|
iPod shuffle is an iPod digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple Computer. It was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005, using the tagline "life is random." Instead of storing data on a hard disk, it was the first iPod to use flash memory. The current second generation model weighs about 15 grams (0.55 ounces).
First generation The iPod shuffle is designed to be easily loaded with a selection of songs and to play them in random order. According to Apple, owners of existing iPods had often left the music selection to "shuffle", and the new iPod shuffle was a way of implementing that in a much more cost-effective fashion. It relies on the use of an "autofill" feature in iTunes, which can select songs at random from a user's music library (or from a specific playlist) and copy as many as will fit into iPod shuffle's memory. It can hold up to 240 songs (1 GB model, based on Apple's estimate, of four minutes per song and 128 kbit/s AAC encoding). It lacks the trademark display, scroll wheel, playlist management features, games, address book, calendar, and notes capability of earlier iPods, and cannot be used with iSync. In addition, it is incapable of playing Apple Lossless and AIFF audio files, unlike other iPod models due to its lower processing power. Oddly, the iPod shuffle has a better bass sound quality than its larger iPod kin, according to one review.• The first generation shuffle weighed only 0.73 ounces. iTunes offers some new features for iPod shuffle. One is the ability to reduce the bit rate of songs to 128 kbit/s AAC. The conversion is done automatically, with the original file left untouched on the computer and the smaller (lower bit rate) file sent to the iPod shuffle. iTunes also allows an iPod shuffle playlist to be viewed and changed while the unit is not connected; the next time the unit is connected, it can then be updated with the changed playlist. The front of the iPod shuffle has buttons for Play/Pause, Next Song/Fast Forward, Previous Song/Fast Reverse, and up and down volume adjustment. On the reverse, it has a battery level indicator light (activated by a button) and a three-position switch to turn the unit off or set it to play music in order or shuffled. It plugs directly into a computer's USB port (either 1.1 or 2.0), through which it also recharges its battery, which has an expected life of around 12 hours between charges. The USB plug is hidden beneath a cap. The unit also comes with a lanyard that attaches to the iPod shuffle via an attached cap and this allows the user to wear the iPod shuffle around his or her neck. iPod shuffle can also be used as a USB flash drive. iTunes allows a user to set how much of the drive will be allowed for storing files, and how much will be used for storing music. Second generation On September 12 2006 Apple announced the release of the second generation iPod shuffle. First shipments of the unit were slated for an October 2006 arrival, but actually started shipping on Friday November 3 2006. The new generation featured a lone 1 GB model at US$79, UK£55 or CDN$89 in a silver brushed aluminum case similar to the second generation iPod nano and the older iPod mini. The new model is less than half the size of the first generation model at 41.2 x 27.3 x 10.5 mm (1.62 x 1.07 x 0.41 inches), and is reminiscent of the iPod radio remote available for iPod nanos and 5th generation iPods. Apple branded it as the "world's smallest MP3 player". This size includes the new built-in belt clip; the actual unit itself is thinner, with the entire device weighing only 15.5 g (0.55 ounces). The power and shuffle/no shuffle switches were also separated into two controls to prevent accidental choice of shuffle when that may not be the desired mode of operation. On the second generation iPod shuffle, USB connectivity is provided via an included dock, which transfers data through the headphone jack. This means the dock is required for connection to a computer on the second generation model. The unit ships with standard with iPod earbuds in addition to the dock. Accessories Both Apple and 3rd-party manufacturers offer a variety of accessories for the iPod shuffle. Apple offers such things as armband attachments (so it can be worn on one's arm), a sport case that protects the iPod shuffle from the elements, and an iPod shuffle dock that allows easier connection to a computer, similar to the dock units available for the regular iPod and iPod mini. Third-party manufacturers offer such things as iPod shuffle decorative and protective sleeves, belt clips, AC and DC power plugs, earphones, and FM transmitters. Software The main program that supports the iPod shuffle is iTunes, which is bundled with the product and can be updated from the Apple web site. Users can download music from an online music store and use the iTunes software to upload it to the device. There is also open source software available which allows the iPod shuffle to be used without iTunes. The iPod shuffle Database Builder rebuilds the iPod shuffle's databases based on the actual content of the iPod's file system, without restrictions regarding the directory structure. Due to the simple structure of the shuffle (compared to the other digital audio players), it is possible to use the player almost like any other USB flash MP3 player by simply adding or removing MP3 files onto the shuffle and running the program. Impact The iPod shuffle was announced at the same time as the Mac mini. Like iPod shuffle, Mac mini is a scaled-down product which has been introduced at a lower price point. These two products together can be seen as a conscious effort on the part of Apple management to target a lower-end market and increase visibility in the mass-market. Previously, the success of Apple's iPod and especially the iPod mini had been chipping away at the inexpensive flash player market, causing flash players at the beginning of 2005 to account for less than half the market share they did in 2004. However, the original and mini iPods were costly and the shuffle was intended to make the iPod accessible to the mainstream audience. By April 2005, the end of Apple's second fiscal quarter, the iPod shuffle had already proven itself to be a successful product for its manufacturer. Although Apple has chosen not to specify how many iPod shuffles were sold in the product's first three months of existence, analysts at Piper Jaffray estimated that 1.8 million of the 5.3 million iPods sold in the second quarter were shuffles. NPD estimates that the iPod shuffle captured 43% of the flash-based music player market in February of 2005, after only its second month of existence. By March of 2005 the iPod shuffle's market share had risen to 58%. Chewing and eating Due to its small size (8.38 × 2.49 × 0.84 cm or 3.3 × 0.98 × 0.33 inches), Apple's web site declared first generation iPod shuffle "smaller than a pack of gum and much more fun," with the footnote on its American web site: "Do not eat iPod shuffle." As of September 29, 2005, the footnote has disappeared from the American website. The UK and Ireland site had a slightly reworded version: "Do not chew iPod shuffle," while some other versions of the site, such as the Canadian, French and German versions, made no mention of this. These warnings have since been removed. Criticisms PC World was the first to report an issue with first generation iPod Shuffles inexplicably ceasing normal function, only to flash orange and green lights and become unmountable. If the device is still covered by warranty Apple has reportedly offered to replace it for free.• On October 26, 2006, Apple released an iPod Shuffle Reset Utility that corrected this problem for first generation iPod Shuffles.• "Super Shuffle" In March of 2005 at the CeBIT trade show, a Taiwanese company named Luxpro released Super Shuffle,• which is cosmetically strikingly similar to iPod shuffle. Luxpro also released promo shots and commercials identical to Apple's advertising campaign to promote their player, which includes a voice recorder and FM tuner and is slightly thicker. According to a few individual reports, Apple tried to prevent the Super Shuffle from being shown at the exhibit by forcing legal pressure on Luxpro. Since the CeBIT event several media sources have claimed that the demonstration of the Super Shuffle was a publicity stunt designed by Luxpro to "leverage the media attention created by Apple to their advantage."• According to Engadget, Luxpro never intended to manufacture the iPod shuffle knock-off at all, but rather hoped that the attention from the Super Shuffle and the inevitable legal challenge to it from Apple would help sell the company's electronic circuitry for digital music players. Luxpro has since replaced its webpage on the Super Shuffle with a description of a new model, called the Super Tangent which is identical to the Super Shuffle except for a few cosmetic changes. Still, the Super Tangent created enough of a controversy that CNET Asia published a shootout between the iPod shuffle and the infamous copycat.• Reviews | ||||||||
|
| |||||||||
 |
|
| |