Jump Back: New Apple iPod Shuffle Restores Fanboy Faith

A while back I ranted at length about my disgust at the 3rd incarnation of the iPod Shuffle (you know, the one with no buttons and the required apple-branded headphones blah blah blah).

Well, it looks as though Steve Jobs may just be an Interim Solutions reader, because the latest iPod Shuffle has just been announced, and guess what: the buttons (and basic design of the third generation model) are back, baby! With the important addition of playlist capability -- allowing you to go beyond a single amorphous 2GB randomized list and cater for different moods.

At 69 aussie big ones, this is once again looking like pretty good value. The simple, robust design really is ideal for jogging or the gym.

For now I'm still persevering with my 3g model, but it may soon be time for this fanboy to upgrade...

P.S. Another major upgrade is the new nano, which has an all-touch screen face. I'm less impressed by this since it represents (a) more power needed and thus shorter battery life, (b) a bigger area to get scratched, and (c) harder to change songs/volume with the iPod in your pocket. I do like the fact that it includes a radio (something that is standard with most other brands but which Apple have obstinately refused to include in most of the iPod family).