nachodehopkins's Full Review: Apple iPod shuffle 3rd Generation Black (4 GB) MP3...
Apple seems to have just one goal: make it better. This often means make something smaller, brighter, faster, wireless, simpler, and sometimes it means taking everything away. That is what Apple did with the third generation iPod Shuffle. This player is completely stripped down. It has the barest of essentials needed to qualify it as a music player and that is all it has. The body is so slimmed down that it only has one button - and this is where the tradeoff comes in. Apple has always thought outside of the box but the entire box has always been there somehow. Apple has had to do something they have never done before, it had to compromise something. While this player might be smaller, lighter, and simpler than anything ever made before, it does come at a cost. This could be the greatest player ever made for the niche market of the athlete, or it might also be the most unusable for the very same reasons.
Calling the design minimalist is perhaps suggesting it has more than it does. As it has been said, this player is essentially a paper clip, in size anyway, albeit a little bit thicker. Externally, there are only three features: a clip, a hole for the headphones, and the little control that powers on the music and controls the method in which it is played. The clip on the back is etched with Apple's logo and is the beacon in this sea of trifling that lets you know what this player has in metal.
You might be wondering at this point how exactly the music is controlled with so few buttons on the device. The only way to conduct a symphony this small is by outsourcing. No longer is it within the purview of the player to know its own controls. That power has now been relegated to the headphones. Just as the iPhone has a little nubbin halfway down the earpiece to do some fancy things, so, too, does the new Shuffle. The control sits just below one of the ears and contains a paltry three buttons. Two of these buttons are in control of the volume, with the third performing the remainder of the necessary tasks and perhaps a few that are Apple's bow to its own ingenuity. The center button, when pressed once, will pause the music, when the same is done twice, the track is advanced, and when three times, the track before the present one is selected. The signature function here is the track listing. This player, without a screen, is able to convey the track information via synthesized audio voice. This function is called for by pressing and holding down the center multi-function button on the headphones.
This last and newest function of the player is the same as that included with the new Mac computers. The voice synthesizer can speak in a number of different languages and does each quite well. While I only tested out the English version, I found it to be so clear and natural that I almost felt like talking back to the voice. As you would expect, the reader made few, if any mistakes, and was able to read even the most phonetically complicated titles. It was as if I had my own personal radio DJ, but without all the neuron-less talk in between the parts of their job of actual importance. Although perhaps not entirely necessary with a storage capacity of only 4GB, it is nice to know that should you have a brain-fart, your Shuffle is there to pick up the slack.
Apple has made a few improvements on the software side of things as well. The user now has the option of browsing through multiple playlists, audiobooks, and podcasts. It is in this capacity that the text-to-speech capability really earns its money. When navigating through these sections, the names of each are made known. This is accomplished by holding down that same center button for a few seconds, and when, much like in those delightful automatic phone service menus, you come to the choice you want, you again click the button. Unfortunately, unlike the phones, you cannot voice your commands for playback (although that is an easily conceivable next step for the Shuffle...).
The headphones included with this player are, of course, integral to its operation. They contain the volume buttons and the magical button in the middle that makes the player do all of its special things. The problem with this is two-fold: the headphones aren't that great and you will probably lose or break them. If you don't do the second, you may want to because of the first. But it would seem you are in a pickle since a goodly portion of the controls are built right into those headphones making them almost proprietary. Apple was kind enough in thinking about this to allow for the use of the player without these phones. You can plug any pair that you like into the player and it will automatically resume playing at the same volume at which you last used it. You will not be able to change the volume or control the tracks manually. This is a price, but perhaps one many listeners will be willing to pay. Also, as with all of other Apple products, there is a huge aftermarket and that is certainly expected to include alternate headphones which will be able to control the player.
A quick peruse, just like a far more in depth one, will not reveal any sort of connection for the ubiquitous iPod cable. This is because an adapter is necessary to connect with your computer. As you may have already guessed, the only place to plug anything into this player is the headphone slot. And this is indeed where the cable adapter is connected to the player. Via this cable, you can charge the power of the player, charge the hard drive with the security of your music, and mess with a few settings on your new Shuffle via iTunes software on your computer. This is also the cable to use should you wish to operate your Shuffle as a hard drive. 4GB may not be much these days, but knowing that you can constantly have your music and data with you might be not just comforting, but perhaps even calming to some.
As always with these players, their usefulness, in spite of everything they may be able to do, is completely governed by their battery life. Given the Shuffle's lack of a screen to burn bright or hard drive to spin quickly, you might imagine its rated use far above that of the previous generation, but you would be wrong. This player is expected to last about 10 hours with normal use. Since this is never done in one session, I find it far more useful to rate these players in terms of days between charging. In this case, over the three days that I have played with this model and used it quite extensively, I have yet to have to charge it. In that time, I am certain that I used it for more than 10 hours, and so believe the recommended life to be a bit of a lowball guess. This may well be because of the extra computing power required to read the names and its increased use may lead to shorter battery lives.
Apple has made a leap of faith this player. They are hoping that users will be happy enough with the entirety of their product and will use it as one. If you can do that, and if you can live without a screen, and if you can pay a little extra to have the Apple magic touch, then this may be the player for you. If you would prefer the extra battery life, something with some more heft, a few more options in the control area, and a higher space to dollars ratio, then perhaps you might avail yourself of another from the multitude. This player is for joggers and their music and not much more, but if you want the best player for that niche market, then the Apple third generation iPod Shuffle is your player of choice.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 79 Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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