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| Date Reviewed: 11/30/2006 |
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Strengths: Size, ease of use, no hassle charging, price
Weaknesses: Can lose it if you are not careful ! Earphones can be improved
Summary: I have used a lot of other mp3 players. 2nd generation ipod shuffle is the best for my use. I don't need a display nor a video screen, but like to listen to my favorite music when I commute to work. These days, I have also started to put on my ipod while at work. I never wanted a player which needed a battery. It is a hassle to replace batteries or charge them separately. Size of 1gb is ideal as I can listen to almost the entire playlist without break. When it is time to recharge, it is also time to change the songs! So it works perfectly - syncing the ipod and charging it - simultaneously.
This is a great product and a must buy for music lovers who intend only to listen to their favorite music
95% of People (39/41) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/03/2006 |
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Strengths: Sleek aluminum body, tiny size
Weaknesses: No screen, so small - easy to lose or misplace, cant use as a USB memory card, unlike the last gen
Summary: Tiny little thing this is! One has to be careful that they don't sit on it - because if that clip in the back is bent, it wont sit in the dock - and the dock is the only way to connect to the computer to download songs. Overall, it is an improvement over the previous version in terms of size and feel, but the tiny size introduces its own set of problems. No screen, so importing songs could be a hassle. Fortunately the iTunes software is pretty good in terms of managing songs on the iPod, so its not that bad. Overall - nice secondary iPod, good for exercising and outdoors activity, but would I not use it as my primary mp3 payer.
95% of People (20/21) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/14/2006 |
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Strengths: So, so, so, so small!!; Easy iPod interface; includes dock; no need to buy accessories (armband, lanyard)
Weaknesses: Old headphones; compatibility problems with USB storage devices; expensive ($'s/MB)
Summary: I have been an iPod fan for years. While I don't think they provide great value for the dollar (competitors usually provide more features, and cost less), they are usually the best designs and are the easiest to use. I have had the first generation iPod shuffle since it first came out, and use it while I am jogging. It's perfect for this, as I don't need to mess with a screen. I select the songs ahead of time, then hit go! Only thing I have to do is make sure that it's fully charged, as it doesn't last all that long between charges. I used the iPod armband, which worked fine, but the cord would get tangled around my arm or neck at times, since the arm that had the armband would swing so much. In the meantime, Apple came out with the nano, which also uses an armband. The nano is so small, that I thought of picking one up for jogging (actually, I picked one up anyways, but not for running!), as I'd still be able to use an armband. However, I'm glad I waited, as this new Second Generation shuffle is just what I was wanting! No accessories are required, which saves me some money. I just clip it onto my shorts, and I'm off to the races! It's more convenient than the armband solution as it doesn't swing, and I can hit track-skip relatively easy.
My only knock is that I had compatibility on multiple computers when other USB hard drives were attached. I had to rename drive names to prevent conflicts. I had similar problems on the original shuffle, so evidently Apple has not worked out all of these compatibility issues.
Oh, sorry, one more knock! ;-) They included the old headphones, not the new ones that came out with the 5.5G video iPods or 2G nanos. Guess they are trying to clear out old stock...
Be sure and use the iTunes smart playlists to load it up! They work great!

93% of People (57/61) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/13/2006 |
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Strengths: small size with clip, great built quailty, easy to install software
Weaknesses: $80 for 1G is not cheap. no direct USB connection. (have to use USB dock) long charging time.
Summary: bought this last Friday at Apple store. Not many people are interested in Shuffle. I like it because it's size. It is so tiny!!! weights like a few grams. the first time battery charging was 10+ hours. Again, because it doesn't have a screen, you cannot browse what song to play. It's either continuous or shuffled, which I don't mind at all. The only drawback is that you need a USB dock (comes in the box) to connect to a computer and/or charge the battery. This means you cannot use it as a flash memory unless you bring the dock with you. (no big deal, but the old 1st-gen shuffle can) but hell, it's smaller.
92% of People (23/25) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/27/2006 |
- bluescreen
from CA
- Member Since:
Jul 2005
View Member's: Reviews | Lists
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Strengths: Um, did I mention it's tiny?
Weaknesses: Old earbuds. Which suck.
Summary: Bought this as a jogging companion for my wife. It really boggles the mind to see how tiny it is. The lack of screen has been one of the minor points of contention surrounding this product, and yet this is ideal for a sports device. In addition, the lack of a screen results in a great battery life - around 11 or 12 hours. It seems that Apple is finally learning that it cannot charge 2-3 times the market value for a product simply because it has the Apple logo slapped on it. At $79, this is a great little device. Just make sure to pony-up some extra dough for a real pair of headphones. The earbuds are last-gen, and start to hurt after a couple of hrs.
92% of People (11/12) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/07/2006 |
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Strengths: 1. Portability/size
2. Clip
Weaknesses: 1. Takes long time to charge the battery
2. No screen
3. Hard to navigate. You cannot jump from one CD to another.
4. Included ear buds are too big
Summary: This MP3 player is amazingly small. You can listen to songs while you commute, exercise, and etc. I really like the clip feature. For other compact MP3 players, you will have to purchase a special arm band to put it on for exercise. For this MP3 player, you just find a place to clip, and it stays there nicely during an exercise. Sound is reasonable. As long as you well manage a list of songs in the iTune, you won't be annoyed while navigating songs. This MP3 player is for someone who needs a very basic feature and portability. Battery life is reasonable, lasting 12 hours.
90% of People (18/20) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/30/2006 |
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Strengths: compact size, alluminum shell
Weaknesses: none
Summary: The new ipod shuffle is really small, 1.5 inches long and 1 inch wide. Compared with nano, it is a little thick, but that is because of the clip. Based on its size, 1GB capacity and 12hr battery life are not bad. The sound quality is as good as (or as bad as ^-^) regular ipod, but how much can you expect from such a portable device? Finally, I agree it is pricy, however, the design and the construction are worth that much.
90% of People (9/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/24/2006 |
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Strengths: Style; size; weight
Weaknesses: fragile; can't choose order of songa.
Summary: This is a great successor to the original iPod shuffle. It's much more style, attractive, and practical. The clip-on mechanism works well to attach the device in many convenient places. 1GB of Flash is not a huge amount of memory these days, but it more than suffices given the convenience factor. I considered getting an iPod nano, but decided to go with the shuffle simply for the form factor. The built-in clip removes the need to buy a separate holder/arm-band/etc. to carry the unit around.
89% of People (16/18) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 01/30/2007 |
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Strengths: * size
* construction
* ease of use
* earbuds
Weaknesses: * limited included charging options
* need for dock limits portability/utility
Summary: The first thing I thought when I unpacked the shuffle is that it's so cute. It has it's own little dock that's actually quite a marvel - as it uses the headphone jack as a charging interface as well. I was surprised to find that it shipped with the new earbuds - I know originally they shipped with the old ones. The sound to my untrained ears was pretty good, especially with the new earbuds. It clip works quite well, though you want to be careful if you clip it on a jacket with a metal zipper as it may scratch the inner side of the shuffle. Now, the shortcomings. I had a heck of a time trying to get it to charge with the computer off. I tried plugging it into a powered usb hub with no luck. The only way I could find to charge it was to plug it into the usb dock with the computer on, then turn the computer off. For some reason, if you just plug it in without turning the computer on, it will not charge. That is very frustrating as I don't want to have the computer running in order to charge this little shuffle. The other alternative is to buy a $30 usb ac adapter from apple (though you can probably get a similar one for much cheaper from a 3rd party). That seems kind of lame that you'd have to shell out more money just to charge your shuffle without the computer being on though. The other issue I have is that you have to bring the dock in order to sync it or use it as a usb flash drive. This is not as big of a gripe as I realized they had to sacrifice some utility to get it to be so small.

