OK, so I am about convinced that I should get an iPod shuffle to carry when I ride my mountain bike or work out in the gym.
So all you shuffle owning dopers front and center.
How is the battery life?
Is the battery on a shuffle replaceable or is the entire unit toast?
How does the battery recharge? Through the USB cable? Seperate charger?
Do I need the Apple extended service plan? $59.95 seems a little steep.
Case recomondations?
What am I over looking?
I’ve one of these things. I’ve actually never run down the battery completely, as I mainly use it between classes when I’m pottering about my university’s campus. Like all iPods, the thing’s toast when the battery dies. It charges through USB. I think you can buy a separate charger, but I spend my life surrounded by computers so I never bothered with one. Never bought a case for it either – I just keep it in my front shirt or jacket pocket.
I’ve seen rubberish-type cases available for it; I would think that it would be prudent to have one if you’re going to be using it while exercising vigourously; there aren’t any moving parts on it, but I still don’t think it would like being flung violently to the floor or trampled underfoot.
Love mine, it’s so much easier than the Mr’s Ipod, much better for me.
Battery wise, I initially used usb to recharge, which works easy enough. Once our household acquired a second shuffle (for bedridden Mother In Law, see my thread called, Sometimes the joy sneaks right up on you, or something very similar, sorry I don’t know how to do that connecting thing :smack: ), we bought a plug into the wall recharger unit. It’s brilliant, it recharges so much quicker, and you don’t have to turn on your computer!
Hope this helps, and I hope you get one I’m sure you’ll enjoy it very much.
I love mine.
The battery has yet to run down on me. My friend says his hasn’t either.
The 1gig holds 18+ hours of songs, but the battery is only good for 10+, so maybe the cheaper 512m would work just fine for you if you don’t go without your computer often.
Great sound, can use podcasts, works fine.
The only thing that irks me is the algorithm for the shuffle- I seem to hear many of the same songs over again. No biggie, I just hit FW, but…
The iTunes software works well and has a podcast search service and radio tuner (but the radio is weird, only a few of the links they show actually work).
You could buy the belt clip or probably just make one.
-Tcat
One question I have about the shuffle…
Is it on perma-shuffle or is ther at lest on on-off feature so it can play them in the order I loaded them on?
Off - 1,2,3,4… - shuffle
you have 2 options:
linear play = order you put them on the shuffle
shuffle play = random
I have an iPod but bought a shuffle for the wife and she loves it…
Oh, and the iTunes software has options on loading, so you can load a mix of everything you have in your Library. Also can load a random mix everytime you plug it in automatically. Other bells and whistles too.
How would an IPod shuffle work with podcasts? I’m thinking of getting one, mainly to use while running/jogging. From what I hear, the hard drive based units tend to crash if used while jogging, so the shuffle looks good to me (I also like the price). But I’m not sure how the “shuffle” thing would work with podcasts. Is it OK on the non-shuffle setting? Can you fast forward or skip to the next/previous track? How exactly does it work?
I’ve never used the shuffle setting on my Shuffle… (Apple screwed up and shoulda named the thing the Stick).
As for podcasts, what happens with mine is that it remembers where in the 'cast I stopped (if I skip tracks or turn it off or whatever) and goes back to that point when I start listening again. I can’t fast forward to a particular point within any given MP3, but skipping tracks is a piece of cake.
That’s not true for most iPods. I bought an aftermarket battery for my G3 when it died. Total cost: $8.99, and the battery life is longer than the original when it was new.
Ah, but that’s an iPod + accessory, which combines to form a working device. An iPod by itself with a dead battery is still crispy bread.
(Unless you mean that you replaced the internal battery. Which I’ve heard is an absolute bitch to do, but nothing is impossible, I guess. I will concede that if you replace the internal battery, the iPod becomes non-toast again.)
How long can one expect the battery on a shuffle to last? One year? 2?
Okay, here’ my question?
Do I have to use iTunes? I’ve tried it, don’t like it, but I still want a shuffle. Can I save .mp3’s or even WMV formats to the Shuffle and just use it like a flash drive, or do I actually have to use iTunes to load it?
This is a make-or-break for me.
There are programs out there for most OS’s that will let you load up any ipod but from the ones I’ve played with (on Mac and Linux, forget the names though) they’re rather crappy.
I cam to Macs from Linux where I used XMMS (it’s like WinAmp) and it took me forever to get used to iTunes. I’m still not thrilled with it but seeing as it’s free and integrates with my 'pod perfectly I’ve learned to live with it.
Yes you can…If you hold the >> (Fast Forward/Next) button down then it moves through the current track quickly, release and it plays at that point. If you just click the button, then it moves to the next track. Same with << (Rewind/Previous track).
If you turn the iPod off it does remember where you were in a song the next time you turn it on, UNLESS you have plugged it into your computer and it re-ups new songs.
threemae, yes you can, and the software allows the option for using another program. There is something about WMA’s though…Go look at the iPod website and you should find the info. I think the iTunes software turns the MP3’s into Apple’s format (.aia?) or something.
That said, The version of iTunes out now, 4.9, is pretty easy to use and has many neat bells and whistles. Not perfect, but…maybe worth looking at again.
-Tcat
Yes, I’m talking about replacing the internal battery. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s about a 2 in difficulty. It’s a little more difficult than making popcorn, but it’s not as difficult as masturbating while wearing boxking gloves.
Hey, I’ll try that Tcat. Of course, I usually listen while riding my bike around Manhattan, so holding a button while negotiating through traffic may not be the best idea ever 
Didn’t iTunes have some sort of deal where for $15/month you could basically fill up your iPod wiht music? I thought I’d seen that advertised, but can’t find a link anymore.
Thanks to everyone with the suggestions. Still not sure if I’m going to get one or not.
Hmmm. Now that I think about it, replacing the battery on a Shuffle would probably be a bit higher on the difficulty scale. The only places on it where it seems you could get access to the innards would be through the headphone jack, pulling out the USB connector, prying off the buttons, or snapping the thing in half. The rest of it is a seamless piece of plastic.