I think the iPod
Shuffle is brilliant, because it fits the usage pattern of
specific users (I happen to be one of them).
There are two types of music owners: either you own < 100 CDs
or you own > 1000 CDs. If you're in the former camp, then stop
reading. This post isn't for you.
Further, there are two types of listeners: pickers and
shufflers. If you're the former, Type A music listener who must
exercise ultimate musical control, then stop reading. This post
isn't for you.
There's a bunch of us out here with more music than we know what
to do with. In my case, it's consuming about 90 GB of drive space
on my PC, in the form of very high bitrate MP3 files, ripped from
CDs long ago relegated to cardboard boxes in my closet.
The iPod Shuffle was Designed For Brad(tm). It's: small (plus),
cheap (plus), light (plus), simple (plus), and matches my usage
pattern (plus). But the key feature is in iTunes, not the iPod
Shuffle. It's the randomized load.
I don't get why people aren't talking this up. Yeah, it's great
that every flash player can do randomized playbacks. But who the
hell has the time or desire to take it home every night and
manually pick their songs for the next day? The truly
brilliant part of the Shuffle is off-loading this grunt work.
If you don't get this, it's okay. The Shuffle isn't for you. But
maybe you could accept that it is a well-designed device for
other people, like me? When you say to me "but I can't live without
a screen!", recognize that this says something about YOU, not about
the PLAYER, mmm-kay? Thanks. :)