Overview
First generation
Released on Jan. 11, 2005, the first generation iPod Shuffle was designed to be easily loaded with a selection of songs and to play them in random order. According to Apple, owners of existing iPods had often left the music selection to "shuffle", and the new iPod Shuffle was a way of implementing that in a much more cost-effective fashion. 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 kbit/s AAC encoding). It used the SigmaTel STMP35xx System On a Chip, a flash memory IC, and USB rechargeable Lithium cell.
It lacks the trademark display, scroll wheel, playlist management features, games, address book, calendar, alarm, and notes capability of earlier iPods, and cannot be used with iSync. In addition, due to its lower processing power, it is incapable of playing Apple Lossless and AIFF audio files, unlike other iPod models. The iPod Shuffle has a better bass response than 4th generation iPod, according to one review published days after its release.The first generation shuffle weighed 0.78 ounces.
First generation iPod Shuffle with the cap removed to show the USB connector. The cap snaps onto the unit. iPod Shuffle comes with a second cap on a lanyard, which a user can wear around his or her neck.
iTunes offers some new features for iPod Shuffle. One is the ability to reduce the bit rate of songs to 128 kbit/s AAC. The conversion is done automatically, with the original file left untouched on the computer and the smaller (lower bit rate) file sent to the iPod Shuffle. Older versions of iTunes allowed an iPod Shuffle playlist to be viewed and changed while the unit is not connected; the next time the unit is connected, it can then be updated with the changed playlist. This functionality is no longer a part of iTunes as of iTunes 7.
The front of the iPod Shuffle has buttons for Play/Pause, Next Song/Fast Forward, Previous Song/Fast Reverse, and up and down volume adjustment. On the reverse, it has a battery level indicator light (activated by a button) 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 battery, which has an expected life of around 12 hours between charges. The USB plug is hidden beneath a cap. The unit also comes with a lanyard that attaches to the iPod Shuffle via an attached cap and this allows the user to wear the iPod Shuffle around his or her neck.
The iPod Shuffle can also be used as a USB flash drive. 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.
In June 2005, the price for the first generation 1 GB iPod Shuffle was lowered to US$129. In February 2006, the prices for first generation iPod Shuffles were lowered.
Second generation
A Second-generation iPod Shuffle in size-comparison to a Dell mouse.On September 12, 2006, Apple announced the release of the second generation iPod Shuffle, calling it "the most wearable iPod ever".[3] First shipments of the unit were slated for an October 2006 arrival, but actually started shipping on Friday, November 3, 2006.[4] The new generation featured a lone 1 GB model at US$79, GB£49, CA$89, AU$119 or €89 (France) in a silver brushed aluminum case similar to the second generation iPod Nano and the older iPod Mini. The new model is less than half the size of the first generation model at 41.2 x 27.3 x 10.5 mm (1.62 x 1.07 x 0.41 in), and is reminiscent of the iPod Radio Remote available for iPod Nanos and 5th generation iPods. Apple claimed it was the "world's smallest MP3 player". This size includes the new built-in belt clip; the actual unit itself is thinner, with the entire device weighing only 15.5 g (0.55 ounces). The power and shuffle/no shuffle switches were also separated into two controls to prevent accidental choice of shuffle when that may not be the desired mode of operation. The formatting of the iPod itself is new to Apple, as the 2G (2nd Generation) shuffle will only format itself to FAT32. iTunes issues a warning that the iPod is incorrectly formatted if brought to the Macintosh format HFS+. All previous iPod models have allowed the usage of either the Mac format or the Windows format.[5]
On the second generation iPod Shuffle, USB connectivity is provided via an included dock, which transfers data through the headphone jack. The second generation iPod Shuffle is also able to act as a flash drive, just like the first generation iPod Shuffle. However, unlike the first generation iPod Shuffle, the second generation does not have a built-in USB connector. This means the dock is required for connection to a computer on the second generation model.
The second generation shuffle can play MP3, MP3 VBR, AAC, Protected AAC, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), WAV and AIFF, meaning that the only iTunes format not supported is Apple Lossless. Using WAV or AIFF will very quickly fill the device's low 1 GB capacity. iPod Shuffle cannot play music from music video files.
All nine colors of the second-generation iPod Shuffle. The bottom row are the original colors; the top row are the "refreshed" colors (with the exception of the orange iPod). Silver units have been available throughout the life of the second-generation shuffle.On January 30, 2007, Apple announced the addition of four new colors to the iPod Shuffle line. In addition to the original silver, a pink, orange, green, and blue color has been made available via the Apple Store (online). Of the colors the blue, green, and pink are essentially the same hues as the second generation Minis and Nanos. The new orange color is a first for the iPod franchise. They also now come with the new redesigned headphones that were not included with the original silver model. The box was also changed to have gray text instead of the lime-green text, lime-green showing that the original headphones are included, and gray text showing that the new headphones are included.
