SNA_Flyer

What do you need to spend $100 on a iPod to make it work?

ScottC

I said work like I like it.

When my wife got an ipod she had to invest in a remote, a dock and a sync cable as the one included wasn't the right one.

jumpmonger23

Check out the comments on that entry for some more banter. One comment does make a good point, in that, it's partially about the player, AND partially about the software (iTunes).

And come on Creative, that muvo one weighed almost 50% more than the shuffle. In this part of the market, is IS about the physical size/weight.

Internaut

I think the shuffle will sell extremely well to that section of the market who has iTunes but doesn't have an iPod. I'll be getting one because its one of the cheapest ways of getting a gig of USB2 flash storage in the UK at the moment (and the music is a very good side benefit).

In terms of inavation though, it's crapola!

pinniped

Dumb newbie question: are there limitations on what type of music files the iPod Shuffle will play? I have an external hard drive full of MP3's. Will it play those? Or do I have to buy stuff from iTunes?

I had a couple of cheap-o first-generation flash MP3 players from about two years ago. They were junk. One was Nike/Rio and the other was iJam or something like that. They had all sorts of problems: I'd take one of them out for one of my weekend runs and I'd get an hour into the run and the player would conk out. So I'd have to either run somewhere (home or car) to dump off the dead player or carry around a dead player for a couple more hours.

I'd take the thing home, reformat the memory card, jiggle the batteries or change them out, and the thing would work again for a while. Very finicky.

I'd gladly pay $100 for a good player that was somewhat water resistant, somewhat shock resistant, and easily clipped to the fuel belt I run with. 120 songs is awesome - those cheapie players of 2 years ago held 15-20 songs. If I get bored with 120, I'll change 'em out for the next run.

Internaut

You are restricted to the format supported by iTunes.

You don't have to buy stuff from iTunes. You can copy your CDs into iTunes. I think you can also import your existing MP3s into iTunes. I've not tried this though (being a relatively conservative iTunes user).

pinniped

Am I correct to assume that iTunes, in this context, refers to software that resides on my PC? (I know "iTunes" also refers to an online music store.)

In other words, if I own content - in whatever format - I have no problem converting it through proprietary software on my machine in order to play it on an iPod, provided that the software comes with the iPod of course. I just don't want to have to exchange personal or content data through my Internet connection to Apple's server in order to use a stinkin' MP3 player.

ChrisAtlanta

There's no converting -- MP3 is a native format that iTunes supports. You basically "import" the tracks into your library (which basically indexes the metadata about each track for title, artist, album, etc.), and you're done. Nothing is exchanged with Apple for that, and you don't even have to move your MP3's from where they're at (though it does have the option of keeping your library organized, where it will file by artist, album and name the songs with track number and title).

Internaut

Does the fact that iTunes supports the format but does not convert it mean that tracks in the MP3 format cannot be exported to iPod?

SNA_Flyer

True, they are not including the remote or dock (except on the 40gb) anymore, but what comparable player does? They are also including USB2.0 and Firewire cables now.

iPod supports MP3 just fine. If you have an MP3 file in iTunes, it will get synched to your iPod as MP3 - no conversion. I like AAC better personally, which is what I encode my files in through iTunes.

swise

Nope, the iPod will play MP3, AAC, AA (Audible), WAV, Apple Lossless, AIFF with no conversion necessary. All of these can be exported onto the iPod without converting.

iTunes will convert non-DRMed WMA files into AAC, but that's the only format that needs fiddling with.

jwalkabout

I played with one of these Ishuffles today(buddy of mine acquired on) . Sorry but I am extremely dissapointed. Nothing special or innovative labout it.
Nothing but a featureless USB flash drive with an Apple logo on it. Also a rechargeable battery with a 9-12 hour life really suckz IMO. That won't make the trip from LAX- BKK. So you would have to make sure it is fully charged to get from JFK-LAX direct with one connect.

I can see current Ipod owners snapping these up, Apple geeks, low tech types that want a flash player but only buy brand names and the fashion set.
Serious or half hearted techies would not even touch this thing unless they want it as a souvenir.

I know a little bit about mp3 players I bought one of the firt Rio's made as well as the RCA Lyra years ago and the first hard drive plyer which was a piece of crap Archos Jukebox(that player alone made me swear that i would never buy another har drive player where I could not remove and replace the battery myself). I am currently waiting for Sony to get their head out of their butts and improve the Network Walkman form a users standpoint-simplify the interface software, make it compatible with all encoded audio files and drop the freaking price u would have a definite ipod killer.

I guess I am disappointed because Apple used to pride itself on technological innovations or at least the adaptation and implementation of those innovations in their products. They seriously dropped the ball with this one. I bet DELL could make the same device and sell it for 1/2 price. Even the Ipod mini is not impressive when you compare it to the Zen micro and the Rio carbon( I pwn the Zen and bought the Carbon for my sister).

The ishuffle is merely designed to capture the cheap end of the mp3 player market and help sell more itunes. Apple has basically turned into a music distubution company; that happens to make some computer stuff, along with a kick-... operating system

Before anyone thinks I am an Apple hater my first real computer was a mac and I kicked and screamed my way to PC's but still a mac guy at heart.

ChrisAtlanta

Well I don't believe this product is targeted towards the "serious techies." I believe the full-sized iPods or the iPod Photo are what's targeted to that space.

And I think this is innovative in the sense that Apple is now taking what has become a very inexpensive commodity part (flash memory), putting it in a very small device, that meets a very specific need at a very low price. You also have to consider that this product isn't an island -- it integrates with iTunes, which is something other MP3 players don't bring to the table. That was one of the problems I had with my pre-iPod MP3 player, I had to use Real Jukebox to load music into it, which completely sucked.

People commuting on transit, people going to the gym, people going for a run, all of these are situations where one is likely to just hit "shuffle" and let it go. That's what this is for. Why would you need a display for that?

I think too many "serious techies" look at a product, and if it doesn't meet THEIR needs, they proclaim that it sucks without thinking about the market segments it is good for. And yes, there will be people who buy it because it has an Apple logo and is now finally within their price point, but Apple is in business to make money, and as a shareholder, I think anything they release to try and eat up more market share while making a profit is a good thing. So regardless of geeks thinking it's nothing exciting, if it sells, I'm all for it.

These are the same people who said the iPod Mini sucked because for $50 more you could get a 10gb iPod. Well, looks like the Mini didn't fare so bad, no?

CPRich

As I contemplated this a bit more, I see Apple in a bit of a difficult situation. They have prided themselves on offering slick/cool/neat gadgets to a cult following. This product is none of those, so they get bashed for trying to capitalize on their name without all the "cool" technology.

But take the Apple logo off of it for a minute. 512MB of storage, MP3 player, USB2.0, onboard rechargeable battery, .78oz, extremely small. For $99. Not overpriced like historical Apple products. I just went and searched - lots of 256MB players at this price. Lots of 512MB players that cost more. They all need batteries. They all are slightly bigger/heavier. Most don't support all the file types Apple does.

It's almost.....mainstream. Except it's white.

I may just have to buy one, paint it up all silver and gray and blue, and scratch some random RIO/NOMAD/NuVo logo on it, and use my non-white Ety ER-6's, because it might just be the best no frills, cheap, functional flash player out there. I wouldn't want to blow my cover with the "those Apple folks are kooky, fringe, cult-y types" gang. Whoda' thunkit?

Am I missing another device that does just the basics, smaller and cheaper?

swise

Agree with the last two posts.

There are a few other players that are competitive with the capacity/size/price features offered by the Shuffle, but I can't remember their names, which is worth noting.

There is one other market segment in which this will do well and where the regular iPods couldn't penetrate: kids. Not many people would buy their kids a $200+ gizmo that fits in a pocket ("pocket-sized" in a kid's world = will get lost). $99 is a lot more within the acceptable pricepoint, plus you can tie it around their neck.

Kids love to emulate older teenagers and have the same stuff that their big brothers/sisters have, and now they can. 11-14 year-olds are the ones who are going to wear this thing around their necks, displaying their trendiness for all to see.

This is even doable on lawn mowing money, whereas something twice as expensive probably would not be.