Apple introduces more iPod options

With the recent release of the iPod Shuffle, Apple holds a good chunk of the digital music market in its grips. This smaller relative of the iPod is ideal for people on-the-go, especially college students. The tiny device is about the size of a pack of gum, and is so versatile for a busy lifestyle that it is easy to see how this new product will dominate the market.

The iPod Shuffle boasts not only a smaller, more compact size, but also a USB flash drive, which makes it easier to load music because the user simply plugs it into a USB port on a computer as they would a flash disk.

Junior Brent Izutsu, president of the Bronco Macintosh Users Group and Santa Clara's Apple campus representative, says it's "great for students who don't want to spend the extra cash on the iPods, or find the other models too big and cumbersome."

The iPod Shuffle comes in two models, at 512 megabytes (about 100 songs), and at 1 gigabyte (about 240 songs). Both have 12 hours of playback, come with a lanyard to wear around the neck, are skip-free and boast a different "listening experience" every time it is played. There is no LCD screen on the Shuffle, which could be good or bad , depending on the user's needs and interests.

Izutsu said that students may find the lack of a screen a little disconcerting because the next song on the playlist cannot be viewed. But, he says, like the Apple tagline, "life is random" -- in that the iPod Shuffle will play from a randomized list of songs.

The iPod Shuffle has many accessories such as armbands: a protective cover and a battery pack, which are all available on the Apple Web site. The 512 MB model sells for $99 and the 1 GB sells for $149.

Also available on the Apple Web site is a $10 educational discount available for the 1 GB model.

--Written by Andrea Ragni