Apple iPod shuffle 1st Generation (512 MB) MP3 Player

When the iPod Shuffle arrived, it was Apple’s response to the wave of flash MP3 players taking a share of the market – the iPod of course was a bigger success than anyone could have imagined, but it was still too large and bulky for the active user (someone wanting to take it on a jog, use it while spinning, etc). The Shuffle was supposed to be Apple’s claim on this segment of the market – light, portable and durable MP3 players that value portability over functionality.

The trouble however is that the Shuffle compromises too much on functionality – personally, I don’t get very excited about an MP3 player:

1) without an LCD screen
2) without playlist capability
3) that requires the use of a rope around your neck
4) an armband (essential) for athletic use costs an extra ~$30

This doesn’t bother many people – and if it doesn’t bother you, than the Shuffle is a great choice. Personally, I think the design of the Shuffle is super cool and typical Apple. However, in terms of portable flash players, my prefence is the Rio Forge series and there are lines of plenty of other alternatives. All cost less and, in my opinion, are better values.

While my clear preference for these kind of MP3 players is not the Shuffle – I can’t help but leave positive reviews for its sleek, different and sexy design – which certainly is enough of a selling point for many consumers.

My advice – think about what features and functions you want in an MP3 player before buying.

Apple products are Apple products and they will always have compatibility issues with Windows. I had to make a few tweaks to my machine in order for it to recognize the connection of the Shuffle. This stands true for any Apple product. Know what you are dealing with when you buy their products and opt not to run them on an Apple machine.

Now for the Shuffle.

Being a previous owner of an iPod shuffle I have nothing but great things to say about it. Maybe the one single and only flaw would be that it is so small and light weight, that it caused me to lose it at the gym! I replaced it with a Nano and now have my regrets.

I assume people looking to potentially buy an iPod shuffle have also considered the so-called ''better'' products Apple offers in the MP3 player category.

Let me start off by saying the only reason you should consider another product is if you absolutely must have a color screen. I replaced my shuffle with a Nano because the price differential was not too much greater. Well the battery on my Nano lasts 1/4 the amount of time the one on my shuffle did. Secondly, the iPod nano as well as all the other iPod products show an extreme level of wear and scratching after minimal use, REGARDLESS OF HOW CAREFUL YOU ARE. I am as careful as can be, and yet my iPod nano looks like it got ran over my a squadron of dump trucks!

My iPod shuffle would actually produce better sound quality than the Nano, and the battery life was a significant improvement.

Might I add the Shuffle hardly weighs anything at all! Great for people who prefer their own soundtrack at the gym.

I've owned a wide variety of MP3 players and this was my best purchase.

All apple products come with a poor set of headphones so consider an upgrade. Blew out both the Nano and Shuffle headphones after a week.

If you pass on the Shuffle and buy another Apple iPod, make sure to get a case.

Recommended? Certainly!

own a 30 gig iPod photo, but bought the iPod Shuffle purely for working out. Its great I just throw it in my shorts pocket or use the built in arm band when I run. I warn you that even though the shuffle is small it does not have a screen. So for anyone out there who likes to build a playlist before your treadmill run you are going to be out of luck. This unit is strictly designed to be light weight (.78 ounces) and small (3.3 x 0.98 x 0.33 inches).

Now I've had the unit about 3 months so I feel I've had it long enough to comment on its durability and general use. I own a mac and a pc, so I've experience the set up on both computers and have to say it has worked brilliantly. One bonus of the ipod shuffle is that you can put files on it, so for example if you want to bring your work home with you, simply drag and drop the file onto your shuffle and bring it home. It is so handy for someone who lives a fast paced life like me.

In terms of features the iPod shuffle has no screen, only five buttons and a little slider on the back that turns the ipod on/off, shuffle or repeat. Anyone can learn to use this device in seconds, wether you are 16 or 80 this device will fit in your hand and you will "get it" within seconds. However don't have too much fun with it, because the battery only last 12 hours. Most other players of this size last much longer because they run on AA batteries, however with the shuffle it has a built in rechargeable. You will not be pumping this thing full of batteries but you maybe charging it more than you would like too.

Now this device at the time of my writing is $99.99 retail, but on eBay you can find it for much less!

