- The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is iPod shuffle.
iPod shuffle is an iPod digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple Computer. It was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005, with the tagline "Life is random." It uses flash memory instead of a hard drive like the remainder of the iPod family, and weighs 0.78 ounces (22 grams).
Two models were initially made available:
- 512 MB, for US$ 99
- 1 GB, for US$ 149
Ipodshuffle_back.jpg
Reverse side of the iPod shuffle
iPod shuffle is designed to be easily loaded with a selection of songs and to play them in random order. It relies on the use of an "Autofill" feature in iTunes, which can select songs at random from a user's music library (or from a specific playlist) and copy as many as will fit into iPod shuffle's memory. It can hold up to 240 songs (1 GB model, based on Apple's estimate, of four minutes per song and 128 Kbps AAC encoding).
It lacks the display, scroll wheel, playlist management features, games, address book, calendar, and notes capability of earlier iPods, and cannot be used with iSync.
Several new features were added to the iPod shuffle that are not present on previous iPods when used in conjunction with iTunes. One is the ability to reduce the bit rate of higher bit rate tracks to 128 Kbps AAC. The conversion is done "on the fly" with the original file left untouched on the computer and the smaller (lower bit rate) file sent to the iPod shuffle. It is also the first iPod where the playlist can be viewed and changed on the computer while the iPod is not connected. The changed playlist can then be updated to the iPod Shuffle the next time it is connected.
iPod shuffle has buttons for Play/Pause, Next Song, and Previous Song, and higher/lower volume adjustment. On the reverse, it has a battery level indicator and a three-position switch to turn the unit off or set it to play music in order or shuffled. It plugs directly into a computer's USB port (either 1.1 or 2.0), through which it also recharges its twelve-hour battery. The USB plug is hidden beneath a cap. The unit also comes with a lanyard which a user can wear around his or her neck, and hang iPod shuffle from a cap attached to the lanyard.
iPod shuffle can also be used as a keydrive. iTunes allows a user to set how much of the drive will be allowed for storing files, and how much will be used for storing music.
Impact
iPod shuffle was announced at the same time as the Mac mini. Like iPod shuffle, the Mac mini is a version of a previous Apple product, but scaled down and set at a more competitive price point. Both of these products together can be seen as a conscious effort on the part of Apple management to target a lower-end market and increase visibility in the mass-market.
Chewing and eating
Due to its small size (8.38 × 2.49 × 0.84 cm or 3.3 × 0.98 × 0.33 inches), Apple's web site declared iPod shuffle "smaller than a pack of gum and much more fun", with the footnote on its American web site: "Do not eat iPod shuffle". As of January 21, 2005, the footnote has disappeared from the American website; it remains on several international sites, however.
The UK and Ireland site has a slightly reworded version: "Do not chew iPod shuffle", while some other versions of the site, such as the Canadian, French and German versions, make no mention of this.
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