Okay, Mace. You win!

If I don't like one, I'll sell it to you.

I'm confused. How do you use this thing without a screen? On my (*cough* my wife's *cough*) iPod, it's really easy to get to the playlist I want, thanks to scrolling around the screen. On the iPod Shuffle, do I just fast-forward to eventually get to the song I want?

The idea is that you don't really need to get at a particular song. It's more of a passive music device, than an active one like the ipod. The main selling point for me was that it is comparably priced to jump drives (which I've been in the market for)

From the blurb at Apple, the intent is that most people shuffle (I must be an exception - I tend to shuffle Albums, but not songs). You have the option of either playing the songs in playlist order, or shuffled. With only 100 songs I guess that Apple feels it won't take that many clicks to get to where you want to go...

+

Apple's stock is going to go straight through the roof. Leave it to Apple to take a problem -- no room for the iPod's coveted display -- and make it the device's most prominent feature: shuffle. And they priced it below $100, no less.

Crank up the manufacturing on this thing, and good luck to Apple with keeping up with demand!

This has got to be the best "spin" I've seen in a while (from Apple):
Daily gridlock feels less mundane when you don’t know what song will play next. iPod shuffle adds musical spontaneity to your life. Lose control. Love it.

In comparison I have a Palm PDA with a 512 mb card and I run consistently with 8-12 playlists at any time.

I don't mind the small storage size (given the obvious size benefits) but no playlists/screen probably won't work for me. I'd like it too, though... I didn't think the mini would be a big deal but was proven wrong there.

Wow, the boards are jumping today. Thanks for the info.

Anyhow, seems like the thing to do (if you don't like random; some times I do, some times I don't) is to make a big playlist, and then move through that as you need. It has two modes: play in order, and shuffle. Not too shabby. Might have to think about this, since my wife and I have had our iPod for 2 years, and I've held it in my grubby little hands for about 3 hours in that time.

I think the spin on this thing is that, at only 1 ounce and flash-based, it's perfect for the jogger/runner in the family. Load it up with some tunes, turn it on, and GO. No fuss, no weight, no skipping... basic and cheap. The screen is on your COMPUTER; with limited memory the Shuffle doesn't need a display, which would have only made it bigger, heavier, more expensive, and more vulnerable to damage.

Now if only I were someone who actually JOGS, it'd be PERFECT!

-Ken P

PS: At least it DOES work as a flash drive too, although they kind of buried that info on the site.... all it says is "Store files along with your music."

Since my sister gave me the U2 iPod for the holidays (with money she'd borrowed from me ), I going to give the 1 GB iPod shuffle. I'm also going to push my dad to get the Mac mini since I'm getting tired of fixing his Windows-geek-co-worker-built PC.

Thanks Jimonthy.

Is good for joggers and ladies.

The price is competitive.

Look? I expect better, need to see the real thing.

It's not supposed to be a "music player", really. More an accessory. iPods are kinda getting fashionable and Apple is onto that. So, you get this ultra-minimized version of the iPod, keep it clipped to your belt no matter if you're listening to it or not. Would you notice a 1 ounce pack of chewing gum in your pocket or on your belt or even hanging around your neck.

I'm really considering selling my iPod for this. Those with a PowerBook or iBook, this is meant for you!

I listen to my iPod when I do my morning and evening walks, 45 minutes to an hour. I almost always chose the playlist before leaving the house, I don't need 40GB in that situation.

I also use the iPod in other ways, but the Shuffle will certainly fit the needs of some people.

Apple may have simply purchased bunches of existing devices and passed them out to employees for research.

A friend of mine bought a spiffy blue display stick flash player. But about two months later, he noted that he never really looks at the display. It was a great selling feature but not something he uses much.

However, an SD card expansion slot might have been nice -- add a gig or two later on!

I won't be buying one of these for myself but I do think it's a great product that will sell well.

A lot of people like to just take some music to the gym or for the ride into work in the morning. These people aren't constantly sifting through songs to find what they need. No, they just need 30 minutes of their favorite music to play and they'd like it to be different every day. This new iPod does that and does it well.

I imagine they'll sell a lot of these to people who already own iPods, actually. It'd be a nice secondary device.

I'm happy with my mini and don't see the need for another iPod but I like what they've done here.

(And as someone else said, who in their right mind would buy a normal USB drive now? The price is very close and you can just use this as one if you want!)

I just left the show and the people were still piled five deep against the Shuffle display.

The Shuffle will sell because it's easy to use and it's cute as hell. You don't need a display to listen to music. How many of you actually look at your iPod screen while you're doing anything? You use it to set the songs and then you go about your business. With this size and battery life, I'll have playlists for running, for long distance driving, for driving about town, for a long day's coding, and all the other tasks in which don't lend themselves to screen selection.

This is totally great for my high school bro. Clumsy-proof and great for his volleyball workouts. Sync it at night, maybe a new playlist for each day of the week? Perfect.

Want an iPod Shuffle? Get one for free at <a
href="http://www.FreeiPodShuffle.com/?r=13897142">http://www.FreeiPodShuffle.com/?r=13897142</a>

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