Hands-on with the 2G iPod shuffle
By Ryan Block 
posted Sep 12th 2006 3:20PM
posted Sep 12th 2006 3:20PM
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If that aint tiny, I dont know what is...
Pretty clever -- but what can take the new iPod shuffle to a even a higher level of coolness? Ah yes, a completely waterproof -- yes, I said WATERPROOF 2nd gen iPod Shuffle. While other versions of the iPod have waterproof cases, I haven't heard of a waterproof case for the 2nd generation iPod Shuffle. However, the great news is that there is a WATERPROOF 2nd generation iPod Shuffle sold on the web by SWIMMAN at http://www.swimman.com. It's sold along with their excellent waterproof headset that has been rated on the web as being the best waterproof headset on the market. I have used it and now won't go in the water or do laps without it. The iPod shuffle is now light years ahead of everything else out there. It has become a true "go anywhere, do anything" digital audio player.
wow guys keep up the gd work. keep em posting.
Are they new ipod headphones im looking at?
how do you update songs on this thing!?
At the apple store the new headphones are part of the ipod and ipod nano gallery, but the ipod shuffle gallery has the old heaphones in it. Does this mean you only get a pair of regular headphones with the new shuffle?
So I am assuming that Apple has figured out how to send data through a 3 conductor mini-jack plug connected to a USB dock?
Out of everything announced today (besides the iTV) I want one of these...
Isn't it just a 1GB shuffle???
Does anyone know where i can watch the keynote?
Tom
OMG that is freaking SMALL. Don't blink and swallow it.
The MobiBlu Cube uses the mini jack for charging, headphones and data transfer, so that seems to be the same case here. The Shuffle is $10 cheaper than the 1GB 1500i Cube, but the Cube has an FM receiver and an OLED display. So pick yer poison, I guess.
iPod earrings are just a tiny step away.
2G means second-generation, not 2GB of memory...
Posted at 3:35PM on Sep 12th 2006 by Michael [ ! ]
---
Isn't it just a 1GB shuffle???
Yes. 2G meaning Second Generation. I'd prefer if they just called it 2nd-gen instead. It is confusing abbreviating to 2G.
Life imitates art. This reminds me of a SNL sketch following SJ's keynote release the nano. I believe Jim Breuer was playing The Jobster, though it might have been Will Ferrell. Anyhow, ersatz-Steve brought out a 5G iPod, then did the "one more thing," and whipped out a mini. Ditto nano, Shuffle... and things get silly. Out came something the size of a postage stamp. Then a Tic-Tac. Finally, the guy mimed having a player the size of... well, nothing, really.
Anyhow, made me laugh. I think Apple's pushing the envelope of practicality with a device so easily misplaced, lost, or accidentally tossed in with the wash.
hmm.. how does that baby connect? no usb port?
the new shuffle is hot and all, but noone noticed that its missing the usb key drive which was really handy....
But can it play movies like the iPod Pequeño?
I currently have the original 512MB Shuffle. This one is even cooler. So tiny. Beautiful. I love it. I just bought one. I could not resist.
It has an external USB dock. mikelucky has it right: the dock port is the mini stereo jack. See the animation at http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/sync.html
Also reminds me of the Apple Flea music player spoof. SJ seems to be embracing all of the commercial spoof concepts of Apple's hardware; I'm still waiting on my disposable Apple Sticky Notes with the Newton handwriting recognition technology.
yeah i will stick with my mobiblue cube dah1500i that i got for $56 and is 1gb
that supports more media formats and has a screen sure i may not have the batt life but i know what i want to play and can choose it
"... even if it won't play most file formats we're actually interested in."
That's a bizarre note to end on -- care to elaborate which file formats those would be?
Out of all the things today, this is what I'm getting. I currently have a 1GB shuffle and this looks to improve on everything I like about it.
Oh hugh, how do you like holding that mobiblue in your hand while your exercising? Cuz the shuffle fits perfect in mine.
I would think it uses a combined mini-jack socket that both outputs audio and allows transfer of tracks via a USB adaptor.
I recently bought a similar generic player from Dixons for £5.
It's only 256MB, looks to be smaller than this new Shuffle. I think you can buy a 1GB version too.
Mister Cark, I think you mean this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPkwwuCsTKU
iPod Invisa is next...then the universe.
"Hmm, what to buy? 1st-gen, 2nd-gen, Shuffle, Mini, Nano, Video-iPod, Mini-Nano, Clip-Pod, U2-pod, Click-wheel-pod, or the photo-iPod?"
--Bum Civilian
Stream here - Worth watching. Good show...
http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/sep_2006/event/index.html
John
Everyone loves WMA formats, duh! Especially the DRM'd ones :P
MP3 and AAC are find by me!!! (+ Audible, WAV, AIFF)
Is it necessary to make things this small?
The money spent on this could be so easily lost -- Apple needs to learn that it's possible to make something too small.
Oh hugh, how do you like holding that mobiblue in your hand while your exercising? Cuz the shuffle fits perfect in mine.
thats why you dont you put it in your pocket or on your belt with a clip lol
why on earth would you hold ur mp3 player while you work out to my knowledge i used both my hands while i do bench presses or pull ups much less see what happens when you jumping jacks
i cant see that to be a disadvantage much less you have no screen i mean come on no screen if you want to play a spefic song you cant i mean come on people thats insane
Was one of the selling points of the original shuffle not the built-in USB plug, no cords or docks required? That certainly got thrown by the wayside. Anyways, I actually prefer the form-factor of the original shuffle, like one of those half-packs of Wrigleys. This one just looks like one of those $10 30mb stocking-stuffers that they sell at those sketch shops in the train station. Without the LED readout.
iPodling
http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=050621
Thank god! I was sick of having to lug around that old shuffle. Finally, a portable music player!
that is too bad. it was enough to carry a cable for nano, but this thing has a dock connected to a cable! so apple makes players small so that we can carry extras in our empty pockets..?
good point, not as easy to use this new shuffle. the old one you can just plug into a usb drive, now u NEED to use the included dock. ugh.
Already bought mine online.
It ships...
October 31. Delivers via standard shipping on Nov. 7th.
I haven't bought an iPod since the day 3g came out. Still waiting for my bluetooth =/
i wonder what the battery life is like on this thing. they keep bragging about the new improved life on the other ipods but whats a charge last on the shuffle?
i am so getting one of these! just until i have enough for a video! ahaha
Great device. Awesome price. Quit complaining. It's small, so don't buy it if you won't use it. Everyone said the same thing about cellphones. It's perfect for running. Great job Apple. Keep up the good work...a screen on the next shuffle whilst keeping the same size and price and making it waterproof?
YO BRIAN! I TOO HAVENT BOUGHT AN IPOD SINCE 3G! I LOVE MY 3G! I THINK THIS NEW SHUFFLE IS A SAFE BET UNTIL THE TRUE VIDEO IPOD COMES OUT, EVEN THOUGH THEY LOOK VERY TEMPTING(THE 5.5G IPODS) i always think to myself, ok i'll buy this ipod it has a color screen, no i'll but this one it has video, no i'll get this nano its so cool, damn ill just wait for something cheap that will hold me over until the real video ipod!
It's great for a person who runs or does whatever. Quit complaining...don't buy it. I will. I already have a nano, but this is great for the 50 million runners who wear their ipods religiously. I hope in the future there will be one the same size with a small screen and waterproof. Great job apple. The size is perfect and I love the clip. That's the best part.
looks like they messed up with the photoshopping on the shuffle photos on their website ... check this one out:
http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/gallery/images/ipodshuffle05_20060912.jpg
the headphone jack is in the wrong place.
Whoa! It really is the smallest mp3 player. The mobiBLU 1500i is .83 cubic inches, but the shuffle is now only .71. I bet the guys at apple were really focusing on getting it under .83.
i'm considering getting this too while waiting for the real video iP
i'm considering getting this too while waiting for the real video iP..
No, that's where the headphone jack is. It's in the bump of the hinge.
Am I the only one who noticed that it has no display whatsoever? Or am I blind and it actually has?
looks like the phone from Zoolander.
