7.3 out of 10

Apple iPod Shuffle / 1st Generation

Information found in: from 131 sources in 21 countries.

Best Price: $49

  • User Score (214)
    8.0 8.0 from 214 reviewers
  • Expert Score (24)
    7.7 7.7 from 24 reviewers
  • Design (7)
    6.4 6.4 from 7 reviewers
  • Value for money (90)
    7.8 7.8 from 90 reviewers
  • Features (57)
    1.0 1.0 from 57 reviewers
  • Ease of use (21)
    9.9 9.9 from 21 reviewers
  • Performance (1)
    7.2 7.2 from 1 reviewer
  • Sound quality (106)
    6.0 6.0 from 106 reviewers
  • Buzz Index: 0/5
  • Activity: 1/5

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Apple iPod Shuffle / 1st Generation

The 1st Generation Apple iPod Shuffle is the entry level portable digital audio player in Apple’s line of iPods. It was released in January 11, 2005 during Apple’s Macworld Conference & Expo. The 1st Generation Apple iPod Shuffle is screenless and was built on the insight that many iPod users simply kept their players on shuffle and the device was a means to do that in a much more cost effective manner.

The 1st Generation Apple iPod Shuffle measures 3.3 x 0.98 x 0.33 inches and weighs 0.78 ounces. It comes with a Li-ion battery that takes about 4 hours to charge and can last up to 12 hours of music playback. At the reverse side of the player, a three-position switch can be used either to check the battery level through an indicator light or to set songs to play randomly or in order. Playback controls can be found at the front of the gadget.

The player was the first one in Apple’s line of MP3 players to use flash memory rather than a hard disk. It was released in two versions that differ only in capacity. Both the 512 megabyte version and the 1 gigabyte version are only available in white.

Apple approximates that the 1 gigabyte version can store up to 240 audio files. It supports skip-free playback of a number of audio formats including MP3, MP3 VBR, AAC, protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store, M4A, M4B, M4P), and WAV.

The 1st Generation Apple iPod Shuffle is compatible with Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later. For Windows, it is compatible with Windows 2000 with SP 4 or Windows XP Home or Professional with SP 2.

The gadget can also be used as a USB flash drive for storing files. Using iTunes, the user can set how much of the memory can be used to store files.

Manufacturer's Specs

  • Model
    iPod shuffle
  • Plays
    Music, podcasts, audiobooks
  • Capacity
    1GB
  • Songs
    Up to 240
  • Photos
    -
  • Video
    -
Colors
  • Wireless
    -
  • Color display
    -
  • Battery life for music playback
    Up to 12 hours

Review Summary

The Apple iPod Shuffle comes in 1GB as well as 512MB. This audio player is basically straightforward in its operation. This device is white in colour and it carries a few buttons in a circular manner on the face of it. The dimensions are .98 inches wide, .33 inches in depth and 3.3 inches in height. It weights about .78 ounces. Therefore you can take it anywhere with you. You can simply place it inside of your pocket. On the other hand if for some reason you do not want to place it inside of your pocket, then you can wear it around your neck as a chain. It comes with a rechargeable battery and it has a life span of about 10 hours. After that it will need some recharging. Accessories are also sold separately for this item.

An accessory that may be good to have on hand is a charger. This charger will come in handy, especially at those times when a computer is not readily available. The sound quality is a good one. The earphone that comes in the package is relatively good, but you can always replace it with another one if you are not satisfied with that one. The Apple iPod Shuffle is also equipped with a FM tuner. Therefore at those times when you want to shake things up a little you can always switch over to one of it many pre-set channels. It all it is that you want to do it to download some music and simply listen the what you have downloaded; and if at time you want to listen to the Fm radio, then the Apple iPod Shuffle is just the device that you are looking for. The filing formats that it is compatible with are MP3, ACC and AV.

  • Born to be worn. Clip on the world’s most wearable music player and take up to 500 songs with you anywhere. 1 Choose from two capacities and five colors to make your musical fashion statement.

