iPod shuffle 1st Generation (2005): History and Specs
An iPod without a screen
Apple introduced the iPod shuffle at Macworld Expo in San Francisco on 11 January 2005 and began shipping it the same day. It stored music on flash memory and had no display. Two models were offered: 512MB, rated for about 120 songs, at US$99, and 1GB, rated for about 240 songs, at US$149. Apple described the player as smaller and lighter than a pack of gum and called it the most affordable iPod it had made. Steve Jobs contrasted it with flash players that depended on tiny displays and complicated controls.
Body and controls
The case measured 3.3 × 0.98 × 0.33 inches and weighed 22 g. A circular Control Pad on the front handled play/pause, track skipping and volume, with a status light behind it. On the back, a three-position switch selected Off, Play in Order or Shuffle, and a separate button lit a battery-level indicator. A removable cap covered a USB plug built into one end, so the shuffle connected directly to a computer's USB port for syncing and charging, and it could double as a USB flash drive for carrying files between computers. Audio came from a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Battery, software and accessories
Apple rated the built-in lithium-ion battery at up to 12 hours of playback; a full charge took about four hours, or two hours to reach 80 per cent. The player worked with both Mac and Windows computers. With no screen to browse, iTunes AutoFill was central to the design: it filled the player with a selection of songs from the library or a chosen playlist in one step. Earbuds and a lanyard came in the box. Optional accessories at US$29 each included an armband, a sport case, a dock, a USB power adapter and a battery pack that took two AAA cells and added up to 20 hours of playback.
Sales and successor
NPD figures reported by The Register in May 2005 put the shuffle's share of the US flash-player retail market at 58 per cent, up from 43 per cent in February. Apple announced the second-generation iPod shuffle, an aluminium clip-on model that it said was nearly half the size of the original, on 12 September 2006.
Specifications
| Announced | 11 January 2005, shipped the same day |
|---|---|
| Launch price (US) | US$99 (512 MB), US$149 (1 GB) |
| Capacity | 512 MB or 1 GB flash memory — about 120 or 240 songs |
| Display | None — a switch for playing in order or shuffling, and status lights |
| Battery | Up to 12 hours of music |
| Connectors | Built-in USB plug under a cap, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Size | 84 × 25 × 8.4 mm (3.3 × 0.98 × 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 22 g (0.78 oz) |
| Colours | White |
| Works with | Mac OS X 10.2.8 or 10.3.4 or later; Windows 2000 (SP4) or XP (SP2) |
| Model number | A1112 |
Figures from Apple's published technical specifications. Where Apple lists only inches and ounces, metric values are converted and rounded.
How to identify it
- A white stick about the size of a pack of gum, with no screen.
- Status lights on the front and back; a USB plug under the cap at one end.
- The capacity is engraved on the USB connector. Model number A1112.
Where to find the model number and serial number: how to identify a used iPod.