Customer Reviews

Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Pink (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

5 star:		(452)
4 star:		(169)
3 star:		(66)
2 star:		(54)
1 star:		(202)

 

 

I just got my new shuffle in the mail today. I needed something for running and dreadmilling when it is too snowy/icy to run outside.
My initial impressions:

Pros
Great little thing (small)
strong clip
easy to use (hooray for buttons!)
simple, multi-position switch on the top lets you play in order or shuffle. Voice over button is easy to use and works well.
Easy to sync (choose playlists, genius playlists, albums, artists, podcasts, etc...)
Looks good (see my notes about online photos at the bottom)
Long (15h) battery life.

EDIT: A "hold" function has been added, just hold the center button to activate and deactivate, good feature. It would be useful if I had just gotten mine, but I learned how to use it without the feature so I don't end up using hold much.

Cons
None. (As far am I concerned, there are cons like "no screen" and such, but if you order this to get an ipod shuffle, not a nano or other mp3 player, you will not be disappointed. I was not let down at all).

EDIT: After some thought and use, I thought of some cons.
$50 for 2gb is not a great price compared to other mp3 players.
2gb might be limiting to you. This just means you have to choose or let itunes choose what music goes on there carefully.
Because the buttons take up most of the front of the ipod, it can be hard to use the clip while it is turned on without pressing the next button.

Conclusion:
If you know what an ipod shuffle does, need a reasonable music player that syncs with your itunes, and don't need more. GET ONE!!! I can't imagine you will be let down.

One last note: From all the photos online, you can't really tell, bu this is not a matte finish ipod. The finish is shiny, but not mirror-y. And actually, no one will care about this, but the top and bottom are matte silver. It looks good.

EDIT: 7/6/11 I put it through the wash last month, oops, but it's still going strong!

The headphones that are required to use the new ipod shuffle are probably the poorest example of product design i've ever seen. Based on its size, portability and Apple's marketing, you would think this would be a perfect product for exercising. That is where you would be wrong! The controls on the headphone wire are right up next to your ear, and unless you exercise without sweating, that tiny box is doomed to get filled with sweat. I bought this ipod specifically for running, but after about 3 miles the controls start acting totally erratically, randomly and constantly switching between songs and playlists, or alternatively not playing any music but just talking at me with its annoying computer voice. I can only attribute the behavior to sweat getting on the control box. Today I even tried covering the box with plastic wrap and tape, but to no avail. I was so frustrated with the ipod's crazy behavior on mile 6 that I actually ripped the headphones out of my ears and threw them in the ditch. Not kidding. Looking for some alternative to control it, because I do really like it's size for running, and the new playlist feature is great...but not when it's acting crazy. I'm so irritated that Apple overlooked this crucial aspect of this product.

I bought the new iPod Shuffle as a replacement for my 2nd Gen Shuffle (which I loved) which died. I already have a iPhone which I use on a daily basis. The Shuffle is just for use in the gym and when out running.

I have just returned the iPod Shuffle as I have had nothing but problems with it. The first one I bought died completely within a couple of days and was duly replaced. The replacement I was given caused me nothing but headaches and so is now on its way back to Apple. I won't be getting another.

Each time I used it, it either stopped working, wouldn't change tracks or kept on repeating the message "playlist 1, playlist 1..." which was so annoying that I had to stop using it and am now looking for an alternative product.
The reason it does this (so I am told) is because the controls on the headphones are not moisture-proof! Mine died on me during slow jog in which I was hardly sweating at all! So unless you are one of those people who never sweats, this product is completely useless.

I know that Apple are working with 3rd party headphone manufacturers to produce alternative headphones, but why should you have to pay more just to get headphones which actually do what they are supposed to do?

The iPod that I currently use on a daily basis is my Apple iPod shuffle 4 GB Silver (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL. The main problem with THAT UNIT for me is that there is no other option than to use the Apple earphones, seems a greedy move by Apple. When the 4th generation came along, and I heard it had buttons I started to get excited. I would be able to use the Bose In Ear headphones with it. I don't exactly know why, but I wished the second generation shuffle would become available again. There was no hold function on the unit I tested, and the square shape wasn't something I was accustomed to.
Here's a general list of pros & cons:
PROS:
-Longer battery life[15h, compared to 10h on 3rd gen, and 12h on 1st & 2nd gen]
-BUTTONS were returned to the unit itself [not on the earphone cord]
-Price dropped to $49, dropped by about 17%
-Another color choice added, ORANGE

CONS:
-Price, $49 for 2GB, not great compared to other brands
-No hold function, though I hear Apple might add one
-No option for 4GB of storage anymore
-USB cable is 45mm[about 1.8 inches] VERY SHORT
-When the clip is pushed, it's hard not to push one of the buttons
-Buttons slightly harder to press than other models
-Square shape makes it harder to use when not looking.

Thanks for reading, hope the review helped.

Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

I bought the Ipod Shuffle 4th generation to replace my 5th generation 30 gb Ipod, which now has inadequate battery power. I have used the Shuffle for a few days now, since it arrived in the mail from Amazon.com. There are a few small downsides too it, that can easily be ignored. The usb cord that plugs into both the computer and ipod shuffle is about four inches long. It's also hard to clip the shuffle onto my pants without pressing a button at the same time. I don't mind these cons as long as I'm careful not to lose the short cord. I also don't mind pressing a button (usually on the face) while I clip it onto my pants, as it usually just rewinds the song a few seconds, or skips to the next song--which can easily be set back to the original song by pressing the back button.

I really like the VoiceOver feature on the Shuffle. In a feminine monotone voice, it'll tell you what song you're listening too or what playlist you're using. And for 2gb of music, it's not bad, and holds just about as much music as I will ever need. I also like how I can put playlists on the Shuffle, which can come in handy when I want to listen to a certain genre.

I should also mention that I chose the blue color. It's not the same color as the display picture, and is actually more of a smoky blue color--which is still a really pretty color.

________


I copy and pasted the following from the Apple website for those who are confused on how to use the VoiceOver feature (Like I was). [...]
VoiceOver

Artist and song name:
Press to hear current track and artist

Multiple playlists:
Press and hold to hear playlist menu.

Battery status:
Press twice to hear battery status

The only way to control this mp3 player is through controls on the headphones. I like to use my own headphones, so this unit is basically unusable.

Even with the Apple headphones, the controls don't work very well. Do yourself a favor, and get a different product. I don't know what Apple was thinking.

The headphones stop working when they come into contact with sweat. It's been a widespread problem. (Google new apple headphones sweat)

The volume controls and tracking controls stop working. Since there are no controls on the Shuffle itself, you cannot change the volume or change songs while running.

The Shuffle is useless for runners. I am very disappointed.

I am about to return my second new iPod shuffle. I wasn't fond of the new design with controls on the headphones because I like to use 3rd party headphone (like those that sit on the ear and not in it), but as it turned out that was the least of my concerns. Sweat just a little bit and the thing starts to go haywire -- sometimes I cannot change the volume at all, or the voice over randomly pops on to tell me the song or the playlist, or sometimes it just stops working altogether. The first time I thought I had a lemon and returned it. But my second one has the same problem.

From reviews I've read on Apple's official Support page, *lots* of people are having the same problem. I guess that controller in the headphones cannot handle any moisture.

I just paid a lot more money for an older shuffle that has only half the memory. Sometimes Apple screws up, and this is one of those times.

If you plan to use your iPod for exercise, do *not* buy this model until Apple fixes the problem.

This is my first real review on Amazon and I'm making it because I'm ridiculously pissed that I spent money on this piece of crap.

Like most people here, I bought this specifically so that I could take it to the gym. After a few trips to the gym it didn't matter how fully charged the main body of the shuffle was because the control box was useless when sweat got into it. The light would blink, the playlist would skip/cycle through all the songs and the volume control was useless.

I had purchased another unit for my gf and "borrowed" her headset and for the moment I'm satisfied that I can use mine again - but I'm really annoyed at the idea that when this headset goes, both shuffles will be useless. I'm definitely not getting another and I hope that this review discourages anyone else from buying one.

I generally love Apple's products but I'm really REALLY disgusted by this one.

Just to correct some of the previous reviews...the big problem with the 3rd gen shuffle was not that it was "too small" or even that the controls were not on the unit itself, but instead were on the headphone line...the problem was if those controls got even the SLIGHTEST (and I do mean slightest) bit of moisture on them it would totally jack up the shuffle. Now, what kind of activities would most people buy the tiny shuffle mp3 player for versus a nano or standard iPod? Oh, maybe jogging or working out? And what do you do with physical activities like this? That's right, you sweat! So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the problem with the 3rd gen shuffle...a problem that should have been seen before they ever even produced it. Just read all the reviews for the 3rd gen and you'll see that this was not just a minor issue, but a huge one that the majority of the users had to deal with. It is good to see they came to their sense and we can once again use the shuffle during exercise.

Now as for this one, I absolutely love it. It will vary with your bit rate, but the 2GB of storage will still hold a few hours of music which is more than adequate for most workouts. The provided clip on the back makes it easy to put anywhere that is comfortable for you and you don't have to buy any "holder" or even have a free pocket to carry it around. It is so light and small I actually just hold it in my hand as a jog so I can control it easily and it's barely noticeable. The full size button is very easy to operate. The battery life is great and while I have never measured it exactly, I usually work out about 3 times a week for an hour and a half and it's usually 2-3 weeks before I hear the "battery low" voice reminder from the unit. I think the simplicity of design, great functionality, small size, easy to access controls, and light weight make this player quite possibly the best one out there to use during a workout.

UPDATE: Dec 2011 - It's been well over a year and I'm still using my Shuffle every time I go to the gym or jog. It still works great. While I have had some issues with my iPod classic locking up and not even responding to a reset, this one has always worked perfectly.