The New iPod Shuffle
The little music player that made it a feature to not know what song would play next is back in its new avatar. Shorter, wider and thinner, the the kid iPod sibling is growing up. The new iPod Shuffle is here.
We all got a glimpse of the new Shuffle at the September media event, where Steve Jobs debuted the new iPod lineup. Usually events like that were followed by a reopening of the online Apple store with the new products available to buy immediately. Not this time- the Shuffle took many weeks to finally appear in stores, online and offline. Starting tomorrow, you can buy one for yourself.
The new Shuffle features an aluminum design and a nifty clip to wear your music. This 1GB flash-based player costs $79 comes with a dock to replenish its battery and its music collection. The iPod nano starts at $149 and so the Shuffle fills a huge void in the iPod lineup, both in terms of price and size. It just isn’t always comfortable to work out with a regular iPod or a nano.
The Shuffle comes in at a 1.62 inch height, a 1.07 inch width and 0.41 inch depth- that depth includes the clip, which makes it fatter than the iPod nano (0.26 inches). In fact, it is surprising how little difference there is in the dimensions between the latest revisions of the shuffle and the nano. The shuffle is, however, less than half the nano’s weight at 0.55 ounce.
To welcome the new Shuffle in to this world, Apple has released a minor revision of the iTunes software- this time, it is version 7.02 and in class terse, Apple fashion, we are told that in addition to support for the second generation iPod Shuffle, some stability and performance issues have been resolved.
The new iTunes version is available through iTunes’ own Update feature, Software Update on the Macintosh or from the Apple iTunes website.
The iTunes store is also growing quite dramatically in the weeks before the much hyped launch of the so-called “iPod Killer”, Microsoft’s Zune music player and Zune Marketplace. The iTunes store just added a Latino section- called iTunes Latino this week with music, audiobooks, music videos and video programs. The video content has been acquired through deals with Telemundo and the mun2 youth network. When the Zune comes to town in 2 weeks, the iPod lineup and the iTunes store collection will be at full strength.
The second generation iPod shuffle did miss its October ship date, but it will be available at Apple’s Store online for $79 with free shipping and free laser engraving.
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Comments
This model will best all the iPod models this Xmas. It is a great stocking stuffer for the price!
Agreed. I want one of these more than any of the other iPods…
Nice design, I always liked my shuffle better than my 30 GB regular one, I bought the regular one quite some time ago and I ended up selling it, I really didn’t have much use for it, who needs a gazillion songs when 240 carefully selected songs will do, you value each song better than 30 GB worth not to mention the mystery of not knowing which song will play next, anyways, with shuffle you can pretty much guarantee every song you hear will be one of your favorites.
the much hyped launch of the so-called “iPod Killer”, Microsoft’s Zune music player and Zune Marketplace.
I wish people would stop using this term as if these rival companies call their own products “iPod killers.” In fact, the ONLY time I ever hear any product referred to this way, it is an Apple-fan site using it mockingly.
I always hated the design of the original Shuffle. This new one is a marked improvement in design and a better price. I don’t have much use for one, but I can see the appeal.
This new one is a marked improvement in design
Except that it lacks the USB port which was great when you wanted to use it as a memory stick. Loving the clip action though.
the ONLY time I ever hear any product referred to this way, it is an Apple-fan site using it mockingly.
That is peculiar since I see it used all the time on places like engadget and cnet… in fact pretty much anywhere that reports about MP3 players.
(I’ve even seen it in the Guardian newspaper.)
The term “ipod killer” returns 45 results on cnn.com.
31 results on Fox News.
28 times on Guardian.co.uk
and 41 times on BBC
It’s hardly something that we fan sites made up- it is a term I am genuinely fed up with hearing from the “mainstream media” (which is another term I am genuinely fed up with hearing).
It’s hardly something that we fan sites made up
I’m saying that’s the only time I ever see it. Whether that comes from the media or not, the point is that no company calls their own product an “iPod killer.” And if they do, they’re idiots.
Except that it lacks the USB port which was great when you wanted to use it as a memory stick. Loving the clip action though.
It does? Then how do you connect it?
It has a custom usb connection through the headphones port. So you need to use the special cable with miniscule dock-like thing that goes into the headphones port.
Neat, but not quite as convenient as a proper USB port.
Can you listen to headphones at the same time it’s connected? That seems like kind of a rig, and a step backward in terms of functionality.
You know what would be great for iTunes and iPod?
An iTunes store that sold movies and videos in Canada… I feel left out in the dark up here…
Yes, we do have electricity.
Can you listen to headphones at the same time it’s connected? That seems like kind of a rig, and a step backward in terms of functionality.
No, since the dock plugs into the headphones socket. Kind of a rig? Like, on a ship?