Big Picture Big Sound

The Return of the Buttons

This year's significant redesign of the Apple iPod shuffle (Fourth Generation) can be looked upon as a sort of "greatest hits," pulling together features and ergonomic elements from the three previous go-'rounds. Gens One and Two offered hard, clickable track-skip and volume up/down controls, in addition to play/pause, gone from the ultra-sleek Gen Three and now returned, and 18% larger, too.

iPod shuffle 4G maintains the 3G's nifty, spoken VoiceOver controls (via free download), now in a total of 25 languages, handy for international musical tastes even if Pig Latin is your only second tongue. And it will even tell us when the battery is running low. It works with the remote control on first- and third-party headphones (such as the Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic, and Etymotic Research HF3 noise-isolating earphones), although the microphone is not supported on the shuffle.

At the same time, there is a new dedicated VoiceOver button on the top edge of the player: We press once to hear the name of the current track and artist, press and hold for the playlist menu (a list of playlists, if you will), and press twice for the battery status. The shuffle now supports multiple playlists loaded from the computer, including custom-generated Genius Mixes that we can synch from iTunes. A three-position switch beside the VoiceOver button allows us to shuffle songs, play them in order, or turn the player off. A small LED also indicates that the shuffle is syncing, as well as the battery status.

The hardware is squarer than ever but not "square," the body machined from a single piece of aluminum which is both sweet-looking and more durable as a result, enhanced with a spring-loaded clip attached to the rear. It's only an-inch-and-a-quarter at its widest point, and it weighs less than half-an-ounce. The available colors are Silver, Blue, Green, Orange and Pink.

Maximum (and only) capacity is currently back down to two gigabytes, which is fine for a music-only device I suppose, although with room for approximately 500 songs, we'll be making occasional trips back to the computer to swap out and reload. The included USB 2.0 cable connects to the multi-function headphone jack, since shuffle does not have the familiar 30-pin iPod connector. This is how it recharges the lithium-ion battery as well, with a reported 15-hour life, the longest ever.

Apple's suggested retail price for the new shuffle is $49.

Available on Amazon.com:

• Apple iPod shuffle (Fourth Generation) 2GB

Manufacturer's Specifications

• MSRP: $49
• Dimensions: 1.14" H x 1.24" W x 0.34" D (including clip)
• Weight: 0.44 ounces
• Output (and Input): 3.5mm stereo headphone mini-jack (USB adapter cable included, for data transfer and charging)
• Compatible Formats: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), Variable Bitrate MP3, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
• Storage capacity: 2 gigabytes
• Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion
• Available finishes: Silver, Blue, Green Orange, Pink
• Headphones:
  • Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
  • Impedance: 32 ohms
• Warranty: One Year, Limited

What's in the Box?

• iPod shuffle
• Apple Earphones
• iPod shuffle USB cable, 1.8 inches (45 mm)
• Quick Start guide

Manufacturer's Contact Information

Apple

1 Infinite Loop

Cupertino, CA 95014

(800) MY-APPLE

On the Web at: www.apple.com