How much music can one person possibly listen to? That is a tough question, but 2GB of memory can hold up to 500 songs (depending on the size of each song). 500 songs would play continuously for a day without repeating. That is a lot of music, making the Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 Player a lightweight microscopic music library. I purchased an iTouch for my daughter and the first generation 30GB Zune and newer 8GB Zune for my son. As a result, I have had some exposure to features available on other MP3 players.
The Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 Player is very simple. The entire package arrived in a small plastic box slightly smaller than a watch box. The unit consists of the actual player, which is shorter and thinner than a stick of gum and about twice the thickness. The MP3 player has a clip attached to the back and a switch next to a small hole in one end. This hole connects the MP3 player to the USB port on your computer using the short USB cable enclosed, as well as a set of headphones. The headphones and USB cable are the only other pieces of hardware in this package. The headphones contain the volume and selection switch. In addition to the hardware, this package contains a small warranty pamphlet (one year limited warranty) and the start up guide.
The start up guide is a strip of paper folded into four quadrants. The set up guide provides the URL to download and install iTunes (www.apple.com/ipod/start) which provides the platform for managing the device. The USB cable is used to connect the device to your computer, which also charges the MP3 player. With the Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 Player connected to your computer and the program downloaded, the on screen instructions will walk you through the rest. The iTunes program is intuitive to navigate, making it easy to manage your song selections. While the device is charging, you can sync your iPod to any music already available on your computer. Ripping songs from CDs to play on your MP3 player is also very easy. Inserting a music CD into your computer while the iTunes program is running will automatically create a prompt asking if you want to copy the CD. A list of check marks next to each song on the CD allows you to deselect any songs you don't want included. The user guide is available on line at www.apple.com/support/manuals/ipod.
The Apple iPod Shuffle MP3 Player has exceptionally easy controls, which are not necessarily intuitive, but simple enough to learn very quickly. After the MP3 player is charged, you can remove the USB cable and insert the headphones. The player contains a switch that has three positions. They are Off, Play in Order and Shuffle. If the switch is moved to the first position, the MP3 player will resume playing wherever it left off and play the next song in the order that it was synced to the ipod (that play list can be altered using iTunes). If the selector is moved to shuffle, the next song will be selected randomly. A small status light between the switch and earphone port indicates the power level. Green indicates a charged battery, red indicates the unit is charging (when connected to the computer). When the unit is in use, green indicates at least a fifty percent charge, orange indicates a twenty-five percent charge and red indicates low battery.
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