Apple 1GB iPod Shuffle Reviews

The Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle is the largest capacity mp3 player from Apple's bottom line of iPods
taking the methodology of minimalism to a whole new level.

Credit should be given where it's due and Apple certainly deserves plenty of it for being able to advertise a product for it's lack of features, which by no means is easy in today's market of more is better.

Firstly the Shuffle is unmistakably Apple styling, from the simple button layout to the trademark white that Apple is well recognised for, the small player definitely looks the part. The most striking aspect most will come across is the lack of display, which has become a de facto standard in mp3 players available to date. But this lack of display also perfectly fits in line with Apple's minimalist approach. This can be quite frustrating especially for those who forget artist's names and/or track names, without connecting the Shuffle back to the computer and finding the specific track there's no way to find out any information on the track that's playing.

The player essentially has two functions playing stored tracks randomly or in order, both features the Shuffle executes without issue. Although when playing in order the lack of display has another effect; forcing navigation through the tracks to be track by track only. With a 1GB capacity some may find themselves hitting that skip button quite often.

Although sound quality is very subjective audiophiles out there will be pleased to know that for such a small player the Shuffle has very good sound reproduction. This includes an improvement on the bass issue many noted of earlier generation iPods, which is certainly less evident in the Shuffle.

The battery life as noted in the specification is reasonable at 12 hours and on par with competing players in the same class, although with the reduced number of features it would be nice if Apple had provided a longer battery life. The battery on the Shuffle is integrated with the player and charging occurs via the USB slot, charging through the mains is possible, but a seperate charger must be purchased in order to do so. This is slightly
disappointing since this means without purchase of the extra charger, you'll always need access to a computer in order to charge the Shuffle.

Key Technical Specifications:

• Capacity: 1GB or 240 Songs (Encoded at 128kbps AAC @ 4 minutes per Track)


• Battery life: Up to 12hrs


• Charge time: 4hrs


• Formats: MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store, M4A, M4B, M4P), Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4) and WAV

The Shuffle provides the quality typical of Apple, but the promotion of lack of features as a feature is tough to swallow. For those who like simplistic operation and are not swayed by additional features this is for you, but for everyone else who like a little more control over what is playing look elsewhere.