Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB : Review & Features

The latest from the Apple iPod family is the 2GB iPod shuffle which lets you wear up to 500 songs on your sleeve as a badge of musical devotion. iPod shuffle comes in four vibrant colors and the original silver to suit your music and your mood and it is the only iPod that is wearable right out of the box. The iPod Shuffle Weighs 15.6 grams with a height of 1.07 inches and width of 1.62 inches. It holds up to 500 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format and Stores data via USB flash drive. With skip-free playback it supports audio formats: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), WAV, and AIFF. 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. iTunes also allows 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. The simple features of an iPod shuffle includes : Controls which is a circular control pad that puts the go in ergonomic. Click the center button to play and pause. Click the outer buttons to move back, skip forward, and adjust volume. A built-in clip, iPod shuffle goes with anything. Clip the iPod to your sleeve, lapel or coin pocket. No matter where you wear it, iPod shuffle speaks about your style.

The iPod has a Shuffle switch. Flip the shuffle switch to mix up iPod shuffle's contents. Flip it again to play your handpicked playlists and albums in the order you synced them from iTunes.

The headphone jack does double-duty as a dock connector. Flip iPod shuffle upside-down and drop it into the included dock. Connect the dock to your Mac or PC for a quick sync and charge. Away from your computer? Charge on the go with the optional Apple USB power adapter. With up to 12 hours of battery life, iPod shuffle may keep rocking even longer than you do. Green means go, amber means you are low, and red means you've almost hit zero.

The battery life is very good, considering the small profile and the versatility of the gadget. As such lot has been said about this iPod, but does it really serve the basic purpose, as being the cheapest, simplest and smallest iPod to date.