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iPod Shuffle Deconstructed

tomofdarknesss writes "Apple Matters posts a disassembly of an iPod shuffle." They're not getting any warranty service, I suspect.

11 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Yeppers! by Bios_Hakr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There's a green circuit board thingy and a battery. Oh, and a switch and a headphone jack.

    How about these guys do something semi-useful and try and list the components used on the PCB? How about figuring out what kind of battery and what the interface is.

    Nope, nothing useful here. Just a bunch of boys smashing a toy.

    --
    I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
    1. Re:Yeppers! by libra-dragon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      At the very least, I was expecting them to point out the 512MB chip.

    2. Re:Yeppers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Nope, nothing useful here. Just a bunch of boys smashing a toy.

      You're unclear on the concept of pioneering effort. Very importantly, these "boys" made a sacrifice to show the rest of us how -not- to open an iPod shuffle. Their first two actions were unnecessary and potentially permanently damaging. You don't need to pop off the switch or the control "dial". You carefully pull off the USB plug (without tearing the short ribbon cable) and then slide the innards out.

      I'd say theses "boys" are iPod hacking pioneers, while critics like yourself are doing sweet shit all for the community.

  2. Pulling tiny electronic devices apart isn't as fun by sendai2ci · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The battery looks to be a lump of Lithium polymer, other than that, can't really tell anything else about the device. Since they have practically ruined the device, why didn't they go the whole hog and pull off the black plastic covering a few of the components on there...

  3. Inspired Technology. by eRondeau · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ten years ago this would have been proof of alien visitation. Now, when 95% of the world's computers are functionally similar, only cutting-edge industrial design, packaging, and marketing will differentiate them. Like it or not, Apple is still way out front of everybody else on all counts. They will sell 20,000,000 of these this year.

    1. Re:Inspired Technology. by mmkkbb · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Now, when 95% of the world's computers are functionally similar, only cutting-edge industrial design, packaging, and marketing will differentiate them.

      Not to the 95% of the world's population for whom price is a bigger factor.

      --
      -mkb
    2. Re:Inspired Technology. by zpok · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yup, you're right,
      1) it's not a new thing, so it's not as 'cutting edge' as some people scream, and
      2) its real strength indeed is in the integration with iTunes and iTMS.
      But I think you're wrong on some counts:
      1) people won't be disappointed because these things work as advertised (they just don't make your pimples go away)
      2) apple is in its own way doing truly new things, like for the first time making products in the consumer's spending sweet spots.
      3) and they don't need more daring, they're plenty daring as it is right now, a new Newton would help them as much as a new Cube - which the mini isn't, I should know, I still use my cube as my primary computer. It's great but not for everyone. The mini has a much larger audience waiting.

      --
      I think, therefore I am...I think.
    3. Re:Inspired Technology. by Stevyn · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They have screens though. That adds cost and functionality. I'm not really buying this random song playing idea. But I'm sure there are people out there to fill the small market. However, I don't think it's the same market of people who want a cheap yet functional music player.

  4. Mod up +1 insightful by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Precisely right; your elegant quip really took the wind out of the previous remark.

    The fact is that differentiation is measurable by much more than the criteria of design, packaging and marketing; there are objective and subjective issues.

  5. Re:Pulling tiny electronic devices apart isn't as by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Also, this caption from the earlier photo showing how to pull out the USB plug from the case gives us a clue as to what went wrong:

    Gripping the plug with pliers and pulling will snap the plug out of the casing. (Make sure not to pull too hard! The ribbon wiring connecting the USB plug to the greenboard is short and rips easily).

    Anyway, it's only $100 worth of sad, and the author(s) is making some money from google ads (perhaps enough to get a new iPod Shuffle?).

    --
    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  6. Re:profit? by thue · · Score: 2, Insightful

    6) Put ads on the page, as they have done (The amazon link to "iPod and iTunes Hacks" book)

    or

    7) "profit" by having fun, getting your curiosity satisfied, and/or getting respect from your readers.