Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Silver (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL by Apple Computer
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Digital camera reviews of Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Silver (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL
Digital camera Review: A complete disaster and I'm not afraid to call it what it really is
Summary: 1 Stars
I was one of the numerous fans of the last ipod shuffle, excellent design and ease of use made it worth every penny. I wish i could be as forgiving with this new ipod shuffle. There are three pros i can see in this device at all, one it looks a bit sleeker and two, the bump in storage is appreciated, and the voice is useful for overcoming it's lack of a screen but wouldn't a small led screen have accomplished the same goal of informing users of the current playing song and maybe enabled the possibility of more features on the shuffle? It's all downhill from there as the lack of an led screen is certaintly a minor quibble for a sub series of ipods that haven't had a screen before, but i just view the voice feature as a little unnecessary, sometimes trying something new for the sake of trying something new isn't the best idea. The biggest flaw is the controls, for one this is NOT intuitive, the last shuffle was a breeze to use, hand this to a friend who isn't aware of the controls and watch the confusion ensue. seriously tap 3 times to skip a song? seems unnecessarily complex, old cd players were easier to control and if apple was deadset on this set up the new shuffle isn't so small that they couldn't have snuck these buttons onto the shuffle itself and not forced everyone to use the included headphones (which suck, you don't have to be an audiophile to recognize this) and charging for the adaptor is ridiculous, we get it apple, your products are cash cows but keep milking them for all their worth and they'll start to dry up. And one thing that bugs me is the cost, people are raving and acting like the price is exceptional, it sure as hell isn't. For the same price i can go on newegg and get a very small mp3 player with a screen, more features (competitors attempting to cut into apples monopoly usually tout extra features absent from ipods as reasons to buy their products) and actually for once, simpler controls (something apples always one upped the competition on and i've always admitted.) I mean why get this when i could score a sansa player with the same storage and more features for less? I don't quite get the 2-3 star reviews people are leaving here, i'm a huge fan of apple and i'm very dissapointed with this trainwreck and reputation killer of a product, it's the windows vista of mp3 players.Digital camera Review: A triumph of form over function.
Summary: 2 Stars
OK, I'll begin by saying that the new Shuffle is, without doubt, one of the smallest, sexiest MP3 players I've ever seen. I love how it looks. It's... compelling. Of course, with this level of form, some functionality is lost. With the 3G Shuffle, it's the buttons (or lack thereof).
Apple decided to move the buttons off the controller and onto the headphone cord. There are two major flaws that I can see:
1. I can't use "any old" pair of headphones anymore. Sure, the music still plays, but if I can't pause, skip, turn the volume up/down, what's the point. I'm now tied into either Apple's headphones or third-party headphones with the controller. Gone are the days of a "headphone catastrophe" where the headphone cord gets pinched while traveling and I have to run out to a store and grab a pair of substitute $10 phones. I now have to either shell out $20-30 and/or find a local Apple store. Not good. (And let's not even talk about using it with my car stereo...)
2. The controls are... in a bad place. It's kind of hard to grab the controller without looking when it's bouncing around near my jaw while running. Today, it took me about 5-6s to actually get a hold of the darned thing and skip ahead. Later in the day, I grabbed it a bit quicker but then accidentally yanked the earbud out. This was obviously designed without testing it "in the field."
To both of the above, some comment: "wait until Apple releases an adapter with controls in a better position that allow you to use normal headphones." Of course, my reply is "I already spent $80 on this thing. You want me to spend MORE?"
In the end, this is one sweet of technology that just screams "impress your friends." Of course, you don't hear it whispering "and secretly dread using me anywhere but in your living room chair."
At least Apple's not discontinuing the 2G Shuffle...
Digital camera Review: Ackward iPOD control button
Summary: 2 Stars
The position of the control is too close to ear bud. In order to make changes, you often have to take the ear bud out to do it. This design is a step backward compares to earlier generations of iPODs.Digital camera Review: Actually not too bad
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had just about every iPod version released. Yes I HATE the fact I have to use the lousy Apple earphones for now. But adapters are on the way. I do really like the fact that I can have playlists on this puppy. The voice over is pretty slick especially if you don't want to take your eyes away from something to look at a screen. Once the adapter is available I would add another .5 stars to this.Digital camera Review: Affordable, stylish, holds a ton of music, but what is the deal with the earbuds!?
Summary: 3 Stars
The new iPod shuffle is a marvel of design. Ultra tiny, ultra slim, and can easily be mistaken for a piece of chewing gum... ok it's not that small, but close. Weighing in at a mere 11 grams, this is definitely the can go anywhere, anytime, iPod.
And doubling up it's capacity to a whopping 4GB compared to the second gen Shuffle is great news. Yes most of our music libraries are well above 4GB, but this will allow you to carry most of your favorite songs (close to 1500 songs in some cases).
And the added VoiceOver feature is a HUGE feature that I think most music players need. With thousands of songs in our libraries, it's inevitable that there will be a song or two (or more) that we just don't recognize. So with a click of a button you are told who it is! It's just amazing and fun.
However with it's stylish new looks, longer battery life, cool new features, and environment friendly disposition it has a major flaw... the earbud controls.
While the controls on the earbuds cord are ingenious and fairly intuitive, the earbuds themselves are uncomfortable and don't have very good sound and I would seriously like the option to use my own headphones or earbuds like some Westone UM2s or ZAGG Z.buds. But Apple severely screws ya if you want to use any sort of different headphones/earbuds.
Now on the plus side, when any other brand of headphones or earbuds are plugged in the Shuffle will automatically play. You will loose the function of changing the volume, songs, and switching between playlists, but at least you can use different headphones/earbuds.
So at the end of the day the new iPod Shuffle is a great music player that allows you to go anywhere and do anything while listening to hours and hours of your favorite songs and audio books so long as you are willing to put up with Apple's earbuds.
Pros:
Small, allowing it to be clipped or shoved in the smallest of places.
Well constructed from strong materials (don't expect to break it just by sitting on it).
Long play time on a single charge.
Holds a lot of music, though I think they could easily up the capacity to 8GB or even 16GB.
Environmentally friendlily.
Cons:
Forced to use Apple's earbuds (I'm sure companies will start developing their own earbuds and headphones with controls specific for this shuffle... just watch).
On the verge of being too small. Small objects + my hands/thumbs/fingers = pressing of wrong buttons or multiple buttons at once.