History

• On October 23, 2001, the Apple computer company, already famous for its Mac computers and operating system, debuted a new creation known as the "iPod." The iPod is a portable music player based on a hard drive system, and quickly became one of the most popular music players on the market. On January 11, 2005, Apple released a smaller version known as the "iPod Shuffle." The Shuffle was the first iPod to store music in flash format, and was designed to hold either 512 MB or 1 GB of music. In September 2006, Apple introduced a smaller version of the Shuffle which came in 1 or 2 GB models, all of which were not much larger than a pack of matches. By the end of 2006, Apple had sold more than 10 million iPod Shuffles.
  
  

Function

• While Apple iPod's were flying off the shelves since their introduction into the market, Apple believed that it could sell more units at a lower price point. Using auto-fill technology, Apple introduced a cheaper version of the iPod known as the Shuffle. Because it uses flash memory instead of a hard drive, the Shuffle is cheaper to produce and can thus be sold for a lower price, making it the perfect iPod for people on a budget. The iPod Shuffle is designed to hold around 250 songs, based on a 1 GB model at 4 minutes per song, and because it has no screen, the music simply shuffles randomly from song to song, making it a great choice for the casual listener. Because of its size, the unit is the most portable of the iPods, and is an excellent choice for those who want to listen to music while running or exercising. Finally, the shuffle can be used as a portable USB drive in addition to its musical capabilities.
  
  

Types

• There are two versions of the Shuffle. The first is known as Generation One, and was available only in a white plastic finish, though it was sold in either a 512 MB or 1 GB version. This model was the shape of a pack of gum and came with a built in USB port. Generation Two was based on the same flash technology, but was dramatically difference in appearance. It was roughly the size and shape of a match book and came in a colorful aluminum finish. It was originally available in five colors, but additional colors have been added in separate released since the product's inception.
  
  

Size

• One of the main identifying characteristics of the iPod Shuffle is its size. The original model was 3.33 by .98 by .33 inches, and was about the same size as a pack of gum. In fact, Apple used this comparison to its advantage, marketing the Shuffle as "smaller than a pack of gum and much more fun." The newer generation Shuffle is even smaller at 1.62 by 1.06 x .41 inches and weighs in a just over 1/2 oz.
  
  

Considerations

• When considering buying an iPod Shuffle, there are several factors to consider. The first is whether the capacity of the unit will meet your needs. The Shuffle comes in either 1 or 2 GB versions, meaning that the larger will hold 500 songs at the most. If you have thousands of songs in your music collection, it may be a hassle to keep adding and removing songs from your player. The second item to consider is that the Shuffle has no screen, and thus no way to control which song you will listen to in any particular order. You can use the controls to skip to the next song, but you can't choose which song that will be. If there's a particular song you want to hear, there's no way to find it on your Shuffle without skipping through the list of songs. If either of these is a problem, you may want to consider a regular iPod or iPod Nano.