Why do they still make ipod shuffles?

[Kommander]

When I bought an mp3 player, a 4GB Sansa was about $10 more than a 1GB Shuffle. For my needs, the Shuffle wouldn't have cut it. I listen to audio books at work, and I like to have a lot of music available. Also, it has an FM radio. I don't need 30GB+ like regular iPods have, but the 4GB plus a 2GB microSD card is more or less enough. Plus, I can add tracks to a playlist, set it to "random" and then it functions just like a Shuffle.

The only thing I don't like about the Sansa (with my model, at least) is that the record button is really east to press. I wish there was a way to lock that button at least. Also, while it can play video, the format it uses is like 50MB per minute and I've heard from others that video playback eats the battery (anyone remember Game Gear or the Sega Nomad? At least now we have rechargable lithium batteries...), so the video function is pretty much useless. I didn't plan on using it for video anyway.

 

[Shaw]

I don't understand why any place still makes knives. The Swiss Army Knife does so much more. Every time I go to a restaurant or over to someone's home for dinner I ask them to remove that pointless piece of silverware they call a knife!

Who in their right mind would use a knife that doesn't have at least four other functions!



But on the topic at hand... my iPod shuffle is great! All I needed was something that would play my music and stay out of my way. I don't use shuffle mode and I know what music I put on it so I can get to any track I want if I want... but I only use it while working out and have no time for fiddling with it anyway.

But the Swiss Army Knife... that's the ticket!

 

[Kommander]

^ I agree, Swiss Army Knives are awesome. Fuck Leatherman Multi-tools!

I know, I missed the point.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I don't understand why any place still makes knives. The Swiss Army Knife does so much more. Every time I go to a restaurant or over to someone's home for dinner I ask them to remove that pointless piece of silverware they call a knife!

Who in their right mind would use a knife that doesn't have at least four other functions!



.

My whole point is that it is CHEAPER than a shuffle, roughly the same size, it has a clip, it does everything the shuffle does(You can just turn it on and hit "play all" or "shuffle") and it has more storage space. If anything, they should lower the price of the shuffle, at least. What is it, like 70 bucks for a 1gb?

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

When I bought an mp3 player, a 4GB Sansa was about $10 more than a 1GB Shuffle. For my needs, the Shuffle wouldn't have cut it. I listen to audio books at work, and I like to have a lot of music available. Also, it has an FM radio. I don't need 30GB+ like regular iPods have, but the 4GB plus a 2GB microSD card is more or less enough. Plus, I can add tracks to a playlist, set it to "random" and then it functions just like a Shuffle.

The only thing I don't like about the Sansa (with my model, at least) is that the record button is really east to press. I wish there was a way to lock that button at least. Also, while it can play video, the format it uses is like 50MB per minute and I've heard from others that video playback eats the battery (anyone remember Game Gear or the Sega Nomad? At least now we have rechargable lithium batteries...), so the video function is pretty much useless. I didn't plan on using it for video anyway.

Yeah, I take the 8gb one to work and listen to audio books as well. It doesn't play video, though, but to me Ipods are much better for that, anyway.

 

[Chess Piece Face]

I don't understand why any place still makes knives. The Swiss Army Knife does so much more. Every time I go to a restaurant or over to someone's home for dinner I ask them to remove that pointless piece of silverware they call a knife!

Who in their right mind would use a knife that doesn't have at least four other functions!



.

My whole point is that it is CHEAPER than a shuffle, roughly the same size, it has a clip, it does everything the shuffle does(You can just turn it on and hit "play all" or "shuffle") and it has more storage space. If anything, they should lower the price of the shuffle, at least. What is it, like 70 bucks for a 1gb?

49 bucks for 1 gig, i think 70 for 2 gig.

 

[Smiley]

Quite honestly, I have never heard of Sansa until I started my iPod question thread. It seems like one way they can be cheaper is that they advertise less.

 

[Small White Car]

My whole point is that [the Sansa clip] is CHEAPER than a shuffle, roughly the same size, it has a clip, it does everything the shuffle does

The Sansa claims to play 2 DRM formats and 3 non-DRM formats.
The iPod Shuffle plays 1 DRM format and 5 non-DRM formats.

I'm not saying that's the ONLY reason, but it's a factor for people who have a lot of files in those other formats. (Likewise, people who use FLAC or OGG are going to get the Sansa as the iPod doesn't do those. It's a 2-way street.) The Sansa is also Windows-only which is going to affect quite a few people.

My point is, there's usually more to the story than simply which one is cheaper. People will pick the product that does the things they need it to do.

Imagine that!

 

[Spot's Meow]

The biggest factor for me in choosing a Sansa (besides price) was the radio. I don't know if top of the line iPods have radio or not, but the smaller ones that I was looking at didn't, and so they were out for me.

There are smaller Sansas, by the way, that don't have a screen or have a very small one. And while they look bigger than comparable iPods, they are actually very light so that I don't even feel it on me. This is the smaller Sansas (I have a 1 g), not sure about the bigger ones that play video and all that.

 

[StolenThunder]

The biggest factor for me in choosing a Sansa (besides price) was the radio. I don't know if top of the line iPods have radio or not, but the smaller ones that I was looking at didn't, and so they were out for me.

They don't. You can buy a variably reviewed FM radio/headphone thing, but an integrated radio doesn't exist. It certainly would be my biggest iPod wish if I didn't already own one (and more than one radio!).

 

[Chess Piece Face]

The biggest factor for me in choosing a Sansa (besides price) was the radio. I don't know if top of the line iPods have radio or not, but the smaller ones that I was looking at didn't, and so they were out for me.

