The mp3 player for people with no personality (Apple iPod shuffle (2G) 2 GB)

Member Name: DaveAshton

Product:	Apple iPod shuffle (2G) 2 GB
Date:	26/09/09 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small, Apple quality, very random track selection.

Disadvantages: No screen.

I'm not sure who at Apple decided that making an MP3 player without a screen was a good idea, but they really need their head examining. It's impossible to find the tracks you're looking for, especially if you fill it to capacity. This means you need to either want to listen to the same kind of music all the time (and let's be honest, who feels in exactly the same kind of mood all the time?) so you fill it with similar music, or you're a gambler who fancies their chances of getting the right music at the right time. It seems to be those kind of people that the iPod shuffle is aimed at and yet I'm yet to meet anyone like that. That said, the shuffling is very random, and you're very unlikely to hear the same track played again for a while (unless you've got a small track library, or loaded the same song on twice), unlike some music players which seem to switch between about 10 songs, then repeat them...

The sound quality is as high as you'd expect for an Apple product, although the lack of decent headphones means you'll be looking to buy new ones at the same time as buying the iPod itself.

The Shuffle is only really for the type of person that wants an iPod, but can't afford a "real" one with a screen.

Do yourself a favour. For the same money you could buy a much better mp3 player (albeit without the Apple name) with a screen, decent headphones and a shuffle feature.

A slightly edited version of this review appears on Shopping.com under the same username.

Summary: Only buy it if you like to be surprised by your own music.

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