My Articles | About Us | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Search   
 
News, Tips & Offers delivered to your inbox

ABOUT US | VIEW ALL FEATURED ARTICLES | VIEW ALL TOPICS | VIEW ALL REGIONS | DM MOBILE | DM BLOG

Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Michigan

Redesigned Apple music player offers style and sound at a tiny size.
1. Local Companies
2. Introduction
3. Big Package, Tiny Player
4. Minimalist Controls
5. Featured Local Company

1 . Local Companies

DOG GUARD OF MICHIGAN
810 923-6289
906 N Oak
FEnton, MI
Gamesagalore Xbox 360 Repair
734-713-7502
22525 Ecorse Rd
Taylor, MI
ABC Warehouse
231-929-2800
3500 Marketplace Circle
Traverse City, MI
The Pod Drop - iPhone / iPod Repair
866 929-3767
4 metro Detroit Repair Center Locations
Washington, MI
Hunter Audio Inc.
906 226-7700
4125 US Hwy. 41 West
Marquette, MI
Burnzi's Surveillance Spy Outlet LLC
248-393-5600
465 Elizabeth Lake Road
Waterford, MI
Stratos Microsystems Llc
(517) 264-5101
913 S Main St
Adrian, MI
Advanced Computers Advanced Net
(810) 984-3488
918 Pine Grove Ave
Port Huron, MI
Grand River Communications
(517) 647-2630
123 Kent St
Portland, MI
Htb Computers
(989) 845-7800
1001 S Line St
Chesaning, MI

2 . Introduction

The new 1GB iPod ShuffleNo question about it: Apple's new iPod Shuffle is minuscule: It's smaller than a matchbook, slimmer than a microcassette, and light enough that you could clip it on your shirt and not even stretch the fabric. In my first hands-on experience with the updated Shuffle, I found it a worthy player for the price--provided that you'll be happy with limited controls and capacity. (Watch PC World's video of unpacking the Shuffle to see exactly how small this device is.}

3 . Big Package, Tiny Player

I bought the 1GB iPod Shuffle for $79 this morning at the San Francisco Apple Store. This is the only price and capacity Apple is selling, and it's a better deal than the original iPod Shuffle, which cost $149 for 1GB and $99 for 512MB.

The new Shuffle comes in a clear, hard-shell plastic package, about the size of a blackboard eraser; the package opens to reveal the player, its headphones, and a dock. Unlike its white, gum-pack-size, plasticized predecessor, the new Shuffle has a matte-anodized aluminum finish, which my grimy fingers didn't smudge during use. The spring clip on the back attaches firmly to clothing and makes up half the thickness.

The USB 2.0 dock included in the box is a nice addition. However, unlike the original Shuffle, which had a USB 2.0 connector integrated into the player, the new iPod Shuffle requires this USB 2.0 dock for charging and syncing the player. The dock is tiny, but its weight and the grippy nonslip pad underneath will help it stay in place on your desk.

The player fits into the dock snugly, attaching at both the dock connector and the headphone jack. I found the 3-foot, 3.25-inch cable long enough to reach around to the USB ports on the back of my PC while the dock was balanced on the computer. You can buy a $29 USB adapter to charge the Shuffle without the dock, which makes charging easier when you're not near your computer. Currently, the Apple Store doesn't offer the option to buy a second USB dock.

4 . Minimalist Controls

Like the original version, the new Shuffle lacks a display. A switch on the bottom for playing songs toggles between sequential and random order. In addition to the four-way navigation dial, the new Shuffle has an extremely small (think pinhole) LED that lights green, orange, or red to indicate battery status (Apple claims up to 12 hours of battery life), and green or orange to indicate play and volume status. The bundled quick-start card and booklet explain what all the blinking means, but I found in practice that the LED was too small and too subtle to be useful.

Plugging the Shuffle into my monitor's low-powered USB port launched iTunes and a message that I needed iTunes 7.0.2 or later. Once I updated my software, iTunes automatically recognized the device and chose 164 songs (964MB) from my iTunes music library to upload to the player, since my library was bigger than the 1GB capacity of the device. (Apple says the device holds up to 240 songs.) The algorithm the software uses seemed to upload my recently played and top-rated songs, but strangely, it didn't upload the last album that I had purchased from the iTunes Music Store. If you have a large iTunes library, you may want to manually pick the songs you upload.

