For the last five years, Apple has unequivocally dominated the world of hard disk based audio gadgets. Although, the competition has become more stiff these days, but Apple continues to enjoy a dedicated following. And, at the same time, the sudden surge of music phones have also pushed the limit for such manufacturers, as now they are adding some additional music features to retain their dedicated customers. Consequently, their prices have also gone down. So, now you can afford to buy an Apple ipod with a reasonable price. The newest kid on the block is the Apple iPod Shuffle, which comes equipped with an improved hard disk and now, you can store a far greater amount of music, as compared to earlier Apple iPods.

The Apple iPod shuffle comes with two capacities with 1GB and 512MB options. Since Apple has already released some of the most magnificent iPods, we can expect something special from this newest edition. First of all, the Apple ipod shuffle is the second generation iPod and on the other hand, it is also acclaimed as the smallest iPod ever designed. Hence, it is quite obvious that this iPod has really lost a lot of fat to get that sleek look and there is a certain ommission of any real display. There is only a small tri-colour led, which indicates the basic functionalities to an user. Currently, this iPod is available in five enticing colours –choose your favourite one to enter the ecstatic world of music.

As such lot has been said about this iPod, but does it really serve the basic purpose, as being the cheapest, simplest and smallest iPod to date. So, there are some interesting aspects, which should be considered to review the appropriate usefulness of this music device

Compatible size:

When you take a first look at the new Apple iPod shuffle, you would find it like another small media player. Although, its overall dimensions are slightly larger than the original nano's screen. On the other hand, its control scheme does look like other iPods, as it comes with similar features like a ''scroll wheel'', which does not offer any scrolling functionality. Thus, you can easily press down on the top and bottom of its wheel to increase or decrease the volume –whenever you want. There are two toggle switches on the bottom of this iPod. One is used as a simple on/off switch, while the another one is a ''shuffle switch'', which randomly adjusts the song order to make things further easier for you. Well, this shuffle iPod is endowed with the latest version of Apple's highly popular earpbuds, which offer brilliant sound quality.

Improved features:

It is because of its extremely small size, the Apple ipod shuffle does not work with same docking mechanism like other iPods. Instead of that, it utilises a specifically designed USB dock, which can be easily plugged into the headphone jack.

So far, nothing significant has been done in the Apple ipod shuffle, but it does have it all to play all your music – the way you like.