“We can deduce from the 1GB iPod nano announcement that the end is near for the iPod shuffle. There’s just no reason to keep it around with its stripped feature set and low profit margins… The couple extra bucks the nano commands is a bargain considering that you get a color screen with photo playback and a dock connector for connecting accessories… Don’t be surprised when the nano gets upgraded to 8GB and 16GB capacities in the late summer/early fall,” Jason D. O’Grady blogs for ZDNet. “1GB nanos are perfect for Valentine’s day, but 8GB and 16GB nanos would be killer for back-to-school.”
Full article here.
Is “Sandwich Man” whispering to O’Grady at the Wawa’s warming rack again? iPod shuffles do serve a purpose. They allow very inexpensive entry into the iPod digital music world. They are light, tiny, tough, and great for workouts. They serve an important purpose in Apple’s iPod pricing strategy. They may someday get a small screen and a name change, but they won’t be discontinued.
With all that said, this is Apple we’re talking about, so expect Apple to discontinue the iPod shuffle this afternoon. 
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The thing I most love about my shuffle is the fact that it’s completely self-contained.
No wires to lose, no chargers, docks, etc.
Though actually I don’t know, do iPod or iPod nano come with AC chargers?
I expect they’ll keep them for a while. Maybe getting them down to the $49 or so range, leaving no room whatsoever for competitors.
I have a 512 shuffle and love it and have put it through the motions w/ music and data transfer. I cannot see this going away, I can see it getting some colors and eventually
hitting the $49 market. People don’t realize just how many people are in the sub-$50 market who would purchase one, especially if it had some colors. Every schooler, regardless of income, could afford one. People also forget that the shuffle is an iPod. The Levi brand name and the Members only jacket were the only thing that was cool when I was in high school. Nothing else mattered, and so it is with the iPod name
O’Grady says “The couple extra bucks the nano commands is a bargain considering that you get a color screen with photo playback and a dock connector for connecting accessories…”
The Shuffle starts at $69
The Nano starts at $149
That’s more than a couple extra bucks for the budget conscious.
Man, I’d _never_ put a nano (or any iPod with a screen) through what I’ve put my shuffle over the past year: workouts, bike rides, slogging around digging holes for some trees out in the yard, etc. The shuffle is absolutely perfect as an “indestructable” device for grunt work where you don’t want any extraneous buttons, nor do you want to care about scratches, dirt, or other things.
Oh, and I use my shuffle a ton as a thumb drive, which is another great use for it!
I do own a regular iPod, where I keep my full music library, and listen to podcasts, etc., but I love my shuffle too.
It absolutely has a place, esp. now that it’s even cheaper….
with a new Shuffle or something else. The current Shuffle won’t stay forever. Duh.
But here’s a fun bit of trivia:
The $149 nano costs more than TWICE what the $69 Shuffle costs.
Until 69 = 149, there’s an OBVIOUS reason to keep the Shuffle.
It also plugs right into your laptop, which I like.
Why all this Shuffle-hate? I think the Shuffle rocks.. its unbeatable for the gym, or any situation where you want as little bulk as possible knocking around, and is dirt cheap too.
I think Apple would be making a serious mistake if it canned the Shuffle. O’Grady should go back to dreaming of Plasma Macs and making up fictitious product numbers for non-existant new devices.
In fact, lets just chuck the guys behind thinksecret (they of the “new iMacs aren’t selling at all well”), AppleInsider (“nano sales are falling well below expectations after the launch”) and O’Grady (“I see Dead People – on Plasma Screens”) into a bullring stark naked but for red underwear…
My wife had an iPod mini, then bought a Shuffle. She used both. The Shuffle for running and working out, the mini for every other time.
Now she sold the mini and bought a nano. I asked whether she planned to get rid of the Shuffle and her answer was no. She still prefers the Shuffle for running and working out.
The two products are targetted at functions and I wouldn’t be surprised if many iPod Shuffle owners also own a second larger iPod as well.
