Generally, the launching of a new/updated Apple product garners
a lot of hoopla and razzmatazz and when it comes an iPod it’s usually doubly
so. And yet the latest iteration of the iPod Shuffle was announced with a
barely audible whisper that is slowly, quietly echoing throughout the net. It’s
not a shocking scenario that Apple didn’t pull out all the stops with a
tickertape parade for we’re talking about the adopted child to the iPod family.
The Shuffle is at its core a means of staying competitive in the low-end of the
mp3-player market and little more. But competitive it will remain with a sleek minimalist
design, in-line controls, and the all new text-to-speech functionality.
The return to form for the Shuffle means the ‘pack of gum’
aesthetics have resurged, in contrast to the flat, rectangular format of last
generation. According to Apple this redesign is half the size of previous
models; “significantly smaller than a AA battery” says the press release.
Translation: it’s by far the easiest model to lose yet! Like all Shuffles, the
latest edition lacks any visual feedback but this go around Apple has
devised an interesting method to make up for the lack of a display; the
VoiceOver feature. If you ever wondered how text-to-speech software would
pronounce Bjork you have to look no further than the 3rd generation
iPod Shuffle. The VoiceOver feature (and yes, apparently we’ve forgone the
space between those distinct words) will read aloud song titles, artists, and
playlist names.
Another major renovation is the relocation of the controls
onto the earbud cord itself. Convenient? Absolutely. Immeasurably frustrating?
You betcha. Why the contradiction? Being able to reach the controls without
trying to find the damn thing in your pocket (or god forbid your purse) is just
plain simple but with the controls exclusively relegated to the cord it might
as well be a tether from your wallet to Apple. Busted ear buds don’t simply
mean waiting for a replacement pair, it means waiting for a replacement pair
with no tunes in the meantime. This also renders your favourite pair of headphones
useless unless you are willing to shell out for a special Apple add-on that
provides the controls as well as a connection for 3rd-party
headphones. This decision seems so un-Apple that you wonder if wasn’t designed
by Bill Gates himself.
At 4GB (roughly 1,000 songs) and $80 the new Shuffle is
reasonably priced and certainly competitive with other devices in the same
class. However, the battery life is actually down a substantial 2 hours from
last generation, clocking in at a modest 10 hours. And with other, full blown
iPods not much further along the price scale it may just be worth saving you
money.
Great article but I’m not overly happy with the decreased battery life or the voiceover. I really do prefer a screen. But as was written, this is to keep them competitive in the low end market.