Stop complaining about the new iPod Shuffle
Now, that's value!
Apple quietly released a new iPod Shuffle on Wednesday, and much to the surprise of tech pundits and Apple fans, the company moved the controls of the device from the face of the Shuffle to the cord of the earbuds it bundles with the iPod.
According to Apple, anyone who wants to use their own third-party headphones will be required to purchase a third-party Shuffle-controlling dongle that will attach to both the iPod and the headphones.
It didn't take long for the blogosphere to erupt and start saying that this is like the recessed iPhone jack of 2009, in reference to the first-generation iPhone earbud jack that required an adapter for some headphones. When that was announced, Apple caught fire until the second-generation iPhone featured a standard jack.
And now it's happening again. I spent 30 minutes last night looking around the Web, trying to find reactions to this so-called "debacle," and more often than not, I read posts on blogs or complaints on Twitter saying that an additional $15 to $20 for a dongle is ridiculous and that it eliminates all the value of the iPod Shuffle.
I considered that argument and found it flawed.
The new iPod Shuffle costs $79. If you decide to use the bundled earbuds, that's all you'll be spending on a 4GB device with a slim form factor and iTunes compatibility. If you already have headphones you like more than those earbuds, you'll be forced to pay an approximate grand total of $99 before tax to own an iPod Shuffle and use your existing headphones.
Maybe I'm missing something, but when did $99 for an iPod become too expensive? Look, I realize that it's not the $79 price tag, but what are you going to do--go out and buy an MP3 player from another company because you don't want to pay an additional $20 to use your own pair of headphones?
If I want to save money by buying a Shuffle, which is $70 cheaper than the low-end iPod Nano, I have no cause to complain, if I'm still able to save $50 with the additional dongle. Any way I look at it, I'm getting a new iPod with quite a bit of storage at a price that's much cheaper than the next model up.
From a business perspective, this move makes perfect sense. Executives at companies like Griffin and Belkin are probably salivating at the thought of being able to produce dongles for third-party headphones. It's just another iPod "necessity" that these companies can release and profit from.
I realize that it's annoying that iPod owners might need to buy an extra dongle to control their new iPod Shuffle with their third-party headphones and the extra cost is tough to swallow at first, but if we put things into perspective, I think that it becomes blatantly clear that we're still saving money by buying a Shuffle, and to be quite honest, it's the most purchase-worthy iPod Shuffle Apple has released in years.
Sorry, but for an additional $20 that will still deliver cost savings of $50 compared to an iPod Nano, I don't understand the outcry. No one is forcing you to use third-party headphones, and even if you want to have that luxury, you're still saving quite a bit by not buying a Nano.
With or without that extra dongle, the iPod Shuffle is still a great deal.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Apple already makes earbuds with a mic just use the earbuds off the Iphone and create software to allow voice activation on the new Shuffle and boom you got a killer combo.
If they did this I might even buy one and I thought I would never do that. Apple should have done better, this was an opportunity missed by the most innovative company in the world.
Play Click the Center button once Blinks green once
Pause Click the Center button once Blinks green for 30 seconds
Fast-forward Double-click and hold the Center button. Blinks green once
Rewind Triple-click and hold the Center button. Blinks green once
Change the volume Click the Volume Up (+) or Volume Down (-) button to increase or decrease the volume. Click and hold to change the volume quickly. You hear a tone when you change the volume while iPod shuffle is paused. Blinks green for each volume increment
Blinks orange three times when the upper or lower volume limit is reached
Hear song title and artist names Click and hold the Center button. Blinks green once
Go to the next track (or audiobook chapter) Double-click the Center button Blinks green once
Go to the previous track (or audiobook chapter) Triple-click the Center button within 6 seconds of the track starting. To restart the current track, triple-click after 6 seconds. Blinks green once
Switch playlists
1. Click the Center button until you hear a tone, and then release to swith the playlist menu. You'll hear the current playlist, all songs, and then remaining playlists in alphabetical order followed by audiobooks and podcasts.
You can click + or - to move quickly through the playlist menu.
2. When you hear the name of the playlist you want, click to select it.
Blinks green once
Exit the playlist menu Click and hold the Center button. Blinks green once
ok i get that some people can live without a screen apple, but controls?! plus when youre jogging youre going to have the headphone controller swinging around possibly pulling the ear buds out of your ears. this time apple went way too far with design and left ease of use in the dust.
But others will likely copy Apple by doing similar low-end mp3 players (without controls) anyway. Get used to it. Go spend double the price for a nano so that your expensive earbuds function without the need of a cheap adapter.
oh right, and it's a heck of a lot sexier than this little plastic bic lighter wannabe.
And Nintendo survived on the Gamecube's $99 price tag, since they were actually able to make profit off of it.
Higher price != greater cash intake.
This shuffle is a fail. I'm sorry, but it's just another example of Apple nickel and diming it's customers. Heck, I can't even plug in my iPod Touch to the wall to charge it when I'm traveling unless I lug my laptop with me or puchase an adapter to plug it into an electrical outlet. With sub par battery life, those charges need to happen more often than not. ;P
Why would I want the controls on the head phones anyway? It's easy to use contrls on the device, it's a pain to use them on the head phone wire that's always moving around. Apple missed the mark on this one.
$29 for the new earbuds with inline controls
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB770G/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0Ng&mco=MjE0NDgxMg
For those of you who complain that the standard buds fall out too easily then you can get in-ear model, with inline controls for $79
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA850G/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0Ng&mco=MzE3NTU2MA
Steve Jobs may hate buttons, but the design of the 3rd gen Shuffle takes this hatred to a ridiculous new level. FAIL.
Of course it does, when you recall that "from a business perspective" translates as "if you don't give one runny sh*t about your customers."
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_shuffle_2gen?mco=MTYzNDU2Mg
If you want everyone to sing and hold hands got to www.imawuss.com
When you can buy a better mp3 player with 8gig in it for $99.00 that has the innovation of the controls on the unit. The other ipods get better screens so you gain an advantage by upgrading, this new one is a downgrade compared to the last shuffle.
Honestly it's a bone-headed move. Apple is not amazing in everything they do.
- by Viceroyofllg March 12, 2009 10:44 AM PDT
- Don, glad to see some good economic sense thrown into the mix. I have a similar take: I might not want to shell out for the Nano, so paying an extra $20 for that dongle is simply a sunk cost. But given the lifespan of this type of electronic gadget (my first gen Ipod nano is still kicking), the cost/benefit ratio of that cost over time makes sense. And lets be honest, you're correct in predicting that allowing third party companies to manufacture in an economic downswing is important for business in general. For some consumers, its going to be a good investment, and for those who aren't interested, I'm sure they can find something that fits their $79 - $99 range better.
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