iPod shuffle snaps up 58% of the US market for flash-based MP3 players
posted May 4th 2005 7:19PM
A report by market research firm NPD concludes that Apple's iPod shuffle has gobbled up a full 58.2% of the US market for flash-based MP3 players in March, up from 43% in February (the bulk of Apple's sales were for the 512MB version of the shuffle). Whether Apple tapped into what has turned out to be a vastly underestimated demand for flash-based players, or simply employed their massive marketing muscle to get consumers lusting after a product that four months ago they didn't know they wanted is (it's probably a little bit of both), but what isn't up for debate is that Creative, iRiver, Sony, Rio, et al. seriously have their work cut out for them. At this point overtaking Apple isn't simply going to be a matter of adding extra features or pricing their players more competitively. You don't walk into an existing market and grab nearly 60% in two or three month (at least not usually), and a big part of how this happened is that Apple's self-contained system (i.e. iTunes and the iTunes Music Store) which "encourages" users to stay within it (you can bet that a lot of iPod shuffle buyers already owned a regular iPod or iPod mini), combined with an incredibly uncommon amount of cultural cachet that is impossible to buy.
[Via TUAW]
Its been said before, and I'll day it again -
People who buy Ipods are lemmings, and people who buy Ipod shuffles are DUMBASSES....
This makes me want to cry. The iPod is a good product. The mini.. Before the second gen was an alright product (8 hours of battery life? WTF?). But the Shuffle.. Well, when I see someone with a Shuffle, I immediately think 'moron'.
Granted, the rechargable battery is handy, but after a year it'll lose half of its battery life. And any benefit granted by that is far outweighed by the lack of a screen.
Hype is an elusive enemy to defeat. But I think it will eventually peter out. Remember how popular Palm pdas were when they first came out ? The market eventually got saturated, and peoples attention shifted to other gadets. The allure and sheik (chic?) factor wore off when everybody and their grandmother had one. Same with Cell phones, sure, there's still ooo/aah factor surrounding certain phones, but by in large they are commonplace.
There's nothing wrong with Palms (personaly for a personal organizer I think they're probably still the best), but they don't get you a lot of external validation anymore...so if you're buying a computer for your pocket you are probably going to purchase it for a more specific reason and you'll probably at least consider other brands and devices and may end up choosing one of those alternatives. I think the same will be true for MP3 players in the long run. Many of the iPod's competitors are perfectly functional devices that *can* match the pods in *almost* every way. I could be wrong though, this is of course just my opinion. It is true that the tether to and from iTunes gives the i(music-device) product line a boost in functionality and longevity. iTunes and Hype are definitely advantages that APPLE has...
Now that Apple is so strongly in the personal music player arena I don't think they'll ever HAVE to leave. They will continue to put out good products, and quite likely even remain top dog, but I think the margins won't always be so overwhelming as they are now...
It's *cachet*, not cache!
Sorry.
Anyway, I would love to be the hapless Creative/Rio/Dell DJ people racking their brains on this one.
"I know! We'll make it cheaper, and have more features!"
"Uh... we did that... and lost 58% of the market in 6 months."
To respond to the first two posts: you're both idiots.
The Shuffle is AWESOME for running.
I have a 40GB iPod that's great for the car, at work, etc., but I'm not going to run with that brick.
The Shuffle is perfect for it.
For you to condemn the product or its users just because you can't see past your own idiosyncracies is, well, stupid.
I won't disagree and say the shuffle has the most features out there for the price, but have the other companies ever thought that people don't want loads of features to play with while walking/working out but rather want a simple no-brainer device to start and forget about while doing other things?
And yes Apple is selling an image too, but it's a pretty good image based on mostly good products i wish the other companies had tried doing that rather than stuffing a gadget with lots of -never gonna be used features- and saying "hey guys this is cheap, go for it"
I'll have to disagree with you there, Morwan. I just got an iPod shuffle, and I quite like it. Specifically, I like it because of the niche it occupies in my lifestyle, not just because of the gadget factor.