On September 5, 2007, Apple refreshed the line with four new colors including a Product Red version. The new colors (turquoise, lavender, mint green, and Product Red) replaced the previous colors (pink, orange, green, and blue). On February 19, 2008, Apple reduced the price of the 1 GB model to $49 and announced the 2 GB version for $69 though the sale of the larger one was released later that month. However, since the release of the third generation iPod shuffle, the 2GB is no longer in production.
At the Apple Let's Rock Event on September 9, 2008 Apple released four new colors for the iPod Shuffle: Blue, Green, Pink and (Red)The third generation iPod shuffle was released on 11 March, 2009 and is said by Apple to be "jaw-droppingly small" and "The first music player that talks to you" [6] with dimensions of 45.2 x 17.5 x 7.8 mm (1.8 x 0.7 x 0.3 in). The new generation is a 4GB model at US$79, CA$99, €75, GB£59, AUD$129 (The second generation 1GB iPod shuffle is still available, however the 2GB version has been discontinued.[7]) It is available with a silver or black brushed aluminum case similar to the second generation iPod Shuffle. This makes it the first iPod Shuffle that is available in black - although the black is more of a dark grey, especially in comparision to the black iPod touch. It features VoiceOver technology that allows song names, artist names, album names and playlist contents and names to be spoken in 14 different languages [8] using the Text-to-Speech incorporated in iTunes 8. It also has gained support for multiple playlists, in contrast to previous versions of the iPod Shuffle, which allowed only a single playlist.
The third generation iPod Shuffle features a polished steel attachment clip, adopting for the first time the polished steel finishing previously found only on the larger iPods, rather than the brushed aluminum used in the second-generation iPod Shuffle. It also no longer has volume or track controls on the device itself. Instead, the included Apple earphones now include a three-button device on the right earbud cord. This adds the functions of changing between playlists, hearing the song title and artist of the track playing, as well as play/pause, track changes and volume control. It is not possible to change songs or volume with current third-party headphones, since they lack these controls. However, since the iPod shuffle begins playing music automatically when it is turned on, third-party headphones may still be used in "autoplay" mode (with no volume or playback controls). Some future third-party headphones and headphone adapters will include full support for the iPod shuffle[9]. These headphones contain a special Apple authentication chip. Without this chip, third-party headphones are not allowed to interact with the iPod. [10] .
Use on "unsupported" PC operating systems
There is a python program rebuild_db[1], written by Martin Fiedler, which can be used for loading audio files into an iPod. This program is an alternative to Apple's iTunes and runs under any PC operating system which supports python, including Linux. rebuild_db works with generations 1 and 2 of the Shuffle; it is not yet known (March 2009) whether it also works with a third generation Shuffle.
Impact
The iPod Shuffle was announced at the same time as the Mac Mini. Like the iPod Shuffle, the Mac Mini is a scaled-down product which has been introduced at a lower price point. These two 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. Previously, the success of Apple's iPod and especially the iPod Mini had been chipping away at the inexpensive flash player market, causing flash players at the beginning of 2005 to account for less than half the market share they did in 2004.[citation needed] However, the original and Mini iPods were costly and the Shuffle was intended to make the iPod compete with mainstream players.
By April 2005, the end of Apple's second fiscal quarter, the iPod Shuffle had already proven itself to be a successful product for its manufacturer. Although Apple has chosen not to specify how many iPod Shuffles were sold in the product's first three months of existence, analysts at Piper Jaffray estimated that 1.8 million of the 5.3 million iPods sold in the second quarter were Shuffles. NPD Group estimates that the iPod Shuffle captured 43% of the flash-based music player market in February 2005, after only its second month of existence.[11] By March 2005 the iPod Shuffle's market share had risen to 58%.[12]
In September 2006, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced during his keynote presentation on the "It's Showtime" Special Event, that until then, Apple had sold 10 million first generation iPod Shuffles.
Criticisms
Generation 1
Blinking light problem
PC World reported a problem with the first-generation iPod Shuffles ceasing normal function, only to flash orange and green lights and become unmountable. Since the Shuffle has no display, the owner can't read an error message or troubleshoot easily, requiring diagnosis by Apple service personnel. Flashing green and amber lights on the iPod Shuffle indicate that a generic "error" has occurred, according to Apple's documentation.[13] If the device is still covered by warranty, Apple will replace it for free.[14] This problem has also occurred on second generation iPod Shuffles.
On October 26, 2006, Apple released an iPod Shuffle Reset Utility that corrected this problem for some owners of first-generation iPod Shuffles.[15] Then, in March 2007, an updated iPod Reset Utility was released which can also address similar problems with second-generation iPod Shuffles.[16] The reset utility has not currently been updated by Apple to run on Windows Vista.
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