LuxPro, a Taiwan-based maker of digital audio products, has introduced what can only be described as a blatant rip-off of Apple’s iPod shuffle. LuxPro’s “Super shuffle,” which is being shown this week at the CeBIT conference in Germany, is nearly identical to the iPod shuffle in every way—from its form factor to its name and advertising.
Made from the same white plastic and featuring the same control pad as the iPod shuffle, the Super shuffle is also the exact length (3.3”) and width (0.99”) as the iPod shuffle. The flash memory-based Super shuffle is a little thicker (0.38”) than the iPod shuffle (0.33”), but offers an FM tuner and voice recorder, which the Apple device lacks.
LuxPro’s music player weighs in at the same as the iPod (.78 ounce), offers the same USB 2.0 connectivity and charging, and even copies the iPod shuffle’s backside slider switch and battery light indicator. The Super shuffle boasts two slider switches, apparently one is needed for general use and one is needed for the extra FM and recording features. The LuxPro product offers MP3, WAV, and WMA support.
Like the iPod shuffle, the Super shuffle is offered only in 512MB and 1GB sizes, and works with both Windows and Mac OS X. Pricing and availability were not immediately available. However, German iPod site iPodLife has provided iLounge with a handful of photos of the device and its advertising at CeBIT, which show that LuxPro is not only cloning Apple’s low-cost player, but is also replicating its well-known silhouette ads.
Click “Read more” for large photos of the Super shuffle and an Apple-like poster.
