The most notable feature of the iPod Shuffle is its physical dimensions. It's the same size as a pack of gum. It's basically a memory stick.

It supports:

1. MP3 audio encoded at up to 320Kbps.

2. AAC audio encoded at up to 320Kbps.

3. Protected AAC audio from the iTunes music store.

4. Audible music format and WAV files.

5. Mac OSX v10.2.8 or Mac OSX 10.3.4

6. Microsoft Windows 2000 with SP4.

7. Windows XP Home or Professional with SP2 installed.

The ear buds that come with it are of relatively high quality. If you plan on using it while working out you will like the long cord and the optional armband. You can also

wear it like a necklace if you wish to.

One feature I like about this MP3 player is it supports USB 2.0, so music transfer is very quick and easy. There are only two playback modes to choose from, random play (thus the name Shuffle) and repeat all, which will play your play list in order and repeat the entire collection after the last track has finished playback.

The Verdict

Apple's iPod Shuffle is meant for anyone who wants to simply play music. I personally purchased mine to complement my hard drive audio based player. If you are a sports enthusiast

like I am then the iPod Shuffle will be a good choice when working out since the larger iPods are not suitable in such environments.

The design of the iPod Shuffle and the way it sounds is fantastic and iTunes software works great with it and it's good at what it does (to play music). it's a good buy and will highly recommend it.

Pros:

1. Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

2. Portable, small and light weight.

3. Very easy to use.

4. Great sound quality.

Cons:

1. No LCD display.

2. No equalizer settings.

3. No voice recording.

4. No integrated FM tuner.

5. Inability to pick and choose songs or albums to play.

6. Only support Apple iTunes software.

7. Battery is not removable.

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