Basically, it's the fastest, simplest, most elegant way to access music that I like. I don't need to worry about managing what I keep on it. I don't need to think about what I want to listen to at a particular moment. I don't need to do anything other than hit 'autofill', and then hit 'play'. If I was going on a long trip, it certainly wouldn't replace my normal iPod, but for carrying about to listen to during the interstitial spaces of my day, it's perfect.
Rather than hating the Shuffle for what it's not, I like it for what it is: a zero-management delivery platform for good music.
I've got nothing against Apple or the iPod but the shuffle is an awful product. The fact that people are willing to drop 100 bucks on an MP3 player without a screen is crazy IMO. Not everybody likes to shuffle all the time and though I don't actually own one I would imagine it'd be a pain in the ass to find a particular song. These things sell because of marketing and iTunes, not on the merit of actually being a good product. It just goes to show that teenagers with money to blow and no drug habit to spend it on are idiots. I can't think of anyone else who would buy a shuffle.
1 & 2 seem to be the ones that don't get it...
Everyone else, apparently, got iPods...
Whats the deal with iPod bashing the original was a great player which developed very nicely. THe mini was even better hitting a maket that wanted alot of songs but not neccisarily their whole library and got it in a simple to use well designed product. You rarely have any usability issues and buttons (in 3rd gen) would only respond to human touch. I thought it was remarkable. THe flash bvased is more of a means to allow people who a)already have an ipod carry a few favourite songs or b) allow others to get into the iTunes store cheaply.
THe point is apple has obviously put out a good product (albeit slightly more expensive than competitors) and cashed in huge on being one of the first convienent packages for portable mass music. Stop bashing apple for doing a good job.
My only critique would be that they dont incorperate new features into old players that they could easily do.
> It just goes to show that teenagers with money
> to blow and no drug habit to spend it on are
> idiots. I can't think of anyone else who would
> buy a shuffle.
Yeah - everyone knows the ones with the drug habits are the smart ones.
the shuffle is great, not all of us have 300 bucks to shoot either. Thats wonderful and amazing that they have over 58% GO APPLE, MAKE ME PROUD!!!
~a caring sharholder :p ~
iPoop
Actually using one of these 'iPod-killers' makes the shuffle's market-grab seem pretty reasonable. Enough of you know about the shuffle that I don't need to rehash. I've got several friends now with shuffles, and I like them.
Meanwhile, I'm using a Sony NW-E105 (a gift). It's one of the new low-end music players shaped like a stop watch, and also one of Sony's first (true) MP3 players. It's a complete pain in the ass. First, it ONLY works on Windows, and then ONLY using Sony's software which is flakey as hell. (It also requires Flash for some reason. Why do I need to add a multimedia plug-in to transfer files? To watch ads?) Syncing requires an additional cable. The physical interface of the device is just st00pid: small buttons for menu and sound (this button seems to have multiple functions) are on the back of the unit. Volume is a rocker sort of switch on the right edge; The left edge has a slider switch to choose between playing files as albums or songs (I think; it could be music vs. data) and to put the player on hold. Next/previous are bottom left and right on the tilting faceplate with play/stop on the upper right. NW-E105's got buttons all over the damned place...
The screen? I guess it will come in handy when I eventually have to set the time, but when skipping through songs, I usually hear (and identify) the first sounds of a song before the screeen scrolls enought to give me any meaning from it. In fairness, seeing the screen blank off is a nice indicator of powering down as 'off' is one button they didn't fit anywhere.
As for looks: you've seen the shuffle. You like it or hate it. But you never see a side view of the Sony; it's replaceable battery (nice!) makes this player look like it's pregnant...with a AA battery. I expected a thin disk shaped like a stack of three poker chips, but I got a blue checker with a beer gut. So be it; it's a music player. I don't have to stare at the thing. Except that it's not easy to operate (yet) without looking at the unit to locate buttons...