They don't. You can buy a variably reviewed FM radio/headphone thing, but an integrated radio doesn't exist. It certainly would be my biggest iPod wish if I didn't already own one (and more than one radio!).

If you consider the iPhone an iPod (it is), then you have numerous internet radio apps like Pandora or AOL Radio or I Love Talk Radio that you can stream to over wifi when you are within a network or over the phone network when you are out and about.

The Touch iPod (the one that looks like a phone but is not a phone) does the same thing, with wifi only.

 

[Warp Coil]

Go running with your iPod. You'll soon find out why it's nice to have a itty bitty little music player you can clip on and it'll stay.

I went for a jog this afternoon to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, and I really wish I'd had a shuffle! Had to listen to music on the iPhone instead, which was fine, but the shuffle is just very convenient and lightweight.

 

[bod]

I have to be able to navigate the songs. I can't just let them play, that would drive me nuts.

Then don't buy one. Nobody is forcing you, just don't expect Apple to suddenly drop a successful product.

PMSL

I love iPod's.

 

[Rii]

The Sansa is also Windows-only which is going to affect quite a few people.

Not nearly so many as were affected back when the iPod was FireWire/Mac-only. Fortunately for Apple, they decided to relent on that.

 

[Hermiod]

The Sansa is also Windows-only which is going to affect quite a few people.

Not nearly so many as were affected back when the iPod was FireWire/Mac-only. Fortunately for Apple, they decided to relent on that.

Which affected first generation iPods only. When is Windows Media DRM coming to Mac OS X or Linux then ?

 

[Rii]

The Sansa is also Windows-only which is going to affect quite a few people.

Not nearly so many as were affected back when the iPod was FireWire/Mac-only. Fortunately for Apple, they decided to relent on that.

Which affected first generation iPods only.

I believe Apple stuck with FireWire as the sole interface for a couple generations beyond that, which almost counts (or counted, back then) as Mac exclusivity.

If Apple had priced FireWire more reasonably from the outset things might've turned out a little differently there.

When is Windows Media DRM coming to Mac OS X or Linux then ?

Soon as Apple is willing to buy it, I suspect. As the dominant player in the market, Apple has no reason to support Microsoft's DRM schemes.

 

[Mr. B]

Given the technical aptitude of the average Apple customer, the Shuffle requires no explanation.

 

[Hermiod]

I believe Apple stuck with FireWire as the sole interface for a couple generations beyond that, which almost counts (or counted, back then) as Mac exclusivity.

If Apple had priced FireWire more reasonably from the outset things might've turned out a little differently there.

The IEEE 1394 standard is not exclusively Apple property, other major hardware companies such as Sony and Texas Instruments were involved in its development.

The second generation iPod was PC compatible. It shipped with Music Match Jukebox as there was no version of iTunes for PCs at the time.

Soon as Apple is willing to buy it, I suspect. As the dominant player in the market, Apple has no reason to support Microsoft's DRM schemes.

Why should Apple "buy" Windows Media DRM ? Did Microsoft "buy" FairPlay from Apple ? There is no reason why Microsoft could not develop a media player for Mac OS X that supports Windows DRM.

 

[Rii]

The IEEE 1394 standard is not exclusively Apple property, other major hardware companies such as Sony and Texas Instruments were involved in its development.

Yeah, and they all shot themselves in the foot. It's likely that USB would've come out on top regardless, but the initially exorbitant licensing fees for FireWire relative to USB certainly didn't encourage third parties to adopt it.

Did Microsoft "buy" FairPlay from Apple?

They would've if Apple were willing to license it. Unfortunately, when you're running both the dominant hardware and service platforms, there's no incentive to license technology from others or to others. Much better to maintain integration between hardware and service such that the dominance of one dampens threats to the other.

There is no reason why Microsoft could not develop a media player for Mac OS X that supports Windows DRM.

Microsoft could add OSX support to the Zune, but really, what's the point? I suspect that the iPod has an even greater marketshare amongst Mac users than the general population. Microsoft needs to make a dent in the broader market before bothering with niche and hostile territory like OSX. For better or worse, iPod is the superior product and they know it.

 

[Hermiod]

Yeah, and they all shot themselves in the foot. It's likely that USB would've come out on top regardless, but the initially exorbitant licensing fees for FireWire relative to USB certainly didn't encourage third parties to adopt it.

Sure, Firewire didn't work out. I bet DisplayPort, another less fashionable connection standard backed by Apple, doesn't work out either. That's a mistake, not some deliberate attempt to annoy Windows users.

They would've if Apple were willing to license it. Unfortunately, when you're running both the dominant hardware and service platforms, there's no incentive to license technology from others or to others. Much better to maintain integration between hardware and service such that the dominance of one dampens threats to the other.

You missed my point - Microsoft don't need to buy anything since Apple provide a version of iTunes and Quicktime for Windows. I'm not suggesting everyone become one happy family or that they get together and make all of their DRM schemes compatible with each other.

Microsoft could add OSX support to the Zune, but really, what's the point? I suspect that the iPod has an even greater marketshare amongst Mac users than the general population. Microsoft needs to make a dent in the broader market before bothering with niche and hostile territory like OSX. For better or worse, iPod is the superior product and they know it.

This isn't about the Zune, forget that. I'm talking about the millions of other generic Plays For Sure devices out there that play music using Windows Media DRM.

I'm talking about the various online TV services that use Windows Media DRM - like BBC iPlayer. A good example - my football team, Arsenal, uses Windows Media DRM to lock the match highlights videos and the rest of the content on their Arsenal TV Online service.

They do allow this content to be watched via streaming on Macs but the videos can't be downloaded. There is no reason why Microsoft could not implement a QuickTime plug-in that supports this properly.