Below I've listed some more of the great features of this device

-12 hour battery life
-512 megs holds 125 songs
-MSC Compatible for drag and droping of data files
-USB 2.0 for Fast Transfers
-Very Durable and has no moving parts

Ok I know a lot of people who don't like this because of the absence of a screen and all but personally I didn't find that to be much of a problem. It's cheap enough for your average person and it carries quite a punch as far as volume goes. It says it will hold 120 songs. I have 138 on mine and still have a little room left. The shuffle feature is cool for a while but I never use it anymore. Still if you don't mind not having the screen and you're looking for a cheap MP3 player this is the one to go with.

Quite frankly, I almost prefer this over the Regular iPOD!! We have had to replace our 40GB six times (at Apple's expense thanks to the protection plan and it breaking down every few months) but this seems to hold up better - though again, knowing Apple I bought a protection plan and have had to have a new model once...and its only been 4 months!!
The 512MB holds about 120 songs, you can plug it directly into your computer via the USB port and either let iTunes chose for you, or you can customize your selection. I personally prefer the latter - that way I can pick my favorite songs of the moment and know whatever comes next I will like it! If you do not like some of your songs from the iTunes random selection...you could be there a while trying to find what you like!!
It is tiny weighing in at just 8oz so is great for the gym as is the fact that is does not skip!
I also like the fact that you can either play your songs alphabetically or shuffle for that element of surprise....maybe not good for control freaks as there is no screen to let you know what is playing! Also beware that you may have to search a while through your songs to get to the one you want....with no screen / selection ability, you literally have to keep clicking forward to get to what you want! Apple promote this with the element of surprise being a selling point - that's their gimic...its not always such a cool feature and many similar models from other companies have the ability to navigate quickly to your song selection while still remaining at a comparable price point!
I also wish it would shuffle a little better sometimes...from my 120 songs the same ones can pop up again and again, forcing me to revert to normal play to find that song I want!
However I do like this, it is sleek, compact and has remarkable good sound quality, my only concern is that our first model died very quickly...it started by not holding a charge and then nothing...I hope it was a fluke and not a sign of things to come! Much as I love my iPod....I can only recommend it if you are also going to buy a replacement plan...particularly for the higher end models!

The iPod Shuffle seems like it would be a great buy. You see the price compared to the other iPods and you see the size compared to them too and you think to yourself that is awesome. However there is no LCD screen nor is there any playlist and for that price you could do a whole lot better. The iPod shuffle is not worth the money that you would spend on it. If you really wanted a 512 or 1GB mp3 player the Zen Nano which is the same sizes but cheaper, not only that but they have a LCD screen, FM Radio, voice recorder and comes in 10 different colours.

To start off with this review, I would like to comment on a few things.

1. Apple designed this w/o the LCD, so don't tell people that it lacks one, it is designed w/o one.

2. Apple is designing this device to be simple, don't expect too much features for the given low price.

First impressions: Good price, Good package, you get Player, Lanyard, USB cap, and also the famous white earbuds(which is crap and you should get something else)

Sound: better than the Nano or any other Ipods(excluding the 5th Gen, the ipod video), improved bass...but there's a noticible hiss in between songs, thats the only draw back. Mids and Highs are good.

Design: Lightweight, simple, amazing...

Last Words: Good for it's price, if you want something with more functions, go pay more and get something else... excellent sound quality

I had been wanting an MP3 player for quite some time, but never had the money or time to go get one. So when I got 50 bucks for my birthday, I felt it was time. I knew I didn't want anything huge, and I only had 50 bucks. The iPod Shuffle (1st Gen) was small, very light, and most of all, CHEAP. I bought mine for about $40 and also ordered an armband to have it when I workout.

I cant say enough about the Shuffle. I have never drained the battery (Apple says about 8-10 hours), and it holds more than enough songs (about 120) for a workout or study session. When I need a change of music, I just plug it into my computer and change out the songs. It only takes about ten minutes to change all of the songs on it, which, coincidentally, is how long it takes me to shower after a workout. It also doubles as my USB flash drive when I need to save files from my computer.