This is the most serious contender to the shuffle right now. Same price ($99) for 512 megs and you get a screen and a clock thrown in for free. I'd still trade for a shuffle.
Sony flash-based MP3 players: http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=pa_mp3players&Dept=audio
Look... I LOVE my 20gig 4g iPod, but shuffles are for morons who want the apple's cool image.... Many other flash MP3 players offer much better features at a lower price... And if you want simplicity... there are those that have 3 functions more than the shuffle that make it all worthwhile;
1. USB Plug and Play use as storage device not only for music but documents/other files aswell.(And that means PLUG AND PLAY USE, none of this "only works like that on one machine" crap.)
2. Just a small LCD screen to see what the hell you're listening to, not sure about all of you...but sometimes people ask what I am listening to, and I know its a good song yet I cant remember what specific Title/Band it is...
Just a 20char LCD Screen is fine.
3. Standard batteries... eg AAA or AA, (Or AAAA for that matter), this just makes it so you can instantly add a full charge... and get it anywhere you go.
If the shuffle had those features... Then it might be worth it to me at that price... But for a product that spawned the "iShirt" and (iS**t, the kind you "magnetically attach" your shuffle to the shirt as the "i") it is just for apple xelots to further the image... or people copying them... there are far better flashplayers than the shuffle imo
Dont forget I LOVE my 20gig ipod... and for you joggers... get a mini, or a 20gig... they arent that cumbersome to wear as long as you dont strap it to your boobs...(seeing as that seems what they want with the iShirt)
This is sad, I mean real sad. I hate my Ipod. Quality sound, yes. Feature rich, no. Stable, no no no no no. great interface, there are not enough no's in the universe. I got mine as a gift, and I appreciate it because of that, and it has firewire which is faster than usb2. Otherwise I'd ebay it and get an Iriver. the shuffle sells for name recognition that's all. Autofill get real, a playlist over 1000 deep would make that awful BELIEVE me. simple interfaces have a charm shelf life of a month, after that you'll be begging for more control over your device. ENQUEUE ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!
i was a "WTF is apple doing" person when the shuffle first came out. like im the person who really wants all the extra features, etc. but, i realized that there are alot of people who just want a simple mp3 player, and this is it. yes, an oled would be a nice addtion...mabye thell call it " ipod shuffle with color screen". however once i saw it in person i kinda got its meaning...in an age where technology is very confusing to a lot of people, i guess consumers just want a non-confusing mp3 player. i have 2 mp3 players (one hdd, and the other is a flash), and if my iriver broke i think i would buy a shuffle for running, or one of these http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000697034975/.
but stop bashing on it though, i mean its only a freakin mp3 player that most of the angry people dont have...so whats the point of getting angry over something that u dont own. if people didnt like the product they wouldnt buy it, which is the message that creative, rio, sony, iriver is getting via this survey (which is hard to understand cause all of them make awesome stuff)
Dead Nancy
first off you compare sony to apple, HA!
I'm sorry your saddled with a sony product, but please don't compare think that sony's foray into mp3 players is indicative of the market. Trust me there are millions of better players just check out cnet.com
doublefeh above gets it (won't repeat your comments); using it is a thoughtless, natural process. Something using a Sony product never is (also see above)
Longtime iPod user (used all those sh*tty Creative products before that). Currently using a 20gb 3rd gen iPod now and a 512mb iPod Shuffle. Find myself using the Shuffle more lately, so some observations:
- Screen is totally unnecessary and unwanted. I use this at the gym and don't need to look at the screen. Instant skipping via Flash ram also makes skipping/shuffling more "pleasant" than a disk-based player.
- Half of the Shuffle is the interaction with the software/iTunes. This is where Sony, Creative, et al will and will always continue to fail, and I think where the market share gain problems will continue to plague them. I can order my Shuffle the way I want (which I don't; that's what an iPod is for), or just skip around.
