By Shawn Loeffler
Apple is at it again, only this time the ubiquitous company is working on improving the opposite end of the spectrum; instead of taking strides to make the big boy “bigger,” Apple has been hard at work in its attempt to make the iPod shuffle disappear. At just 1.8” x 0.7” x 0.3” (roughly the size of a paperclip), Apple is boasting that the iPod shuffle is the world’s smallest music player. Apple didn’t just work on making the third-generation iPod shuffle smaller, the company also tried to improve the limited set of features, and for the most part they did. I have two major points to make on the hardware side of things: First, what I like most about the iPod shuffle is the discreet aluminum-encased clip that rides on a hinge to allow easy attachment to your clothing. Second, the fact that function controls are on the earphone cable (three buttons control volume, track skip, and the VoiceOver) holds the potential to become very inconvenient, especially since the factory headphones that come with iPods are of poor sound quality and break easily.
Undressing the iPod shuffle
As I mentioned above, the iPod shuffle comes with VoiceOver, but what’s that? VoiceOver is a feature that Apple devised in order to compensate for the lack of a screen on the iPod shuffle, and what it does is tell you (via a computerized voice) the name of the track and artist you`re listening to – all in 14 languages. When the battery is low, the VoiceOver will also alert you to the fact. With 10 hours of playback time, you`ll no doubt toggle between the three shuffle positions (random, linear, and none) at some point in order to find the song you want. Speaking of songs, Apple has upped the memory capacity to 4GB, which means you can store up to 1,000 four-minute songs. Weighing in at a Kate Moss-like 0.38 ounces, you`ll hardly ever notice, and may just lose, your iPod shuffle. The feature set is great, but is the device worth the $75.99 price tag? Almost.
