Review: 4th gen iPod shuffle

From Software Wiki

• Apple has revamped its entire family of iPod and its most basic and entry-level iPod shuffle is no exception. At the first glance of new fourth-gen iPod shuffle, it appears that Apple had gone back in time, two generations, to get its inspiration for the new model. Well that's true, but only in part.

• It seems that the third-generation iPod shuffle with its narrow stick like shape, smooth surface and no outward controls although a nice piece of industrial design, was not a huge hit with consumers.

• And Jobs said it himself at the Apple event – that people wanted buttons – so they’re getting buttons. So the click-wheel is back in a modernized fashion and so is the form factor. The model is a little more square then the second generation and significantly smaller.  At  1.14 high and 1.24 wide and about 1/3” deep, it’s so petite that you can lay a Toonie (Canadian 2 dollar coin) over top of it and it practically fits edge to edge.

• It's small, beautiful and very attractive, yet feels tough and sturdy. And like many Apple products today they are created from a single piece of anodized aluminum with a sleek smooth surface and finished in 5 bright colours.

• Except for the click-wheel, all the controls and jacks are neatly placed at the top of the unit making them easy to reach without looking. This includes the headphone jack, which also double as a connector to your computer. It allows you to sync with iTunes and charge your iPod shuffle since it does not have the standard 30 pin docking connection found on other iPod models. Next to it is a small LED battery indicator. There’s also a 3-position switch that allows you to select sequential playback, shuffle playback or to simply power off.

VoiceOver Navigation

• The final button, sitting just to the right of centre is the VoiceOver button, which really makes the shuffle earn my respect. Now VoiceOver isn't new. It was introduced with last year's 3rd gen model. But its implementation wasn't ideal, as it required a special set of earbuds with the control on the lanyard so you were forced to use them. Furthermore it only gave you a very basic command set.

• With the VoiceOver button now physically placed on the unit you’re free to use any set of earphones you like. Push the button once and you’ll hear the current track name and artist. The shuffle also supports multiple playlists, as well as Genius mixes, audiobooks and podcasts. And pressing and holding it down allows you to cycle through, hearing the titles of your various playlists, adding structure to an otherwise endless list of selections.

• This is a huge plus over the original models where you would be constantly shuffling through one massive playlist. Imagine what that does audiobook experience.

• And finally, pressing the button twice will give you the status of your battery, which should last up to 15 hours on a single charge.

Navigation Comfort

• With no display you'd think that the navigation would be chaotic. However, after loading up with a cross section of my audio collection and actually using VoiceOver regularly, it has quickly become second nature. It's even become used to hearing the synthesized voice – although I chuckle as it struggles with obscure artist names and voice memo titles. But overall I found that as I navigate, I now actually picture my playlists in my head, which works surprisingly well.

Mastering the Clip

• While I seem to have successfully mastered the navigation, it took a little practice to master clipping and unclipping the clip without engaging the back button on the click-wheel. This is due to the click-wheel taking up the bulk of the front face space of the unit. Â Interesting enough, while the 4th gen shuffle is substantially smaller than previous models, the click wheel is almost 20% larger.

• Now it may look a silly watching someone use two hands to apply such a small clip. Â But I discovered that if you gently press the clip with using the thumb and pointer finger on both hands simultaneously, it seems to do the trick.

The Bottom Line

• The 4th gen iPod shuffle is a nice little addition to the iPod family. It is cute, small, easy to use and with VoiceOver, it makes navigating without looking a better experience.

• It comes in 5 colours, but Apple has reduced the model to one storage capacity – 2GB and it retails in Canada for $59. Now although the shuffle is limited to audio, where file sizes are not as large as video, 2GB, while it can hold quite a few songs, does seem a little small, in today is market, especially if you have a large collection.

• I also would have hoped that we would have perhaps seen one or two additional functions – maybe a VoiceOver Pedometer that tells you how many steps you took. Or perhaps even a voice recorder to allow you to record your thoughts while out for a jog.

• Nevertheless, the shuffle is still a great inexpensive option for someone who just wants something fashionable and small to listen to his or her collection of songs and easily navigate through them in an organized fashion.

Reference:4th gen iPod shuffle

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