Audio quality through the included earbuds was loud and full. No complaints there.

The bottom line: I like Apple's new iPod Shuffle. Given that 1GB of capacity is no big shakes these days, the lack of a screen seems less deplorable than during our last Shuffle review. If you're on a budget and you want a good, albeit minimalist, audio player, get the Shuffle.

5 . Featured Local Company

DOG GUARD OF MICHIGAN

810 923-6289
906 N Oak
FEnton, MI
Read more about Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle

Regional Articles
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Adrian MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Allegan MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Allen Park MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Alpena MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Ann Arbor MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Auburn Hills MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Battle Creek MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Bay City MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Belleville MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Benton Harbor MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Berkley MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Big Rapids MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Bloomfield Hills MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Brighton MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Burton MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Cadillac MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Canton MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Cheboygan MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Clarkston MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Clinton Township MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Clio MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Coldwater MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Commerce Township MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Comstock Park MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Davison MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Dearborn Heights MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Dearborn MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Detroit MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Dowagiac MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle East Lansing MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Eastpointe MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Eaton Rapids MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Escanaba MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Farmington MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Fenton MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Ferndale MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Flat Rock MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Flint MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Flushing MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Fort Gratiot MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Fraser MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Garden City MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Gaylord MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Gladwin MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Grand Blanc MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Grand Haven MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Grand Ledge MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Grand Rapids MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Grandville MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Grosse Pointe MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Hamtramck MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Harper Woods MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Harrison Township MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Hazel Park MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Highland Park MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Hillsdale MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Holland MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Holly MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Holt MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Howell MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Hudsonville MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Inkster MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Ionia MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Jackson MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Jenison MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Kalamazoo MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Lake Orion MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Lansing MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Lapeer MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Lincoln Park MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Livonia MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Ludington MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Macomb MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Marquette MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Midland MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Monroe MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Mount Clemens MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Mount Morris MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Mount Pleasant MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Muskegon MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle New Baltimore MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Niles MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Northville MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Novi MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Oak Park MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Okemos MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Owosso MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Petoskey MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Pinckney MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Plymouth MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Pontiac MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Port Huron MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Portage MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Redford MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Rochester MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Rockford MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Romulus MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Roseville MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Royal Oak MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Saginaw MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Saint Clair Shores MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Saint Johns MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Saline MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Sault Sainte Marie MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle South Haven MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle South Lyon MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Southfield MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Southgate MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Sterling Heights MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Sturgis MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Swartz Creek MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Taylor MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Temperance MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Three Rivers MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Traverse City MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Trenton MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Troy MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Utica MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Walled Lake MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Warren MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Waterford MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle West Bloomfield MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Westland MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle White Lake MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Wixom MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Wyandotte MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Wyoming MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Ypsilanti MI
- Hands On: Apple's New iPod Shuffle Zeeland MI
Related Articles
- How To Buy Apple iPod Accessories Michigan
After purchasing your Apple iPod, it becomes apparent that you will need several accessories. The following article talks about what some of the accessories, as well as where to find them.
- LG Fusic Michigan
- Apple iPod Nano Michigan
- 5 Wacky iPod Cases Michigan
- iPod Nano Michigan
- Apple's New and Improved iPod Michigan
- LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone Michigan
- Apple iPod Shuffle 1GB Michigan
- Transcend T.Sonic 530 Michigan
- Information on Apple TV Michigan
Related Local Event
Real-Time & Embedded Computing Conference-Detroit (RTECC)
Dates: 9/17/2009 - 9/17/2009
Location: Sterling Inn Banquet & Conference Center
Sterling Heights, MI
View Details
Rss   Delicious   Digg   Add To My Yahoo   Add To My Google   Bookmark   Search Plugin
Topics:
Advertising Family Home Services Real Estate Resources
Business Services Fashion Industrial Goods & Services Retail & Consumer Services
Career Financial Services Insurance Software
Cars Food & Beverage Internet Technology
Computer Hardware Franchise Legal Telecommunications
Construction Health Miscellaneous Trade Shows
Education Holidays Nightlife Travel
Entertainment Home Appliances Online Database Weddings
Environmental Home Electronics Pets World History
Articles.DirectoryM.com | Search | About Us | Contact Us | Mobile | Blog | En Español
Copyright © BET Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.