Now granted, this is my first MP3 player so I can't compare it to any others, but the only bad thing I have to say about the iPod Shuffle is that you get sucked into buying all of the accessories that come along with it. Soon after I bought it, I got a cool looking dock, a new pair of headphones (even though the Apple headphones work great, they are not waterproof), and a silicone case to protect it. I imagine that there will be more accessories in the future, but for right now, I'm good. It would be helpful to have a display to see what song is playing, but as I have all of my songs memorized, that isn't much of a problem. Also, Apple and many other 3rd party companies don't make a lot of items for the Shuffle, as most of their efforts are focused on the Nano and the Video iPods. But that said, if you are looking for an MP3 player that will support the songs that you bought at the Apple Music Store, and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, go for the iPod Shuffle

The shuffle is the best option for kids, they all want an iPod, but the other models with a built in hard drive are risky for kids who may not be as careful as we would like. That combined with the size, sound portability... this is an awesome MP3 choice. You can't go wrong with iPod and shuffle is no exception.

as an owner of an ipod shuffle i want to address that so what if it dosent have a screen.I hear people all the time complaining about the fact that there is no screen so you really choose what song comes on next.What i dont understand is if you fill it up with all your favorite songs,wich is what its for then why does it matter what song comes on next if there all you favorites?my friend says he is switching from a shuffle to a nano because he wants a screen.If there are others who are thinking the same about changing your mind from buying a shuffle to a nano,or getting a new nano because you want a screen the nano gets worn down very easily.after a couple of days the surface looks like a battlefield.if you wear rubber gloves while handling one it will still wear down.and the regular ipod is just to big for my taste.yes it holds an impressive amount of songs but really how are you going to listen to 15,000 songs?if you are like me, and you like a small little gadget that plays song,and holds at least a hundered then the shuffle is perfect for you.yes it might not hold thousands but it holds enough for a jog,or an airplane flight,or a hike, or even if you just wanna sit down and listen to it.I have no problem with the fact the it has no screen.in fact i think it kind of nice becaue you never know what will come on next.And do agree that the price is just a little high but its stil a very good mp3 player.and yes it is very small and light weight so u do have to be a little carefull.But it also comes with some nice upgrades.I woudnt have my ipod any other way.

I liked the iPod shuffle, it plays my mp3s and serves it's purpose. The only thing I do not like about it is that you will not know what's going to play next. But again, that's why it's called shuffle. For $69 it's very good. I have not tried other mp3 players and I'm sure there are others for the same price that will be better. iTunes is a pain in the neck to use specially if you use more than one computer. When I plug the shuffle on one and then the other, it erases everything I have on the shuffle.

Girls and boys, do yourselves a favour... For the money that they want for this thing, you can get a much better, much more functional MP3. Alternatively, pay less and STILL get all of the aforementioned. I am a HUGE fan of the i-Pod, but really, this little thing is unfathomably crap for the money...

The iPod shuffle is an amazing device, if you are comparing it to a portable DVD player or the original Sony Walkman that started the whole portable music revolution. The shuffle is slim, sexy and slips easily into a pocket or purse. These features, coupled with it being an Apple product that is selling for half the cost of the original iPod, has made it an impulse buy for many people.

For those who take the time to do a detailed comparison with other digital music / MP3 players, the Shuffle starts to look a little anemic and less of a value.

The Pros (Positives)

+ It Sounds Great! The original iPod as well as the iPod Mini have gotten bad marks for low-end (base) output. The shuffle makes even the lower-end earbuds it comes with sound super. Higher end earphones sound fabulous!

+ The four-way rocker plus pause/play switch on the front is convenient and simple to operate. The same can be said for the two position power switch and battery-check button on the rear.

+ The Shuffles .08 Ounce weight and lipstick-on-steroids size make it extremely easy to take with you.

+ Because the iPod Shuffle IS an Apple, technical and 3rd-party product support is strong.

Cons (Negatives)

- No Display! No Display! No Display! Can you tell I think this is extremely important? Without a display and no way to select individual songs or play lists or even tell the status of your battery at a glance, the Shuffle is crippled in comparison to even some of the $39.95 memory-stick players on the market.

- Low Comparable Value. There are a large number of similarly-sized players available, with additional features like A Display, FM Radio, WMA and open MP3 support, for as little as $49.95. To view a list of eBay auctions for 512M players that fit this description, use the following path and search criteria:

Buy> Consumer Electronics> MP3 Players & Accessories> Search for 'mp3 player 512'

- Proprietary Software / Format(s). The Shuffle comes with a customized version if iTunes that locks you into the iTunes site for music downloads. Although iTunes has a lot to offer, I would rather have an MP3 player that was WMA (Windows Media Audio) compliant. The WMA standard is supported by many Online Music Vendors, as well as an increasing number of audio blog sources.

