But why make the playback controls available only on the earphones that come with the product? Everyone knows default iPod earphones aren’t the best out there, so what if you wanted to use your own earphones or headphones with the latest iPod shuffle?

I understand the earphone controls are great for those who want to change the music while keeping the player in their pocket, but again, what if the user doesn’t use the bundled earphones?

In any case, this represents another Apple shortcoming that third-parties can take full advantage of. Expect lots of accessories to be available for this tiny media player, which is available in dark or light gray (or is that black and silver?) from Apple.com at $79.

Another feature I’d like to see Apple engineer back into the shuffle: the USB plug found in its first-generation predecessor.

(image from Apple)

Post from: The Gadget Blog