Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle MP3 Player $149.99 pre-order!

[50]

I am starting to dislike apple more and more after I heard they released this product. Like most people on this forum, when the ipod mini came out we all said this is a waste, why not spend an extra 50 bucks and get 16 more gigs? Yet the ipod mini was a big success...Well this product looks even dumber yet I bet since apple makes it they're gonna sell like hotcakes.

 

[PizzaDude]

wow...no thanks...I'll take my 4G 20gb any day of the week over this POS.

 

[RaiderJ]

People will go for it mainly because I don't think they realize what else is out there. I didn't, at least for flash players.

I hadn't looked at flash players for awhile and had no idea charging via USB, FM radio, mass storage, etc. were common features. Apple is capitalizing on that.... plus the iPod is well known. I personally can't stand having to use iTunes, so I'm definitely going to stay away from it.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: mchammer187

Originally posted by: pxc

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
[Edit] Nevermind...I didn't realize this is apparently a hard drive based model. I thought this was a flash drive, but the battery life is much, much lower than my iRiver flash player.

The iShuffle is a flash based player. It's overpriced because it doesn't even have an ID3 LCD. Or a simple segment/icon LCD to display mode and track # or playlist # like even most of the cheapest MP3 players have.

I wouldn't buy one, but I can understand why someone who just needs the cheapest thing possible ($99 512MB iShuffle) to listen to their purchased iTunes away from the computer would buy one. iTunes locks the buyer into a single brand of player, unless you burn and re-rip the music (lossy/degraded after recompression, meh).

the thing is this thing is 2 or 3 x thinner than any other comparable player

if you want one of comparable size and storage you are looking at spending 200+ at least if you want a model with a screen and it will still be 2 to 3x as big in terms of volume

this thing is 8 mm thick 1/3 of an inch

there is no player at this size (volume) can hold this much 512 and 1 GB at this price $99 and $139

17.4 Cubic Cm = volume of this thing

http://www.iriveramerica.com/p...ultra/n10/n10-105.aspx

that is rougly 18 Cubic Cm however it costs $250 for a 512 MB model

http://www.iriveramerica.com/p...ltra/100/ifp_190t.aspx

64 Cubic Cm (4x the size) at the same cost as the 1 GB model but is ( 1/4th the storage as well) and has a screen

http://www.iriveramerica.com/p...ultra/700/ifp_799.aspx

74 Cubic cm (almost 5x the size) 249.99 (almost 2x the price) 1GB (same storage)



http://us.creative.com/product...echnicalSpecifications
this is probably what you guys want though
1.7x the size (28 Cubic Cm)
1.4x the cost ($199)
same storage
has a screen

it is all a tradeoff

but i like having the ishuffle as an option

nice. injection of a few facts into the thread

i think they realized the basic function of a flash player is active use, like when working out. and that most people listen to their collections in random shuffle or whatever. any flash player will only hold a tiny part of a persons music collection, so if it automatically gets random songs with every sync, the function will be about the same as a normal ipod in shuffle mode for a period. that and the worst part of a small capacity flash player is that people don't like the work of picking music to put on every time they use it to work or what not, its a hassle. this way it fits with how people actually use something. your not gonna spend prescious time making playlists everytime u gotta run out the door to jog or whatever. u'll just end up tossing the player aside if it makes work for you, like with anything else.

they've done a good job of boiling down the purpose of such players. make as tiny as possible, make it mindless to use so that you'll actually use it. most don't need to see the song they own...they know what it is. if you are working out, u don't need to look at an lcd. its pointless.

 

[Macro2]

No LCD? You gotta be kidding me.

I knew it was too good to be true.

 

[imported_OnYX]

waaaay too expensive. I won't pay $100 more just to have the word "Apple" on it.... and yeah, the thing doesn't even have an LCD. :thumbsdown:

 

[BRObedoza]

ordered one for the gym/jogging. don't need to worry about an lcd screen at all. now i don't have to strap that 3g ipod to my arm when running.

 

[RaDragon]

Looking at it more and more, then comparing it to other flash players, I think I'm really going to get the 512MB version! It's just so tiny and cute! That, and as long as I tell myself it's a flash drive, I've no need for an LCD screen...

