Review: iPod shuffle bigger and better than ... no, that's not right
Like the new iPod nano, the new shuffle comes in an aluminum design. It also sports a built-in clip and contains one gigabyte of flash memory, which holds up to 240 songs. Pricing starts at US$79.
The device is based on Apple's shuffle feature that lets you listen to your tunes in a random order. Or you can flip a switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new album. Apple says the iPod shuffle offers up to 12 hours of battery life. That sounds about right; in fact, I even got squeaked out just over a dozen hours of playing time on my eval unit.
You connect the iPod shuffle to a Mac or PC with the included dock, and iTunes' AutoFill feature automatically syncs a suitable number of songs from your music library. It includes earbud headphones and an iPod shuffle Dock.
I'll still be using my full-sized iPod and my iPod nano. The shuffle simply doesn't fit my needs. But if you liked the original, you'll love the second generation.
The iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended.