@ me: ... and I'm not an Apple fanboy.

First thing I did was to install the Shuffle hack ... sweet little Python script to rebuild the internal database from whatever .mp3 files it finds on the device.

No more iTunes. A wicked little amp in a device that otherwise acts like a 1GB USB drive.

I only miss a display the few times I am not enjoying the MUSIC while I do something else.

If I need to masturbate to a GUI, I'll fire up Vista or OSX.

I don't know about you, but I need to engage my EYES just about never when it comes to what I am listening to.

Do any of you know your cornhole from your elbows?

@ me -- forgot to add: the only thing I really want out of my Shuffle is more storage.

1GB really gets tight when you're into lossless or 256kbps minimum encoding.

So for the new device to still only sport 1GB max memory, and potentially have a crappy capacitance amplifier like the rest of the line, I can't get too excited.

Sadly, newer products in the line could inherit the same wicked mini amp in the 1G Shuffle, but none of you features-dorks or self-style tech bloggers will notice.

Fortunately, an old crank like Bill Machrone (who actually appreciates the quality of his music gear and has the gear to measure it objectively) took the time ONCE to measure a few popular players on the market.

These tech blogs have about as much acumen for measuring sound quality as my dog. Actually, probably a lot less. They're just gifted with thumbs. Oooo -- SCORE!

@ Sean Shrum: I too have a PPC-6700, with a 2GB MiniSD card, bought in the hopes of consuming audio on this wicked little PPC phone.

Unfortunately, the 1G Shuffle has spoiled me with its amplifier.

Try it out with better headphones, back to back, with the phone ... the phone has a passable amp. Sound reproduction is recognizable but far from life-like. Its my only let-down with the PPC-6700, by the way. I'm not a hater. It rocks everywhere else.

The only other portable device I've used with a meaty amp has been two different ThinkPads. I'm the kind of portable audio nutter that has used an in-line amp, self-powered, between player and earphones.

The Shuffle is the first device that has freed me from that extra wad in my pocket (but I was happy to see you, honest.)

If only these gadget blogs actually had audiophiles at the helm, these reviews wouldn't be so superficially preoccupied with silly BS like size, colour, bundled software, etc.

Its about AUDIO, kids. What part of that is so hard to understand?

With a 1G Shuffle, and a pair of mid-level Shure earphones, I have the best audio experience next to my office-bound Klipsch, but on the go and nary detectable to observers.

Screw you all and your conspicuous consumption: expensive metallic mp3 player and absolutely disposable garbage earbuds -- but oh MY can people tell by looking that you've got an iPod.

Quality suffers when you bozos forget what its all about: audio.

Even if many of you can't hear too well, maybe you can read: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1777890,00.asp

(As always, a warning to fanboys: facts, figures and graphs may be threatning.)

More importantly, did they keep the same amplifier circuitry as the previous model?

Its been well documented (http://www.machrone.net/mt/archives/2010/05/bass_performanc.html#more and http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1777890,00.asp) that the Shuffle has a superior amplifier, particularly noticeable in its bass reproduction. In fact, its the only reason I suffer a mere 1GB and no display.

My earphones are about twice the cost of the Shuffle, so its not about cheaping out.

Impending, kids. Im-pen-ding. "On the verge of happening."

Boy, nothing says "this photographer ain't getting me any closer to Hollywood with this nude photoshoot" than when he's pointing a DSLR marked SAMSUNG at you.

Good stuff. But which Faire smells worse, Maker or Ren?

Boy, good thing we have universities in North America that produce this sort of cutting edge thinking. Right when you thought your tax dollars were being wasted in subsidizing the educations of your neighbors' kids, we have Grade A breakthroughs like this that make it all worthwhile.

The most entertaining part is watching all these moms-basement 360 critics and Sony fanboys rapidly change their tune as the "not until fall" news becomes more official.

Here's a tip kids: If you really think you know the market THAT well, and are qualified to say something about all the competing consoles in the market, put your meagre allowance where your mouth is and start a blog.

But remember, if you spend all your time whining about what you *think* and *want* to happen, nobody's going to read you.

Sony's success = the Japanese will buy ANYTHING.

However, they do enjoy quite a few more products, and variations of products we'll never see here.

So while it appears highly niche to Western eyes, it needs to only be able to sell 1/10 as many units there as here for it to be a viable product.

> XBOX 360 does this and more

And an XBOX+XBMC does what the 360 does and more, without requiring a dedicated PC-based server tool to spoon-feed it, as is the case with the 360.

Its got my number for finally bringing a high-end-PC level of gaming (something most console fan-boys have yet to experience) to my big-screen, however.