If you’re a Mac user don't think you need a Mac MP3 player! Many other MP3 players support BOTH Macs and PCs.

- Limited Color Choices. 'OK,' I admit it's not that big a deal. Still, with other vendors I can choose to give my girl/girlfriend/wife her favorite hot pink color MP3 player, give other people yellow, green, blue, etc. and get myself the sleek black color I prefer.

The iPod Shuffle demonstrates that affordable and useful personal electronics can come in a small and attractive package. For me, the Apple name is not enough to justify spending more for fewer features!

I just got my iPod Shuffle, and it's awesome! It can store over 100 songs and if you're worried that that's not enough, you can take songs off of your iPod, keep them in your iTunes library, and put them back on later if you want. True, it's not quite as good as the other iPods, but is definitely the most portable iPod yet.

I bought this for a daughter, but chose to keep it for myself because it is so easy to use and easy to carry around. This purchase prompted me to buy other MP3s from EBay.

This is the second iPod shuffle that I have purchased from this company and I am completley satisfied with the product and with the shipping/packageing of the product. All was as stated, and in the case of the second iPod, in better condition than discribed. The reason I did not give the company an Excellent rating is that they did not acknowledge once that I had sent the payment and even went as far as to put in an alert to ebay concerning this. Two messages were sent, one on the day the payment was sent (1 NOV), and again two days later. An alert was placed on my account, and that could have been avoided if they had checked their email. The alert was not removed as of today, ten days after the payment was received and the item shipped. I would recomend that the company not only check their emails, but reply to emails that are sent to them. It may cause some to not want to do buisness with them again. All things concidered, I would still buy and recommend others to buy from them. They have good products.

I didnt like that you couldnt see what you were listing to. I Went out and bought a new nano and i like that so much better plus i like that you could hold more songs. i did like the size of the shuffle.

I bought this item because I was in need of a portable mp3 players so I decided to buy one of the most popular models. I choose ebay and a power seller because I felt that I would be protected against scams and that I would have little problems with a ebay power seller

I really can't say what I like about this product because I never received it.

I disliked the entire transaction. I kept in constant contact with the seller and informed him of when the payment was sent and everything else. That did not help because he sent me a non-payment dispute and then informed me a couple of hours later that he had receive my payment(non-payment dispute is still on my account). So I ended up having to file a dispute myself because I was supposed to recieved my item in 1-6 days. I waited for a few days and then 9 days after he claimed I made my payment, he sent me a notice telling me he had sent my ipod on the 10th. Nothing ever came and after countless emails, he finally replied and told me that my refund was coming. Two weeks later and I have not recieved anything yet and he has not returned any of my emails. This is the second time that I have been scammed on ebay and it does not seem like ebay has/will do anything. BEWARE!!!!!!

I bought my Apple Ipod shuffle and armband to wear when I work out at Curves. I hate their music!!!! Loading music onto it is a breeze! It's so light weight you forget it's there, which is great, I can concentrate on my workout. I know I have about 75 or 80 songs on it, it's like a miniature jukebox. I love it! It's worked out really well for me.

I love the shuffle I didn't purchase it from ebay. But I want to let everyone who's looking to purchase one it's perfect. Yes, it lacks a screen but who cares! When you can carry it and listen to your favorite songs anywhere. It also holds a good amount of songs on it. you can wash dishes, workout, jog, cook and still listen to your ipod, Without interuption which is great to me.

The iPod shuffle is a gem in the rough of the iPod line, although it lacks the ease of access to music the rest of the iPods have, it surprisingly has the best sound quality by far. Frankly, if you don't mind the lack of control (which can be handled by having well-managed playlists) the sound quality is markedly better than the rest.

I, as an owner of one, strongly encourage you to buy one of these. The iPod nano, video... Who needs 'em. This is the mp3 player for the person that loves the music because it's music. Not because it has a music video or a bunch of info on the band, but because it is the music we love to hear. If you want to buy all the other and more expensive versions, then that's your loss.

I recieved mine as a gift, and though I will have to admit It would be nice if it had a display, but most of you are forgetting that is is called Apple iPod Shuffle.... It was designed to give you the ability to put around 120 of your favorite songs and play them in a different order everytime. Now if they are you favorites and you have it on shuffle to get a nice variety...Why do you need a display?????? Works great...Handy that it doubles as a USB Thumb Drive

Would definetly buy one now that I've got it and know how nice it is.