I have 1st gen ipod shuffle and it won't sync on my laptop or my pc. suggestions?

I bought some broken 1st gen shuffles on eBay a few years ago, to see if could make some working shuffles by swapping parts. Just to confirm, these shuffles are white plastic with full-sized USB plug at one end, like a USB flash drive. I found that the top failure point (by far) was the USB plug. It seemed to get either worn out or damaged over time, and the shuffle no longer connected. On some, they still connected for power (to charge), but did not connect for data.

If you have ruled out a bad USB port (or a problem with the complete USB bus) on the computer, by connecting something similar (like a bus-powered external drive or flash drive) to the same port to make sure it is working properly, that is a likely cause - bad USB plug.

I used the guides on this web page to find out how to do the take-apart and repairs.

http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_Shuffle_1st_Generation

Fortunately, the 1st gen shuffle is a manageable size, not microscopic like later models. However, the USB plug part is very delicate. The plug itself is held on by adhesive; it's basically glued in place. It can be broken easily while trying to pry it off. Also, it is connected to the logic board with a VERY delicate (long and thin) ribbon cable. Although that part on your shuffle may be bad, it is possible that the problem is something else (like the logic board), so you should try to remove it without (further) damage.

I see that iFixt actually sells the part, but their price ($30) is a bit expensive compared to getting a brand new 4th gen shuffle for $50, which has twice (or 4x) the storage capacity, new useful features, and a fresh battery (and new headphones), plus a one-year warranty. If you're good a doing these types of fixes, maybe you can use my method, and buy a few 1st gen shuffles that are listed as "broken" on eBay, and hope to get a set of working parts needed to make (at least) one working shuffle. And you'll have some other "spare parts." NOTE: The 1GB and 512mb 1st gen shuffles have interchangeable parts.

I have a 1st gen shuffle that works, and I like it better than later "clip on" shuffles. For one thing, the sound quality on the 1st gen shuffle is amazing. It sounds just has good as the "big" iPods of its day. It sounds much better compared to the 2nd gen shuffle, and it sounds better than my 5th gen iPod nano.