Admit it, no one saw this coming. I guess it's neat, though do you really need a smaller shuffle? Hell, I frequently have a hard time finding my current shuffle. It seems more like it's small simply for the sake of being small.
I like it, the old Shuffle I never would have bought, it was too 'plain'. But this is pretty neat, small & convenient. This and the AlbumArt feature were the best events.
It looks great and very cool, but frankly, I love the cablelessness of the old shuffle, I use it just as often as a USB drive as a music player. It's pretty sweet though.
Why do I have the need to buy every single apple product out there? when will they stop? this is getting wayyyy too crazy.
I wouldn't have bought a first gen shuffle, but the fact that I can clip this anywhere and listen to the latest episode of Extra Life Radio while I'm working out makes me a happy guy. I'll pick one of these up when they come out.
yeah, i saw the communications thing on apple.com. I currently am the proud (now jealous) owner of a black 2GB iPod Nano. I am planning on getting the 8GB (black only :( ) iPod nano second-gen, and possibly the iPod 5.5-gen, and while im at itmaybe a ceramic white psp (hey everyone can dream)
Why even bother with the Shuffle when it's getting this small and cheap? Just build it into the headphones.
Ryan, the headphone jack isn't exactly in the wrong place in the photo link you posted. Look at it again and you'll realize the picture was simply flipped horizontally by mistake. But good eye ;-)
"*yawn* it all a remake of the same old same old. Nanos with colours? Been there. Bigger storage space: expected. Games? Trivial. "
You know what? You're right. I can see why Apple hired you for their design department.
Wait, what? They didn't? Oh, well surely some other trendy company did.
Oh, nobody else did either? Huh. Almost like you're not as clever as you think you are.
Well its visually a step up from the icondom... and at the very forefront of its technology, we're sure that as soon as small, high tech devices that actually display the name of the song you're listening to become available Apple will be all over it.
What's with the pricing on the new iPods (or all past iPods as well):
1 Gb Shuffle = $79 per Gb (no screen)
2 Gb Nano = 74.50 per Gb (no video support)
4 Gb Nano = $49 per Gb
8 Gb Nano = $31 per Gb
30 Gb iPod = $8 per Gb (all bells and whistles!)
80 Gb iPod = $4 per Gb (ditto!)
Where's the value in the shuffle? Save up your clams and get the big boy. Best value for your money.
"It has an external USB dock. mikelucky has it right: the dock port is the mini stereo jack. See the animation at http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/sync.html"
It looks like the poor shuttle is getting raped... I don't know who in their right mind would want one of these...
In the future Apple will beam music, video, and pictures directly into your brain. For $149 you get 2GB of data, $229 you get 4 GB, and $329 you get 8GB of data using their revolutionary iBrain Store. Additional content can be purchased through the iBrain Store for $2.49 per song and $5.00 for video. Incremental upgrades will come in quarterly cycles (every 3 months). There will be no physical hardware involved. However upon signing up for this service you must agree to sell your soul to Steve Jobs (he uses souls to fund his Apple Propaganda Machine) and upon using the 10G iPod you will be required to allow the iBrain store to destroy 500 million nuerons.
In 2015 Creative will fight back by sueing apple for copyright infringement and by releasing 2 million PMP devices with no apparent target audience: Zen 3000, Zen Garden, Zen Poo, Zen Pod, Zen Note, Zen Bling etc.
USELESS!!!
AT LEAST HAVE A SMALL TWO-LINE LCD FOR SONG/TRACK INFO
Pat... what you have just described about price per gigabyte has been true about the iPod for years, yet people don't care and buy the lower end ones anyway.
The reason is that the usefulness of more hard drive space does not always scale up to the monstrous 80GB. Some people may only have 4 GB of music... but the smaller iPods have advantages over the hard drive based ones as well : flash based iPods are completely skip proof, and are better for working out, and also have better battery life.
Is there a way to just play the songs regularly without shuffling or repeating them ?
