[syadasti]

Life is random. That's the motto of the newest iPod model, the iPod Shuffle. It's a flash player designed to be used with a new iTunes feature called 'Autofill', that selects from an iTunes playlist and fills up the iPod Shuffle. The Shuffle weighs just .78 ounces, and runs for 12 hours on a single battery charge. Playback and volume controls are on the front of the player, while a three way switch on the back allows the user to change between 'Normal', 'Repeat', or 'Shuffle' modes. A 512 MB model will sell for $ 99, while the 1 GB is priced at $ 149.


Note: Heed the warning on Apple's site; Do not eat iPod shuffle (I guess an Apple user would tend to do something like that, LOL)

Wow, what innovation, its not like you couldn't just buy one of the numerous Rio, Creative, iRiver, etc... flash players since the mid 90s. Those even come with screens - what a novel concept when you have over 100 songs to manage playback on!

I bet they went to one of these asian company and picked their flash player out of catalog and got a custom case for it.: http://www.supermediastore.com/pendrivemulti.html

 

[Toshi]

i agree. this idea does seem dumb. i'll wait until i try one at the apple store to pass final judgement tho .

on the other hand the mac mini seems positively awesome. if i didn't already have a lovely mac sitting next to my lovely apple studio display i'd be lining up for one right now.

 

[syadasti]

i agree. this idea does seem dumb. i'll wait until i try one at the apple store to pass final judgement tho .

The flash mp3 player is the most mature form factor on the market. Apple is a newbie and has no clue on that front.

on the other hand the mac mini seems positively awesome. if i didn't already have a lovely mac sitting next to my lovely apple studio display i'd be lining up for one right now.

I agree - it fits perfect with Apple's design goals and product image - simple and it works. Though I haven't seen it in action, it looks like one of the few Apple products that truly is better. I would consider getting one.

 

[syadasti]

Oh yeah, the quote above is from dapreview.com. Here is a nice flash player if you really want something a little different. I don't like how these new flash players have short battery lives - its not rare to see around 24 hours on some flash players.

Can't tell ya why exactley, but I like this blend of old/new, an unusual move by Samsung. The YP-W3 plays MP3, WMA, and OGG and the battery is good for up to 8 hours. Will be available in capacities from 128mb to 1gb.

Also, a limited edition series will have gold plating, diamond decoration, and sapphire glass. A player fo' real playas.

 

[binary visions]

12 hour battery life, huh?

Why does Apple have such problems with its batteries that they can't make a player that has a competitive battery life? I don't understand. Every one of their MP3 player models has a battery life that is typically half of the equivalent Rio, and the Rio doesn't sacrifice size, functionality or price to gain this battery life.

Thanks, Apple. Another pretty little MP3 player that the meterosexuals and newbies will want. Me, I'll stick with function before form.

 

[-dustin]

i am rather disappointed with the iPod Shuffle. back to the mp3 player drawing board.

 

[Leethal]

I guess I am an idot cause I really think I want one. I have an older Rio player and want a new player with more memory and the size/wieght of the Shuffle is awesome, I intend to wear it riding in skateparks so I need flash and while a screen would be nice the added weight size and breakability might not be worth it...

 

[Pau11y]

I just picked up a MuVo N200 (512mb) from Creative and it's sweet. Shuffle, encoding, FM tuner, custom 5 band eq in a package just slightly bigger than a Chicklett's (spelling?) box (the small ones from Halloween). Bat life seem to be around 10-15 hours on rechargable NiMHs. Only bummer is a cable is needed to interface w/ a PC/MAC.

Edit: I use this thing w/ the arm band skiing. The cold doesn't seem to be too big of a factor.

 

[Changleen]

I guess I am an idot cause I really think I want one. I have an older Rio player and want a new player with more memory and the size/wieght of the Shuffle is awesome, I intend to wear it riding in skateparks so I need flash and while a screen would be nice the added weight size and breakability might not be worth it...

You should check out the MuVo range. Same size near as damn it, better sound quality than the apple, longer battery life off a single aaa, has a shuffle mode if that really turns you on, plus voice recording, graphic equaliser, and a screen! Better than all that they are also USB drives.

 

[Jayridesacove]

I'll stick to my trusty mini-disc...

 

[biggins]

i have a shuffle and i am not an idiot. i dont want a screen anyway because i want something with the least chance of breaking.

 

[syadasti]

i have a shuffle and i am not an idiot. i dont want a screen anyway because i want something with the least chance of breaking.

Cognitive dissonance BS if I ever head any before

Maybe you got it cause you are a consumer whore, but otherwise you are a sucker.

Its not too hard to make a durable screen - you don't see Casio stopping watch production due to LCD breaking. Buying a player that holds 100s of song with no screen is dumb, especially when the first mp3player ever made even had a screen and could only play a few dozen at the most...

