Rating:  -
My two complaints are the same as everybody else's... the controls and the earbuds. This comes after enjoying the last generation of shuffle. But first, I do want to concentrate on the positives.
Positive #1: It is made by Apple. Therefore it is stylish, cool, sexy, and every other positive adjective that makes you want to buy a product. A slight negative is that this probably cost Apple ten bucks to make so you are paying a lot for their brand.
Positive #2: It is small and light-weight. I didn't think these could get smaller than the last generation of shuffle. It is very small and you don't even notice it when you carry it around. This is very, very nice. Even the USB adapter into the computer is extremely small. If you want to be light, this is seriously something you should consider after weighing the negatives that come later.
Positive #3: For something so small, it amazes me that you can fit 4GB of music on this. For running and other forms of exercise, this is more than enough to not run out of songs before you run out of energy. I used this on a Century bike race and didn't hear the same song twice. Very, very nice.
Positive #4: The spring-clip that you use to attach the shuffle to your clothes works extremely well. It goes on and, unless you knock it off with your hands, it stays on. I've seen some pretty bad, nasty clips before so I'm glad that Apple added something that works great without putting marks into your clothes.
But, buyer beware, there are some drawbacks.
Negative #1: Controlling the songs. The original shuffle was easy, a big button in the middle of it that allowed you to play/pause, change the volume, and skip forward and backwards in songs. Now,the only thing you can do on the Shuffle itself is turn it off, make it randomly choose track, or make it play the tracks in order. For everything else, that is for the buds that come with the shuffle. In my opinion, this is total FAIL especially since these buttons are smaller than the shuffle and could have been added to the shuffle without adding much weight and bulk. Honestly, I can't imagine what Apple was thinking when they did this. But this leads to negative #2...
Negative #2: If you wish to really use this you need the buds that come witht he iPod. This is terrible! If you look at my other reviews, I've reviewed a LOT of headphones trying to find the perfect pair. The pair that I've finally -- after all these years -- settled on costs more than the shuffle but are rendered pretty useless. Again, Apple FAIL! I **CAN** use them but then I can't skip songs, or repeat songs, or change the volume. When running and biking these are features you can't live without. When I load multiple gigabytes of music I sometimes run across one where I don't want to listen to it but with the headphones I prefer to wear I can't skip forward. Also while running and biking volume control is critical. You want it higher when you are by the roads so you can hear the beat while trucks are passing by, but you don't want it so loud when you are on less busy roads so you can hear oncoming cars. Again, what was Apple thinking?
Negative #3: The ear buds are horrible. They don't stay in well while you run and they aren't that wonderful when you bike. Why would Apple assume that one size will fit all?
My opinion is that these three negatives are HUGE and I'm thinking of taking mine back and buying another older generation off eBay or something. The reason I went with the new one was because my son lost his shuffle and I'm letting him use mine for our next bike race, but now I'm the one who has to suffer with this terrible creation by Apple. I would recommend you do the same. The new generations are a step down!
Rating:  -
The iPod shuffle is a great buy and I reccommend it for those that want music when working out! It clips on easily and doesn't flop around when you move.
Rating:  -
The Ipod Shuffle is unreliable. I suspect the headphones to be the culprit at I believe that the controler wears out after a few weeks or months at best.
Rating: -
Apple is wonderful in creating the lightest and easiest way in listening to music when on the move. That ipod shuffle with its slick design is great while using it at the gym,jogging or at the beach. Friends of mine are amazed at the audio quality and i do have to keep a close eye when at home. Might just disappear. Its a great audio player.
Rating: -
I own an Iphone and since i started running a bit more seriously i decided to get a small Shuffle so i could have something more portable, etc.etc...
45 minutes into my first run, the thing shut down. 3 days later all it does is work as a USB memory stick. I went to apple and told them and they looked through a magnfier and told me the product got WET. I told them that all i did was run with the product, the guy looked at me and asked me "do you sweat a lot?".
Unbelievable coming from Apple, i own an iphone an 2 computers and love the brand, just cant believe that the product they promote for workout can get ruined in one single run. If apple wants to stand by their reputation, they should seriously consider a recall or extending guarantee with people with this problem.
Also to consider. The stupid thing is 80 bucks, my headphones are [...], but since you need to use the headphones they provide to use the remote, you are stack with the low quality, horrible headphones that come with the product. There is an adapter from Griffin, but then you need to buy an accessory. All easily solved if apple would have put a simple plug after the remote, to plug the earphone of your choice.
|