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New iPod Shuffle Announced! |
Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Yeah, I know what you mean... 240 songs doesn't sound much, especially compared to my 40GB iPod photo which can store 10000!!
But 240 songs is approximately 17-20 CD albums (average of 12-14 tracks per CD) which is more than enough for any car/plane journey, or even a week in the sun!
I guess Apple are anticipating people just carrying around a sub-set of their music collection with them, rather than the whole lot.
For that purpose its not so bad...
Personally, though, I'll stick with my iPod photo (although I might buy my fiancee one).
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Superluminova
Joined: Feb 24, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: ...Mummies Tummy!
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I love my ipod photo, but this be bought, i was gonna get a micro vault for moving data about, but this jumped to the top of my wish list 
OBEY GAINT |
peeta
Joined: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 147
From: Scotland
PM |
personally i only have a few albums i listen to over any period of time. i mean its nice to know that if you fancy listening to a song that i haven't listened to in years its there but 17 albums is more than enough for the number of albums i listen to regularly.
(\_/)
( O.o )
( > < )
cheap thing no good, good thing no cheap |
Gooner Girl
Joined: Nov 22, 2004
Posts: 67
From: Surrey, UK
PM |
I don't understand you lot. The Shuffle isn't meant to be the next step up, or to improve on what's already here. It's to fill a gap in the market that they don't already have, i.e. people who don't have rooms full of music, who want the iPod but don't have a lot of money, parents whose kids are nagging them for an iPod but refuse to spend £300 on something that a 10 year old is likely to leave on the bus.
It's not rocket science, it's a little gadget that plays a bit of music. Start adding playlists, radios, screens, blah blah and you up the price when the whole point is to keep the price down. You also make something more complicated than it needs to be. In all honesty what good is the screen? One line of tiny writing that tells you which track you're listening to when the first few bars will tell you that. I won't be mourning its absence.
I have 2 iPods and I will still be buying a Shuffle. It's tiny and great for when I am out and want music but haven't got a bag with me as it's a little bulky for a pocket if you're a girl and have enough lumps and bumps as it is.
If there is enough of a market for video etc (though why you would want it on an iPod sized screen that's going to eat power like there's no tomorrow I don't quite know) then I am sure, given time Steve will provide it.
In the meantime I intend to love it for what it is! 
[ This Message was edited by: Gooner Girl on 2005-01-13 11:44 ] |
Sammy_boy
Joined: Mar 31, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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I've never been tempted by the iPod as my music collection isn't that big, but I might be tempted to get a Shuffle as it's a damn sight cheaper than a full size iPod, smaller and lighter, and obviously a quality product. I agree with Gooner Girl on this one.
I bought a cheap 128mb USB mp3 player but don't use it, bit too cheap and cheerful will probably just use that for storage, but I could quite easily get into an iPod shuffle!
When are these been released, and is there confirmation of UK prices yet?
"All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke
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batesie
Joined: Feb 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: London, UK
PM |
well said gooner girl.
I'd get one if they had different colours....
[addsig] |
Gooner Girl
Joined: Nov 22, 2004
Posts: 67
From: Surrey, UK
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Sammy, it's due to hit the UK in a couple of weeks priced at £69 for the 512MB and £99 for the 1GB.
I'm trying not to order it online as I really want to go to the new Regent Street store but have been putting it off because I couldn't face going there and not buying anything!
And colours would have been good, I admit! |
Sammy_boy
Joined: Mar 31, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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I am really quite tempted by this, I somehow have managed not to get into all this mp3 stuff, I tend to listen to the radio more than anything (I get bored easily listening to the same old songs, so can't listen to the same CD over and over like some people can!)
This means then that I'd have to convert what CDs I do have to mp3 format on my pc, and start buying them from sites like itunes (not into these filesharing sites, full of spyware). Shame I don't have any money at the moment, just bought a new hifi! 
btw do iPods (and the Shuffle) come with software for converting songe to mp3/amr/etc. format?
"All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke
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Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
PM |
All iPods come with iTunes, the best MP3/AAC encoder and music manager.
In fact, you can get a free copy from Apple's site here so you can have a play around with it before buying an iPod.
It's a great example of Apple's legendary ease-of-use...
BTW, its best to encode your music into AAC format with iTunes as that format is better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate. Also, tunes bought from the iTunes Music Store are in this format. The quoted song capacity of all iPods is based on 128kbps AAC files - the iTunes default.
[ This Message was edited by: JoolsG4 on 2005-01-13 13:39 ] |
batesie
Joined: Feb 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: London, UK
PM |
whats the highest quality aac that itunes can convert to?
most of my mp3's are 320kbps or 256kbps.
[addsig] |
Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
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320kbps, but as AAC is higher quality than MP3 you don't have to encode at 320kbps to get as good quality as a 320kbps MP3.
If you are ripping from CD to use in iTunes or an iPod, better to encode in AAC format.
If you have existing 320kbps MP3's then there's not much point converting to the same bitrate AAC. The quality might even suffer because you are re-compressing an already compressed file.
However, I sometimes convert 320kbps MP3's to 128kbps AAC and to my untrained ears they sound identically... saves a bit of disk space that's all.
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[ This Message was edited by: JoolsG4 on 2005-01-13 14:11 ] |
batesie
Joined: Feb 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: London, UK
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@jools - thanks. when using sony mdr71's, there is no difference between a 128kbps and a 256kbps mp3.
But when i use my Sennheiser HD25's i need a better quality recording.
i recorded most of my CD collection @320kbps so i could convert them to OGG's for my P900 or to ATRAC for my minidisc.
Thing is, on an iPod shuffle 1Gb, i'll only be able to fit >100 mp3's in that quality.
i've got itunes but never used it. i'll give it a go tonight
[addsig] |
batesie
Joined: Feb 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: London, UK
PM |
iPod Shuffle 1GB - 0.78oz - £99
OR
Sony NW-E99 1 GB - 1.41oz - £135
[addsig] |
shaheen
Joined: Jul 04, 2004
Posts: 34
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im gona order mine tomorrow. it only comes out 29th january in australia though. sad. |
Jools
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Some mad fool has decided to disassemble his iPod shuffle already, and posted the pictures:
The complete disassembly can be seen here: http://www.applematters.com/shufflepopup0.htm
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Posted: 2005-01-12 23:11