Hey guys waiting for the true video ipod, it's already out, its called a macbook, after all when was the last time you sat down in some random place saying I want to watch a movie without having a full battery, and having happen so much that a 3.5 inch screen is too tiny, but 13 inches is to much, honestly if you watch videos that much why bother watching them on a 6 inch screen, and not only that it solves the whole blue tooth issue you guys have been comlaining about. As far ass the shuffle, yes the first one was good, and it made a good flash drive, but the shuffle was ment for those starting off as an ipod user or someone working out, pick up a 10 flashdrive from wallmart and throw it on you keychain. its a step in the right direction, and as far as way to confusing on how many models there are, there are still fewer total than creatives current line at walmart, and the put a new one out every week.
is it just me or does that thing charge thru the headphones ????
Anybody else notice that one of the images in the shuffle gallery is flipped?
http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/gallery/images/ipodshuffle05_20060912.jpg
The side with the headphone plug is flipped upside down.
Mister Cark, It was Fred Armisen. Just want to give credit where credit be due. Fred is the man.
quote:
"So I am assuming that Apple has figured out how to send data through a 3 conductor mini-jack plug connected to a USB dock?"
Not sure what you mean by this but Mobiblu has been doing this since the "Cube" mp3 player. I'm not sure who else has done it. Makes you think where they picked up the concept now....
Still no screen so its still got the same issue with the original shuffle. Ill stick to the other microsized flash players with a screen.
Just imagine what might be around the corner. If they can build bluetooth into it I'm thinking a iwatch might be next. Wear your music on your wrist. That would rock. Literally.
this thing looks like a piece of junk, i would never buy one
Sometimes size DOES matter. This is dangerously small and catered to the poorer college crowd. I'll stick with my $400 60GB Video iPod...why? Because I can afford one and it does everything I want it to that's why. Save up those pennies kids. Maybe one day you too can afford a real iPod like this Mom of 5.
Ok now, this is a little ridiculous. I want my i-pod small even so its easy to carry around and not like a big clunky cd player. But not small enough to wear i cat find it in my pocket lol. Soon were going to need magnifying glasses to see what were doing. I'll stick with my nano.
You think Apple doesn't do extensive research into how people use there music. People who work out often don't interact with their ipod while they are exercising except when it gets in the way. Even 1G shuffle will bounce around too much while running vigorously. Buying a $20 clip for a $79 device makes people mad. You don't need a screen if you aren't choosing songs. You need a clip if you are moving around. "Wearability is key."
They know there is a market for this, often as a 2nd ipod for a user.
I bought one because I just want to listen to music, not impress people. It is all about the music, right?
Yeah, it looks pretty sweeet.
If your into palm size shit like this.
heres a cool little quicktime drag around veiw
of it.
http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/gallery/images/ipodshuffle06_20060912.mov
Hello,
I have just the New Shuffle 2G at home.
It is little, design and my second Ipod,after my 60G video.
best regars
iPod shuffle 2G comes with the old standard earphones. See picture at http://store.apple.com/Catalog/regional/amr/ipodshuffle/gallery/gallery-big-02.jpg
In the pictures above there are the new improved earphones. Why is that?
Pretty clever -- but what can take the new iPod shuffle to a even a higher level of coolness? Ah yes, a completely waterproof -- yes, I said WATERPROOF 2nd gen iPod Shuffle. While other versions of the iPod have waterproof cases, I haven't heard of a waterproof case for the 2nd generation iPod Shuffle. However, the great news is that there is a WATERPROOF 2nd generation iPod Shuffle sold on the web by SWIMMAN at http://www.swimman.com. It's sold along with their excellent waterproof headset that has been rated on the web as being the best waterproof headset on the market. I have used it and now won't go in the water or do laps without it. The iPod shuffle is now light years ahead of everything else out there. It has become a true "go anywhere, do anything" digital audio player.
If you don't like it,don't buy it!
Stop moaning about it's size,lack of screen etc.
It's made for a particular market or a 'niche',so it's not going to be to everyones tastes.
I previously owned two ipods,and hell i couldn't be bothered shelling out more money on another Nano or whatever so i got this.
250 songs on one small player like this is all I can ask for.