The iPod shuffle, for better or worse

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The iPod shuffle, for better or worse

“Such are the perils of using Shuffle, a genre-defying option that has transformed the way people listen to their music in a digital age. The problem is, now that people are rigging up their iPods to stereos at home and in their cars, they may have to think twice about what they have casually added to their music library.

Shuffle commands have been around since the dawn of the CD player. But the sheer quantity of music on an MP3 player like the iPod - and in its desktop application, iTunes - has enabled the function to take on an entirely new sense of scale and scope. It also heightens the risk that a long-forgotten favorite song will pop up, for better or for worse, in mixed company.”

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Comments

21

That is why you have playlists,use them more often.

Posted by MaddogTL on August 26, 2004 at 8:23 PM (PST)

22

The NYT discovers shuffle. They’re truly on the cutting edge over there. Can’t wait to read their article about that new Sega Saturn console.

Posted by WOW on August 26, 2004 at 8:58 PM (PST)

23

The worst thing for me is the iTrip frequencies that can kick in during a shuffle or party shuffle. I’ve removed them from my library to prevent this happening. Butlikewise I have audio books of the lord of the rings etc that I would really rather no listen to, of course I can make a playlist that includes the entire collection and excludes and genre matching spoken word. But I don’t….

Posted by Howard Shortt on August 26, 2004 at 10:30 PM (PST)

24

Im hijacking this thread to ask a newbie question.

Any way to make the ipod list your playlists alphabetically?

Many thanks.

Posted by Lex on August 27, 2004 at 12:10 AM (PST)

25

I have had the shuffle problem at work. i normally wear headphones with my ipod, but after a few hours I have to charge it. When it is charging I will play the ipod through some computer speakers I have at my desk. Since I normally use headphones, I will add just about anything I like to my playlists. I find myself often reaching to skip a track or to turn the volume down.

As far as the shuffle, it must hit the clock to get it’s “random” track numbers. Often some of the same songs are played near the same time during my lunch break. This is on a playlist with 340+ songs. I would imagine that it wouldn’t be the case if I shuffled the whole track list (currently 3272 and counting) this would not be the case.

Posted by skammie on August 27, 2004 at 12:26 AM (PST)

26

this just in…. this article is stupid . now back to u

Posted by gabe on August 27, 2004 at 3:45 AM (PST)

27

I don’t bother with the shuffle, I makes playlists and name them accordingly, ie “tango” “makeout” ect….

Posted by Carmen in NYC on August 27, 2004 at 3:58 AM (PST)

28

If you don’t want Elton John to deaden your party- don’t even let the possibility of it playing happen!

With the amount of ways you can slice and dice your music nowadays, this author is really behind the times.

Posted by Knuckles on August 27, 2004 at 4:04 AM (PST)

29

I like the song Tiny Dancer the best…that song could shuffle its way on my ipod any day

Posted by elton on August 27, 2004 at 2:10 PM (PST)

30

Yeh, and why can’t ipod control what you download, so I don’t have to make the decision of what music I listen to. And why doesn’t it walk to the dock and charge itself when it needs it. And why can’t it just skip to the parts of the songs I like, instead of playing the whole thing. Oh thats right, its about USER CONTROL. Make a ####### playlist. Smart playlists are great. Except for one thing; You have to either include “all” of the conditions, or “any”. Theres no “Definitely is from 1992, but only these artists”. Problem solver; make one playlist with the conditions needed, and one linked to that playlist. Its an extra unwarranted step, but it is still possible. Stop being so lazy. Shuffle songs is a useless option for those of us with thousands of songs, including audiobooks, Interlude skits, stand up comedy, and music we rarely want to listen to.

Posted by iSpider on August 27, 2004 at 6:32 PM (PST)

31

Anyone know the artist and title from the iPod country/western/techno commercial?

Posted by Dave on September 8, 2004 at 6:46 AM (PST)

32

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/hpads/you/music/index.html
At this HP site they have the commercial’s song title and artist. you can also view the ad there. including the country/western/line dancing commercial

Posted by Chattanooga on September 15, 2004 at 7:26 PM (PST)

33

Yeah just the other day I had the Pope, the Queen of England and Nelson Mandella over to grove out on some awesome tunes when my diggity-dang Ipod shuffle pops up some of the Neo-Nazi propaganda audiobooks I have been recording. Of course they took it ALL out of context and now I’m Excommunicated, at war with NATO and apparently I’ll be getting a ‘necklace’ soon. Boy was my face red!

Posted by Bubba on October 7, 2004 at 8:35 AM (PST)

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