iPod shuffle dissected

We don't know if it's the clinical green background, the X-acto knife used to take it apart, or the blood red membrane revealed beneath the surface, but these iPod shuffle dissection photos are strangely disturbing.  Remember kids, don't try this at home (unless you're going to send us some pictures, that is).

[Thanks, Hadley]

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

wow. that literally HURTS me!

[chris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

This is the worst dissection ive ever seen. The guy obviously didnt have a clue. Looks like he even crimped the USB plug when trying to remove it. Nice way to completely break a Shuffle.

I thought it would have been obvious that its innerds slide out near the USB port.

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

I used to do this sort of thing when I was nine, break my toys apart to see what was inside, and I never get them together again after the operation. I�m glad to see someone else doing this now, so I don�t have to pay the cost.

[matt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

The short description before the pics mentions this guy works at IDEO... the people that help design products AKA the people that designed the iPod. There is a very good chance that this guy helped design the shuffle, he probably knows what he is doing to some extent.

[Rick James @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

is this covered under the warranty?

[David @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

Man, how much do the tech nerds gotta see? And I thought I was a str8 tek geek!

[Michael Thompson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

Post #2 sums it up.

Strictly third-rate work there.

Next time just smash it with a hammer for the amount of finesse it showed.
I know folks want to see the innards, but a modicum of respect for the hardware please!

[Alan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

What kinda crap is this, he destroys the thing and then doesn't even show us the good side of the PCB or as he would say the "green board." Let's see whose chip is on there.

[Baba Ganoush @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

For what it's worth, I had my first "hands on" with the iPod Shuffle 512MB at the local Apple retail store. My one concern regarding this product is, unfortunately, a reality: the USB cap snaps off way too easy and, since the Shuffle is designed to hang from a lanyard that attaches to the USB cap, it will not be long before you start to hear horror stories about how people lost their iPods when they fell off of their lanyard. I cannot understand why Apple would design a product with this glaring of a defect. They should have put some sort of latching mechanism on the cap or some sort of cap that pulls out (but not off) and twists to the side to make way for the USB connector. I don't get it. I am hopeful that some third-party will come out with a case or for the Shuffle that holds the cap in place. I still plan on getting the 1GB version (they didn't have them in yet today), but I think this cap issue is going to be a real problem with this design. Hopefully version 2.0 will fix it.

[Ptrix @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

Let's just pray to the computer gods that they NEVER let this guy near a Mac Mini... :P

[err0neous @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

It's great how this month's Apple-related events have so closely followed this page's predictions.

http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/

[Jeff Werner @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

"I cannot understand why Apple would design a product with this glaring of a defect..."

For the money. It is their "cheapest" product to date. Perhaps the cap design was cheaper than integrating a latch or permanent hook for the lanyard, and making it removable allows for more after-market innovation, i.e. gadgets to snap on to make the Shuffle king of the entry-level player market.

[victoria @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

The short description before the pics mentions this guy works at IDEO... the people that help design products AKA the people that designed the iPod.

What!!! Ideo, "the people that designed the ipod" and probably helped with the shuffle?! NO. You have no idea what you are talking about. IDEO had nothing to do with the shuffle and definitely did not do the Ipod. All Apple products are from their inhouse team. Ideo does not have the depth of follow through and talent that would create such a product.

Know what you are talking about before you post please.

[mike r @ Dec 19th 2005 2:13AM]

so can u take this thing apart without breaking it or not?