- Sounds better than my regular iPod, and that's not placebo effect observation. Sound is -rich-. Every Rio and Creative product I've personally listened to sounds like garbage. I also can't believe how loud it is. It can drive my Sennheisers w/out an amp!
- If Apple designed the Shuffle as a 2nd iPod for people on the move and to complement their preexisting product (duh!), they've fully succeeded.
Now I wish Apple could figure out a phone/iPod Shuffle thing.
Sony mp3 players are for Windows dorks that like organizing their music in little folders on their hard drive, manually renaming their mp3s, running all these stupid little utilties to do every little thing to their music, installing the latest little Sony music management app that will crash and be unsupported in a year, etc.
The iPod just works. Case in point, off to the gym...
*cough* 20 hours playing time & higher capacities with well known warranty plans *cough*
I like the Ipod Shuffle, it's making apple heaps, though if I had the choice I'd rather have a stick of gum in my pocket than a Shuffle, yes it's good for running and such, but compared to a player with an LCD Screan it's junk, when I go for a run I want to be able to choose what I'm listening to, I have a Creative Muvo TX FM and thats great for running I just flick though to my running folder and I'm off, I prefer AAA batterys in small flash based Mp3 players aswell, I use rechagables, but just being able to walk into a store and buy a temp battery when my rechageble dies on me is a wonderful thing, the shuffle has many good points to it and I may just buy one cos it's small, it looks good and it's apple
uhh why do we care about what other people use? seriously... use what is best for you and stop knocking on others.
18, you are either running or playing with the mp3 player to pick your songs, and if you really want to pick the songs u like then compile a list on the computer from your favs. in fact u don't even have to do it manually, pick autofill, using top rated songs and bang, u got your shuffle loaded and ready with two button clicks
some common misconceptions
-the shuffles battery will die in half a year
no, the battery manufacturer rates the batteries life as 500 cycles. if i cycle is 12 hours, and you listen 2 hours a day, thats 8 years before the battery falls below 90% of its capacity
-there are better cheaper players
actually, there are very few players that are cheaper. those that are tend to be larger heavier, and reportedly have worse sound quality. often their screens are useless since they dont offer any sort of menu that warrants the use of a screen.
before you talk about lemmings and such, try to look into what you're discussing. i just love the people who flame apple and then accuse others of being fanboys. these types of discussions make my day
More than the job cut out for Creative, Rio, Sony, its the job cut out for MS and Bill Gate. Its wonderful, that engadget carried BillG's interview and so much for an visionary and visionary's company. BTW where is playforsure and MS in this whole picture, oh yeah they have introduced video to go...
Music buisness is different from the PC market and the stupid playforsure campaign to highlight hardware choice.
Hats off to Apple, for revolutionizing the MP3 player market.
I had a 3G iPod 10GB and a 4G iPod 20GB... sold those, now have a 1GB Shuffle.
I didn't use all the features of the iPod, I just wanted something I could put in my pocket, not be bulky (after using an iPod after having the shuffle, the iPod seems huge!), and just play some music for the 1-2 hours that I use it per day. The $150 was a better spend than the $300+... accessories and everything to keep it looking nice, whereas I can litterally throw the shuffle at the concrete floor and it will still play and look fine. Believe me, I've done that to prove how well built it was.
Plus, I usually keep a good 250MB free, just so I can transfer some files between places. I do keep a copy of the latest Anti-Virus/Spyware programs (AVG, Microsoft AntiSpyware, amongst others) and Firefox & Thunderbird (for PC) on there at all times, just in case I have to fix a computer, I throw the right tools on there.
Still not gonna run it over with my car... unless I get another shuffle, then it may be worth a shot. That'll be fun.
At first I was skeptical of the shuffle...I thought maybe Apple had kind of blown it.
But then I went into an Apple store and saw one and I fell in love with it.
It is simplicity in action. The other similar players are all pains in the rear end to use. Their screens and buttons are too small to be functional. The directions for using them are stupidly complicated.
