Apple End Ipod nano and Ipod shuffle

[bing101]

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/7/27/16050420/apple-ipod-nano-shuffle-discontinued


Not surprising when the MP3 players are now integrated with your phone or tablet though.

[formulanone]

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/7/27/16050420/apple-ipod-nano-shuffle-discontinued

Not surprising when the MP3 players are now integrated with your phone or tablet though.

Except when they can only play Apple Store-bought music, which stinks for the rest of us invested deep in our own collections.

I have the last generation click-wheel iPod, and it works great for what I need it to do, but it's been off the market for a few years.

There's still the iPod touch or other MP3 players. Might just have to buy one as a back-up.

[jakeroot]

Not surprising when the MP3 players are now integrated with your phone or tablet though.

Except when they can only play Apple Store-bought music, which stinks for the rest of us invested deep in our own collections.

My physical iTunes "Library" syncs with my Apple Music app over-the-air. My phone's music library is a mixture of my own .mp3's and Apple Music's streaming library.

Do you have a phone with Apple Music?

[mgk920]

I'm one who prefers his tunes to be in a unit that is completely separate from his phone.  I'm in and out of the car continually at work and keep the player in the car while the phone is in the belt holster.  Also, phones generally don't have the HD capacity to hold my .mp3 collection (I use a 160GB 6th-gen iPod classic).

I also will not subscribe to a streaming service - (a) I like to play only known tunes that I like while I'm out and about, (b) streaming services are tied to some sort of OTA service (WIFI, satellite, TelCo data plans, etc) and (c) while services like Spotify will allow one to 'download' tunes on their paid service, the downloaded files are not in your hard drive and will go 'poof!' if/when the subscription lapses.

As for the discontinued models, I never got the logic of the Shuffle (no display and a small capacity - and you had to re-sync it to change its library and it then loaded a few hundred files at random from iTunes) and the Nanos were too small for my needs.

Mike

[formulanone]

Not surprising when the MP3 players are now integrated with your phone or tablet though.

Except when they can only play Apple Store-bought music, which stinks for the rest of us invested deep in our own collections.

My physical iTunes "Library" syncs with my Apple Music app over-the-air. My phone's music library is a mixture of my own .mp3's and Apple Music's streaming library.

Do you have a phone with Apple Music?

I'll have to try it...I didn't know that was an option, like Google Music.

[cahwyguy]

I'll mention this for the folks that have the click-wheel classics, 6G or later. Our household has 4: I have two, my wife has one 160GB and one 80GB (which was my first one). Both of mine are at 512GB; I plan to bring my wife's 160GB to 384GB and eventually her 80 to 128GB (there's a reason why for the limit). How? The site www.iflash.xyz sells adapator cards that allow you to replace the hard disk with solid state memory.

So I now travel California's highways with over 41K songs on my ipod (and growing), and right now, over 70 podcasts to listen to. Hopefully that number will go down after this summer's roadtrip/vacation (I-15 - I-70 - I-76 - I-80 - to Madison, and then I think it is I-35 - I-55 - and back along old US 66 (I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15)).

[Mr_Northside]

I've been happy with my SanDisk Sansa Clip for about 9 years now.....

[7/8]

I'm still using my 4th generation iPod touch (32 GB), which a lot of my friends and classmates think is odd. I use it because I like the iOS 6 music app, and unlike my Samsung Galaxy S4, I don't need to download an app to get precise volume control

[hbelkins]

I don't put music on my phone or tablet. I hate to see the day when my 160 GB iPod Classic bites the dust.

The library on my iPod consists of MP3s that I have ripped from my CD collection (I still prefer to buy physical CDs), plus MP3s that I downloaded from Napster before it got shut down, and MP3s that I have downloaded from various Usenet binary groups. Also I have taken to converting YouTube videos to MP3s via a shareware app I downloaded; you can find plenty of full albums that way. I have bought a handful of albums from the Apple iTunes Store, but not many.

I have a 64 GB iPod Touch but I use it mainly for podcasts as well as new music, because my iTunes library is on an external hard drive and I have to select it manually if I want to make changes to the music on my Classic.

An Apple music player is not limited to music you buy off Apple's store. Far from it.

[cahwyguy]

I hate to see the day when my 160 GB iPod Classic bites the dust.

I know because we're friends on FB that you know how much I use my classic. You might consider looking at www.iflash.xyz and upgrading to solid state memory when finances permit. If you're not comfortable with the hardware mods, I know someone out here in LA that did my mods for me (and he might know someone out your way). The expensive part is the memory cards. The iFlash board is about $40; I 256GB SD card is around $170 now. So mine has the iFlash board, 2 256GB cards, plus installation.

[kalvado]

I hate to see the day when my 160 GB iPod Classic bites the dust.

