iPod Shuffle (3rd Gen)

I picked up a new little gadget this week. I have to confess, I was seduced by how it looked on the shelf. Yup, I now own my first iPod – an iPod Shuffle 4GB (3rd generation to be precise.)

I’ve only had it a few days so just a few thoughts to share. For me, the primary use will be on long distance bike rides. I’m sure I’ll also use it at the gym this fall and winter.

As a bike rider I think this thing is simply brilliant. I just clip it to a jersey sleeve or, if I’m wearing it, a camelback strap and don’t worry about it. The volume and track controls are on the headphones and easily reached and adjusted by touch.

Suppose you don’t love the apple headphones though… Well then this probably isn’t your first choice in an iPod. Oh sure, my much better quality headphones work with it – as long as I don’t want to adjust volume or manage tracks. That’s a bummer. Makes it a pain to use in my car via FM transmitter too.

I’m told that there are adapters available that will allow one to use their own headphones yet still have some control. Would love a pointer if anyone happens to have a suggestion of where to look.

Back on a positive note, the size of this thing is awesome. Clipped to a sleeve I soon forgot it was even there! Too light to even pull on the material.

It also has something called “VoiceOver” which is actually what clinched the deal for me.

VoiceOver is the exciting new feature that makes iPod shuffle the first music player that talks to you. It entirely changes the way you browse and navigate your music. Say you’re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you–without interrupting your music. But the fun doesn’t stop with songs. For the first time ever on an iPod shuffle, you can have multiple playlists, and VoiceOver announces their names, too. So you can easily find the right mix without taking your eyes off your run, your ride, or whatever you’re doing.

Very handy when making mental notes of songs to dump next time at home…

That quote also mentions multiple play-lists but I haven’t figured out how to manage which list I’m hearing. Once I figure that out I can start using my Shuffle for podcasts (as a separate list) too.

(note the image link above is an affiliate link and I’d love it if you’d use it!)

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