I don't like it personally... (Apple iPod shuffle (2G) 1 GB)

Member Name: sarahjane87

Product:	Apple iPod shuffle (2G) 1 GB
Date:	19/09/08 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lightweight, portable, does the job.

Disadvantages: Unfortunately for me, it is an iPod, which is a disadvantage.

I received one of these iPod shuffles free with an upgrade I recieved on my phone contract with o2 almost 18 months ago (despite trying to negotiate a deal - unsuccessfully - which didn't include the iPod but instead included a discount on my contract as I despise the things). As I'm sure you can tell from that, I wasn't overly excited to receive my iPod, and did consider selling it on eBay rather than keeping it - such was my intense dislike of iTunes and iPods.

However, once I received it, it was kinda cute... and considering that I was planning to start running on a regular basis (which, needless to say, didn't happen), I thought it could be useful in that I could clip it onto whatever I was wearing at the time rather than carrying around a larger player. So, I decided to keep it.

Usability wise, I found it a lot harder to upload to than my trusty Creative player, but I will acknowledge that this is probably due to my intense, unexplainable hatred of iTunes (which, I realise, puts me in a minority). For what it is, a tiny, incredibly portable player, it does the trick. It might not have fancy screens or features, but for music on the move, you don't really need anything else. It's lightweight and incredibly portable, and perfect for my short-lived running resolution.

I know many people who won't leave the house without their iPods, and the iPod does continue to be probably the most popular mp3 player in the market, however personally I've found that I use my Creative player 99% of the time, and my iPod shuffle is saved only for those times when I'm scared of losing/damaging my Creative - for example, when I travelled to Hong Kong on my own, or when I do go running.

For me, that says a lot, because when I do love a gadget I won't be seen without it, but I do acknowledge that a lot of this is down to personal taste, and therefore for what it is, I really can't fault it on a technical level.

Summary: For those who are fans of Apple products, brilliant.

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