Pretty good although not without its disadvantages (Apple iPod shuffle 512 MB)

Member Name: treblekicker

Product:	Apple iPod shuffle 512 MB
Date:	04/08/05 (343 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great sound quality, good design and small size

Disadvantages: Software a little confusing sometimes and doesn't play everything

Having put off buying apple for ages, not wishing to join the legion of white earphoned clones, I finally succumbed and have to admit I've been pleasantly surprised. The main thing that I didn't expect is the sheer quality of the sound. It's better than every other MP3 player I've heard - crisp, detailed and it copes well with low end as well which is rare.

However, on the negative side, iTunes isn't quite as amazing as it's sometimes described by the Mac zealots. For example, it can't automatically monitor a folder and add new files to the library every time new content is added which means that you have to add them individually one by one.

In addition to this, as with all MP3 players I've tried, they don't play every file. As the Shuffle has no screen, it took me a while to realise this and I thought it was due to the device not picking the file. This is the only time though that the lack of screen has been a problem - the device is incredibly intuitive and comes with a nice credit card sized brief guide to how to work it.

In closing I would recommend the device. It may not be perfect but if you want a cheap, tiny and well designed MP3 player it's better than any of the others on the market at the minute.

Summary: Good design, excellent sound quality, average software, occasional glitches

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