The screenless iPod Shuffle (£69 for 512MB memory or £99 for 1GB) is the much-hyped new MP3 player from Apple, the creator of the iPod music player.

How will it change my life?

As the advertising slogan says: “Life is random”. When one track ends, the iPod Shuffle randomly chooses the next one from the 120-240 songs that can fit on the player.

Why this one over the rest?

It’s far better value than the competition, allowing you to buy into the iPod world for less than £100.

Or you could always?

Carry all your CDs around with you, and stick them into your CD Walkman blindfold.

Verdict

Seeing confusion in the memory-based MP3 market, Apple has launched the new player, in its words, to combat the zoo of players available. It’s a brave move and the lack of a screen will certainly set it apart from the competition.

Ease of use

Cost

Stuart Miles

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