And most of the time I just want a player to use on the go that plays my songs. I don't care about going through all of this complex song selection through a tiny screen and buttons. I certainly don't care about FM radio...pulleaze.
The shuffle just works. You load it up with a few hours of your favority music and then put on the headphones and let it play. That's all I need most of the time. When I really do want more of a musical collection on the road, then I turn to the larger iPod.
It's super lightweight and small, and very durable. Plus, with the pricepoint, you don't worry so much about something damaging it.
The genius of the shuffle, again, is that it just works for what it is designed to do.
I am really suprised it has 60 percent, thats pretty unbelievable!! Apple is a force to be wrecken with
Amazing, it makes me laugh that the other 40% of flash-based mp3 player companies are probably clogging their toilets with bricks.
All the users that have commented positively on the shuffle are correct. It does what it does, and only what it needs to.
For those of you with the negative criticism:
- You can opt to shuffle your songs, or listen to them in order. And listening to songs in a random order isnt that odd.. you people complaining about that are probably also the ones that want a FM radio built in to it aswell.... good thing you know what order those songs are played in.
- Why do you need a screen to see what it is your listening to? You DO KNOW what songs you purchased and put on your mp3 player right?
- No replaceable battery... Lets do the math shall we?
Under-rated by Apple to avoid complaints at 12hrs, users have reported around 18-26. So lets split the difference and say 17hrs.
512MB Shuffle $99.00:
17hrs * 500 Recharge Cycles = 8500 hrs/ $0.00 (virtually) Cost.
Sony NW-E400 $150.00:
50hrs * 170 AAA Lithium Batteries = 8500 hrs / $340.00 ($2.00 per Lithium AAA Battery).
So to sum things up,
A 512MB iPod Shuffle with 8500 Hrs of life (1-9 years depending on usage 2.5 for most) will cost you a measly $99.00
A 512MB Sony Walkman NW-E400 at 50hrs per battery, and 170 batteries to match the life of the iPod battery will cost you $490.00 plus an average of 3.49% inflation over the next 2.5 years equals a total of $519.00 (roughly).
Now for $499.00 I can run with a Mac Mini strapped to my arm.
And if your still not convinced or grew up in a state that did not require economics as a course in high school... Are you really going to want what will seem like a measly 512MB in your mp3 player 2-3 years down the road when your iPod dies? If you apply Moore's Law to your iPod, the Gigabyte version should cost roughly the same amount as your 512mb Shuffle three years down the road... and thats a very conservative estimate.
--
Now im not a total fan of the Shuffle, in fact I don't even own one. I still have a 3G 20GB iPod. But I certainly do understand the marketing and the principal behind it. But to show that I am not completely biased in favor of the Shuffle. In my opinion the Shuffle with its super light weight, and imitation click wheel.. seems really , well kinda cheap to me.
It needs to be slightly heavier... and have harder plastic.
-im out.
tito,
Lithium batteries have a limited lifespan of 2-3 years from the date of manufacture, regardless of how much you use it. Go ahead, look it up. It's simply a limitation of the technology. In 8yrs your shuffle will not have 90% of it's capacity, more like 5%, maybe 10% if you never use it.
Quick reminder... we are talking about 58.2% of the current flash based market here...
It would be more interesting to know how that is related to a possible future market. Digital audio players are not completly mainstream yet.
Apple might dominate the current market, but a good product from another company could still change all that. They would of course have to come out with the complete package: hardware and software.
Time will tell...
BTW I have to agree with some pro-shuffle arguments. I have a flash based player for the gym and I have never bothered to check the LCD. There is definitly a place for the shuffle portability and limited functionality.