Ask the community

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  1. iPod shuffle

    Reviewer: arstechnica.com
    12 November 2006
    Overall 7
    7.0
     

    There's not a lot else I can really say about the design of the new iPod shuffle other than it's extremely small, efficient, and well designed. The entire thing isn't much larger than a US five-cent piece. Inside we find what is essentially a normal iPod distilled down to the bare minimum. As with the new iPod nanos, Apple has begun to integrate the scroll wheel directly into the casing as opposed to the circuit board. There are really only four major components to t... Read more

  2. iPod shuffle 1GB

    Reviewer: Digitaltrends
    02 November 2006
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    Despite my minor irritation with the shuffle’s dock-dongle, I am excited to give this new product an enthusiastic and vigorous ‘two thumbs up’. The design of the shuffle itself is fantastic. The sound quality is stunning, so long as you use good third-party headphones. The $79 price is awesome. Actually, the $79 price is much lower than I’d expect for something this enjoyable. The new shuffle is the kind of product I’d feel comfortable buying as a Christmas (or anytim... Read more

  3. Reviewer: TechRadar UK
    07 July 2006

    It won't be everyonje's cup of tea, but this will be perfect for those who cherish usability above all else. Read more

  4. Apple iPod Shuffle Review

    Reviewer: Audioholics
    23 June 2006

    My only complaint is the same complaint I have always had with iPods - the cheap earbuds. Earbuds never work for me. They never fit my ear correctly, and they sound like, well, you know... I'm sure Apple earbuds don't sound any worse than any other MP3 player manufacturer's included earbuds, but bad is bad. There is no good way to put it. Invest in some great headphones - whether it be in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear, and you will enjoy your iPod so much more. Overall, I ... Read more

  5. Apple iPod Shuffle

    Reviewer: Shopzilla
    13 May 2006
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    If you failed to get an iPod for Christmas, there's no need to despair. Apple's smallest player, the Shuffle, is cheap enough for even the lightest of new year wallets. ... Read more

  1. Bought for our 5 year old. 3 year old loves it too!

    Reviewer: HappyMom, circuitcity.com
    4 weeks ago
    Overall 10
    10
    Value for money 10
    10
    Sound quality 10
    10
     

    We bought this for our 5 year old and loaded it full of her music. She walks around the house singing her heart out! Our 3 year old has also gotten her hands on it and can use it just as easily! Perfect and we can use iTunes to load their music as well.Perfect addition to our iPod crazy household. Highly recommend if your kids want one. Read more

  2. Reviewer: lassy, Radioshack
    21 June 2008
    Overall 4
    4.0
     

    This ipod wont charge i had it on the charger for 2 days and it still doesnt work. I downloaded music and i listened to it.It died, i charged it, and now its not charging.Have any anwserss??? Please HELP!! Read more

  3. It Works For Me

    Reviewer: Chip, Digitaltrends
    13 June 2008
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    I got the Shuffle for Fathers Day a few years ago and it is still going strong. When my car radio died I got an adapter to play it through the speakers and that kept me happy. Now I use it when I'm mowing the grass - along with a pair of lightweight noise-reducing headphones because I HATE EARBUDS!!! Read more

  4. Reviewer: Yahoo! Shopping User, Yahoo Shopping
    01 November 2006
    Overall 4
    4.0
    Value for money 4
    4.0
    Features 8
    8.0
    Sound quality 10
    10
     

    i got it i love it until i discovered how unstabil is the softwear and the compatibility with windows pc suck i hope it was just me unlucky cuz i love specialy the design and dimension its a promotor for minimalistic industrial design But probably we have to wait a little bit more to get the perfect mp3 player (excuse my english) ... Read more

  5. Review 2 of 2

    Reviewer: Twinmtj, Audio Review
    22 May 2006
    Overall 10
    10
    Value for money 10
    10
     

    I also own the iPod mini, 4gb. I enjoy the shuffle due to its small package and versatility, it weighs less than an ounce!! Read more

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Video Reviews

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