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Apple Introduces iPod shuffle | |
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| Time: 14:22 EST/19:22 GMT | News Source: Apple | Posted By: Byron Hinson | ||
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Apple® today introduced iPod® shuffle, a breakthrough digital music player based on iPod’s legendary shuffle feature which lets users experience their music in a million different ways. Smaller and lighter than a pack of gum, iPod shuffle comes with its own lanyard so it’s ready to wear right out of the box. iPod shuffle works seamlessly with iTunes’ innovative AutoFill feature which automatically selects songs from a user’s music library to fill up iPod shuffle with just one click. iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever and is available in two models: 512MB holding up to 120 songs for just $99 and 1GB holding up to 240 songs for just $149. | ||
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| #1 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 1/11/2005 3:01:10 PM |
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Any bets on nicknames? iPod "Sniffle"? iPod "Enuf-fle"?
The Mini looks cool, but the "legendary shuffle feature"--as it's only play method--is ridiculous. I would hate to have been the person that had to write the copy on this: As official soundtrack to the random revolution, the iPod Shuffle Songs setting takes you on a unique journey through your music collection — you never know what’s around the next tune. You don't need a reset button on your iMac! Krusty Brand Imitation Gruel--9 out of 10 orphans can't tell the difference! It's not a bug, it's a feature! |
| #2 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/11/2005 3:10:59 PM |
| bluvg, you can play in order. Not forced into shuffle. I think many are fine without a display. |
| #3 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 1/11/2005 3:21:04 PM |
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I don't know, sodajerk... when there are so many that do allow you to navigate, it seems like a bad idea. Who knows? Maybe people will go for it. I think it's really funny, though, that they're playing up the shuffle feature as "legendary." It's been around for a long, long time, folks.
It's nice that you can play in order--that isn't apparent from the web site, unless I'm missing something. However, without a display, it's still like hunting in the dark. Want to show a friend your favorite song? Just wait... I'll... find it... here... for ya... just... give me... a minute... or two.... |
| #4 By 3 (81.100.93.125) at 1/11/2005 3:31:22 PM |
| Surely playing on the tag "legendary" shuffle mode is the right kind of advertising, it's legendary because it has been around for so long as used by so many. I'd agree if they used the words unique or exclusive. |
| #5 By 3653 (63.162.177.143) at 1/11/2005 3:41:29 PM |
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sodajerk, I thought the same as you, but I cant find anything to back it up. Apple's marketing copy says "you don’t know what song will play next".
"With Play in Order mode, you manage the music. If things take a turn for the predictable, never fear. Turn iPod shuffle over, flip the slider to Shuffle and mix on the go" I read that as if you don't like the shuffle, just RE-shuffle. If apple doesn't force the SHUFFLE on you, then they need to be a bit clearer. I'm trying to be objective with this, but God apple makes it hard on me. I'll save my rant until tomorrow. This post was edited by mooresa56 on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 15:42. |
| #6 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 1/11/2005 3:49:40 PM |
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I'm not sure... the copy is almost comical:
Meet iPod shuffle, the unpredictable new iPod. What will it play next? Can it read your mind? Can it read your moods? Let's put it on the Ouija board and see what it tells us!! It doesn't say "unique" or "exclusive," but it does give the impression that the shuffle feature is something that has some particular relationship with the iPod that sets it apart from other implementations (which is really another way of saying unique): Apple® today introduced iPod® shuffle, a breakthrough digital music player based on iPod’s legendary shuffle feature which lets users experience their music in a million different ways. "iPod's legendary shuffle feature...." Well, it's really the same as anyone else's shuffle feature. They aren't playing it as "legendary" in the sense that it's an historical legend, a feature that's been around for ages and used by many manufacturers. They play it up as the iPod's legendary shuffle feature. |
| #7 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/11/2005 4:55:03 PM |
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Yes, you can definitely play in order.
