IPod shuffle 3 Review - good iPod mp3 player or not

 

Bronze Member
Username: Tracyjump

Post Number: 12
Registered: Dec-07
The new iPod Shuffle was introduced on 11 March as iPod shuffle 3gen, revealing a device completely free from buttons and content 4GB. The most changed is the control way.

Following is the review of iPod shuffle 3.

Here are some features about the iPod shuffle 3.

1. The controls have been moved to the headphone cord

A simple three-button switch allows for play, pause, skip, volume, and activation of the new iPod shuffle 4GB USB banner feature. Silver and black iPod shuffle 3 came out now.

2. Even smaller, even more minimalist for $79
Measuring only 1.8" (45mm) x .7" (17mm) x .3" (7.62mm) in size.

3. VoiceOver
A first for the iPod shuffle 3gen, voiceOver gives the Shuffle the ability to speak song titles and playlist categories in any of 14 languages like Mandarin or Japanese, Greek, or Swedish and let you change playlists.

4. Podcasts
The new iPod shuffle 3 supports sequential audio podcast synchronization - it can automatically synchronize a series of podcasts, rather than just specific episodes. To that end, it now has an iTunes tab for podcasts, unlike the prior-generation model. This feature will appear in iTunes 8.1, due out in very short order.

5. It Works With Apple's Recent Remote Headphones
The iPod shuffle 3 is officially listed as compatible with Apple's recent mic-equipped $29 Earphone and $79 In-Ear Headphone models, though Apple explicitly notes that the new iPod shuffle 3gen doesn't support the microphone functionality. This is somewhat good news for those who already have one-button-remote equipped headphones released for the iPhone over the past couple of years.

6. USB Cable
Now Apple has replaced the Dock with a USB cable, called the Apple iPod shuffle USB Cable. The version packaged with the iPod shuffle 3gen is 1.8 inches long; for $19, Apple will sell you a package with two cables, one similarly short, the other slightly under 40 inches long.

Here are some criticisms about the new iPod Shuffle 3.

1. Free of buttons
Sure there are three buttons on the headphone cable, allows for play, pause, skip, volume, and activation of USB. But on the actual device - $80, 4GB, no buttons.

2. Replacing headphones gets more complicated.
With the iPod Shuffle 3gen's controls on the headphone cable, support for third-party headphones has been dramatically reduced.

3. Micro US
The USB plug does not at present appear to be Micro USB, validating recent concerns by many about how Apple has not signed on to the Micro USB standard.

4. Voice isn't a new feature.
Remember last year when Apple included spoken menus on the iPod Nano? Then why are you calling the Shuffle the first MP3 player that talks to you? Also, technically there have been a few MP3 players for the vision impaired that have already pulled this off.

5. Battery Life Drop
Both the first- and second-generation versions of the iPod shuffle promised 12-hour battery life on a single charge, but the new iPod shuffle 3 drops down to 10 hours.
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