Smaller, smaller, smaller (Ipod Shuffle 4GB)

Member Name: jboho

Product:	Ipod Shuffle 4GB
Date:	16/05/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tiny, expanded features, Voice Over, clip design

Disadvantages: Only Apple headphones can be used, difficult interface

Smaller, smaller, smaller. Apple are seemingly addicted to making everything on earth as small as physically possible. Now this iPod is half the size of its (small) predecessor, it is only slightly larger than the included earphones. This makes it the size of a paper clip.
So it's small, but is it mighty?

The Good:
I've mentioned its outstanding size- this is both its advantage and its disadvantage. Many people will appreciate the ease of having a tiny player, while others may find annoyingly fiddly. I'm sure this will be a personal preference for you as the buyer.
The colour choice is poor; just silver or black, in true Apple, style however, they do look very clean and attractive (to say they have almost no design features). The device is essentially just a steel clip, so you can attach this to your clothing just like the second generation shuffle.
The 'hot' new feature, however is 'Voice Over'. Voice Over is designed to remove the need for a screen on an MP3 player. What it does is, when instructed, uses a computerised voice to tell you information like song title, artist, playlist, etc. This is a strange new experience and is a bit disconcerting at first, but it is not very intrusive to the music and an efficient way of finding out what the song is.
You can now sync playlists, podcasts and audiobooks. This gives it an edge on the previous, light-featured shuffle. Also, the Voice Over technicalities are taken care of inside iTunes, and the voice itself will depend on your computer and operating system.

The Bad:
The bad points lie in my pet hate; apple earphones. They are notoriously bad quality earphones which rely on Apple's reputation and aesthetics to be sold (or not replaced). Normally, I give the Apple headphones away and replace them with better ones, but with the new shuffle, you can't.
As the controls have been shifted from the shuffle to the headphones, the earphones are now an integral part of the design, you cannot replace them, which is a real shame for audiophiles.
The controls themselves are irritating. Apple have always used word like intuitive and simple to describe their products. The controls on this device are incredibly confusing. A series of presses and holds on the cord-line three- button interface will get the next track, on to your playlists or activate Voice Over. Also, the controls are far too far up the cord, it is at an annoying point below your neck- very difficult to use it there. Overall, this will take a long while to get used to. The battery life is a poor 10 hours from a 3 hour charge

Overall, this is an innovative new idea which Apple have bravely gone for, but there are a few snags which will make some buyers think twice.

Summary: Great as a 'workout' MP3 player, not for audiophiles.

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