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

We purchased the generation 2 (which has 2x the capacity of this one and doesn't look like this picture at all) Apple iPod Shuffle for our 11 year old daughter on her birthday. Did not buy on eBay. We bought it new because of the pre-Christmas incentives on Apple's web site. This review is about the Shuffle, not the seller, although we got a great deal (free FedEx shipping and free engraving).

I have to say up front that I'm a "gadget queen!" So I was impressed before I took this little critter from the box. It's about the size of a book of matches and weighs next to nothing! We bought it to replace a Sony CD player, and it holds a ton of songs compared to a CD. My little girl was impressed by how "cute" it was immediately!

Plus, it comes with a kid-friendly clip to attach it to her jacket or shirt. She can dance, run and play without missing a beat--and it didn't fall off.

I can honestly say that I was a bit apprehensive about spending $80 on something so small when she is so young. We thought inititally that she'd probably lose or break it. But we thought the same thing last year when we bit-the-bullet and purchased the Gameboy and in August when we conceded to her "need" for a cell phone (see my review of the Verizon Migo) for her! We decided that because she taken good care of those other electronics, that she had EARNED the right to her first iPod.

The shuffle is her new pride-and-joy, and she takes care of it like a baby! The shuffle only comes in silver, but we picked up a pink "skin" cover on eBay for less than $5 including shipping that protects it from scratches and looks great too!

The sound is spectacular. This is the most impressive feature of the new (2nd generation) shuffle. Our daughter is just "tickled" that it doesn't "skip" like her CD player, so she can move to the music.

We can't speak for the battery life (compared to my iPod mini) or user maintenance because ours is still new, except to say that it has a "dock" that I prefer to just a cable. We leave the dock on her dresser, plugged in, so she can just charge it while she's sleeping.

Loading songs is a cinch! You can pick them manually or have iTunes automatically select songs to copy over. My daughter and I share thousands of songs and can change them when we get bored! We tried buying a knock-off brand, and ended up replacing it for the "real deal" afterall. Invest in the Apple.

Would be an excellent accompaniment to a workout or ride to work on the bus! If you like selecting your songs from a screen or the advanced iPod features like playlists, don't buy the shuffle. This is what it is for the price, but it does not have all the bells and whistles of the larger-capacity iPods. See my review of the iPod mini for a bargain in that arena!

As far as not having a screen, this is not a big deal for her. She was used to a CD that only displayed "track 03" anyhow! And the whole thing weighs less than the headphones of her old system! How cool is that?! Technology! Upgrade to the Shuffle...you won't be sorry! This little critter gets my 5 stars...easily...