I know because we're friends on FB that you know how much I use my classic. You might consider looking at www.iflash.xyz and upgrading to solid state memory when finances permit. If you're not comfortable with the hardware mods, I know someone out here in LA that did my mods for me (and he might know someone out your way). The expensive part is the memory cards. The iFlash board is about $40; I 256GB SD card is around $170 now. So mine has the iFlash board, 2 256GB cards, plus installation.

Double checked that post is from 2017..
MicroSD prices are $44 for 128 GB, $78 for 200 GB.
So a phone can easily hold that 160 Gb collection + full set of maps. And no, "keep it in a car" is not really a problem these day - Bluetooth which activates player upon connecting (aka 15 seconds after engine start) is the modern way to go...

[briantroutman]

I never got the logic of the Shuffle...

For the most part, I think the Shuffle was basically a fitness accessory–an incredibly lightweight device that could be easily clipped onto pocketless running shorts and controlled eyes-free with a few physical buttons. A screen is basically irrelevant because you wouldn't want to take your eyes off what you're doing anyway, and specific control of tracks isn't crucial because you'd load a playlist of uptempo workout tracks and simply hit skip until you found the right beat for the moment.

Back around 2006, even though I already had a click-wheel iPod, I bought a second gen. iPod Shuffle for bike rides. In many ways, it was the perfect tool for the job. Additionally, it was nice having a relatively cheap device that wouldn't likely be hurt if it was dropped.

Eventually, using the Shuffle became impractical, though. As my personal and professional lives evolved so that I had to remain more in-touch at all times, it became important that the earbuds delivering music during my activities also be able to alert me if an important call or message came in. These days, I have a water-resistant iPhone mount in the center of my bike's handlebars, and I use a speedometer app to show current speed and mileage. But for music, I still generally pick a suitable playlist, put it on shuffle tracks, and use the earbud remote to skip tracks I don't want to hear–just like I did a decade ago with the iPod Shuffle.

[cahwyguy]

MicroSD prices are $44 for 128 GB, $78 for 200 GB.
So a phone can easily hold that 160 Gb collection + full set of maps. And no, "keep it in a car" is not really a problem these day - Bluetooth which activates player upon connecting (aka 15 seconds after engine start) is the modern way to go...

Note that I'm talking dedicated music players. I do not like using my phone for music. I find the click wheel easier to navigate, plus it is more likely to be legal -- most of the regulations deal with wireless devices while driving. My iPod Classic is not wireless: it is connnected to the Aux port on my car entertainment system (from either the headphone jack or the iPod connector with a line-out cord).

As for maps? On the phone? Who needs them. I have maps IN MY HEAD. I remember maps. I love maps. I can read a map once and know where I'm going. I only use phone navigation when I know I'll need dynamic routing around traffic.

Kids these days. Oh, and get off my lawn :-) [Just kidding, although I do have a pet peeve on the current generation that can't read paper maps]

[jakeroot]

MicroSD prices are $44 for 128 GB, $78 for 200 GB.
So a phone can easily hold that 160 Gb collection + full set of maps. And no, "keep it in a car" is not really a problem these day - Bluetooth which activates player upon connecting (aka 15 seconds after engine start) is the modern way to go...

Note that I'm talking dedicated music players. I do not like using my phone for music. I find the click wheel easier to navigate, plus it is more likely to be legal -- most of the regulations deal with wireless devices while driving. My iPod Classic is not wireless: it is connnected to the Aux port on my car entertainment system (from either the headphone jack or the iPod connector with a line-out cord).

If you have to grab it to use it, it's a handheld device.

Smartphone's for music are arguably much safer. iOS and Android both have intelligent voice control built in that can play just about any song at any time. It doesn't need to be a song you own, either.

As for maps? On the phone? Who needs them. I have maps IN MY HEAD. I remember maps. I love maps. I can read a map once and know where I'm going. I only use phone navigation when I know I'll need dynamic routing around traffic.

Kids these days. Oh, and get off my lawn :-) [Just kidding, although I do have a pet peeve on the current generation that can't read paper maps]

Speaking of kids, we prefer smartphones that "do it all" because it's far cheaper, and a lot more practical, to have one device that can do everything than two handicapped devices (i.e. flip phone + iPod).

[cahwyguy]

Who said that I used a flip phone?

I have playlists set up for both music and podcasts that make selecting music easy. I have over 41,000 songs on my iPod, and everyone one has been listened to in the last 2 years (I clear that playlist daily). I can listen to all my music without requiring a data connection, meaning anywhere, including in the middle of nowhere and inside a faraday cage. When we had a recent power outage in Northridge that brought down most internet, including cellular, I had music -- with a long battery life. I can walk into a record store or thrift shop to buy used CDs and determine whether I already have that album. Hell, I can easily listen to music AS ALBUMS.

