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iPod Shuffle Fan Book: The Art of Shuffling

August 29, 2005

Sebastopol, CA--The Shuffle is a "very different kind of iPod," says iPod aficionado J. D. Biersdorfer. "It has a lot in common with its older and bigger iPod siblings, but it also has a whole life of its own." And there's no faster, easier, or more enjoyable way to start Shuffling than by using the expert tips, tricks, and tools in Biersdorfer's new iPod Shuffle Fan Book (Biersdorfer, O'Reilly, US $9.95).

The ultimate resource for getting the most out of Apple Computer's lightest and least expensive iPod music player (it's smaller than a pack of bubble gum!), the iPod Shuffle Fan Book covers all the basics of iPod Shuffle hardware and software; using iTunes with ease; filling the Shuffle with nothing but the best songs; and playing them however, whenever, and wherever desired. Biersdorfer includes resource and web site listings for troubleshooting and further research, and he even delivers sample playlists, including a Classic American Rock list, an Interstate Car Trip Mix, The Moody Mix, and Happy Fun Songs!

With the Shuffle and the iPod Shuffle Fan Book, users can enjoy an ever-changing listening experience that is as unique as they are. Music lovers needn't be limited to the song groupings put forth by a record company, radio station, or DJ in a club; the Shuffle holds up to 240 favorite songs and plays them any and every way imaginable. Random or orderly--the listener decides--the Shuffle caters to the users' every taste, mood, and whim. And the music won't even skip as much as the bigger iPods, because the Shuffle uses a solid chip of memory to store its songs instead of a little hard drive with moving parts.

Armed with the know-how in this book, says Biersdorfer, "you can also make your Shuffle serve double duty as one of those tiny USB flash-memory drives that you copy and cart your files around from computer to computer. You can drag word-processing documents, PowerPoint presentations, digital photographs, and other files too big to email, onto the Shuffle's hard drive."

While Biersdorfer's full-color Fan Book isn't a whole lot bigger than the iPod Shuffle itself, it's loaded with all the information Shuffle users need:

  • Getting the Shuffle up and running (with specifics for installing iPod software on both Windows and Mac)
  • Finding, converting, buying, and managing songs with iTunes
  • Using the Shuffle to listen to Internet radio and audiobooks
  • Creating custom playlists (and even burning them to CD or DVD)
  • Storing data files on a Shuffle
  • Finding cool iPod Shuffle accessories (including colorful cases, battery-life extenders, headphones, and car and home stereo adapters)
  • A fun book as much as a Fan Book, the iPod Shuffle Fan Book helps readers immerse themselves in the joy of iPodding with the versatile iPod Shuffle.

    Additional Resources:

    iPod Shuffle Fan Book
    J. D. Biersdorfer
    ISBN: 0-596-100701, 96 pages, $9.95 US, $13.95 CAN
    order@oreilly.com
    1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000

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