Apple iPod Shuffle

Music Playback

On the back of iPod shuffle is the main control switch:

This has three positions:

• Off
• Sequential play
• Shuffle play

When the shuffle is first switched on, the front LED turns green for two or three seconds, during which time music cannot be played. This appears to be the bootup period.

Controlling playback is a simple affair, and Apple has obviously spent a good deal of time making this is easy as possible. The volume can be changed, the track can be skipped forward or backward, and it can be paused. Several other ancillary functions exist, such as a hold feature and fast-forward, but this is the full extent to which you can control the shuffle.

Reports from other users suggest that you can leave the shuffle in ‘pause’ without it greatly affecting the battery life. Regardless of whether the shuffle is switched off or paused, when it next starts it will begin from the same spot in the last audio file it was playing.

Audio quality is very good, although the Apple headphones tend to give a hollow sound and should be ditched in favour of something with more weight (the Shure e2c’s make a great partner).