89% of People (8/9) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/03/2006 |
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Strengths: Sound quality, well developed full package, style, durability, great company in back
Weaknesses: Like to see a 2 gig model, but this one is just fine the way it is
Summary: I am in high end audio so I listen for sound quality to some extent. Apple's compression vs MP3 is not the same. Apple produces a better sound at a lower bit rate. Of course I would rather keep my music in lossless form, but for portability and sound quality for what it is, the iPod line is the best. This model is great. Just don't let leave it on your jeans when they get thrown into the wash.
88% of People (15/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/19/2006 |
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Strengths: So small!
Weaknesses: NA
Summary: I've had a full-size iPod for a while, but I really wanted something for running. The size of the 2nd-gen Shuffle is just fantastic. The span of the built-in clip is perfect to go over the rear adjustment strap of my running hat(s), and it's basically weightless.
Given my usage, the lack of a screen is a non-issue. The tradeoff is right for me in order to make the player smaller and lighter.
Using the Shuffle with iTunes is very easy. With one button, you can just randomly fill the Shuffle with 1GB worth of songs from a playlist (I have one called "Exercise Music"). Or you can also push some more linear content, like podcasts or an audiobook. Basically, I find myself frequently changing out all the content on the Shuffle via iTunes.
If you're not one of those people that gets all up in arms about iPods being more $/MB, or wigs out about iTunes and Apple's business model, this is fantastic choice. I love it!

88% of People (15/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/17/2006 |
- slickdog
- Member Since:
Nov 2006
View Member's: Reviews
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Strengths: Small, great built in clip, does not skip,price
Weaknesses: Only holds 250 songs
Summary: This is a great little MP3 player. At under $100.00 you can't go wrong! Holds two hundred and fifty songs. It is so small, about the size of two money clips. Attaches to waist band, shirt or whatever you see fit with a built on clip. Does not skip so its great for working out. I would recommend this for any active individual!
88% of People (14/16) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/27/2006 |
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Strengths: compact size, light weight, great for gym
Weaknesses: no detail manual come w/ package, confusing blinking orange light
Summary: I bought this as a gift for my daughter, since the MP3 she had is too big and inconvenient for jogging. When I first got the package, I have no idea what to do. I wanted to download some songs and had it fully charged, so when I gave it to her, it's ready to go. I tried to drag and drop some songs to it and ended up with a on-going orange blinking light, cannot listen to any music. I was frustrated and remembered reading some comments about hard to drag and drop songs. Finally I got to Apple site, download iTunes and the detail manual. Now it's ready to go and it's actually pretty easy to manage. As long as you have the software to go with it.
83% of People (20/24) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/02/2006 |
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Strengths: Small, compact, clip is strong and will hold up to running.
Weaknesses: Long charge time. Expensive for only 1GB.
Summary: I love this cute little Ipod. I love the fact that it clips. It's great for the gym where I don't want to bring my 60GB. The only drawback I've seen is that even though I have about 90 songs on it, the Ipod only shuffles through about 20 songs. I keep hearing the same songs over and over again. Even though it was a bit pricey, I do love this little piece of machinery!
77% of People (10/13) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/20/2006 |
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Strengths: Affordable and small, great for your pockets
Weaknesses: Lesser battery time
Summary: This is a great shuffle and looks cool on your body, the audio quality is great and it fits any pocket easily. The only down side is lesser battery time but considering the size of this thing, its pretty good.
71% of People (10/14) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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