iPod Shuffle
With no screen and limited capacity, the iPod Shuffle should really only be purchased as a secondary music player -- one that's exclusively used while working out in the gym or jogging. That said, it's the cheapest iPod you can buy, and it does a good job fulfilling its singular mission: playing music. More-full-featured alternatives include the sub-$50 SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip (see following slide) or the $149 iPod Nano.
The good: The iPod Shuffle includes a sturdy built-in clip; support for playlists, audiobooks, podcasts, Genius Mixes; and a multilingual VoiceOver feature that announces track information, battery status, and menu navigation.
The bad: The 2GB capacity can't hold much; there's no headphone remote nor radio; the track controls tend to get pinched when clipping the iPod to your clothes; and the chances of you accidentally running it through the washing machine are quite high.
The bottom line: The Apple iPod Shuffle is an adorable way to take your favorite songs on the go, but sometimes it's too small for its own good.
October 29, 2012 3:39 PM PDT
Photo by: Josh Miller/CNET