I don’t own a shuffle and don’t think I ever will. However that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a purpose. Admittedly that purpose will lessen as more traditional iPods get cheaper and cheaper. I think it’s now reached the point that the shuffle won’t really get much cheaper since it will end up looking cheap – if you see what I mean.
And now the price is RIGHT!
They’re going to sell millions of them.
Owning a shuffle is never having to say, “Hey! There are scratches on my screen!”
As said so often here: the shuffle is not some poor iPod relation. It fills a specific niche and provides features and performance that cannot be duplicated by the Nano or larger iPods. I am very happy to own a shuffle.
A iPod shuffle with 512 mb works as it should, but the 1 Gb is a bit of a joke with over 220 songs wich you cannot pre-select !
I bought a 1 GB Shuffle to replace my Nano, which got accidently washed. My daughter would not give my original Shuffle back.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> So I just bought one this morning. I’ve lost interest in the Nano, with its all too delicate screen. Of course I can’t blame anyone but myself for running the Nano through the wash. The Shuffle is better at taking abuse and Apple is not discontinuing it.
I bought my 1GB shuffle a year ago today and still use it a few times a week at the gym or on the el. I have a playlist of around 100 songs on it and love how it’s completely random. I don’t care about the screen at all and love that I can just toss it in my bag and not worry about a case for it. It is what it is and meets the sub-$100 price point.
My shuffle is indispensable. I use it to collect my students’ work, to archive documents I need with me at all times, and to listen to music. and yes, the kind of abuse I give it is unspeakable. A Nano couldn’t do any of these things as easily.
Honestly, the shuffle totally has a place. I use one at the gym, and I don’t have to worry about it at all. “It just works” with no chrome back or screen to worry about scratching, etc. The nano is a great, small entry player for those who want a screen, etc. It’s no replacement for the shuffle.
For $69, the Shuffle makes a great second iPod to use for short trips (like walking around town) and working out. My 3G iPod is a little big for these grab and go kind of trips.
They serve different purposes and as such, many people will probably own two, which is definitely good for Apple.
“A iPod shuffle with 512 mb works as it should, but the 1 Gb is a bit of a joke with over 220 songs wich you cannot pre-select!”
The 1GB Shuffle works great, especially when you have the need for carrying around DATA as well as music, or when you want higher bitrate music. Or even when you just want a larger variety of music. I often fill up the Shuffle with a certain genre and then plug it into a stereo (often with people asking if it’s a wired remote) and just listen to Jazz on the boat or something. At 512MB, it would repeat too often.
As I speak, I have a 1gb shuffle hanging around my neck in side my shirt. Whenever I want to get away all I do is just press the buttons through my shirt to turn it on. I still have my 4th gen iPod at home. The shuffle is so light it’s like it’s not even there..
If only the shuffle had the 30-pin connection for accessories. Does anyone make an adapter?
It is important to have something in the sub-$100 price range if only to get more people into the iPod family.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I’m at work and I like to have a musical getaway every now and again.
For those of us who exercise, the shuffle is still a viable product. I want something small, impervious to sweat and can take a beating. The shuffle is perfect for this. The nano’s are too easy to scratch and I would worry about sweat getting into it.
Ken
My 512MB Shuffle is the only iPod I own, and I absolutely love it. I prefer not to micromanage my music selection process, and the thing is absolutely indestructible. If Apple discontinues it, I’ll get (MW) a couple and put them away for backup. Though I don’t expect anything to happen to the one I have anytime soon.
I had a 1GB Shuffle, which I ended up giving to a friend when I bought my 4GB nano. I miss having it, as it was great for the gym.
I think the Shuffle is a great way for Apple to get people hooked on the ipod/itunes experience. Once they see how well it works, the desire to upgrade to a bigger, better ipod will follow.
The shuffle is indestructible. I had it hanging off a grill/stereo combo (basically a pimped out grill that you load on the trailer hitch) at a tailgate in sub-20 degree weather. No rocks, beer, etc. could slow it down from cranking out tunes. I would NOT do that with any other iPod.
is the Nano not good for working out/running? If you have the appropriate case, I can’t think of any reason why it is not appropriate for those things.