And this one was just right

I've just finished getting used to my latest toy: an iPod Shuffle. Yes, that's right, I became part of the collective a little while ago -- actually, when we got a 40GB iPod at the end of last year. For the children, of course. Really. This way, we can have our entire music and audio book library with us during long car trips. And a device like the iPod does a great job of doing just that -- acting as a portable audio library.

But what about when I'm walking home after walking my daughter to school? Or when I'm running? A 40GB iPod is overkill for that. Besides, I can't listen to music when I run, as it interferes with my breathing rhythm. I can, however, listen to podcasts. Hence the Shuffle. I know that many people fault it for not having a display; even a simple track number. However, I don't see how such a display would be helpful for me. If I'm running along, I just want to hear one podcast after another. If I get to one I don't like, I skip to the next. That's about all I can do when running, anyway. And the best thing is that the Shuffle easily fits into the little inner key pocket that running shorts have (with room to spare for keys). I don't know of any flash memory based MP3 player with a display that is this small or light.

Topics: ipod, podcasts, running.