[ e d i t ]

$29 for the armband accessory?! :shocked: Yipes!

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: Macro2
No LCD? You gotta be kidding me.

I knew it was too good to be true.

Why? So you can listen to the same two songs over and over again like 99% of the population? If you're putting songs on there, you already like them. When you decide you don't want to hear a certain song again, delete it.

 

[CyberTron]

I've got an apple ipod 4g and to be frank, i dont really like how apple does things. The very first thing that annoyed me was the fact that "clear" = delete.... how does that make sense? it doesnt. you can clear a song from the ipod but it just seems like it should be delete. Also there are a real lack of features on the ipod when it comes to play styles, its all software and some other things could be added very easily but arent. At the moment i cant think of the things i thought about when i'm on the road and am using but, I just know that apple puts you in a box rather than you putting the item in the box you can imagine.

oh! and those ear buds?!!? who the hell actually uses those oversized pieces of crap? lol maybe i'm having a bad day but damn, they dont even fit in my ear and they sound like crap. Go get some Etymotics

 

[Tab]

Originally posted by: Macro2
No LCD? You gotta be kidding me.

I knew it was too good to be true.

Originally posted by: OnYX
waaaay too expensive. I won't pay $100 more just to have the word "Apple" on it.... and yeah, the thing doesn't even have an LCD. :thumbsdown:

Find me a product that is the same as the Shuffle yet still incorporates a LCD... Oh, wait there isn't one! I've had enough of you senseless mac bashers.

 

[robertk2012]

Its a great product and will dominate the flash market. How many people actually need an lcd on a flash player. Most people get them to workout with and show me a better player out there for the price. And to call the intergration with itunes a weakness is a joke.

 

[Macro2]

RE:""Find me a product that is the same as the Shuffle yet still incorporates a LCD... Oh, wait there isn't one! I've had enough of you senseless mac bashers."

I'm no MAC basher. When I saw the thing I was really excited. 512k for $99. Great deal. I dunno IF I can live with no LCD. Maybe. I really would like to see some status though. Sometimes I forget the name of the song damit.

I have a Sandisk 256k w/LCD I paid $79 on black friday.

It ALSO has an FM radio. The MAC doesn't.

When I run (why I like flash instead of a HD) I get tired of the music and sometimes use the RADIO.

As usual, Apple always figures less is better.

 

[nyarrgh]

I would definitely need an LCD for a 1GB player. I would like to put in more than one type of music in it and choose depending on my mood.

 

[imported_OnYX]

Originally posted by: Macro2
RE:""Find me a product that is the same as the Shuffle yet still incorporates a LCD... Oh, wait there isn't one! I've had enough of you senseless mac bashers."

I'm no MAC basher.

neither am I. In fact I own a G4. Apple need not essentially be Mac. In this case you pay for the brand name, and you pay too much. That's my opinion.

 

[gwag]

Yes, I agree low intelligence people of this modern era need an LCD to tell them what song is playing. Us who grew up listing to tapes and realized that you can tell what song is playing by listening to it, to those who cant live without and LCD I feel sorry for you this is a simple product, made to load songs you like it and listen to them shuffled or in order it?s for listing to music not playing with it. If a song comes up you don?t like hit next, sort of like your own radio station. If you can handle the product don't buy it.

 

[Analog]

$10 off thru apple store

 

[metalmania]

Originally posted by: robertk2012
Its a great product and will dominate the flash market. How many people actually need an lcd on a flash player. Most people get them to workout with and show me a better player out there for the price. And to call the intergration with itunes a weakness is a joke.

itunes is a joke.

I am a Mac user, I owned ibook and emac. Now I am using a new ibook. That doesn't mean I have to worship Apple's itunes. Windows Explorer is far better.

 

[RaiderJ]

Originally posted by: metalmania

Originally posted by: robertk2012
Its a great product and will dominate the flash market. How many people actually need an lcd on a flash player. Most people get them to workout with and show me a better player out there for the price. And to call the intergration with itunes a weakness is a joke.

itunes is a joke.

I am a Mac user, I owned ibook and emac. Now I am using a new ibook. That doesn't mean I have to worship Apple's itunes. Windows Explorer is far better.

