iPod Shuffle 2009 Review

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Yes, Apple just came out with a new iPod Shuffle. As always, it’s cool. As always, if you’re into tech stuff, you want one.

Pros:
+ Very cool size – smaller than ever.
+ Voice Over feature, where you can hear what songs you are listening to. This is by far the biggest innovation. Funny enough, if you have a Windows computer, it speaks to you in a female voice and male if you have a Mac. (An “alpha” thing?)
+ 4 gb capacity (2 gb was the previous high).

Cons:
– 10 hour battery life. (The current Nano has 24 – and the $29 Shuffle I’ll mention in a minute has 12.)
– You can only use the Apple-provided headphones, which don’t fit every set of ears. (They don’t fit mine!)

Suggestion: Buy a 1 gb Shuffle from the Apple Refurb store for $29 or $39, depending on availability. Get a great set of headphones and sing all the way to the bank. (Update: Now there are 2 gb models for $39, if you keep checking back.)

Big users’ tip: always leave the headphones plugged in. If you take them out, this puppy is so small you’ll lose it within minutes.

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5 Replies to “iPod Shuffle 2009 Review”

  1. Yes, think I’ll stick to my 1GB shuffle. For me the deciding factor to avoid it are the headphones. I find these non-inear headphones sheer rubbish, say compared to the Senheisser CX300 inear ones I had. And what’s with the different Mac and PC voices? Is that just there for a dig or a laff.

  2. The headphones are a deal-breaker for me, too. I think I could get used to using the controls but Apples earbuds don’t fit my ears at all.

    I laughed at the bad Windows voice and wondered if it was a dig (Ed’s comment) or if they just used a standard system voice.

    1. Sometimes they are available and sometimes not. The $39 is the next-to-new generation, and the $29 model is the generation before that. (Though it looks the same as the $39 model.)

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