New iPod Shuffle Gets Really Tiny, Loses Control
How often does Apple launch a new product without making a big event out of it (with the media in tow)? Almost never. But that’s exactly what happened with today’s reveal of the new iPod Shuffle.
Apple today quietly (relatively speaking) introduced a completely new iPod Shuffle that’s nearly half the size of the outgoing model. In fact, Apple describes this new third generation iPod Shuffle as “significantly smaller than a AA battery.”
As part of the miniaturization process, all on-device controls are stripped from the new iPod Shuffle and moved to an inline unit on the earphone cord. The concern here is that without the special set of earphones, the iPod Shuffle is practically useless. Apple did tell Gizmodo that it does plan to offer and adapter so that those who wish to use their own headphones can do so – but keeping the adapter is vital.
The new iPod Shuffle also takes some of the mystery – but none of the randomness – from the device. A new voice feature speaks to the user, providing information on the name of the song and artist, and even tells status information, such as battery life (estimated at 10 hours).
iPod shuffle can speak 14 languages including English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.
"Imagine your music player talking to you, telling you your song titles, artists and playlist names," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod and iPhone Product Marketing. "The amazingly small new iPod shuffle takes a revolutionary approach to how you listen to your music by talking to you, also making it the first iPod shuffle with playlists."
While all the colors of the rainbow are inevitable for this Apple music player, the initial batch comes only in aluminum-constructed black or silver with 4 GB internal flash.
The third generation 4GB iPod shuffle is now shipping for a suggested price of $79 (US).
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Um. The shuffle can only be used with Apple branded headphones? How is that not anti-competitive?
If Microsoft released some software that could only be used with a Microsoft keyboard there would have been two dozen lawsuits filed before it even hit the shelves.
In Soviet Apple, Shuffle plays you!
Don't want to use iTunes? Want to use your own ear buds? Lost your Apple ear buds?
Well TOO BAD!
Plus its the worlds first MP3 player that comes with a "Choking Hazard" sticker.
....was the old one not small enough? I think apple went stupid with this one- they should have just made the old one into a 2gb player and added a tiny screen (similar to the zen stone plus in function, but much smaller package)
It will only be a matter of time before 3rd party headphones come out, the device was only released today.
iTunes is a top class product, only fan boys have problems with it
In Soviet Apple, Shuffle plays you!Don't want to use iTunes? Want to use your own ear buds? Lost your Apple ear buds?Well TOO BAD!Plus its the worlds first MP3 player that comes with a "Choking Hazard" sticker.
POST OF THE DAY!
POST OF THE DAY!
And yet the comment rating remains at zero...Show me some love, people!
Um. The shuffle can only be used with Apple branded headphones? How is that not anti-competitive?If Microsoft released some software that could only be used with a Microsoft keyboard there would have been two dozen lawsuits filed before it even hit the shelves.
+1 no Doubt!
Especially after reading all this junk about M$ and the EU
"Apple did tell Gizmodo that it does plan to offer and adapter so that those who wish to use their own headphones can do so – but keeping the adapter is vital." Hope they (apple or 3rd party) will release the adapter soon so people can use their favor earphone/headphone and most of all... play their music in the car.
Just curios, by adding an adaptor on the "reduced size" shuffle... will that make it the same or even bigger than before? Since the sound quality of the previous shuffle was not as good as other ipod/itouch, I am wondering that have they make the sound quality better this time?... or even worse?....
iTunes is a top class product, only fan boys have problems with it
I don’t have a problem with ITunes so much as the fact i HAVE to use it...
I have an Iphone and i hate HAVING to use ITunes... i can’t even use a different PC. Which raises a whole new issue; if i format I have to format my phone too... It’s beyond stupidity!
It will only be a matter of time before 3rd party headphones come out, the device was only released today.iTunes is a top class product, only fan boys have problems with it
iTunes is a top class application on OS X. The Windows version is a bloated poorly written crap of an application. Not to mention the fact that you HAVE to use it if you want to use an iPod or iPhone.
This seems very un-Apple. They strive for intuitiveness, simplicity, and elegance. This is the complete opposite of that! Requiring an adapter is about as complex as any MP3 player on the market. And controls on the headphone wires are unsightly and clunky. I would have thought they would have gone the route of the new Nano, and have a shake feature, or something like that. But they changed something for the sake of change.
I am no fan of the shuffle, and it's minimalist approach, but I do appreciate the niche market that it fills, and the simplicity of its function with software, such as iTunes. But this is a step in the wrong direction, even by my sophisticated standards!
What they SHOULD have done was use either a 'shake' style shuffle, in conjunction with being Bluetooth/wireless ONLY! Controls can be on the headset, as are already on Bluetooth headsets.
If you watch the little promotional video for the thing on apple's website, they run down how it is used. By clicking and holding down the button until it beeps, it can tell you what playlist you're listening to, it will run down the list of all of the playlists on the ipod, and you select the one you want to listen to when the name comes up. The problem with this is...it relies on people using timing, though it doesn't take much, it's still a bad system. An ipod is used on the go, other things going on around you is fairly likely...really it's not a good way to navigate. While I like the shuffle for not having the large battery draining screen (I have a 2nd gen shuffle) I don't want bizarre control schemes to fiddle with. Nor do I want to be locked into Apple's headphones. While I like the look of it, and the size of the ipod (and it's relatively large storage for it's size) the control scheme and what it forces people to use as headphones make it a no-buy for me. bad control design imo.
$79 for that garbage?
When you can get a 16GB Sansa View for about $60, which has a normal sized color screen and a microsdhc slot that's expandable by up to another 16GB?
Once again, no thanks Apple.
$79 for that garbage?
When you can get a 16GB Sansa View for about $60, which has a normal sized color screen and a microsdhc slot that's expandable by up to another 16GB?
Once again, no thanks Apple.
The talking part of radio is the part I dislike the most.
iTunes is a top class application on OS X. The Windows version is a bloated poorly written crap of an application. Not to mention the fact that you HAVE to use it if you want to use an iPod or iPhone.
WinAmp now manages iTunes alos. I hated Winamp for years but now its a completely different program.
WinAmp now manages iTunes alos. I hated Winamp for years but now its a completely different program.
You can also use songbird to sync most mp3 players (except the Zune). It's an open source music player that's built off of Mozilla's XULrunner platform, and probably is the easiest subscription (what they call a podcast) manager I've come across.
iPod's stock earphone (yes, those white earphones) produces crappy sound, and i have to stick with it if i don't want to carry around an adapter? And i suppose that adapter won't come free either.
This reminds me of the YouTube video of the 'iPod Flea'. Who would have thought that this was the direction they were going?!?!
$79 for that garbage?When you can get a 16GB Sansa View for about $60, which has a normal sized color screen and a microsdhc slot that's expandable by up to another 16GB?Once again, no thanks Apple.
It's as though you were required to buy it or something. If you don't like it, why would you read the article? Get a life!
I use both on a day to day basis (in my Macbook and Gaming Rig). The OS X version is better but there is really nothing missing from the windows version. I've heard people complain that it uses insane amounts of CPU and RAM, well on mine it uses about 100 MB of RAM and about 3% of my E8400 @ 4 GHz.
and why would you use a different PC for reasons other then charging it up (which you can do just fine without reformatting anything). Your music, videos, etc. are on your computer, don't see whats so bad about syncing the iPhone with that.
It's as though you were required to buy it or something. If you don't like it, why would you read the article? Get a life!
I think he's actually doing a justice for people who buy this an genuinely don't realize how much they're getting ripped off in choosing form over function, which this product epitomizes.