I'd rather have the pastel colored postage stamps back again if that's the case.

If this thing doesn't come with the adapter I'll qualify it as a "s**** up" on the part of Apple.

Just use the standard head phones that come with it OR don't buy one - simple!

People have been known to lose headphones before...

You can play and stop music but you can't change the volume or skip tracks. Therefore "third-party output" does not require an adapter.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3472

MacNN, get your facts straight.

Many thanks to Apple for encouraging other earphone makers to produce earphones with the proper switch. With any luck, this arrangement will be taken up by other players and become a de facto standard. The worst hassle with these gadgets has always been the bother of pulling the device out to change anything.

Now if Apple would license their MagSafe connectors. I've got two iGo power supplies I can't use for that reason. It'd save a lot of trouble if I didn't have to make the same MacBook power supply serve in my den, office and on the go.

Many thanks to Apple for encouraging other earphone makers to produce earphones with the proper switch.

Encouraging may be just that. But some manufacturers may be wary of designing yet another headphone specific for iPods, when currently only the shuffle needs or uses it.

With any luck, this arrangement will be taken up by other players and become a de facto standard.

Luck would be required. Being that Apple is trying to encourage third-party peripheral makers, my guess is that this is not a standard mini-jack plug. Thus, the question arises as to whether it is Apple proprietary, and, if so, can other hardware makers license it for players, and not just peripherals.

is this shuffle just too small now?! i'm perfectly fine with the onboard controls of my current shuffle esp if it means my choice of earbuds or earphones.Not too impressed with the computerized voice feature. Since I'm putting all my fave songs on my shuffle, you could assume I know what the songs are. Plus, god, can't we do better synthesized voices by now?!?! Apple IIgs flashbacks!!

is this shuffle just too small now?! i'm perfectly fine with the onboard controls of my current shuffle esp if it means my choice of earbuds or earphones.

Not too impressed with the computerized voice feature. Since I'm putting all my fave songs on my shuffle, you could assume I know what the songs are. Plus, god, can't we do better synthesized voices by now?!?! Apple IIgs flashbacks!!

Of course it's not. It needs more contacts. Anyone know if you can use the IPT remote headphones - same three buttons (plus a mic). As for ergonomics, neither previous shuffle control was directional enough to know which button you were pressing. More so with the Gen2. Nothing that couldn't have been solved with a bump like most keyboards. The voice allows you to have playlists. Which is the reason I went from Shuffle to Nano, I suspect Apple knows this and has the data to back it up. As for the voices, we were an external research site for the IIGS - no way their voices were as good as the current Apple voices. I can't get too excited about the MS voice. And if anyone records a song titled "my ROFLcopter goes soi soi soi soi soi" you're SOL on Windows.