The following review was originally written for the second-generation Apple iPod Shuffle. The latest series of the shuffle is functionally identical to the second-generation series, although the colour options have changed -- and the shuffle now has the same lower-case name as its iPod kin.

It's true -- the third-generation iPod shuffle (1GB) is the lowest-profile MP3 player we've laid eyes on. Apple may have been slow out of the gate, but the company has succeeded in launching perhaps the tiniest and simplest player on the market -- and it sports a price tag to match: £49, down from £55 for the second gen.

The new shuffle is appealing in its elementariness, too, but the ickle device is far from perfect. Its screenless design means you get few navigational options and no extra features. And how small is too small?

Design of the Apple iPod shuffle (3rd Generation)

At 41 by 28 by 10mm and weighing just 17g, the iPod shuffle is one minuscule music player. In fact, it's so inconspicuous that we have trouble keeping track of it -- if you're constantly misplacing your keys, this player probably isn't your best option. If you just can't help yourself, go for one of the brighter colour options. The pink, orange, green and blue models will probably be easier to spot on a cluttered desk than the muted silver one is. That said, the integrated belt clip on the back of the shuffle helps keep the player within easy reaching distance. Some users have complained that the clip isn't very durable, but it seemed sturdy during our testing.

Like its ancestor, the third-generation iPod shuffle has no screen for navigating through music or other options (of which there are none). Instead, you get a simple and ample-sized five-way control pad on the face of the player: play/pause in the centre, surrounded by volume up/down buttons and track shuttle keys. There's no way to navigate among specific albums or artists, but you can click play/pause three times fast to skip through playlists.

The bottom edge of the player houses two switches -- one for powering the unit on and off and the second for toggling between shuffle and repeat modes. A standard-size headphone jack, which doubles as the shuffle's USB syncing port, rests on the top side of the device. There's also a tiny LED indicator that lights up different colour combos (orange, red and green) depending on the status of the player.

Features of the Apple iPod shuffle (3rd Generation)

To charge and sync content to the iPod shuffle, you'll need to use the included cradle. It's a rather cute little piece, but we'd prefer a standard mini-USB port or the older shuffle's built-in USB interface. Some users, however, may prefer the 1m cable attached to the dock for easy USB access. Apple also includes a pair of standard white iPod earbuds, which for some reason aren't the newer and sleeker 'phones currently shipping with bigger iPods. (See editor's note below.)

For music management, you'll need to download the latest version of iTunes from the Apple Web site. As with all iPods, the shuffle supports MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible and both protected and unprotected AAC files. And like the first Shuffle, you can click Autofill in iTunes to automatically replace the contents with music from your music library or playlists.

Performance of the Apple iPod shuffle (3rd Generation)

As you might expect from such a small player, the shuffle's rated 12-hour battery life is nothing impressive, though our tests proved that Apple underestimated the player: we eked out a decent 15.8 hours. In cursory testing, we found the shuffle's audio quality to be decent through the included earbuds, but bass was lacking, and we could detect some light static when we twisted the headphone plug during quiet moments.

Swapping in a pair of Shure E4cs improved the bass situation, but overall, music was still too bright and lacking in warmth for our tastes. We could also detect noticeable background noise during silent segments. Suffice to say that the newer shuffles don't sound as good as the old one.

In final analysis, the iPod shuffle is a decent player that offers a sleek, compact form factor, an excessively simple user interface and a low price. Fans of ultraportable gadgets will no doubt be drawn to it, but audiophiles, beware -- this is not the player for you. If you're discerning about audio quality or tend to misplace things easily, steer clear.

Note: Our review copy was supplied with the older, bigger earbuds, but recent retail units we've seen have come with the new sleeker 'buds. Note that this may not be an improvement -- as they are smaller, they may fall out of your ears more easily.