I want one. There’s no doubt about it. After reading up on the iPod shuffle, I’ve decided that this is the perfect gym-companion. I’d been looking for a small, light MP3 player for the gym for a few months now. I already own a 4th generation iPod which I bought this summer at a substantial discount thanks to Apple’s Cram & Jam promotion (to replace my previous 15 GB iPod which I sold) and have been using it daily for the past five months. However, the one place where I’ve always felt uncomfortable using it was at the gym. Why? Well, its an expensive piece of machinery to replace if it broke and I’ve already dropped it a couple of times when working out - although no damage was caused each time. But, its only a matter of time before I’ll drop it more forcefully, especially if I continue to bring it with me to the gym. Plus, although its an iPod - and its small and well designed, its still heavy and larger than I really want for the gym. Originally, as I posted back in August, I had hoped to buy the 20 GB model - which was both thinner and lighter than the iPod it replaced. However, the SoHo store at the time of purchase only had the 40 GB model in stock and I was stuck buying that instead. It unfortunately, in this case, was both thicker and heavier than the 15 GB model. Enter the iPod shuffle.
So, why do I want the iPod shuffle for the gym? Well, first of all, its small. Very small. It weighs 0.78 ounces, and to borrow Steve Job’s comparison, its smaller than a stick of gum. Compare that to the 40 GB model I have now. It weighs 5.6 ounces and is around the size of a deck of cards - maybe a bit bigger. Thats a substantial savings in both weight and volume - important when running or lifting as its less likely to get in the way (a disclaimer, I have yet to see or use an iPod shuffle, yet). What else? Well, I had been looking at other MP3 players, especially the Rio Forge and the Nike PSA 220 made by Philips. Both MP3 players have fairly good reviews and are within my price range. The one caveat: neither supports AAC. This is an issue for two reasons. First, a lot of my music, in fact most of my music, is encoded in AAC for better quality. Second, I’ve purchased songs from the iTunes Music Store and plan to again. Therefore, I’d have to convert my non-iTMS songs to MP3 at a significant loss in quality and be resigned to the fact I couldn’t play new, legally bought, songs. The iPod shuffle, because its by Apple, solves this issue.
Next, there’s the issue of price. The iPod shuffle is affordably priced. The Nike PSA 220 costs $180 list and the Rio Forge is similarly priced in the $150-180 range. Both MP3 players contain 256 MB (although the Rio Forge can be bought with more). The iPod shuffle contains 512 MB for $99 and 1 GB for $149 ($139 educationally priced, which I qualify for). So in terms of storage, the iPod shuffle is a bargain. Granted, the other two players both contain additional functions - a radio, stop watch, and included arm band. All but the arm band is irrelevant in my case. I don’t listen to the radio at all, period, and a stop watch I can live without. The arm band however is a must, as its uncomfortable to tuck an MP3 player in your shorts and annoying to hold while running. This is solved by Apple’s iPod shuffle Arm Band, priced at a reasonable $30. Worst case, I’ll be spending the same amount for the iPod shuffle as the other players but be gaining additional capacity.
So at this point, the iPod shuffle leads in three ways - size, supported music formats, and capacity/price. However, my reasons for wanting an iPod shuffle don’t stop here. At first, when reading the rumors and announcements, I was shocked and almost horrified to find out the iPod shuffle doesn’t contain an LCD. I thought those days were over. There was the Creative MuVo early on and various other flash-based MP3 players which didn’t contain screens and I thought this was crazy. But, having reflected this over, it makes sense. A screen is a necessary component of the iPod Mini and iPod. Why? The storage capacity is large, ranging from 4 GB in the iPod mini all the way up to 60 GB in the iPod photo (40 GB in my case). You need the screen to select playlists, browse your tunes, and configure the menu options. But when the device only holds 512 MB or 1 GB of songs (estimated at 120 and 240 songs respectively), there’s less of a need to have a screen. In my case, this MP3 player will be used for the gym. Almost exclusively. For any other needs, I have the iPod. Therefore, I can easily load up the iPod shuffle to contain only songs which would interest me at the gym - quick moving tracks or loud rock (thanks Def Leppard!). I won’t need to deal with avoiding certain songs, such as Porcupine Tree’s wonderful but somber Heartattack In A Lay By or anyone of Radiohead’s slow moving tracks. Nor will I need to deal with other inappropriate genres for the gym that my iPod contains - jazz, classical, to name a few. In addition, with iTunes’ new AutoFill function for the iPod shuffle, if my selection of work out tracks is more than the capacity of the iPod shuffle, it can automatically select and deal with it. My interaction with the device need only be worrying about charging it.
So what about power? The iPod shuffle has a rechargeable battery (a must) and ample play time, 12 hours to be precise. I have yet to work out for more than two hours in a go - so I think I shall be fine :) In fact, with 12 hours, I can go a week without charging the iPod shuffle. To make things simpler, to charge, all that is needed is to plug the player directly into a powered USB slot - either on my PowerBook or G5. This also means that no matter where I’ll be - Finland, France, or the US - I’ll be able to charge the iPod without worrying about a power brick. True, the iPod has the same feature, but do the other MP3 players?
Returning to the issue of no screen, this leads to the discussion of how the device will be used. Thinking back, the few times I dealt with the iPod in the gym was to change the volume and skip tracks. A screen is unneeded for such interaction and I believe, with the simplistic design of the iPod shuffle, this will be easy to accomplish no matter where I decide to sport the player. Plus, with all the songs being work out worthy, the fact that I can’t choose which song to play is of no concern - any and all - should suit my needs perfectly. A display would simply add a component which could go wrong or break. Speaking of breaking, the prime reason the iPod shuffle is perfect for the gym is it’s both very durable, based on the fact it uses flash memory, and inexpensive. If it does break, the impact is substantially less than say the 40 GB model breaking - and because of its low starting price - $99, its also easier to replace.
So with all the positives of the device, are there any shortcomings? A few minor ones. The USB cap. I have no idea how well the player is designed but the fact that it has a cap means it will be lost at some point. Perhaps not immediately, but inevitably, it will be lost. Will this detract functionally from the player - probably not. Aesthetically, yes. I would have preferred Apple designing a method similar to the well made SanDisk Titanium Cruzer which features a sliding design that places the USB connector within the device. True, this leads to possibly dust and dirt collecting within the USB connector but I believe this to be a small threat. Another problem with the iPod shuffle is perhaps the lack of personalization. The iPod mini has been a success partly due to its availability in five colors. It would have been nice to select a personal color so that, minor that this may be, you feel that the iPod shuffle truly is part of you. Would it have been difficult for Apple to produce it in five colors? Apart from the additional packaging cost (if any), probably not.
Now, having written this much on the iPod shuffle, I’ve convinced myself I want (and need) one. In my case, need is subjective, but I think Apple has a hit on their hands. I have a feeling that many iPod owners will spring on the chance to get another, smaller iPod, and I believe this will be a very appealing player for those interested in working out. Lastly, and more importantly, it brings down the price of the iPod from a relatively high $249 to $99. Mark my words, it won’t be long before the iPod shuffle will be given away in promotions or competitions. Now, the only real question - do I spring for the 512 MB or 1 GB model?
Copyright © 2000 - 2007, Aram Kudurshian. All rights reserved.
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