iPod Shuffle

I've lived two days now with my new iPod Shuffle and I can report that it is the most wearable technology I've ever encountered. It is so light you will only notice the earphones and cable. Because you can clip the Shuffle nearer to your head the headphones become easier to manage than on conventional iPods, which you typically have to keep further from your head.

I put on it a few albums I like - mostly PJ Harvey and Kristin Hersh - I clip it to my shirt collar and I'm good to go. Drag a few Podcasts, Bill Maher and co., and I am set for the train. It is not the place to keep your entire collection but it is the place to put listen once transitory stuff (Podcasts) and it is quick to change the profile of the content. I maintain several play lists and put the list that most suits my needs on the Shuffle before I leave the house or put on the music I want to listen to while walking around doing other stuff where a regular iPod would just get in the way and be at risk of being dropped.

The iPod Shuffle is just a different beast to a primary iPod. It is far less bulky than a regular iPod, it just does something else and is convenient in a way that the bulkier iPod is not. I found the controls to be surprisingly easy to manage and adequate.