I don't know how people can read a three word tagline but ignore the big switch on the back with the settings: 1. Off, 2. Play in Order, 3. Shuffle. It's marketing. They are playing up to combat the concern. I think what you are seeing is Apple saying: we have identified that at the lowend people will not care to browse and know (I will elaborate the reasons in a minute) what tracks are on the device. 1. yes, shuffle has been around, but Apple has learned and surprised to learn that most do not listen to albums 2. at the low end, music listeners have few albums and listen to music as if it were like the radio 3. low-end music listeners are not discerners and value all of their music equally 4. it's observeable that most iPod users on trains, walking, etc... do not ever need to look at their devices to navigate. Crappy song comes up, hit skip. If you are listening to an album, but want the 5th song instead of the 2nd, skip, skip, skip. If you are shuffling but want a change, skip. 5. Jobs said expect new peripherals in the coming weeks. I expect remotes may be a possibility. 6. Jobs provided compelling data to suggest that although they did steal from the Flash market with the iPod mini... He is simply looking to further acquire a segment of the VERY low end. And Asia particularly. 7. the "mini" market is growing so fast that by the end of the year, you will have displays and storage capacities rivaling the original in the mini. There is no reason to be concerned that by creating a device that does not appeal to all, that Apple is neglecting a market--they have their bases covered. Also, the AutoFill feature coupled with the lack of interface is unique. With AutoFill, Shuffle becomes more full powered since you are always loading "new" songs onto the device if used. I am unaware of other devices that have this feature. Are there any? Please let me know. Enough defending. I'll let Apple do its thing and we'll see numbers trickle out in the coming months. This post was edited by sodajerk on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 16:58. |
| #8 By 2332 (66.228.91.60) at 1/11/2005 5:53:36 PM |
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Wow... an mp3 player that can hold 1GB worth of songs (200+ songs), but has no way to tell you where you are and now way to go to a specific song. Incredible.
That might fly for a 128MB player, or even 256MB, but 1GB? Give me a break. Without a screen for this, it's just dumb. The only thing it has going for it is how cheap it is. 1GB for $150 is a great deal. I'll take my iRiver flash player (pick pretty much any of them) over this in a heart beat. This thing will probably sell well because of the image factor... people are just stupid. |
| #9 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/11/2005 6:04:37 PM |
| I was going to abstain comment, but RMD, how 'bout if you treated it as a 768 MB usb keydrive with a 256 MB mp3 player attached in the same form factor? Even if it comes in the GB capacity, this is aimed at people who will never own more than 30 albums in their life. |
| #10 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at 1/11/2005 6:29:42 PM |
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"With AutoFill, Shuffle becomes more full powered since you are always loading "new" songs onto the device if used. I am unaware of other devices that have this feature. Are there any? Please let me know. "
My Creative Muvo does that. |
| #11 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 1/11/2005 7:06:38 PM |
| I think that Apple's infamous engineering talent could have come up with a design that allows you to choose the song you want. The "some people don't want to pick the song" argument just doesn't hold water, I think. Some people may indeed listen to their albums as if they were listening to the radio, but that does not mean that they would never like to choose the song or album. Any way you slice it, the inability to pick the song is a serious drawback to the "Shuffle," particularly when so many other competitors already offer it. Maybe people will really like it, who knows? We'll have to see. But I have a feeling that the people who are buying iPods tend to be music lovers of one kind or another, and the ability to, you know, actually pick the song you want may be rather important to them. |
| #12 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 1/11/2005 7:13:46 PM |
| I want to say, "I smell a Newton!" but I won't.... :P |
| #13 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/11/2005 7:16:53 PM |
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Brian, can you provide more details: which Muvo? Every one supports different features, and I didn't find a single review which mentions this feature for any of them. Is this done with MediaSource? or the Manager app? How does it work on the Muvo?
bluvg, you seem to be making the argument that THIS HAS TO BE FOR EVERYONE. It's quite simply not. People of all kinds are buying iPods, and Apple has one of the broadest range of devices catering to the full spectrum of users. This is for people who want a cheaper and smaller player than the mini. The iPod is for people who want more capacity than the mini. I don't see any value to stating, those who want more features won't want this (even though Apple isn't targeting them and has other products which do)... |
| #14 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at 1/11/2005 7:17:24 PM |
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bluvg, the same people who praise this idea of not being able to pick a song are the EXACT (to a T) same people that would rip MS another junk hole for doing it, had the done it first.
