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Fancy features of the iPod Shuffle (1st Generation)

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Back in 2005 Apple released the iPod shuffle. Realizing that they had just unearthed the biggest technological personal computing boom since Dell conquered East Anglia and realms beyond with Stephen, our hempen “Dude, you’re getting a dell” guy, they had a challenge: how can we get everyone to buy another one?

Steve Dell ad

Dude, you should liquidate AAPL and return value to shareholders! – Michael Dell circa 1997

Do not question the wisdom of Stephen Paul Jobs’ secret emotion reader of populations (Asimov anyone?). In this time, Apple brought us The iPod Shuffle.

Yes, a USB stick with a button.

And yes, I bought one. It seemed the perfect step forward: don’t take that big-ass 60GB iPod to the gym, take just enough songs to rock you (like a hurricane) while on that elliptical.

I’ve had mine now for, I believe, 6 years. I took it out running yesterday and in a swinging arm / earphone cord contact incident, I snapped the USB stick iPod from my hip and it fell to the ground with a clatter. Being a USB stick well-designed consumer electronics device, it was OK, but the clip that I used to hold it to my waistband was done for.

Obviously the 3rd party market has dried up for hip clips of this generation of shuffle. Was I going to actually going to buy a new shuffle to replace my holding clip?

Then I remembered that the iPod Shuffle came with a totally SWEET lanyard.

ipod shuffle firstgen

So now I run with my shuffle on lanyard, inside the shirt. Sure the USB stick gets a little moist, but I lack the cool (L) or the money (R) of these two guys to make up for the dorktacular spectacle.

Steve Jobs and John Mayer