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

Pros:

1. Price - The iPod Shuffle is cheaper than most flash-based MP3 players having the same amount of memory.

2. The famous iPod elegance and simplicity - all iPods are designed so well, are easy to learn and a joy to use.

3. Size/weight - even compared to other flash-based players, the iPod shuffle is small and very, very light.

4. Plays AAC files - This is the real selling point for people who already own iPods and have a substantial library of music already in AAC format. You might not feel too comfortable bringing your $300, 6-ounce iPod to the gym, with its delicate hard drive and other moving parts. Now you can load 6 or more workouts' worth of tunes onto a device that weighs less than 1 ounce and has no moving parts. While there are many such flash-based players on the market, the iPod shuffle is the only one that can play tunes from your existing collection of iPod-friendly AAC files.

5. Amazing sound quality for such a tiny device - I've done careful A/B comparisons between my iPod shuffle and my "big" iPod (which has awesome sound quality), and it's extremely hard to detect any difference in sound quality.

Cons:

1. No LCD display to help you navigate among the songs on the player. In my view, this will be the deal-killer for many people who would otherwise buy an iPod shuffle in a heart-beat. Say you load 100 songs on your iPod shuffle. Once you unplug it from your computer, the only way you have to navigate to a specific song is to keep forwarding to the next song until you find the one you want. What a pain! Those clever Apple marketing folks have tried to put a positive spin on this, saying "Random is the new order" and calling the player "the iPod shuffle." But people aren't stupid. Anyone familiar with flash-based players knows that almost all of them have displays to help people quickly navigate among the tunes on their player.

2. No FM tuner or voice recorder. Many other flash-based MP3 players have these features (though none as inexpensive as the iPod shuffle).

3. Battery life rated at "up to 12 hours" is low for flash-based MP3 players. Competitors typically achieve 15-20 hours. However, to be fair to the iPod shuffle, the competing models usually require you to use AA or AAA batteries, which adds to the weight of the device.


OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Despite its name, the iPod shuffle does not force you to listen to your tunes in random order. Using the iTunes software on your computer, it's easy to create a playlist or download specific songs you choose to your iPod shuffle, and then listen to them in the order in which they were downloaded to the player.

If you're not familiar with the iTunes software, let me tell you - it is very well-designed and easy to use. (If you'd like, you can download it free from itunes.com and start using it now, before even buying an iPod, to see how you like it!) iTunes makes it easy to manage your library of MP3 and AAC files, and download and manage the music on your iPods. iTunes is also your portal to Apple's online music store, where you can download almost any song for 99 cents or almost any album for $9.99. However, the iTunes software does NOT push you to shop at Apple's online music store - you don't ever have to see if if you don't want to.

Now that I've lived with my iPod shuffle for a while, I've adapted to the lack of display, and really don't mind not having one. I also like the simplicity of the iPod shuffle.