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The latest version of Apple’s iPod Shuffle has finally seen the light of day, and is available for purchase at your local Apple outlet. I got an email a few days ago announcing they would be available on November 3rd, so I headed on over to the local Apple store. I was in need of a new shuffle since my old one suffered a non-technical oriented death several weeks ago.

I was able to pick one up with no problems, although the store told me they expected to sell out in the next few days due to the high demand and interest in this second generation player.

My first impressions of the new iPod are quite favorable. The packaging is quite nice, a hard plastic case with a flip cover. The iPod is anchored in place, and the earphones, USB dock connector/adaptor, instructions and headphone covers are located below it. One negative comment off the bat that I noticed is that Apple is shipping the old style of headphones, not the new redesigned ones. That is kind of a raw deal, considering all the other new iPods are shipping with the new ones.

The case is very well made. It is the same metallic material that the new Nanos are made of, not a plastic material like the first generation. The clip is metal as well, and seems strong enough to clip onto just about any article of clothing that you could be wearing. It attached to my denim shirt pocket and stayed with no problem. The clip could be a little stronger should be sufficient for most users.

This iPod requires the latest version of iTunes, 7.0.2, which can be downloaded for free. It interfaced flawlessly, was detected and placed on the menu. Transfer times of songs to it seem to be faster than the first generation. It also still allows automatic conversion of higher bit rate songs to 128kpbs AAC format to conserve space. I haven’t had a chance to test the battery life, but Apple is claiming 12 hours. Lots of time to get some yard work done before recharging is needed. 

I’m not sure I like the new docking base/charger. It means giving up another USB port if I want to leave this attached all the time. Since I also use an iPod Video, it would have been nice to see the dock with a standard iPod connector on it. This one works well, it just leaves a little on the design end for me.

Does this second generation shuffle deliver on what it promises? I feel it does. For me, it is one that I can wear attached to my ID lanyard, so it isn’t as noticeable as the first generation one that I had. My employer doesn’t mind my using an iPod at work, they just like it to be as unobtrusive as possible. For $79, this is an excellent buy, given Apple’s proven track record for quality in design and simplicity in use.

Richard Cunningham (82 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook