Usually, Apple nails product designs, but today’s announcement of the new iPod Shuffle has revealed a few features that may deter some users from trying the new model. My first impression was that the thing was very, very small:

Bwana: Wow, the new shuffle is almost…too small.

about 33 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:38:26 +0000 2009

iCombine: yeah it is…donno if I should get one. Do u think its worth the money?

about 32 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:40:17 +0000 2009

jshwon: it looks cool but you can only use Apples ear buds w/controls. I guess 3rd party will have to step up.

about 31 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:40:35 +0000 2009

nixter: almost….funny…I would say is.

about 31 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:40:43 +0000 2009

timmontech: I have an Archos 605. 160GB, eats shuffles for breakfast.

about 28 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:43:26 +0000 2009

cirian75: yeah Bwana, memory stick size, my little 4G San Disk cruzer is the same size.

about 28 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:44:16 +0000 2009

mikenayyar: I lost one already. Don't ask where it went.

about 28 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:44:17 +0000 2009

Seshan: When I first saw the shuffle I thought it was a joke it looked like a battery for something! lol

about 27 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:44:41 +0000 2009

JordanPatterson: I agree but for some stange reason i want to try it.

about 24 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:47:32 +0000 2009

neverbloomagain: I'm not digging it at all. I like the current form factor. Seems it's trying to morph to much towards the nano.

about 23 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 16:49:00 +0000 2009

CharlesShane: Yea, I'm not a fan of devices with no screen

about 10 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 17:01:34 +0000 2009

Jahfer: I agree. I thought the last. Gen one was too. Although to be fair, I never liked the original one.

about 6 minutes ago

Wed Mar 11 17:06:16 +0000 2009

The other concern I have is moving the controls to the earphones. Normally this wouldn’t bother me, but these are the only controls, which means you must use Apple’s headphones. Not good. I’m sure these will sell, but I’m thinking this new model may not be for me. I had been considering a shuffle as an alternative to my iPhone for rugged tasks. (Yard work, home repair, and the like). Something tells me Apple may not be sure about it either since they are still offering the old model. A rarity with Apple and iPods.

On the plus side, the capacity increase to 4GB is welcomed. I use close to 4GB of space for music on my iPhone, so that would draw me in. The VoiceOver feature sounds clumsy, but I’ll reserve judgement for that until I can actually use it. With VoiceOver, the iPod Shuffle supports multiple playlists, but the process doesn’t sound easy.

If you get a new iPod Shuffle, let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Chris Pirillo prefers Rhapsody over iTunes. Music subscriptions (Rhapsody) would be a waste of money for me and are not a viable solution at all. Here’s 10 reasons why:

1. I barely spend $15 every 6 months on music, let alone every month.
2. I listen to great podsafe music and I buy the music I _love_ (Gospel & Jazz). If it’s not something I will listen to 20 times in a row without getting a headache, it’s not worth having. I rarely take suggestions from IRC on what to listen to. Something like that never turns out well for me. Way different tastes.
3. I prefer DRM free music but I do have a few tracks I bought from iTunes store which work fine with our iPhones, iPod nano, Apple TV and Windows boxes via iTunes or other mp3 player. With Airtunes, I can play music in my office and have it play through my computer speakers, my surround sound system in the living room, and my laptop in the bedroom. I usually strip the DRM shortly after buying.
4. In the car, I don’t listen to XM anymore as it’s become as repetitive and crappy as over the air radio so I just burn my own playlists (of which I can easily manage in iTunes due to clean id tags) Smart playlists ftw.
5. 30 second clips are more than enough, and I don’t need to stream. If I don’t like a 30 second segment of a song, then I don’t believe I should buy it or listen to it. Songs that have a “good part” and a “bad part” are bad songs. Period.
6. I choose not to depend on one company for my music sources. While I depend mostly on Apple products to play my content, I have the choice of Amazon MP3, iTunes store, and music CDs to buy music that I can keep forever.
7. Music subscriptions is renting. I’d rather have a “lifetime lease”, if you will. While I really don’t own the music, I can play the copy I bought until the end of time, or oxygen.. take your pick. I don’t need to pay a landlord for my music and succumb to their will at their discretion. I want control.
8. Rhapsody (and other music subscription services) stinks like stale blue cheese on a dead duck. I prefer managing my own music stank you very much, with or without an internet connection.
9. Music subscription DRM is a slippery slope. What’s preventing companies such as Rhapsody/Real from embedding audio ads in streaming content? What if their servers go down? Go out of business? When I own the copy of the music I bought, it’s going to stay that way unless I choose otherwise.
10. I can listen to the same 10 songs for 3 months straight because I really love the music. Why would I give someone $180 a year for permission to listen to all the songs I want, when I can have all the songs I want for $50 a year? Easy decision.

Is Chris Pirillo wrong? Of course not. We both consume music in different ways. My situation dictates I do not even bother with subscriptions while he feels he would save money over a la’ carte. I use my iPhone/iPod, he doesn’t. He doesn’t burn music CDs, he listens to XM. He’s willing to give up control of the music he consumes to a third party, and I simply can’t do that. Different strokes for different folks. While you may argue MP3 (and its licenses/restrictions) is a form of control, OGG Vorbis isn’t. I have an exit strategy because…

I ultimately have control.

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