Welcome to the internet of double standards from the other side. |
| #15 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at 1/11/2005 7:27:56 PM |
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The Muvo does it with the Windows Media Player 10 only. The one I have is:
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=215&product=10737 Edit: As does the Muvo TX. I have only used these these two models, and own the one and both supported this AutoFILL/Sync feature. I am pretty sure most if not all Muvos support it. It detects the library changes in Windows Media Player 10 for your newly added music and switches out the music and shuffles it. Feel free to search for a review, but I do it all the time when I run in the A.M. We call it Autosync instead of Autofill. I requires no interaction from you. On top of that, I get a digital interface with song read outs and ability to choose my songs as well as shuffle. This post was edited by AWBrian on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 20:39. |
| #16 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/11/2005 7:46:34 PM |
| Brian, AutoSync is NOT the same feature. AutoSync has ALWAYS been an iPod feature. We call it AutoSync too... Duh. |
| #17 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 1/11/2005 7:47:49 PM |
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I'm not saying it has to be for everyone. But I am saying that I can't imagine too many people that, at some point, would NOT want the ability to pick what they want to hear. And I'm kind of perplexed that Apple's engineers could not figure out a way to include it... I don't think the "Shuffle" actually HAD the ability at one point, and then they decided, "hmmm... no, the people we're targeting with this device really DON'T want to pick what they want to hear." The only explanation that comes to mind is that this was a cost-driven decision.
I think the other iPods are pretty slick devices, but this one seems to have a very obvious, rather serious drawback, especially when considering that the competition does not have the same drawback. |
| #18 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at 1/11/2005 8:37:15 PM |
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http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jan/11shuffle.html
"iPod shuffle works seamlessly with iTunes’ innovative AutoFill feature which automatically selects songs from a user’s music library to fill up iPod shuffle with just one click." http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ "let iTunes Autofill it with up to 240 songs(1) and get a new experience with every connection. The trail you run every day looks different with an iPod shuffle." My Muvo does EXACTLY that Soda. It IS the same feature. How many Muvo's do you own? I know I own one and I have had that feature WELL before the "Legendary Shuffle iPod Autofill" feature. DUH. Soda, I am seriously beginning to doubt your knowledge of the digital media out there. Good thing I have the Muvos, PlaysforSure, MCE 2005, Media Extender devices so I KNOW how well they operate together. I speak from EXPERIENCE. This post was edited by AWBrian on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 20:40. |
| #19 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/11/2005 8:47:48 PM |
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First you said just "exactly that", then you described syncing... I am asking is: with each time you connect to your computer does it swap out what was listened to and download new songs. This is not syncing.
I haven't even doubted you, Brian. I asked. THen I asked for you to clarify. AutoFill is NOT autosync. I've had my iPod for over 2 years. I've played with most every WM device. I use WMP10. I am asking for info. You are being the prick acting as if I didn't know you had a crappy little interface. |
| #20 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at 1/11/2005 9:00:15 PM |
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"with each time you connect to your computer does it swap out what was listened to and download new songs. This is not syncing. "
Yes, I can. That is one of the options. I wish others here that have a creative device could also attest to this. Crappy little interface? What are you talking about now? How am I being a prick? Are you always looking to troll and call people names? |
| #21 By 3465 (68.50.4.223) at 1/11/2005 10:42:13 PM |
| If you too stupid to know what's on you mp3 player then don't buy it. |
| #22 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/12/2005 12:56:20 PM |
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Brian, you are being a prick in that I accept your answer... You simply seemed to be saying two very different and inconsistent things. Thanks for the info. All I did was solicit info and ask for clarification, and you decided I wasn't going to listen to you and that I didn't know sh!t. Thanks alot. This post was edited by sodajerk on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 at 12:56. |
| #23 By 3339 (64.160.58.137) at 1/12/2005 12:57:52 PM |
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"Should I guess whats been loaded?"
You should not select Autofill, Random if you don't want random selections. Problem solved. |
| #24 By 3653 (63.162.177.143) at 1/12/2005 5:38:39 PM |
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apple is hillarious. the ipod shuffle's tagline is "Enjoy Uncertainty"
this feels like an april fool's joke |
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