Where Have You Been All My Life?

iPod ShuffleI picked up a 1 GB iPod Shuffle almost on a whim this weekend.  Lord knows I love my 20 GB model to death, but it's a little too heavy for a shirt pocket or for exercising, it's expensive enough that I worry about dropping it or losing it, and the battery life isn't really that great.  (Yes, I know I'm spoiled.  Don't blame me--blame Steve Jobs and his army of engineering nerds toiling under the watchful eyes of their designer overlords.)  Enter the Shuffle.

I had no idea I'd love it as much as I do.  Light as a feather, drop-proof (all Flash memory--no moving parts), not exactly cheap--but a good sight cheaper than the 20 GB, and 12 long hours of battery life = digital music nirvana.  Then factor in 1) the absence of any chargers or other crap to lug around (it charges when it's plugged into a USB drive on an iTunes equipped computer), and 2) the 330+ songs I was able to cram onto mine, and I am truly in love.  It's pathetic.

My only mod has been to etch cross-hatchings in the on-off switch to make it easier to slide.  It's a little too slick as is and required too much pressure to toggle.  Otherwise, the damn thing is perfect.

UPDATE: iPodLounge has a great Shuffle tutorial.  Best tip: "When listening to a playlist in shuffle mode, press Play three times quickly to re-randomize the play order."

8 Responses

  1. Even more pathetic -- I'm jealous of your Shuffle b/c I suspect that, at the current moment, you have warmer feelings for the Shuffle than for me.

  2. I don't really want to interrupt, but perhaps it's for the best. I've had mine about a week and find myself looking for excuses to use it. Running out for coffee in the morning, walking to Georgetown, etc. I'm starting to wish I had at least a short commute to enjoy this thing.

  3. Interruptions are always welcome when we're fighting via the comments. Yeah, that's the beauty of the Shuffle--it's so simple and light that there's never a reason NOT to use it. Hell, you don't even need a pocket.

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