I use my smart phone for loads of things. Just not listening to music.

P.S.: Although an iPod Classic may be a handheld device, check your local laws. Often, it doesn't fall into the same category as using a mobile phone when driving. In any case, I keep my iPod in a phone mount when driving. (and my phone connects via bluetooth and voice commands).

[vdeane]

Plus it's very easy to program in a temporary "On The Go" playlist on an iPod.  I haven't yet had the chance to investigate Android music apps (getting my music library onto my phone isn't a priority since I usually just listen to the sound of the road on trips these days), but my one time using the USB interface to control an iPod in my Mom's car was far clunkier, more confusing, and more limiting (it was not capable of playing my prepared playlist, for example; about the only thing it was good for was shuffling one's entire library) than using the iPod controls, which the car stubbornly didn't allow to be used.  If that's the future of car music playback, no thanks.  Give me an aux cable any day.

I still have my third generation nano, though I haven't used it in years.  The click wheel was starting to get finicky and Linux and iPods don't get along.

[jakeroot]

Who said that I used a flip phone?
...
I use my smart phone for loads of things. Just not listening to music.

But why? Your phone is just as capable of playing back your music as a dedicated MP3 player. Dedicated MP3 players exist because they came before the modern smartphone (going back to the Walkman, here). They would never have been invented if the smartphone came first. I only know one person who uses a dedicated MP3 player. That would be my much older friend who still has a flip phone -- hence my comment.

Despite having a large-ish library of music, I've been able to keep all of my music on my phone(s) since I started using smartphones back with the iPhone 3G. I've never owned 160GB worth of music. But even if I did, most Android smartphone are compatible with 256GB MicroSD cards, so, already, I'm ahead of the largest iPod ever.

I have playlists set up for both music and podcasts that make selecting music easy. I have over 41,000 songs on my iPod, and everyone one has been listened to in the last 2 years (I clear that playlist daily). I can listen to all my music without requiring a data connection, meaning anywhere, including in the middle of nowhere and inside a faraday cage. When we had a recent power outage in Northridge that brought down most internet, including cellular, I had music -- with a long battery life. I can walk into a record store or thrift shop to buy used CDs and determine whether I already have that album. Hell, I can easily listen to music AS ALBUMS.

I can also enjoy my music offline. My phone has a combined total of 160GB of storage (32 + 128 MicroSD). When I download a song from Apple Music (i.e. "subscribe" to it), I have it set to automatically download to my device so that I can enjoy it offline. On iTunes on my PC, I have several thousand physical mp3s from various discs that I've burned over the years. These are automatically synced over the cloud onto my phone. The library in the Apple Music app on my phone is a combination of my "subscribed" songs from the Apple Music store, and my own mp3 files. Either way, everything is available offline.

If there's no cellular connection, just flip your phone into Airplane mode + a powersaving mode. My phone will easily last two days in that setting.

[Brian556]

Lately, Apple has been right up there with Mr Trump as far as pissing people off goes. First, they eliminate the aux port on the iPhone, now this.
I have an ipod Nano, and I really like it. It's very lightweight and small, making it way better than a phone for portable music listening. (Not that I ever do that, I just hook it up to my home or car stereo.) I do not want to hook my phone up to my stereo because I want to be able to use it whenever.

The other big advantage to it is low cost. It s only $145.

Apple is screwing up big time by doing these things.

Its like they are trying to give the middle finger to their loyal customers.

[mgk920]

Who said that I used a flip phone?

I have playlists set up for both music and podcasts that make selecting music easy. I have over 41,000 songs on my iPod, and everyone one has been listened to in the last 2 years (I clear that playlist daily). I can listen to all my music without requiring a data connection, meaning anywhere, including in the middle of nowhere and inside a faraday cage. When we had a recent power outage in Northridge that brought down most internet, including cellular, I had music -- with a long battery life. I can walk into a record store or thrift shop to buy used CDs and determine whether I already have that album. Hell, I can easily listen to music AS ALBUMS.

I use my smart phone for loads of things. Just not listening to music.

P.S.: Although an iPod Classic may be a handheld device, check your local laws. Often, it doesn't fall into the same category as using a mobile phone when driving. In any case, I keep my iPod in a phone mount when driving. (and my phone connects via bluetooth and voice commands).

One thing that I really like about the Classic is that I can turn it on or off by feel alone, without having to take my attention away from more important things.

Mike

[kalvado]

Lately, Apple has been right up there with Mr Trump as far as pissing people off goes. First, they eliminate the aux port on the iPhone, now this.
I have an ipod Nano, and I really like it. It's very lightweight and small, making it way better than a phone for portable music listening. (Not that I ever do that, I just hook it up to my home or car stereo.) I do not want to hook my phone up to my stereo because I want to be able to use it whenever.

