Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Silver (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL

I've had many versions of the iPod and this is the one I like the best. It's great for loading new playlists easily and clipping on a shirt and heading out the door for a run, hands-free. Sound quality is excellent and it stays charged for a long time... great purchase.

I thought this was a very neat product. I bought it in September of 2008. It's now dead. Won't charge. It was really a very nice design for working out. I used it everywhere. My only complaint really is that you have to use the Apple Itunes product to synch it up, and that's kind of annoying. If you have wma files, then Itunes has to convert them.

You get decent battery life per charge. I'd say at least 8 hours.

But here's the deal: this product is way to weak for the price Apple expects people to pay.

This time around I'm getting a different product. Runs on a replaceable AAA battery. Has twice the storage space, at less than half the cost. Works like a usb disk, and I can just copy files to it. If it works for a year, it'll be worth it.

I think Apple has every retailer and news organization in the tank. I'm really disappointed with getting only 1 year and five months out of it. My guess: the battery is fried. But guess what? You can't replace it.

I kind of wonder what other users think after their own shuffle goes dead after a year or so?

I dont even like that much music and this stupid thing cant hold even close to all of it, plus if you want to find a specific song...think again because that is bacically imposible, you can put it on shuffle but mine manly suffles through the exact same songs over and over again i would not recament this for anyone who likes a lot of music or someone who likes to listen to something specific on a certian day.

After making the disastrous investment in a 4th generation, I wound up right back purchasing the product I had beforehand in the 2G. My previous one took about 2 years worth of punishment before finally calling it a day. I am a competitive runner in marathons and 5 K's and I also have the tendency to be hard on things, so I was not at all distraught over it finally giving out on me.

OK, now I will discuss the particulars. If you are an athlete, you really can't go wrong with this device. Simple, portable, good sound quality, and damn near indestructible from the punishment I inflicted on mine. The ear buds that come with the device I quickly replaced as they do not seem to stay in for me well when I am on the move, But that would be the only area I would have to criticize as far as functionality.

The only other major hindrance is obviously the huge price jump. I quickly found out the reason for this after having the misfortune of purchasing a 4th generation. To put it mildly, it sucks beyond all imagination. After you use one of those for all of an hour, you will not feel nearly as bad about spending the extra money on one of these. I lack colorful enough adjectives (short of profanity) to truly describe how much hatred and contempt I have for apple by trying to pawn off the 4th generation on the athletic community. Seriously, what were they thinking?

OK, rant officially over. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a product that delivers the goods without all the frills (and headaches), the 2nd generation is a home run.

Good quality, slick design. The battery life is amazing, easily more than 8 hours per-charge. A very good companion for working out. But I still think the price is a bit high considering the simple functionality of this device. Also, if you are a Windows user, installing iTune may require a lot patience.