Apple iPod shuffle 2GB - Silver - 4th Generation (Launched Sept 2010)

This new iPod shuffle just goes to show that Apple do listen to their customers. We wanted buttons and no gimmicky propriety headphones, and they finally listened!
This new generation shuffle adopts a similar design to it's older brother and let me tell you, this thing is TINY. When I got the box I was astounded at how small this thing actually is. I got the silver one and it's shinier than in the photos (very nice finish to it). I can imagine this would be easy to lose but as long as you have headphones plugged in you shouldn't lose track of it too quickly. It's an absolutely gorgeous little device and will look good clipped on any bag, shirt or trouser pocket.

Otherwise, it contains the same features as before. Voiceover helps you choose playlists, check battery (very handy) and also tells you the song that's playing. Battery life is stated for around 12 hours, but as with most Apple estimates you should half this to get a more realistic figure. No pin connector like the nano/touch/classic as usual, still amazed at how they can get data transfer through the headphone jack!
For the exercise fanatics (possibly the shuffles main customer base) I can't really tell you how it fares, but at least with the buttons you won't have issues with the remote this time.

All in all a fantastic mp3 player at a great price. For £40 you get a music player, no more no less. At least if you do manage to lose it, you haven't lost an expensive investment!

EDIT: Had the device for a week now. Charged it last friday and it's only just dropped to 75% after an hours play every day. The small light also changes colour depending on battery strength: Green for good charge, orange for less than half and red for 25%.

In my eyes, the metallic 2nd Generation iPod shuffle was the most perfect tiny MP3 player ever released. It was tough, it was beautiful, and it was incredibly easy to use. The 3rd generation introduced some extra gimmicks and lost the buttons - again it was a good device - but it was a step backwards from perfection. But that's been addressed in this, the 4th generation shuffle.

It's instantly recognisable as it looks like a trimmed version of the clickable 2nd gen version - but the click controls are slightly larger and therefore even easier to use. I have an iPod Touch (my most favourite gadget of all time) but when I'm going for a run I prefer a smaller MP3 player which will clip onto my clothes. This attaches firmly and whilst I'm attempting to get fit I can easily reach down and skip tracks, adjust the volume - or now even change playlists. The clip is a very keen metal-sprung one which is almost the entire size of the rear of the player, this enables it to grip on tightly with no concern what-so-ever that it will become detached.

The back to basics design will be welcomed by many, but those who like the added functionality of the previous "chewing gum stick" model will appreciate that those have been carried over. The previous model was also limited by the proprietary earphones, that was something which needed to be dropped and now once again you can use any earphones - essential for comfort, especially when being used while being active. No longer will you be running and trying to catch the volume control on the earphone lead as it swings to-and-fro.

This not only looks like a well engineered and solid piece of tech, it sounds great too. The 2 gig capacity is more than ample to hold a raft of albums (for many 2 GB will hold their entire album collection). My dad recently purchased the last iPod shuffle as he wanted an easy to use MP3 player, this model however is even easier and will suit those less comfortable with technology as well as those who want a fully featured yet tiny player.

In a nutshell: Those who want a nano-sized MP3 player with extra features and a display can get the iPod Nano. For those wanting a player which is incredibly intuitive with a battery lasting over week on a single charge (even with fairly regular use) - then this is the gadget for you! The best designed tiny MP3 player ever devised just got better, and it's practically indestructible!

I am one of the many people who had mark 2 shuffles and was looking for an alternative product as I did not like the mark three, due to the earphone/controls. I use a shuffle all the time and need two as I like to keep different things on different iPods, one for music and the other for learning my foreign language. I tried a san disk but just could not get used to it at all after an ipod, it would not play all my music formats as I had imported in different ways using itunes, (no problem playing any of the formats on ipods), and I could not get rid of an embedded File "Oh Danny Boy", which kept blasting out as I was driving along listening to my Spanish phrases. I was soooooo relieved when the mark 4 appeared.

ADVANTAGES
The mark 4 has the advantage of course that it has the controls on the machine not the earphones, (vital if you are using it in a car as I often do). It has the advantage of the sound/speach feature, (tracks can identify themselves orally by pressing a button, allowing you to navigate to the track you want). It will auto sync, (which the mark 2 would not do). This takes a bit of getting used to if like me you have not seen this interface before, but it is worth getting used to, you can still add items individually, but it allows you to sync the last few episodes of your podcasts and all the contents of certain files, without having to do it manually. there is a live link between the iTunes folders, and your iPod and it automatically edits the contents of your iPod to include whatever you have asked it to keep up to date with. This is so useful, and of course you can add and delete things yourself manually in addition.

DISADVANAGES (only two very small ones, in my opinion)
I got so used to the mark two and I think it was a perfect size. I think that they have made this one a little too small. I find that as I pin the item on, I often turn it on because they have got rid of the blank space under the controls, and this was the part that your thumb conveniently pressed to pin the clip on. I find that it is harder to put on now, as you can not put your finger anywhere except on the control. I also do not like the fact that they have put the shuffle/play button on the same sliding switch as the on/off button because I tend to leave it rather than turn it off( because I invariably end up putting it on shuffle instead of play, as it is now the same switch, ( as I listen to podcasts and recordings I do not want shuffle as they must be listened to in order). I find that I am inadvertently switching it on, (due to not being able to touch the clip without touching the dial, and if I do not have my earphones on I am unable to tell it is on and I run the battery down. Perhaps over time I will get used to this but I have been spoilt by the perfect proportions of the mark two.

CONCLUSION - BUY ONE
Although there are some regressive design steps in my opinion, I would still recommend buying one as, there is nothing like a shuffle and the sync, and voice features are great additions. Perhaps apple will be able to tweak this design for the mark five, so you can clip it on without turning it on without your knowledge, - then it will be perfect!

UPDATE - PRODUCT LIFE - 18 MONTHS!

On 11 March 2012, my Ipod finally died. No problem I thought. Connect to the PC and reset it! The PC would not recognise it so I could not restore it. This means that it lasted 1 year and 5 months. It was used virtually every day though, sometimes for many hours. I have been using it to learn a language, and have been stopping and starting and rewinding a great deal and I do not know whether this has shortened its life or not. PERHAPS ANY OTHER READER WHO HAS A DEAD IPOD CAN ADD TO THIS DISCUSSION. I just thought that this information may be of use in my review. I am now using another Ipod shuffle. Although I would have expected it to last more than a year and a half, I am still a fan as it is designed perfectly for my needs.

UPDATE TWO - SOFTWARE UPDATES SEEMED TO LET MY PC RECOGNISE THE IPOD AGAIN (NOW IT'S WORKING!)

I recently tried it again (thinking - try it again before I chuck it in the bin) and this time my PC began to recognise the ipod again, so now it effectively works again. I am very used to ipods and the itunes interface and originally it was definitely dead after 3 attempts at connection in the hope of resetting it to factory settings (when my other ipod still worked on the same interface), so I'm sure it was nothing I'd done. I think that there must have been a software update that diagnosed the problem and allowed the ipod to be recognised again.