 

[d-sop]

I'll stick to my trusty mini-disc...

my minidisk sucks. thats why i got an ipod. its gonna break (i broke myne cuz i put it in water cuz its supposed to. again, md is gone.

 

[Toshi]

apple posts best 2nd qtr ever

 

[arboc!]

its because now they sell a product people can afford... and not feel like a total music whore

 

[biggins]

Cognitive dissonance BS if I ever head any before

Maybe you got it cause you are a consumer whore, but otherwise you are a sucker.

Its not too hard to make a durable screen - you don't see Casio stopping watch production due to LCD breaking. Buying a player that holds 100s of song with no screen is dumb, especially when the first mp3player ever made even had a screen and could only play a few dozen at the most...

why are you being so mean?

i am not a consumer whore by any means. my laptop is almost 5 years old, my tv is older than that and i dont own a normal i-pod.

i have 2 seperate playlists set up that i install for the given activity. i have a playlist for biing and a playlist for when i am fishing/doing other things. At least i dont have to rip around 3000 other songs to find the few i wanna hear.

 

[I Are Baboon]

why are you being so mean?

His apparent hatred of all things Apple is quite fascinating.

 

[narlus]

and entertaining...

not to mention usually factual!

 

[biggins]

....and damn annoying

 

[stinkyboy]

i am rather disappointed with the iPod Shuffle. back to the mp3 player drawing board.

Do you have one? I bought one and it's freaking great, I do an Autofill at night and have a different mix every commute. What's not to like?

 

[arboc!]

its great for riding, i agree, just autofill, and go

 

[BikeGeek]

Why do you need a screen? My walkman worked just fine without one in the 80's, my CD walkman didn't have one in the 90's (other than track number and battery life). How does knowing the name of the song enhance my listening experience?

 

[D_D]

I don't care about the screen. For me a flash player just needs decent random play, be small, light and have good battery life.

The only reason I wouldn't by a shuffle is that you can't just copy files across and play them. It's sort of justified on a feature full hd player but is stupid for a flash player.

 

[arboc!]

i know all my songs, so there is really no need for a screen

 

[Toshi]

I don't care about the screen. For me a flash player just needs decent random play, be small, light and have good battery life.

The only reason I wouldn't by a shuffle is that you can't just copy files across and play them. It's sort of justified on a feature full hd player but is stupid for a flash player.

iTunes pretty much requires you to "submit" to its own organization system, but i've never looked back. playlists + being able to filter by query string, artist, genre, whatever is much more useful than any filesystem i might laboriously create myself. furthermore, how would you get a feature like autofill without tediously writing scripts if not through an app like itunes?

 

[syadasti]

A screen would not significantly add the to the cost of a player - almost all flash players on the market have them. Previewing a few seconds of over a hundred songs to find the one you want is not practical.

Most CD players have a screen that tells you what track you are on and most CD only have a dozen songs anyways, not over one hundred songs - if a simple CD player has a display than a flash player can definately use one.

The only reason people like this player is that its an iPod. There are plenty of superior players for the same amount of money. There is nothing special about - the price and size have already been done before.

 

[syadasti]

furthermore, how would you get a feature like autofill without tediously writing scripts if not through an app like itunes?

Most programs like that have autofill for years. Rio has it in their software for at least 5 years. Its nothing special...

 

[Toshi]

Most programs like that have autofill for years. Rio has it in their software for at least 5 years. Its nothing special...

link please? can't find it on rio's site, and i think a page like this should be where such info is advertised: http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/shop/_templates/item_main_Rio.asp?model=265

besides, rio is the other company (besides apple) whose players work with itunes so the point is moot -- you let itunes or rio music manager manage your music for such niceties as autofill or you stop whining (to original poster, not syadasti) about being able to drag files to the player.

 

[syadasti]

link please? can't find it on rio's site, and i think a page like this should be where such info is advertised: http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/shop/_templates/item_main_Rio.asp?model=265

besides, rio is the other company (besides apple) whose players work with itunes so the point is moot -- you let itunes or rio music manager manage your music for such niceties as autofill or you stop whining (to original poster, not syadasti) about being able to drag files to the player.

You can use an iPod on multiple computers with third party solutions. Rio's manager lets you use your player on multiple computers without any third party solution (although red chair's is nicer and allows drag and drop I think?)

Here are the instructions on how to Rio to manage your synch profile - you get autofill functionality with much more control of how it autofills (rio and apple are not unique in having autofill functionality though):

Synchronization Wizard Help


When Rio Music Manager detects a Rio player for the first time it offers the option to create a synchronization profile that will be associated with that Rio player. If custom synchronization profiles are used, Rio Music Manager can automatically (or manually) delete old content, transfer new audio content, or keep the content on your Rio player fresh and dynamic.