The other big advantage to it is low cost. It s only $145.

Apple is screwing up big time by doing these things.

Its like they are trying to give the middle finger to their loyal customers.

I am not really willing to jump into Trump discussion, but it is worth noting that Apple is a publicly traded for-profit corporation. And as such, their primary goal is creating profit for shareholders.
It is also worth noting, that despite multiple "it is so cool!" comment, there is no single comment along the lines of "I am going to get myself a new one while stock is still available". Tells you something about sales...
And maintaining a low-volume old technology product cost money - which can be better used on newer products.

[7/8]

Who said that I used a flip phone?
...
I use my smart phone for loads of things. Just not listening to music.

But why? Your phone is just as capable of playing back your music as a dedicated MP3 player. Dedicated MP3 players exist because they came before the modern smartphone (going back to the Walkman, here). They would never have been invented if the smartphone came first. I only know one person who uses a dedicated MP3 player. That would be my much older friend who still has a flip phone -- hence my comment.

Despite having a large-ish library of music, I've been able to keep all of my music on my phone(s) since I started using smartphones back with the iPhone 3G. I've never owned 160GB worth of music. But even if I did, most Android smartphone are compatible with 256GB MicroSD cards, so, already, I'm ahead of the largest iPod ever.

I can't speak for cahwyguy, but my reason for using my iPod Touch is because I really hate the volume bar on Android. It's a pain trying to get the right volume when the buttons cause the volume to change so drastically. I know there are apps to deal with this, but for the time being, I don't feel like figuring it out when I can just use my trusty iPod Touch . I also think the iOS 6 music app is really well laid out.

If/when my iPod dies, I would consider buying an iPod Classic off Kijiji for a cheap price, since I've always felt limited by the 32GB on my current iPod. Another advantage to the classic is that the scroll wheel makes it easier to skip songs while driving. With the touch or my phone, I don't feel comfortable taking my eyes off the road to look at the touch screen to skip songs. This is one reason why I still use CD's in the car (my car doesn't have Bluetooth BTW).

[vdeane]

The other reason I don't like the idea of connecting my phone to my car is because then your car gets full access to your phone, and yes, data does get left behind in the car.  And since the automakers don't give a crap about security, cars are very easy to hack.  If you connect to a friend's car, the data might intermingle.  Seems like a good way to spread viruses, at the very least.  This will only get worse if the self-driving ridesharing concept becomes reality.

[doorknob60]

The other reason I don't like the idea of connecting my phone to my car is because then your car gets full access to your phone, and yes, data does get left behind in the car.  And since the automakers don't give a crap about security, cars are very easy to hack.  If you connect to a friend's car, the data might intermingle.  Seems like a good way to spread viruses, at the very least.  This will only get worse if the self-driving ridesharing concept becomes reality.

That's not how a 3.5mm audio jack works. Zero chance of anything like that happening with one of those. And I think it's safe to say the same about Bluetooth (though I am not 100% certain). At the very least, neither one "gives the car full access to your phone".

[kalvado]

The other reason I don't like the idea of connecting my phone to my car is because then your car gets full access to your phone, and yes, data does get left behind in the car.  And since the automakers don't give a crap about security, cars are very easy to hack.  If you connect to a friend's car, the data might intermingle.  Seems like a good way to spread viruses, at the very least.  This will only get worse if the self-driving ridesharing concept becomes reality.

That's not how a 3.5mm audio jack works. Zero chance of anything like that happening with one of those. And I think it's safe to say the same about Bluetooth (though I am not 100% certain). At the very least, neither one "gives the car full access to your phone".

Bluetooth may be a bit more invasive, since some systems request access to contacts and messaging - to display caller information and messages. But that can also be limited.

[vdeane]

The other reason I don't like the idea of connecting my phone to my car is because then your car gets full access to your phone, and yes, data does get left behind in the car.  And since the automakers don't give a crap about security, cars are very easy to hack.  If you connect to a friend's car, the data might intermingle.  Seems like a good way to spread viruses, at the very least.  This will only get worse if the self-driving ridesharing concept becomes reality.

That's not how a 3.5mm audio jack works. Zero chance of anything like that happening with one of those. And I think it's safe to say the same about Bluetooth (though I am not 100% certain). At the very least, neither one "gives the car full access to your phone".

Most people use USB or Bluetooth to connect phones, both of which are two way connections, rather than one way like the audio jack.  And you should check current phone designs.  The audio jack is going the way of the dodo.  It's not just the iPhone any more.

Plus using the touch screen to change tracks is harder to do than with the iPod click wheel, plus it's illegal most everywhere.  Now, I haven't had a chance to actually test it out (if I'm using my phone as something other than a phone, it probably means I needed to check something on Google Maps or wanted to browse the internet in a small moment when I was bored), but I imagine the software is clunkier too.