Apple - iPod Shuffle Second Gen. Silver (1 GB) MP3 Player Review

So I've been using my ipod shuffle for long enough that I feel like I can write a pretty darn good review of it.  Let me start by simply saying that while I love new technology and always want the newest gadgets available, I somehow live by the quote "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  This can cause some problems...

Before I got the ipod shuffle I had the first generation ipod.  I used that thing until one day it died a horrible death and needed to be replaced (should have been loooong ago..).  Then I moved to Chicago last year and opened up a Chase bank account and they gave me a free ipod shuffle!  This was good and bad.  It was good because I now had a new "ipod" for free.  It was bad because this was now going to be my "good enough" ipod.  So I've been using this for almost a year and can tell you a thing or two about it.

Let me start with some pros: 1) It can hold a charge for weeks at a time which is great.  2) It hold enough music to satisfy any taste at any time. 3) It's small and easily fits into your pocket. 4) Great for the gym. 5) Great sound.  This leads me to conclude that it's good enough.

Here are some things I wish I had on my ipod though: 1) Theres obviously no screen. You can't have video on it (duh), but more than that you cant easily navigate between artists, songs, etc.  You have to go all the way through from start to finish to find what you want by hitting next 100 times. Fun! 2) I get new music from my brother all the time. All the time a great song comes on that I've never heard before from a band I don't know and there's no way to tell who it was...that's not fun. 3) Yeah, you need to charge it on a computer. Whats up with that? 4) Did I mention theres no screen?  Yeah, that's a problem...

Well, let me just say that for free, and for $50 which is what they charge at the store, this is a great ipod.  It does what you need it to do. It plays music. Perfect.  But the best way to enjoy this ipod is to pretend the newer, cooler ipods out there arent real.  Then everything is just fine :)

Lastly, I dare someone who owns just an ipod shuffle to tell me that they dont look at an ipod video and say to themselves: "Wow I want one of those.  I can afford it but I have this ipod shuffle, so I dont need it.  Imagine all the episodes of [insert favorite tv show here] I could watch on the way to and from work..."

What do you think about this?  Where are my "happy enough with their ipod shuffle" people out there!?