(Eagerly awaiting my 40GB Gigabeat player which comes with Gigabeat Room software...)
shuffle definitely has a niche... not a huge apple fan, but I have a 40g ipod photo and zero complaints, wasa tough choice but for what I was going to use it for, was better than the alternatives.
on a whim, bought a 1g shuffle for my gf just for her to work out with, had no idea what the reception would be. she loves it (she had never touched an apple product before in her life).
there's no way she would use an LCD while working out, she sets her playlist ahead of time so she doesn't have to think about it... it weighs absolutely nothing. for some reason, people think basic functionality is bad... but if you do it well, and no one else is doing it, hola. creative should be taking notes. if I wanted a flash based player, would probably go for an iAudio personally, but that's just me.
Good technology is often defined not only by what it has, but by what it does not have...in other words, sometimes less is more in terms of features, as one gains simplicity in the exchange.
Who the heck cares about a screen...for a few hours of listening, most people just push play and let it roll. And the music comes from your own collection anyway, so you know you'll like the songs.
As to the battery life for lithium...again, who cares if its "only" 2 or 3 years? At this pricepoint, you'll want to replace it with the latest and greatest in that time frame anyway. Who the hell wants to be using the same music player 9 years from now?
So the shuffle is a genius product, in that it does what it is supposed to do and does it very well. All one has to do is to look and hold a shuffle to realize its genius.
i think its about time apple handed out some serious ass kicking to other companies...
now if only they could do this to the PC market.... hmmmmmm
I don't like Apple particularly at all. I think iPods sell because of their image.
I don't like weak products, that are overpriced and don't do a whole lot.
That said, I have a shuffle. It is the only flash player that I can put in the coin pocket of my jeans, and completely forget about all day. I can use ALL the controls, thru my pocket, and never have to take it out.
There is no other flash player that can do that.
I don't think the Shuffle even comes close to holding it's own against "real" flash players, that actually do things, and have a screen.
But, the Shuffle has it's own market, and can be very useful in ways that other flash players can't.
And if you don't know what's on your Shuffle, because there's no screen, maybe you should listen to your music more. It's not like the Shuffle holds 20 gigs of music or anything.
#1 and #2 are 100% RIGHT!
Iriver is way better. I have a nice IFP-395 and it has been great, it has a screen too! AA batteries last nearly 24hrs. it even has a shuffle mode!
I have no idea why Mac fanboys can't take a little constructive critisism about their stupid crapintosh crap.
I think #26 said it. it is simple. Some people are just simple folk who want a player that you just push "on" and listen to your i-tunez.
So why can't we all be right? Ipod Shuffles for simpletons and everyone else can use really good players.
Wow, when I first saw the Shuffle I didn't think it would sell well becuase there was no screen. Congrats to Apple! =)
The emotionally-lame who can't step back and examine new products without their endocrine system providing most of the feedback are a chuckle.
A significant reason, for certain, for the expanding acceptance of the whole iPod range is iTunes. There is a bloc of users who only want a simple, unobtrusive source for Internet Radio. That's why, after more than a few months of experimenting and trials, I dropped the preceding tuners I'd used and essentially stay with iTunes. It doesn't get in the way. I don't get 700 commercials for MSN. It's not buggy. Not bad reasons for folks who just want to use stuff.
Neither my wife and I had any interest in anything iPod-like until the Shuffle came along. Again, unobtrusive, easy to use and tiny were the winners -- especially since we both use iTunes on our various computers.
My wife bought a Shuffle and has downloaded a couple of audio books she's been wanting to catch up on. She goes for a 45-minute [serious] walk, every day at lunch time -- and, now, she catches up on her "reading" in the process.
iTunes and the Shuffle made it easy.
I still don't need one and didn't buy one. Or anyone else's flavor. And, by the way, the marketplace isn't as obedient as the folks noted in paragraph 1 apparently believe. Ask anyone who still owns an Edsel.
These comments make me laugh. Everyone says the Shuffle sucks, it lacks features, etc., but Apple sells them like hot cakes. Obviously Apple is doing something right.
I think the people who complain about the lack of features of the shuffle forget about people who exercise. Maybe some of you "haters" need to start exercising or doing something active to really appreciate the Shuffle.
