iPod Shuffle: First Impressions

Gregory and I just came back from a blockbuster few days at Macworld. I was there to promote my book, iPod and iTunes Hacks and to soak up everything Apple. As soon as the iPod Shuffle was announced we headed on over to the Apple Store to pick up a couple. Here are our first impressions.

Hadley Stern:
So Gregory and I have had a few days with our new iPod Shuffles. Greg, what are your general impressions? Lets start with the size.

Gregory Ng: I found the size to be bigger than expected. I had anticipated something shorter. But after wearing it around my neck these last few days I find it to be perfect

Hadley Stern: I actually found the size to be smaller than I expected. I’m also surprised at how light it is. It almost feels like a feather around my neck.

Gregory Ng: Yes. the weight is quite impressive. Especially because I have, for the last 2 years, associated iPod with heavier. It’s funny how the iPod always felt small to me. Now it seems huge in comparison!

Hadley Stern: Very true. Since this is a music device another aspect of the iPod Shuffle that has impressed me is the sound quality. I have often found myself looking down at this tiny thing and thinking this sound is coming from that?!

Gregory Ng: Agreed. Let me take the time to talk about something that has bothered me about the listening experience—when listening to it while hanging around my neck using the included lanyard, I have found the earphone cord (also included) annoying because it is connected at the bottom

Hadley Stern: Really? That didn’t bother me so much, although aesthetically there are an awful lot of cables when you have the included lanyard around your neck. What about the whole concept of the shuffle yourself, have you found yourself annoyed at the loss of control because there is no user interface?

Gregory Ng: Yes. You know, as I mentioned in my article of first impressions, I thought I would be annoyed by the lack of user interface but after listening to it on the train, I really do like the surprise.

Hadley Stern: I feel the same way. One thing I thought of this morning is that this is not just a smaller iPod. It is a different iPod. If you want control, get the larger iPod. But if you want a very portable way to listen to music get the iPod Shuffle. Plus you can control what music you put on there from iTunes. However, while I don’t mind giving up control sometimes I’m frustrated because I can’t remember the artist or name of the song playing. Maybe Apple, in future releases, can incorporate a feature that introduces the next song a l radio DJ style?

Gregory Ng: Again, the Shuffle will never replace my iPod. But it definitely gives me a new way of listening to my music. Personally where I find additional value in the Shuffle is the data capacity. As a USB “memory stick” I am able to swap data files from multiple computers a lot faster than mounting and remounting the hard drive of my other iPod.

Hadley Stern: Very true. What about the controls themselves, have you had any problems with the back switch?

Gregory Ng: Yes. I have had problems with the switch. First off, I felt that the switch is hard to understand. I like when the switch is set to on, it reveals a green bar, but as for the other 2 options, there’s no point of reference on the switch to really know what you’ve selected. In addition, I found while working out with it last night, my sweaty fingers were not able to get a good grip on the slider. This may be a minor point but considering the appeal of the Shuffle for exercise, it could be a problem.

Hadley Stern: I’ve had similar problems. I think the trick is to not treat it like a button, but like a switch. If you push from lower down you’ll have more luck getting traction. I also find it curious that there are no lined, or bumped indicators. Like you say, its not a huge deal, and these things will be improved/addressed in the next version, I have no doubt about that.

Gregory Ng: How have you felt about the way the Shuffle interacts with iTunes and the enhancements to iTunes created specifically for the Shuffle?

Hadley Stern: The integration is flawless. I like how you can use it like a regular iPod, transferring playlists and single songs and how they have added the shuffle functionality to iTunes. You can tell Apple really thought this one through.

Gregory Ng: I don’t know if you noticed this feature, but when updating your Shuffle, the icon in the source library blinks red.

Hadley Stern: I did, a very nice touch. Well that summarizes our first impressions of the iPod Shuffle. I have no doubt these things will sell like hot cakes. Any last comment, Greg?

Gregory Ng: The only comment I would make is that I feel Apple has done a good job of not taking away potential iPod buyers with the creation of the Shuffle. Rather they have filled the void in the market.

Hadley Stern: Very true, why don’t you relay to our readers the conversation you had with a woman at SF Moma a day after the keynote to wrap things up?

Gregory Ng: Sure. As I was purchasing a souvenir form the SF Moma Gift Shop, the woman behind the counter noticed the Shuffle hanging around my neck. She told me, she was so excited about it because she always wanted an iPod but she could never afford one. This quote speaks volumes as it clearly shows the public views this as nothing less than a new member of the ipod family. And iPod they can finally afford.

Hadley Stern: Us entrenched iPod users do often forget the fact that to the general public Apple has just introduced an affordable iPod. They don’t care so much about the intricacies of not having a user interface. Rather they just want a piece of the iPod brand pie. Now, thanks to the iPod Shuffle they can. What do you think, is the iPod Shuffle a good idea? Or is it missing something?