Apple, the undisputed leader in portable MP3 players, has completely redesigned its diminutive iPod shuffle, combining efficiency, unique portability and high style in a very affordable and attractive unit. Less than half the size and weight of the original, this Flash-based player has 1GB of memory (up to 240 songs), boasts up to 12 hours of battery life and sports the smallest design of any digital music player we've seen.

The build quality of the shuffle is amazing. The smooth, anodized aluminum enclosure is available in silver, green, pink, blue, and orange. The spring-loaded clip on the rear of the unit is solid, delivering a serious "snap" when released, resulting in a secure grip wherever you decide to wear it. Overall, we found the shuffle to boast a very durable and pleasing design that garnered compliments and interest from everyone who saw it.

The shuffle is extremely easy to use. The headphone jack doubles as the connector for the included USB dock, and there are sliders for on/off and shuffle. The front of the unit has the familiar round controls found on the original version. The outer button has volume up (top) and down (bottom), and skip or fast forward (right) and back or rewind (left). The center button controls play and pause.

There is no display on this iPod, but the shuffle concept doesn't require one. The shuffle is designed for use with Apple's iTunes software (for both Mac and PC), and when synced via the USB, iTunes will "autofill" the player with songs chosen randomly from your MP3 library. You can also choose specific playlists, but we found the shuffled song selection to be more entertaining.

Another great feature is the ability to split the 1GB of storage space between music and files. From within iTunes, you can tell the shuffle how much space to make available for data, and it appears on your desktop as an external device. Then you simply drag and drop data files like any other portable data storage drive. Recharging the shuffle via your computer's USB port takes only 4 hours, and Apple offers an optional power adapter for recharging on the go.

The shuffle has everything you need and nothing you don't, which we have found to be a trademark of Apple engineering. The no-frills simplicity combined with incredible portability and low price of the redesigned shuffle make this one of our favorite MP3 players.


Pros: Stylish and lightweight, great software (iTunes), doubles as a Flash drive for data, choice of colors, value-priced
Cons: Included earbuds are adequate at best

Warranty
1 year