Check this out, if you haven’t already.
cute
Didn’t they learn with the nano? Why no colors? Argh. I want red.
I have my 30g, and won’t part with it, but I just might get one of these for kicks. Needs a short (2-3 ft) headphone lead so you can clip it on your tshirt collar or sleeve. What I can’t figure out is how it works. How do the songs play, random or in a sequence? You can’t select individual songs or playlists?
Still, it is a cute little thingy. 
Peace,
mangeorge
The controls look the same as the original iPod Shuffle. There’s a toggle switch to choose between random and sequential playback. In either mode, you can use the fast forward and rewind buttons to skip to the next song or go back to the previous one. That’s about it. Think of it as a device for carryign around one playlist.
I still might get one though. I often listen to podcasts while walking my dogs - the Shuffle would be much easier to carry.
I don’t think they bother with colors for the Shuffle because it has a more limited market - it seems like most people want more space and be able to scroll through their music with a screen. Yeah it’s really small, but the Nanos are damn small too. And they come in red - and the red ones are a ProductRED product and help with Africa.
I never could get into the Shuffle in part because it had no screen. Space was an issue too, of course, but without a screen you were pretty limited as to how you could organize your music. The new Shuffle is cute, sure, but I’ll stick with my Video. It’s still small enough to slip into just about any pocket, case and all, and you can still get a clip-on remote if necessary.
I know about ProductRed, a good thing, but being so small is the point for me. My shirt pockets are pretty full as it is with my palm and 2way. I’ll use my Video for functionality. The shuffle I can load up with podcasts and music in the morning before I head out to work.
Eighty bucks including engraving and shipping ain’t bad.
You can donate money directly to The Global Fund. ProductRed is a corporation established to provide a steady stream of money to this charity.
Maybe, but I don’t find it too comfortable to carry the iPod Video in my shirt pocket. It may be small but it’s dense. Besides, what if you don’t have a pocket? The new Shuffle looks small and light enough to clip onto any kind of clothing.
(I’m not criticizing your comment, by the way. I’m trying to justify it to myself. 
)
Well, yes, true, the entire thing is light and clips just about anywhere, but for me I couldn’t trade that convenience for a lack of functionality. I rather like setting up my playlists and be able to pick and choose individual tunes if I suddenly have a hankering for them. But that’s just me. And to be honest the best remotes were for the 4G iPods – for some reason Apple don’t make the same remotes for the 5G, and I refuse to buy a cheap aftermarket that needs to be plugged into the dock connector and the headphone hack simultaneously. That’s just fugly. And I’ve been down the cheap aftermarket road and it’s all shoddy crap made with string and toenail clippings. The wireless remotes are interesting but add length and bulk to the iPod, not to mention adding a stress point to the dock connector. And they don’t work if the iPod is in a case.
Never mind. I’ll just stick with my iPod as is. If it becomes an issue I can always get a case with a belt clip. What the hell; I already clip my phone and PDA to my belt (one to each side). I’m practically Quickdraw McGeek anyway.
I love my Shuffle. I have one of the first-generation Shuffle models, and I’m sorely tempted to get a new one as well. Not having a screen is perfect for me; I used to have a full-sized iPod and I just became a musical dilettante. I’d listen to a few seconds of a tune and then flick to the next - I love the randomness of the Shuffle. I realise the full-size models have a shuffle mode as well, but since that’s all I use I don’t need to navigate through the screens.
The one thing I don’t like about the new model is that the require a dock connector; the clip is a very useful addition, but with my older Shuffle I can attach it to my keys and also use it as a memory stick.
My mom and I just make a trek to Burlington MA to get one for my step-sister’s daughter. She is turning 14 and doesn’t have an MP3 player of any kind. For someone like her, I can see it being a good starter. I’m sure she’ll eventually want something with more space and more options but this should be good for her for now.
If I hadn’t just bought myself a Zen Nano, I would get the shuffle. I don’t need, want or like all the options that the bigger players have. I just want to listen to my books and music. Since I only put music I really really like on my Zen, I’m not concerned with playlists. In addition to 4 books, I only have about 30 songs on mine and they are all ones I can listen to at any time, in any mood. So the shuffle would be perfect for me.
I really wish we had an Apple store closer to either my mom or me. I had to drive an hour to my mom’s house and then another 40 minutes to the stupid store. It wasn’t a total waste for me though. Tower Records is going out of business and I was able to get DS9 season 1 for $40!
Can’t you buy it online?
Incidentally, I was looking at Amazon and under iPod Shuffle, they list a suggested bundle purchase: iPod Shuffle + 80GB iPod. Apparently the Shuffle is marketed as a companion/accessory to the full-size iPod.
Oh most certainly. I wouldn’t t say that’s who it’s *directly *aimed at, but Apple knows faithful iPod owners would consider the new Shuffle an *accessory *to the iPod.
In fact, I bought one for my Mother-in-law for Christmas, and I’m tempted to get myself one too. I’d be more comfortable taking it places where I wouldn’t dream of taking my iPod (out in the canoe, rough terrain hikes, biking, for use while exercising, etc).
Meh. One thing I love about my current Shuffle is that it doubles as a thumb drive. This new Shuffle doesn’t.
I checked one out at Circuit City yesterday. Looks pretty cool.
I wonder, can you run two iPods on the same computer? Surely (don’t call me that) you can. Two iTunes? I’ll have to check.
One iTunes. Multuple users. Both can be connect – simultaneously, if you like – and both will show up as separate devices in the iTunes device pane.
Thanks. Only makes sense, eh.
Very tempting. I have a 3rd gen 30GB model gathering dust right now, turns out I’m not one of those iPod guys who will cruise around with music everywhere I go. I’m way to lazy to keep my playlists meticulously organized and I don’t download new songs constantly. Basically, the radio is about as much effort as I can tolerate.
Of course I have desperately looking for something to workout with and this gizmo looks just about perfect for that. The lack of thumbdrive functionality seems like a spiteful omission.
Might have to add it to the xmas list.
I think that’d be a great idea really. I have both but use my shuffle almost exclusively. It’s great for working out or walking the dog.
I keep it in this song sling with the retractable headphones.
Hijack
According to my mom, the new one just came out on Friday. She had contacted all the stores she could think of and they all said it wouldn’t be on the shelves for a few weeks. She needed it for this weekend so there wasn’t time to order it online.
I have no clue. I don’t follow these things and I love our days out together so I’ll go where she wants. She asked me on Thursday night if we could go to Burlington so I said yes.
As for wanting a store closer to one of us, my mom is big into Macs. I’m not. The only place she can find software is Circuit City, which is about 40 minutes away from her, or a Mac store, which are either in Providence (about 40 minutes) or Burlington (40 minutes to an hour). You’d think that the one of the largest cities in New England would have better access to Mac supplies. So, for my mom’s sake, I wish they would open another store.
end Hijack
Well, there was a guy in my store yesterday who had one and he didn’t seem like the “connected” type. He wasn’t even entirely sure how to use it.
It really is impressively titchy… about the length of the last joint of my thumbs (I have long fingers).
“Thumbdrive” means plugs directly into a usb port?
You can set it up to use as a disk. You do have to use the dock.