Fishes,
narco.
"Iriver is way better. I have a nice IFP-395 and it has been great, it has a screen too! AA batteries last nearly 24hrs. it even has a shuffle mode!
I have no idea why Mac fanboys can't take a little constructive critisism about their stupid crapintosh crap.
I think #26 said it. it is simple. Some people are just simple folk who want a player that you just push "on" and listen to your i-tunez.
So why can't we all be right? Ipod Shuffles for simpletons and everyone else can use really good players."
---
this was said by a guy named 'pspimp', doesnt that tell you something? the same sort of person who wants a device thats overcrowded with too many features all trying to be useable. ive used an iriver something. theyre cheap, yeah. the thing looked like a fucking padlock. i dont own an mp3 player, ive got a cd player that does mp3 cds beautifully. if i bought one, itd be either something panasonic or the 1gb shuffle, mostly because i listen whilst biking and running and cant have that skipping going on. and panasonic because their shit is dope.
saying itunes/ipods/the shuffle is for /simpletons is disgusting. if that is what 'constructive critisism' is, youre a shit eating piece of redneck whitetrash. no, that isnt helping anything and you still arent cool. aa batteries last 24hrs? big fucking deal. then what, you buy a new pair? i dont know about you, but ive got a job and i like that money - blowing it on batteries is not my idea of a good time. rechargeable? alright, tack on another 25$ to that price for a good set...until those lose their charge in a year, while the ipod will still be going fine. a screen? i operate my cd player in my bag while biking - last thing i need is a screen. even while taking a bus, i rarely look at the screen - i know what is next even when loading from a cd with 120 tracks on it. yes, it has shuffle. but when you plug it into your computer, how do load songs on it? does it have the software integration that the ipod does? does it have the support groups that the ipod does? ie, if it fails will you be able to find a million people willing to help you? this is something that i have always found very good about apple products, their 'fanboys' happen to be generous and eager to help. not so with sony, and HELL NO with creative (does creative have fanboys? ive yet to meet any). ive never bothered to buy an iriver product so i dont know.
99$ for 512mb. and you can get them cheaper. 149$ for a gb? yeah, the mini is only a bit more. yes, it has a screen and 4gb of storage and even comes in colors. but how many of you honestly need this? i know this is engadget, but most of you will agree that youd rather have less shit in your pockets - this will do what you need and fulfill that want. it wont light up and it doesnt have an fm tuner and and and - but its small, light as HELL, has some dope accessories (that you probably dont need but theyre fun :p ) and as has been said - fits in your coin pocket. you CAN throw these on the ground.
i didnt think id like these at first. i went to an apple store, and still didnt like them. they were presented badly, i thought - the display was unorganized and there wasnt the feeling of continuity i was expecting. i think its being marketed BADLY and its still doing this well - i must have a bad sense of whats good. ive always thought the way to do this would be to stick them everywhere; gas stations, target, macys, saks, rei, anywhere theres a checout lane. put them somewhere people can just pick them up and buy them - this is the sort of thing you buy on impulse and are happy with later. like a christmas present, you just end up with it and are totally pleased. at least thats how ive looked at it.
please, everyone stop using the word fanboys. please. its making me sick.
#18 #19 and other retards that think sonys NEW mp3 players are crap, i sold my 4gb mini for the new NW-HD5 (30hrs battery for mp3 and detachable battery) and for you who think sonys products are hard to use, its because you guys are pretty dumb, yes sonic stage previous versions werent up to scratch but they offered much more than itunes,
i have itunes on my mac. so im not a blind follower, when a product is more superior and it is a fairly decent brand then i wont hesitate in buying it,
common think about the NW-E505 the slick tube mp3 player (3mins of usb charge for 3hrs play) http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000003032540/
not only does it have a screen but also has built in radio! take that shuffle, unfortunately what they have to do is make it mac friendly for us, but my wife uses her vaio so i store all my music there.
my point is, that the marketing and hype machine are blinding all you fools, sony did that in the 90's and now apple is doin it now, there are soo much more better mp3 players than the apples.
