iPod shuffle review!

• first impression...
First of all, all iPod package is completely catched my motive. As I told before, I really love company that pays intention in packaging its product: its let me assumed that it also heeds in its product even actually it does or not.

• design
No doubt about this of all apple product since iMac G3; design is the most important factor of new era of Apple. Despite a symbol of iPod, clickwheel is missing in iPod shuffle, it still designs controller looks like click wheel to contain in iPod series. About this controller has an advantage above clickwheel in some ways that will talk later in next section. With a slim body of shuffle, it's very convenient to carry or put in shirt pocket. It differs form iPod mini that I can't put in shirt pocket because of its weight and size. All buttons of shuffle also easy to use and understand, maybe by reason of a few function it has. Additionally, USB Cap is a big issue in USB flash drive because in many product, USB cap has very bad design, it's just to cover USB connector but doesn't have any locker to make it sure that will never detach from connector. But in iPod, apple didn't pass by this point, they use sth. like ball bearing to lock in hole at connector, in left picture. that's another one that I impressed in Apple's Design..

• usability
to start play the first song from OFF state: it takes approximate 6s before ready to response any command. In my opinion, 6 seconds, it seems petty long time but it's acceptable. That means it's not long enough to get boring and not short as I wish also. In Addition, shuffle battery life is acceptable, ie, around 10-11 hours for continuous playing and around 3-4 days for normal use, 2-4 hours per day.

Another shuffle purpose is USB flash drive, you can set ratio between song:data in iTunes to restrict space for data, protecting joylously inserting song, I think, and you can disable this function also; that means you will use shuffle as MP3 player only. Computer that doesn't have iTunes will never found it as removable disk.

Anyway even if iTunes is a good, easy, and versatile tool. I think it's not good idea to make all iPod depends on only this, in fact, copyright, or fighting piracy could be one of major reasons. In other perspective, iTunes is a factor why iPod is very popular, too. Especially, Online music store—that allow buying song easily—and Podcast—like an offline radio. So, the problem is you wanna use iPod in what ways. If you want to share your song to your friends, you'll not appreciate with this ipod companion too much; however, you still can find 3rd party program that has ability to backup/download any song or data to desktop.

Comparing with other iPod, I think only one clear adventage of shuffle is vol+,- button instead of using you finger touchs around click wheel, it make user increase/decrease more practical than others, it can push that button correctly despite it still in a pocket. That's absolutely different from using clickwheel that you have to take it out of your pocket before doing anything.
The last point, lack of display, seems to be just a little problem but if you wanna use Podcast, it will be struggle because you're not able to find podcast easilly..

• Conclusion
After I have used it for a week. It impresses me a lot such as size, vol button, battery life and especially scatch invulnerablility, not like other iPod. My slightly concern is only apple should find a solution to use podcast easier than this. For example, always starting with all podcast in non-shuffle after turn on shuffle. (I think actually apple will discontinue this product instead of finding any solution :-p)

Pros
— tiny, light weight, easy to carry
— scatch invulnerablility; don't have to take care as much as other ipod.
— easy to increase/decrease volume
— good life time

Cons
— should have more capacity
— not include charger
— depends on iTunes too much
— hard to use with PodCast; can't select or find PodCast easily.