Apple iPod Shuffle 1GB

iPod Shuffle received a price cut which took the base price of the 1GB version of the player to 49$ from 79$.Apple also announced the 2GB version to the player to be sold for 69$.Apple iPod shuffle is the cheapest MP3 player from Apple and has been doing quite well for itself.We will look at its various aspects and features that makes it a good buy.

iPod Shuffle 1GB specifications:

• Dimensions : 25 x 85 x 9.7 mm
• Body: Anodized aluminum
• Formats supported : AAC,MP3,WAV,TIFF,Audible
• Li-ion battery
• USB 2.0 compatible

The most striking thing about this player is that the player is screenless.Although its subjective whether that is a good thing or not, in my opinion it is well and good for the price tag and also the fact that the product is a part of Apple family.The player is suited for people who are not concerned about choosing tracks or watching song information as it plays.The device is sleek and small making it very handy to carry around.

The player also has a belt-clip which keeps the player always within your reach.The player feature a 5-key navigation  system.The play-pause button is the center most button.The volume buttons and track shuttle keys make up the other 4 buttons.There are additional two buttons at the bottom of player for turning the player on/off and a toggle button to shift between shuffle and repeat modes.

The charging and syncing is done through the cradle that comes bundled with the player.iTunes is the standard way of adding tracks to the music player.A new pair of earbuds make their way which are better than the ones which were provided earlier with the player.The Shuffle supports playlists which is very helpful for a screenless player.

The sound quality of the player considering its price range is good but it is nowhere compared to say iPod Touch or Creative Zen.The bundled earphones lack bass but overall is a decent performer.The battery life was found to be around 15 hours which is excellent.

Pros:

• Small and sleek
• Simple navigation
• Inexpensive
• Five available colors

Cons:

• No screen
• USB cradle needed for charging+syncing
• Just above average sound quality

Final Thoughts

The Apple iPod shuffle 1GB is absolutely worth the price after the price reduction and is a no nonsense player. If you like to flip through tracks and love to see song information then this player is not for you.Just above average sound is good enough for non-audiophiles.Hence buy this player if you are looking for cheap but good music player.

Rating: 4/5