My mp3 player died last night after I got out of work and I'm thinking of what to replace it with. I've been thinking of an iPod shuffle since I now use itunes and 1 GB is a nice amount of space in my opinion compared to the constricting 256MB I use to have.

Can anyone tell me what they think of it, or simular, alternative products if you dislike it. And not to be a dick but don't suggest anything in the massive GB or $100+ range because that's overkill when it comes to what I need - I don't want display because I tend to crack them and I don't need that much music on hand at any given time.

The main problem with the shuffle is that there's no display window. When I originally bought it, I didn't think I'd miss it...but I do. A couple months ago I got a Zen V 2GB (it was like $30 shipped, no idea if you can get it for that price anywhere now, as it was at a deal-a-day site), and I much prefer having the display.

But if you really don't think you want the display then yes, the shuffle is fine. Sound quality is 'pretty good', it's durable, and it's small.

-Joshua

I invested in the Sansa Clip 2GB, which was $35 back on Black Friday (retails for $50, but you should probably be able to find a similar price these days, I would imagine). It has a few quirks but overall I really love it. It's designed to be a Shuffle killer--same size (including belt clip), equal or greater storage and battery capacity, has a screen and is easily navigable. After using an iPod, the drag-and-drop transfer method is a godsend, and the sound quality is great.

My only beefs with it are that it doesn't recognize folder hierarchy at all, instead relying on MP3 tags, and that shuffle mode will sometimes play a song more than once (that is, if I have a playlist of 20 tracks, it might play track four twice before getting to track sixteen). Creating playlists was a little tricky to the uninitiated by I wouldn't cite it as flaw.

On the whole, though, it's one of my favorite pieces of technology I own, so I heartily recommend it.

That's another good thing I like about the Zen V -- the random not only plays through everything without repeats, but actually stops after playing everyone once.

-Joshua

I'm not sure if 1gb is enough for you, or any sane person.  If I had to reload 1gb worth of music ever ytime i wanted to listen to something different I'd probably shoot myself.  I have the 160gb iPod Classic atm, it's wonderful and I love it, but that's probably a little big for you.  They have 8 and 16gb classics for about as much as a shuffle costs anyway, why not grab it?

I'm inclined to agree.  For me, I need at LEAST a mininum of 4GB on the road.  I just recently got the third-generation 8GB Nano, and it's keeping me happy.  I NEED a screen too, since I like to skip around and choose just as much as going through shuffle sessions.  Shouldn't go without saying, but any screen-based devices should have a case of some sort; the Belkin Remix Acrylic is my personal choice, as it keeps the sleek form factor, and also stays fully functional.  The flush hard plastic reduces the odds of screen cracking to practically nil.

But I digress.  If you're intent on picking up a Shuffle, know that's it's solid for what it is.  The one caveat I noticed, though -- and this has been an issue with other audiophile-related reviews too -- is that the sound quality is a notch below even iPod's generally standard level.  There's a discernable lack of bass when compared to other models, making for a sound that's "brighter" than it should be.  And sadly, there's no equalizer/bass boost option to offset it.  It might not even be noticeable to you, but as a fairly extensive user of iPods, it's something I thought was worth noting.