Although I played with the iPod Shuffle quite extensively at January's Mac Expo, I'm currently testing out a 1GB to see what it's like for everyday use.
After a few days, I'm happy with it. The more I listen to it, the less the screen means to me. The controls are simple and intuitive (though perhaps they should be less sensitive - I've mistakenly flicked tracks by bumping the pod around in my pocket) although the memory is limited and it's not as easy to organise music as it could be.
Strong points must be size and weight (always a negative with most other music players) and the fringe benefit is that it also saves me carrying a thumb drive around.
Perhaps more interestingly, my girlfriend, who is quite clear in her aversion to gadgetry ("What are all these silver boxes clogging up the flat?") experienced her first ever pangs of tech-lust when I handed her the tiny little player.
That reaction says a lot to me: the market's certainly there. And the price point is low enough (though £50 would be better than £69!) to break Apple into far wider reaches.
If this little gizmo can make a fanatic out of someone whose eyes normally glaze over at the thought of gadgets, I wonder how long it will be before Shuffle rules the world?
