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TMO at MWSF - Apple Introduces iPod Shuffle: Flash Music Player for $99 [UPDATED]
by , 2:50 PM EST, January 11th, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Apple Computer introduced the newest addition to its iPod product line, the iPod shuffle. As expected by rumor sites and Wall Street analysts alike, the iPod shuffle is a flash-memory based music player. The name "shuffle" refers to the units interface, or lack thereof, because it comes without a display and can play wither a Playlist fro iTunes or shuffle through a playlist. The unit comes in either a 512 megabyte unit that holds up to 120 songs for US$99, or a 1 gigabyte unit that holds up to 240 songs for $149, and sports rechargeable internal batteries that will last up to 12 hours.
"iPod shuffle is smaller and lighter than a pack of gum and costs less than $100," said Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, in a statement. "With most flash-memory music players users must use tiny displays and complicated controls to find their music; with iPod shuffle you just relax and it serves up new combinations of your music every time you listen."

Apple's iPod shuffle
iPod shuffle's most distinguishing feature is the lack of a display. iPod shuffle literally is designed to play music back in a shuffled Playlist, though it can also play a Playlist in order. It features an LED that changes color according to the task it is doing -- for instance green for play, red for pause -- and users control the unit through forward, back, play/pause, and volume up and down buttons. The unit does not include a clickwheel.
Physically, the unit is small, smaller than a pack of gum according to Apple, and is made of the same white plastic that helped the original iPod become such a hot seller.
Unlike previous iPod, however, the unit come equipped with USB. The USB port sticks out of the bottom of the unit and plugs into a Mac or PC like a USB pen drive would. It ships with both a cap for covering the port, and a lanyard cap for wearing the unit around your neck.

iPod shuffle plugged into an iBook.
In addition to iPod shuffle, Apple also introduced some accessories for the unit, including a sportscase that encases the unit, an armband for athletic endeavors, a dock, and an additional battery pack that can augment the onboard power. All of the units are available now from the Apple Store.
Observer Comments
Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:20 pm Subject: Bought two.
+
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!
Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:30 pm Subject: I'm not sold but am trying to keep an open mind
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."
Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:46 pm Subject: Returning the Favor
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.
Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:20 am Subject: <a href='dirfor.com]global directory[/url] from online di
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