I'm one of those people who just can't use ear buds -- they're uncomfortable and they fall out, especially when I use them at the gym. For all my previous shuffles, I've attached a pair of on-ear headphones, which has worked out just fine. But now that Apple has put the volume and skip controls on the ear bud cord, that seems to indicate that I can't use a different pair of headphones. If that's the case, I can't use the new shuffle. What's a guy to do?
This hurts to write but here are some quick and honest observations:
You can tell that Apple is starting to get sloppy.
If you look carefully at the last minute of the instruction film, you can see that the white balance is noticeably off, creating a pink color-cast when compared to the rest of the film.
The old shuffle was brilliant in the gym because it allowed you to easily operate the unit via the logically placed and easily accessible buttons that you always knew where to find, without even looking! because it was clipped onto the location you last put it. (Great when running!)
The new shuffle forces you to fumble after and "search" for the controls that you know dangle somewhere on the headphone-cable (hmm...was it the left side or the right? jog, jog, jog...) The control buttons are tiny and more densely placed in relation to each other, making the unit trickier operate than the old intuitive shuffle.
Because the controls are fixed onto the default Apple stock headphones (brain-dead move by the way...) you can no longer use those nice in-ear headphones that you'ld normally want to use in the gym, on the plane or other noisy environments. The only headphones you can use are Apples in-ear headphones that cost as much as the new shuffle itself i.e $ 79 which means you'll have to pay a total of $158!
Tip:
Go out and grab a couple of the old shuffles while they last because this new shuffle will probably be known as the "Windows Vista of iPod shuffles" and share the same fate as the now extinct fat nano.
Do it now!
I really like the shuffle I have. Why couldnt they have just left the controls on the device. Can you imagine out running when its cold and have to fiddle with that device on the ear buds? Besides if you lose those or they go bad....as they will, you're screwed. You can almost buy another shuffle by the time you pay for a replacement set of ear buds. Not the brightest idea from Apple. Get well soon Steve!
Even worse - if you prefer to have your headphone cords tucked inside your shirt when you run or workout - now the controls are buried inside your shirt somewhere? Absurd design. I like my 2nd gen shuffle and will pick up a 2nd one as backup.
I agree totally!! I've got 2 Shuffles and am bummed to hear that Apple has removed the 2GB version for sale and now we have these 2 new colorless, apple-requiring headphone models. Apple does some very strange things, IMO and I'm not LIKING IT! I love the current Shuffles. Isn't it a large step backwards to offer only boring silver and black?? I expect eventually they will come in nice bright colors in the future, but geez, this headphone thing really bites worse than the lack of color IMO.
You had me right up to the point of the "fat nano". LOL!!! That's one nano I never liked (didn't buy it). I still use my 2nd gen Nano--in fact used it yesterday--works great, battery still holds a long charge. I was happy to see the 4th gen nano come out with essentially the same form factor as my 2nd gen--long and thin. The moment I spotted the squatty one, I thought "that sucker is UGLY!". LOL! Just my person opinion, is all.
This stupid cord business is an utter deal-breaker for me. I can't believe they would do this. Unless they fix this somehow (for example, begin offering a cord with a break-away after the control unit that you can plug your own earphones into) I'll not buy another one.
This really makes me wonder what on Earth they were thinking?
If they are so greedy that this move is really about the head phone lock in and licensing of an adapter, boy they are really in trouble.
They just changed the shuffle in a way that kills off a massive percentage of potential buyers. Every single person I know uses one for exercise and about 5% of them use the Apple headphones.
That's 95% of people I know that really have no chance of becoming up-graders to this model.
*They are still selling the 2nd generation shuffles.*
If you want a shuffle with controls on the unit, they are still available. If you want something smaller, and don't mind using Apple's earbuds, the new shuffle might be for you.
They're offering
more choices to the consumer, not less.
Thanks for the information. However, these headphones cost $79 while the headphones that I use, a Sony model, cost $20 and sound really good for outdoor running.
Those earphones are the earbuds, same as what comes with this new Shuffle, except you can add a microphone (which of course is useless with a Shuffle). But the in-ear headphones, which many would prefer since they'll stay in, are still $79. And they don't offer over-the-ear models...I have some Sony in-ear headphones with over-ear backup, and they never fall out.
I don't know why they couldn't build the same remote interface into the face of the Shuffle, or at least sell the remote half of the cord with a female plug to separate the included earbuds from your own headphones. My earbuds always go into the trash immediately, I don't even open them.
Someone in another thread said they'd offer an interface...that's great, but that's more money. A $79 price point is great...make it $69 for the unit and remote half of the cord, and sell earbuds for $10 separately, and I think you'd have a winner.
