Life is not lived through rigorous regulations and there is no reason why music should be enjoyed that way.

In that one sentence you have the entire design philosophy that’s given us the iPod Shuffle. No LCD display, no scrawl wheel, just turn on, tune in and zone out.

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The iPod Shuffle does the rest giving you song after song in a random playlist (hence the name Shuffle) or lets you skip with a flick on to the next song just like you would if you were listening to an internet music station.

Ultrathin in appearance, so light you need to check it’s still there and with a Flash drive that can be formatted so it holds data and songs in different parts of the drive the Shuffle is very much a Flash drive for the 21st century.

Its competitive price makes it a strong possibility for a second iPod rather than the first one you buy, but as an additional iPod for those who like to take it on walks, for a run. To the gym or on a bike, it has few competitors.

Design Features you will love:
Zero LCD, USB 2.0 built right in, and wearable -the concepts aren't new. Still, as a white plastic strip with only a few buttons, no LCD, and a touch of bright green, the Shuffle is a visual masterpiece. It's only 0.3 inch thick and less than an inch wide, and it weighs a feathery 0.8 ounce. A simple, round controller features all-tactile buttons and makes the Shuffle feel more like a wireless remote than an MP3/AAC/WAV/Audible player - there's no learning curve.

On the back, you'll find a cute, wide sliding switch that powers on the Shuffle either in Playlist repeat mode or Shuffle mode. Underneath the switch is a tiny battery-indicator button that lights up green, orange, or red depending on what's left of the charge; green is good. The main physical features are rounded out by a headphone jack on the top and a removable (and losable) cap for the built-in USB 2.0 plug on the bottom.