Anybody who says that creative/rio players audio quality sucks obviously has not listened to those players and is simply blindly criticizing the vastly superiour alternatives. It is a well-known fact that the creative players, from the zen micro and touch to the miniscule muvo nx, have hands down the best quality of all portable dap. Iriver comes next, with Apple a distant third. Now granted, the differences here are pretty small and not too noticeable for the average user, but you can definitely notice the audio quality between the superb zen micro and an ipod mini or shuffle. Anybody who says different obviously doesn't know different.
#16 "Autofill get real, a playlist over 1000 deep would make that awful BELIEVE me."
You should do a little research before sounding like an idiot.
I created a playlist of about 400 songs for working out. I autofill my shuffle from that playlist only. The Shuffle is a brilliant product.
I love you, Dr. Zaius
Can anyone recommend a good MP3 player that can be used without additional software. I just want to use Windows Explorer to drag files a removeable drive, and then have the player recognize the Mp3s and play them, ignoring everything else. Is this possible.
This is all about marketing, correct timing, and brand loyalty. Before the iPod MP3 players are just a novelty. The big names were Creative and Rio. When the iPod was popularized, everybody was getting in the MP3 player craze. And now that MP3 players have reached mass market already, the first brand that comes to mind is the iPod (because of it's good product). So now when they released the shuffle (even with such a high cost, and less features) people bought them without even thinking (since they don't know of any other brand).
Um, I have a shuffle. It's my first mp3 player of any sort - I was/still sort of am a CD Player purist that thinks mp3 players as sort of a waste for anybody that already owns a bunch of CDs (no offense to anybody, I can't say that anymore), especially one who makes a hobby out of making "perfect" mix CDs (a la John Cusack in High Fidelity). My CD player sat in my cargo pocket, significantly weighing down half of my pants, playing mix CDs on random - each song chosen so that I didn't want to skip over it. Shuffle's kinda the same concept - it didn't cost more than my Sony G-protection CD player did a few years ago (side note - G-protection still doesn't mean you can run with it and not have it skip), it doesn't weigh down my pants, and on the rare occasion I don't feel like listening to a song that's on (out of 80 or so songs, it may happen), I can push the button through my pants. Plus, the thing pumps out pristine sound. Having never tried an iRiver or Creative Muvo, I have nothing to compare it to besides my CD players, and this sounds slightly better in side by side comparison.
I dunno, but I like my lil shuffle and can really see how it can garner such a huge market share.
@Justice- Get a player from the MuVo Micro or the TX line of the Creative players. They can not only be used with explorer without propreitory (read:iTunes) software, but they have additional features like voice recorder, radio and DUH.. a screen!
And BTW, apple didnt do anything "right" with the shuffle. People are only buying them for the "Ipod" brand. If apple didnt have the "recognition" it has now due to the original Ipod line, people wouldnt give a rats ass about their shuffle players.
And the "shuffle" concept has been done long back, more than 2 years back by Creative....
#44, Creatives Muvo line is completely open USB mass storage, just drag and drop or use the included software or WMP10, most of them have screens, some are USB dongles, some need a standard cables. You can even drag music off of them on to someone elses computer.
Archos Gmini XS200 is a completely open USB 20GB hard drive player with an excellent menu and on the fly playlists. Its an exceptional value at about $200
I have a Muvo N200, while the screen is pretty useless most of the time, it does allow you to adjust the 5 band EQ on screen and tune FM stations. I hear people say they have no use for FM, but I sure like it mostly for listening to NPR during my morning commute.
Joey Geraci, show us a picture of all these DAPs you have listened to and extensively tested. i have never heard that creative has better sound than iriver. rio is indeed supposed to be good, but not the crappy creative flash players. and if you have read anything about the shuffle, many people who own both it and the regular ipod like the sound quality of the shuffle better.