync (choose playlists, genius playlists, albums, artists, podcasts, etc...)
Looks good (see my notes about online photos at the bottom)
Long (15h) battery life.
EDIT: A "hold" function has been added, just hold the center button to activate and deactivate, good feature. It would be useful if I had just gotten mine, but I learned how to use it without the feature so I don't end up using hold much.
Cons
None. (As far am I concerned, there are cons like "no screen" and such, but if you order this to get an ipod shuffle, not a nano or other mp3 player, you will not be disappointed. I was not let down at all).
EDIT: After some thought and use, I thought of some cons.
$50 for 2gb is not a great price compared to other mp3 players.
2gb might be limiting to you. This just means you have to choose or let itunes choose what music goes on there carefully.
Because the buttons take up most of the front of the ipod, it can be hard to use the clip while it is turned on without pressing the next button.
Conclusion:
If you know what an ipod shuffle does, need a reasonable music player that syncs with your itunes, and don't need more. GET ONE!!! I can't imagine you will be let down.
One last note: From all the photos online, you can't really tell, bu this is not a matte finish ipod. The finish is shiny, but not mirror-y. And actually, no one will care about this, but the top and bottom are matte silver. It looks good. Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Blue (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL
Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL
I bought the Ipod Shuffle 4th generation to replace my 5th generation 30 gb Ipod, which now has inadequate battery power. I have used the Shuffle for a few days now, since it arrived in the mail from Amazon.com. There are a few small downsides too it, that can easily be ignored. The usb cord that plugs into both the computer and ipod shuffle is about four inches long. It's also hard to clip the shuffle onto my pants without pressing a button at the same time. I don't mind these cons as long as I'm careful not to lose the short cord. I also don't mind pressing a button (usually on the face) while I clip it onto my pants, as it usually just rewinds the song a few seconds, or skips to the next song--which can easily be set back to the original song by pressing the back button.
I really like the VoiceOver feature on the Shuffle. In a feminine monotone voice, it'll tell you what song you're listening too or what playlist you're using. And for 2gb of music, it's not bad, and holds just about as much music as I will ever need. I also like how I can put playlists on the Shuffle, which can come in handy when I want to listen to a certain genre.
I should also mention that I chose the blue color. It's not the same color as the display picture, and is actually more of a smoky blue color--which is still a really pretty color.
________
I copy and pasted the following from the Apple website for those who are confused on how to use the VoiceOver feature (Like I was). [...]
VoiceOver
Artist and song name:
Press to hear current track and artist
Multiple playlists:
Press and hold to hear playlist menu.
Battery status:
Press twice to hear battery status
Just to correct some of the previous reviews...the big problem with the 3rd gen shuffle was not that it was "too small" or even that the controls were not on the unit itself, but instead were on the headphone line...the problem was if those controls got even the SLIGHTEST (and I do mean slightest) bit of moisture on them it would totally jack up the shuffle. Now, what kind of activities would most people buy the tiny shuffle mp3 player for versus a nano or standard iPod? Oh, maybe jogging or working out? And what do you do with physical activities like this? That's right, you sweat! So it doesn't take a rocket scientiest to see the problem with the 3rd gen shuffle...a problem that should have been seen before they ever even produced it. Just read all the reviews for the 3rd gen and you'll see that this was not just a minor issue, but a huge one that the majority of the users had to deal with. It is good to see they came to their sense and we can once again use the shuffle during exercise.
The iPod that I currently use on a daily basis is my Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Silver (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL. The main problem with THAT UNIT for me is that there is no other option than to use the Apple earphones, seems a greedy move by Apple. When the 4th generation came along, and I heard it had buttons I started to get excited. I would be able to use the Bose In Ear headphones with it. I don't exactly know why, but I wished the second generation shuffle would become available again. There was no hold function on the unit I tested, and the square shape wasn't something I was accustomed to.
Here's a general list of pros & cons:
PROS:
-Longer battery life[15h, compared to 10h on 3rd gen, and 12h on 1st & 2nd gen]
-BUTTONS were returned to the unit itself [not on the earphone cord]
-Price dropped to $49, dropped by about 17%
-Another color choice added, ORANGE
CONS:
-Price, $49 for 2GB, not great compared to other brands
-No hold function, though I hear Apple might add one
-No option for 4GB of storage anymore
-USB cable is 45mm[about 1.8 inches] VERY SHORT
-When the clip is pushed, it's hard not to push one of the buttons
-Buttons slightly harder to press than other models
-Square shape makes it harder to use when not looking.
Thanks for reading, hope the review helped. - Ipod - 4g - Exercise - Mp3 Player'
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