Creating a New Synchronization Profile

1. Choose A Synchronization Profile

Determine what type of Synchronization Profile you wish to create. Options include:

A. Use an existing Synchronization Profile.

B. Create a new Synchronization Profile.

Click Next after Synchronization Profile settings have been set.



2. Content Selection

Select the tracks that will be used when the player is synchronized. Options include:

A. All My Music

B. A selection of music based on a user defined subset.

C. The tracks that are included in a specific playlist.

Click Next after Content Selection settings have been set.



3. Content Deletion

Select a method to delete the tracks that are on the player during Synchronization Options include:

A. Select either random, the least or most recently played tracks, or the least or most recently added tracks to be deleted.

B. Only previously synchronized tracks will be deletion.

Click Next after Content Deletion settings have been set.



4. Content Cycling

Select the number of tracks that will be deleted and transferred during a Synchronization Options include:

A. Set a percentage of the total amount of tracks on the player to be cycled.

B. Select Fill it up to fill the player to maximum capacity.

Click Next after Content Cycling settings have been set.



5. Identify this Synchronization profile

Select a name and a description for the Synchronization profile.

Click Next after the Synchronization Profile has been named.



6. Configure auto Synchronization

Do you want Rio Music Manager to automatically synchronize with this player? Options include:

A. Yes.

B. No.

Click Next after auto Synchronization has been set.



7. Click Finish

 

[Toshi]

ok, so it exists. also goes to show that apple's the-user-is-dumb approach is MUCH more user friendly than rio's: i doubt joe sixpack wants to wrestle with "synch profiles" even if the concepts underlying them are straightforward enough (or at least seemed that way to whomever wrote the software).

 

[syadasti]

ok, so it exists. also goes to show that apple's the-user-is-dumb approach is MUCH more user friendly than rio's: i doubt joe sixpack wants to wrestle with "synch profiles" even if the concepts underlying them are straightforward enough (or at least seemed that way to whomever wrote the software).

I will say Rio needs more marketing BS power to sell their stuff - its superior, but nobody knows about it so it doesn't matter.

The software works for both joe sixpack and the power user - by default it syncs all music it finds on your HDD, it randomly deletes previously sync'd tracks once you fill up, 20% cycling per sync, and it syncs until the player is filled up. You can change any of that if you set your own profile - ie non joe sixpack.

Now back to the topic of flash players, the creative muvo is better, is probably on its third generation now, and has a screen. Its been pretty popular for a long time. There are even better players like iRiver etc, if you know where to get em.

 

[biggins]

you know what syadasti, i am going to try to end this thread by just saying it. You are right. anyone that owns any apple product is dumb and blah blah blah. i admit it i am dumb because i found a player that fit what i wanted in one when i found the shuffle. I-tunes is dumb to and so is anyone that uses because program a,b, or c is sooooo much you are right and i am wrong.


















now shut up.

 

[gecko]

You can use an iPod on multiple computers with third party solutions. Rio's manager lets you use your player on multiple computers without any third party solution (although red chair's is nicer and allows drag and drop I think?)

You say this like it's flaw in the ipod's programming. It's intentional to help preserve copyrights and limit file sharing.

If you're looking for something that will let you pick one song out of a hundred, it's probably not for you, but if you want to listen to some music on the way to work without hearing 40% commercials (radio), then it's pretty cool for the money.

 

[ohio]

A screen would not significantly add the to the cost of a player

It's thinking like that, which has put rio, creative, and iRiver firmly below Apple in the DAP market.

Don't you get it? The mass market doesn't WANT any of this stuff. Engineering driven companies have a nasty habit of designing everything for an early adopter. Apple, a marketing driven company, doesn't have that problem. You talk about marketing as if it's a bad thing. 95% of the MP3 player market can't purchase anything other than an iPod, because they can't understand anything other than an iPod. That's because Apple spent the time and the money understanding their customers needs (through, gasp, marketing), not their engineers pipe dreams.

That being said, I'm somewhere between an early adopter and mass market. I don't intend to buy an iPod. Additionally, as the market ages and consumers become more DAP savvy, Apple WILL add features and performance to keep up. What they won't do is add features and performance just because they CAN, if the market isn't ready for it.

 

[narlus]

you know, i've never used the profile/synch feature on my Rio. maybe i'll play around w/ it now.

ps - biggins, yr wrong.

 

[stinkyboy]

http://www.macnn.com/articles/05/05/04/merill.on.aapl/

 

[binary visions]

Why must people constantly confuse "popular" with "good"?

After all, Britney Spears sold a whole lot of records...

 

[stinkyboy]

Why must people constantly confuse "popular" with "good"?

After all, Britney Spears sold a whole lot of records...

And Microsoft is HUGE!

 

[binary visions]

And Microsoft is HUGE!

Exactly!

 

[ZoRo]

I'll stick to my trusty mini-disc...

same here!!!