Whether or not you prefer iTunes over Winamp, Windows Media Player, or anything else doesn't really matter. But I dislike being forced to use iTunes. A flash drive you should just be able to drag and drop MP3's onto it like a regular thumb drive.

 

[metalmania]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ

Originally posted by: metalmania

Originally posted by: robertk2012
Its a great product and will dominate the flash market. How many people actually need an lcd on a flash player. Most people get them to workout with and show me a better player out there for the price. And to call the intergration with itunes a weakness is a joke.

itunes is a joke.

I am a Mac user, I owned ibook and emac. Now I am using a new ibook. That doesn't mean I have to worship Apple's itunes. Windows Explorer is far better.

Whether or not you prefer iTunes over Winamp, Windows Media Player, or anything else doesn't really matter. But I dislike being forced to use iTunes. A flash drive you should just be able to drag and drop MP3's onto it like a regular thumb drive.

Yes, that's way flash drive works. That's why I don't buy any apple mp3 product.

 

[skim milk]

preordered a 1gb using my leftover amex credit for $110 shipped

will probably sell off my 4th gen 20gb ipod since it's too much for what I need

 

[spwango]

I'm not into Apple's stuff at all, but man, this is exactly the type of product I'm looking for. Small enough to take the gym and not be annoying, it's flash based, and at 512MB for $99, it's far ahead of anything I know of in terms of pricepoint. I have a huge azzed Intel Pocket Concert now that I use for that purpose. It's a great little player, but it's size makes it less than ideal. It went for around $400 when I bought it (of course, I didn't pay nearly that much)--The LCD for my use on it is useless. I always listen in shuffle mode--if it has a play, a skip and a volume adjustment, it will have all I need.

If there is anything out there are a similar/less pricepoint, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[pxc]

Originally posted by: Tabb
Find me a product that is the same as the Shuffle yet still incorporates a LCD... Oh, wait there isn't one! I've had enough of you senseless mac bashers.

There are plenty of small flash based MP3 players that have an LCD at the same cost or less. Look on pricewatch. The pictures are even included in the listings.

If your criteria is that it has to be exactly the same as the iShuffle (especially tied to iTMS), of course there are no other products exactly like it. Apple doesn't allow it. A close model, for example, is the Sandisk SDMX1-1024-A18, 3 inches tall, 1 inch wide, 0.8" thick and 1GB flash memory and it sells for under $150.

 

[aceO07]

The no LCD idea is definitely a killer, along with other features...

Here are some things good about the iPod Shuffle (IMHO):
1. Small
2?. Same look as iPod (for some people it's nice, not me though)

There are things that are nice about the rest of the MP3 players currently out:
1. Uses regular (rechargable) batteries, AAA or AA. replacable/cheap
2. LCD screen, backlighting, status, battery checker, customize operations
3. EQ
4. FM radio
5. Voice recording, FM recording
6. Same 512MB for $100, 1GB for $150 price.. (sandisk audio player, for example)

edit: It needs to be cheaper for all the functions that they left out, which are now pretty much standards..
I guess you'd have to be Apple to make something look nice with fewer functions and still charge more.

 

[Bmott]

I swear none of you are looking at all the advantages of this.

- Small (and i mean really small)
- Flash based (won't skip, faster seeking)
- No LCD (longer battery life)
- Hot Syncs with itunes (for creating easy 512mb or 1gb playlists)

I need an mp3 player to take snowboarding with me and for when i work out. I own a 4g 40gb ipod which is way too big for these activities and runs out of buffer 30 minutes into my run.

i recently purchased a 256mb mushkin flash drive / mp3 player, no software you just drag and drop songs onto it. i have had the hardest time choosing what songs to download and making sure i don't listen to the same thing too much. While it was only $40 with an lcd screen, it was a wast of money for me.

Where as with my 40GB ipod i have all my music on it at once, this is not possible with a flash based mp3 player. The mushkin mp3 player just didn't fit the bill. I would KILL for a small flash based mp3 player to sync with my i-tunes library.

Finally apple answered my wishes. The IPOD SHUFFLE. With itunes you can create smart playlists of a certain size (512MB or 1GB for Ex) of your currently most played tracks on your home computer or your top rated songs or a just a random chunk of your music collection.

The hassle of not have to hand select files will save me hours.