iPod Shuffle Questions and a Hack
(Fri Feb 04, 2005) [/Misc] #
Herewith, answers to questions about my experience with the recent addition of an iPod Shuffle, a brief wish list, and then a convenient hack I use but didn't realize was helpful until someone asked a question.
In response to your questions...
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You really have to hold an iPod Shuffle to appreciate just how small and how light it is. Judging by the weight, you'd swear there was nothing but air inside.
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The sound quality is really quite amazing, even when using the Shuffle with the car cassette adapter. For best results, you'll want to set the volume at around 50% on both the Shuffle and the car stereo. If the Shuffle volume is too high, its amp wants to overpower the stereo and your ears immediately notice the distortion. Getting the right mix can be tricky given that the Shuffle doesn't have a volume indicator.
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When you autofill from a playlist, for example, the Shuffle preserves the relative ordering of songs. More on why this is important later.
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No, I don't miss not having a display for two reasons: 1) I've never had an iPod with a display to miss and 2) I generally don't go looking for a specific album/artist/song. If you like to queue up a song from your vast music library on request, you'll be disappointed with the iPod Shuffle. It's just not made for that. I generally listen to iTunes in Party Shuffle mode, so the iPod Shuffle fits my lazy DJ style.
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It takes approximately 12 minutes to fill an empty 1G flash to full capacity using the USB 2.0 drive on my PowerBook. For those 12 minutes, your Shuffle's battery is getting a charge.
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The Shuffle remembers where it was when you last turned if off, so when you power it on it picks up where it left off. Audio books purchased from Audible are apparently bookmarked, so you can seamlessly listen to a book from cover to cover on the Shuffle and in iTunes.
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Remember that by showing your Shuffle to someone, you just cost them at least $99. Seriously, this product sells itself and by owning one you have become a billboard for Apple.
Two small improvements that would improve usage:
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Turn the light on the front solid green while the Shuffle is powered on. It's just too easy to forget that it's on and accidentally run down the battery when it's not in use.
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Put coarse-grained grooves or some type of stick-um on the surface of the play mode switch. My switch is so smooth that I have a hard time getting enough traction with my thumb to move the switch.
As for that embarrassingly-obvious hack you've been patiently waiting for...
Problem:
Imagine you're sitting in seat C32 high over some desolate part of the country. It's dark out, and the last two songs in Shuffle Mode have put you right to sleep. Just as the uncontrollable drooling begins, the shuffler queues up Falco's Rock Me Amadeus. On your way back down from slamming into the overhead compartments, you not only remember why Falco was a one-hit wonder, you're also painfully aware of the perils of letting the Shuffle choose the next song.
At this point you really want to be lulled back to sleep with the assurance that all the songs for some time will be restful. The trouble is, you know that finding that restful collection will require pressing the "Next Track" button more times than your thumb can handle.
Patent Pending Solution:
Recall that autofilling preserves the relative order of the songs. Thus, you can create an iTunes playlist that has a collection of raucous songs followed by a series of restful songs, then autofill your Shuffle with that playlist. In Shuffle Mode you'll get a nice mix of both, just like your hometown DJ used to deliver to you back when listening to Falco was cool.
When you're ready to doze off, just hit the "Next Track" button until a restful song is located. In other words, bum the shuffler to save time and your thumb, playing the odds that the shuffler will find a song in your restful collection quicker than a linear search with your thumb. Then simply switch the iPod Shuffle into the mode that plays songs in order. Ah... dreamy songs for a while.
Oh, and sorry about that $99...
