Apple iPod shuffle 4th Generation Silver (2 GB)

The Apple Shuffle is buggy to say the least with windows XP, but does work perfectly with Vista. The issue with XP is the driver used which for me resulted in not being able to sync my iTunes library. For a big company like Apple not being able to develop a device or even a driver for one of the widely used operating systems is massive let down.

On the upside the design of the shuffle has been kept simple and compact (incl. the capacity) which is a good thing, removal of a screen and a lot of other features (in comparison to its father models the original iPod/iPod Nano/iPod Touch) makes this model relatively cheap - however there are other devices that offer much more than this device for the same or similar price.

One good thing about this device is the battery life which is pretty decent for a music device.

On the whole the shuffle is a well designed and simple device for which suits most peoples needs but especially those whom are easy listeners and aren't bothered what track is played next rather than those whom prefer to listen to a particular band or beat at different times of the day. For me the lack of XP support and the slightly high cost for such a simple device means it give it a 3/5.

The iPod shuffle has long been Apple's 'beginner iPod', introducing MP3 amateurs to the world of portable digital music. Its size and portability have also made it the go-to music player for exercise and activity.

Last year, however, saw Apple taking a step too far in the shuffle's simplicity, removing buttons altogether from the device and instead making use of the bundled headphones for controls. I found this extremely irritating as I was forced to make use of the low quality bundled headphones included and ditch my better third party alternative.

Thankfully, Apple has decided to include controls in this year's iPod Shuffle, meaning I can once again make use of my own headphones when out exercising. They have also retained the extremely clever VoiceOver technology found in last year's model which announces playlists and track names making choosing music without a screen relatively easy.

I tend to carry just about all my music with me, either on one of the older generation 120GB iPod Classics or crushed down to 128kbps on my iPhone. This made the initial 2GB included with the Shuffle relatively difficult to cope with. I spent a good while fussing over which songs to fill the it with. A few days passed and I found myself repeatedly listening to the same songs. This became so irritating that I decided to make use of iTunes autofill option, the concept of which a control freak such as myself struggles with. After this, however, the Shuffle came into its own. I got into the habit of re-filling the shuffle each day prior to my post-work jog and every evening was treated to a new selection of songs to run along to.

The new iPod shuffle is even smaller than its similar 2006 counterpart, so tiny, in fact, that misplacing it was irritatingly easy. Its size meant that it easily disappeared on my somewhat messy desk. Thankfully, however, I had a lovely bright pink brushed aluminium model which easily stood out once I searched for it. I would suggest keeping it either permanently tethered to your computer or attached to a gym bag or exercise clothes.

I bought this for my dad who had seen my step brother with his during the summer. He has a wide and varied taste (if that's the right word!) in music and wanted it to wear around the pool etc. (They have some holiday homes in Turkey, for sale if you fancy one!). Now, I knew that the Shuffle would be perfect for this because of its weight and size and because you can take it anywhere. I also knew that 2GB would be more than enough capacity to put around 800 or so tracks on (depending on length). What I wasn't sure about was how my dad would be able to cope with its functions. I needn't have worried! Even though he is a confessed technophobe he got to grips with the controls within five minutes. He quickly found out how to play the tracks both in order, and how to use the shuffle facility (its in the name!). He also mastered the light system that tells you how much battery is left and even how to dock it! All in all this is a fabulous piece of kit, it does exactly what you would expect and is easy to use. I bought this one new from a re seller and would have told you who it was as he was excellent ( but he didn't leave me any feedback so its his loss...).
Plus points:
+ Cheap
+ easy to use
+ compact
+ great sound
+ convenient

Minus points:
- we had to put the tracks on for dad, but that's more to do with ITunes than the player

My verdict... Get one. Each. You won't regret it. It beats the old Sony Walkman hands down. (Now I am showing my age).

This ipod may not have a screen but it makes up for it in its voice over feature, When you press 1 button it speaks to you and tells you what song is playing

They say you can train longer and harder when you listen to music, thus I brought this ipod to exercise with.

Firstly its very well made and compact. The clip is strong so when you're out running it stays in place. The buttons are easy to press and feel solid and not flimsy. It stores plenty of music in my opinion and the battery lasts a decent length of time between charges.

The only downside - I viewed this ipod as an 'active' player. However the headphones are the standard ones you get with any ipod, which have a habit of falling out when you're moving extensively, I didn't mind this as I already own a decent pair of 'sports' headphones.

9/10 - If you want these for sports like me, invest in a pair of sports headphones too.