The varied styles of iPod for teenagers and tweens are significantly different in terms of space for music and other media. The least expensive of the iPods is the shuffle, and while the price is attractive, at less than $50, you will want to evaluate the media storage needs of your tween.
My tween son has used his Playstation for listening to music in the past couple of years, but had complained recently that he couldn't store very much music. Money was stretched, and the iPod shuffle was in reach, so we picked out a blue shuffle, with 2GB storage space. Following are the pros and cons of the iPod Shuffle for a Tween.
Space: There is more space on the shuffle, but there are limits. My son's shuffle holds around 300 songs , but the library of music available is much more than this. He has to make choices, and that means more frequent synching of his iPod. For the tween, it will take a little time to get used to how to handle iPod synching. In all, my son is pleased that he has so much more music for listening on his portable device.
Control: The iPod Shuffle does just that: shuffles. Music is played in random order, and there are no screen controls to indicate what is being played. There is software to update, which allows your tween to hear the artist and title of a song at the beginning. My teenagers prefer their iPod Nanos, which have screens, and touchscreen interaction, for selecting playlists, songs, artists, and other activities. The iPod shuffle, on the other hand, is much more limited in use.
Cost: The iPod Nano ranges from $135 to $165 for the most current generation, which is a reasonably good price for the 8 and 16 GB models, given that a couple of years ago, the 8 GB Nano was about $150, and the 16 GB model, nearly $200. The iPod Shuffle, with 2 GB memory, is just under $50.
Colors: Both Nano and Shuffle come in a variety of colors, which are great for tween interests. This is also great for parents, in that it's easy to keep track of which device belongs to whom. Shuffle is available in silver, blue, pink, green, or orange. Nano is available in these same colors, and additionally, graphite.
Charging: Shuffle charges through the earphone insert, and doesn't, therefore, dock with many of the devices that accomodate Nano. Therefore, you will need to keep this in mind if you are searching for a speaker system to go along with your tween's iPod.
In all, the Shuffle was well received, as it was a huge improvement from the previous listening means. In fact, my tween daughter has added Shuffle to her birthday wishlist, at this point.
