There are loads of good reviews out there on the new Shuffle, so I won’t repeat what you may have read elsewhere. My main objectives were to see how well such a small MP3 player could perform, and secondly, would it work on Ubuntu Edgy 6.10. Overall a great result.
I wanted a lightweight and small MP3 player, for using at places like the gym, and the Shuffle is ideal. Sure it hasn’t got a screen, but that’s why there are other iPod’s in the Apple family. If you fancy a screen then you can buy an iPod Nano or something similar.
My first impressions on opening the box was some nice slick packaging from Apple. Pictured below is what you get in the box.
I had a bit of trouble initially with the USB docking station. It took about 3 or 4 attempts before the Shuffle connected properly. I did my initial setup on Windows XP using iTunes, no problems at all. After about 5 hours it was fully charged and I loaded my first set of songs onto the Shuffle. Apple claim you can get about 240 songs onto the Shuffle, in fact I managed to get slightly more than this figure.
I gave the Shuffle a good test down the gym and it performed admirably. Even after an hour of intensive sweaty exercise the shuffle performed fine and the earphones didn’t drop out of my ears once. The only thing I would consider buying is another set of earphones that are better at cutting outside noise. The ones that come with the Shuffle are not the best.
The sound for such a small device is amazing. I would say it is as good, if not better, than my iPod video 30Gb. If you press the earphones against your ears the amount of bass is fantastic.
The clip on the Shuffle is surprisingly sturdy and I had no trouble down the gym running on the treadmill. The volume and track controls are easy to use. The only buttons that are slightly more fiddly are the on/off switch and the button to play songs either in sequence or random order.
My next test was to see how well the Shuffle would perform on my operating system of choice, Ubuntu Edgy 6.10. As soon as I plugged the Shuffle into the USB port the Rhythmbox Music Player started automatically. It correctly detected my iPod and I could manage all the songs on the Shuffle 
A great purchase overall. It doesn’t have a screen and only holds about 240 songs, but if you fancy an MP3 player for places like the gym then it is a great buy. I’ll be using the Shuffle a lot.
Buy the Apple 1Gb iPod Shuffle from Amazon.
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15 responses so far ↓
1 Josh Chandler // Nov 19, 2006 at 1:32 pm
I was going to get this player, but i found that I had too many music files!!!! I really like the change though, the old IPOD just you know was weird and random. This one has a funky edge to it
Josh Chandler
http://www.techilious.wordpress.com
2 Dean // Nov 19, 2006 at 7:12 pm
I know the feeling about too many music files!
240 songs on the Shuffle lasts surprisingly long, but it would great to have an iPod that could randomly play any song in my music collection. So I may consider an 8Gb iPod Nano a bit later.
3 Garth // Nov 20, 2006 at 8:56 am
Great review. I have the old shuffle, the sound quality is great considering the size of the unit. I’d like one of these new shuffles for the gym, they seem ideal for that purpose. I couldn’t get my old shuffle working with Rhythmbox on Dapper, I’ll have to give it another try, gtkPod is a bit clunky.
4 » Apple 1Gb iPod Shuffle First Impressions - Zune media player // Nov 20, 2006 at 2:18 pm
[...] There are loads of good reviews out there on the new Shuffle, so I won ’t repeat what you may have read elsewhere. My main objectives were to see how well such a small MP3 player could perform, and secondly, would it work on Ubuntu Edgy 6.10. Overall a great result.read more | digg story Microsoft ZuneMicrosoft Zune [...]
5 newmw // Nov 20, 2006 at 7:37 pm
What I definitely like about Apple is the whole packaging of their products, it’s all uniform and simple, but so slick!
Still thinking about an iPod, but also about a new laptop. So many new media, so little money
6 Dean // Nov 20, 2006 at 9:29 pm
A laptop is on my wish list too. Not sure if I’ll ever get round to buying one though.
If ever my PC packed up then I’d seriously consider a laptop rather than a new tower. I like the idea of less clutter in my office and being able to carry the laptop around when I need to.
7 newmw // Nov 20, 2006 at 10:29 pm
@Dean: “If ever my PC packed up then I’d seriously consider a laptop rather than a new tower.”
I hear a lot of people nowadays saying that (I think it’s a good thing). Computers should be mobile, not vast tanks in the living room (I really really want to get rid of my tank :))
8 don // Feb 4, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I have had an IPOD nano since my last birthday, early last year. The sound quality is excellant and I have used it for some travelling. The problems I have had centre around , I guess, me having too much music that I wanted to take with me… and also the appalling battery life on the device.
9 Dean // Feb 5, 2007 at 11:15 am
The shuffle is great, but I still wanted an MP3 player that could store my entire CD collection. I therefore purchased a 30Gb video iPod just before Christmas which is great.
I’ve got 6 months of music stored on it, plus all my photos, and I’ve still got 15Gb free space. The beauty of this device is that once it is connected to my hi-fi, I can get the iPod to shuffle all 3000+ songs, which means I get a pretty good random selection of music to listen to.
I must write a review for it soon and post it on my blog
10 Van // May 26, 2007 at 10:08 am
I have an ipod that holds 10 days worth of music, however i am now a proud owner of an ipod shuffle. fantastic for down the gym and plugging into the car!!!
11 Dean // May 27, 2007 at 7:09 am
That’s great news Van. My ipod shuffle is still going strong. It’s amazing how long it takes to get through all the tracks on the shuffle.
1Gb of music normally lasts me about 2 months of trips to the gym before I need to shuffle the songs from iTunes and get a fresh selection of music.
12 Thomas Ede // Aug 20, 2007 at 8:26 am
Can the shuffle play podcasts - I want to learn Italian using it.
Thanks
13 Dean // Aug 20, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Yes. I have downloaded podcasts onto my shuffle and it works fine.
14 claire // Jan 1, 2008 at 1:28 pm
iv jus got it n its fantastic really easy to use id recommend it to any1
15 Apple 30Gb iPod Review // Jan 18, 2008 at 6:03 pm
[...] already own a 1Gb Apple iPod shuffle which is great, but I wanted something extra. The shuffle is perfect for the gym, but I wanted an [...]
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