iPod Shuffle continued

So far, there hasn't been any new reviews for the iPod Shuffle. I posted Walt Mossberg's review of the Shuffle. I was hoping that iPodLounge would already have a review. Apparently not.

UPDATE:
There has been new reviews ths week. Go to my iPod Shuffle Reviews post.

I also got an email from my cousin, Aivory (Hi, cuz! Missing you tons, too!), who asked for my "wise advice" on her predicament.

I can't really call myself "wise" nor an "adviser" but I'll try to put things in perspective.

The iPod Shuffle is an MP3 player that is accentuated by its minimalistic looks.



It just has a nav wheel in front and nothing else. At the back is the slider and the battery indicator light. On top is the plug for the headphones and at that bottom is the detachable cover for the USB plug. That's it. You can remove the USB cover and then use the lanyard attachment so you can hang in around your neck.

I'll skip the techinical details for now since my cousin's waiting for my 'advice'. : ) I'll go into technical details when I get my hands on one.

There are a lot of things to like about the iPod Shuffle and a lot of things not to like. I'll start with the things not to like.

First and foremost, and the most common complaint is: there's no LCD screen. How can you browse through your playlists? How can you choose the songs that you like? A lot of those who have used iRiver, Samsung, or other MP3 players are very quick to point this out. What's my take on this? We'll tackle that later.

Second is that the Shuffle is actually longer than most of the other MP3 players out there. The dimensions are: 3.3"x 0.98" x 0.33". BUT, it's a lot heck thinner.

Third; it doesn't have the features most have: FM tuner, recording capability and LCD (as previously mentioned). My take: how often do you need to record something? I can't remember the last time that I wanted to record anything. On FM Tuners; undestandably, people would like to take a break from listening to their playlists and get the randomness and chatter from the radio. But to be quite honest, I don't have a need for it. There're only 3 DJs that I like listening to and they're from only one station here in Davao. There rest I rather not listen to their mindless babble and ear-grating accents.

Fourth; lanyard + earphones = a tangle. This is true. There probably is a slim chance of getting your self strangled when using the iPod Shuffle with the lanyard if you're not careful. Seriously though, the wires and the lanyard does create some sort of a mess. But this can be alleviated by a) putting the Shuffle in your pocket or b) buying the arm band accessory (more spending). I really can't say how much a bother it would be unless I get to use it myself.

Those are the cons of the Shuffle. Now for the pros.

Please understand that I am an Apple product user. I am currently writing this blog on my iBook. I was introduced to Apple about a year ago. Now, I am planning to sell my desktop PC since I don't use it that often anymore. I only use it to backup files, scan and play Need for Speed Underground 2. When I get rid of the desktop I can actually: buy a hard disk drive enclosure to back up files in, use the scanner with my iBook and play NFSU2 in a Playstation 2 or Xbox console.

I digress.

Now, as an iBook user, I learned to appreciate Apple products more so that after 9 months of purchasing the iBook, I bought an iPod Mini. With the iBook I didn't have to worry about crashes and viruses and spywares. The iBook and iPod Mini are stylish and elegant and ensures head turning and double takes from other people. This is why I might buy the Shuffle.

Needless to say, my comments about the Shuffle will be heavily biased. But I'll try to keep my objectivity.

Why am I going to buy the Shuffle?

First; price per megabyte, it's the cheapest around. The 512MB model is priced at $99 which amounts to 19 cents per MB and the 1GB is at $149 (14 cents/MB). Compare this to the Rio Forge Sport 512MB (28 cents/MB) or to the iRiver iFP-190T 256MB (50 cents/MB) or to the Creative Nomad MuVo NX 256MB (50 cents/MB). Admittedly, the Shuffle doesn't have the bells and whistles as some of the aforementioned products like FM tuner, recording capability, LCD screen, etc...

Personally, I don't need the radio (I don't listen to it much except when driving), I can't think of anything to record and I don't care for the idea of peering into a small LCD screen that usually displays only one song at a time. It that's the case, doesn't that make the idea of an LCD screen useless. I think that the navigation wheel on the Shuffle will be enough when you want to look for a particular song. But even that idea is wrong. The reason why you have the Shuffle is so that you can put your favorite songs in it. So wouldn't that mean most of the songs that are going to play will more or less be the ones the you'd like to hear. That makes an LCD screen useless.

Second likeable thing about the Shuffle, at 512MB you can put up to 120 of your favorite songs into the Shuffle and listen away. Let's say an average song will last 4 minutes. It follows that you have up to 480 minutes or 8 hours of listening around your neck or in your pocket or on your arm. I don't think I can listen to 480 songs straight. My ears would fall off!

Third thing is the battery is built in, it's rechargable and it's supposed to last 12 hours (but Walt Mossberg reported reaching up to 15 hours 44 minutes). There are several things wrong and several things right about an internal, rechargable battery.

Wrong: Once you've listened 12 hours straight and the battery dies you can't remove the battery and listen for 12 hours more.
Right: Who can listen for 12 hours straight? Why not plug it in your PC or laptop to recharge at the end of the day?

Wrong: Other MP3 players allows me to buy a AAA battery so I can replace it anytime I want to.
Right: A rechargable battery is the way to go in the long run. Saves on costs and help save the environment. Go green!

Wrong: After listening 12 hours straight I won't be able to listening to my favorite tunes if I can't find a PC or laptop to plug into.
Right: The iPod Shuffle comes with accessories one of which is the iPod Shuffle External Battery Pack.

This allows you to listen to 20 more hours after the internal battery is drained. It uses 2 AAA batteries and cost $29. Doesn't this negate my earlier statement of cost saving and pro green? Of course it does! But you don't have to buy it. It's just an accessory. An option. Not a must have.

Wrong: It's a lithium ion battery and after several recharge cycles the battery life will slowly decrease.
Right: As with any gadget that uses rechargable batteries there will be a decrease in battery life as time goes by. But this to be expected. There are ways to maximize your rechargable device and after 2 years do you think you'd still be using the Shuffle?

(Note: Just got word the the iPod Shuffle will be available here by the end of January at 6,900 pesos. I'm getting one!)

Fourth. Not only can it play AAC, MP3 and WAV, it can also play Audible's AA format. What is Audbile? It's an online audio bookstore where you can buy your favorite audiobook, download it to your Shuffle and listen away! Aside from listening to U2, Alicia Keys, Green Day, Papa Roach, Good Charlotte, and Usher you can also listen to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, Bill Clinton's My Life or Stephen Covey's The 8th Habit.

Fifth. The file system of the iPod Shuffle is formatted as an MS-DOS volume. What this means is that you can stick the iPod Shuffle into either a Mac or a Windows PC and you can transfer files at will.

Speaking of files, the Shuffle can also double as mobile storage device. You can adjust in iTunes how much space you want to allocate for your songs and for your data.

Number six reason; it's small, it's compact, and in a way, stylish. It looks like a stick of gum or it looks like a device that exudes minimalistic styling. You say PO-TAY-TO and I say PO-TAH-TO.

Aivory: I don't know if I helped you or made things more confusing. This has been one long babble and i honestly forgot what I said in the first few paragraphs.

For me, the Shuffle is an alternative not a replacement for my iPod Mini. I'm still keeping the iPod Mini for times when I want more choices. But for working out or chilling out, the iPod Shuffle is definitely the way to go.

There are still several issues that need to be addressed. One of them is sound quality. I won't expect much from such a device. It doesn't it even have an equalizer (as some have complained). But truth be told, I hardly use the equalizer on my iPod Mini and on my iTunes. So there.