This is what happens when the entire control of a device is dependent on its weakest link.

Those stupid Apple remote headphones break down, like it's hot.

If they even work the first time, they will then break in a month, requiring you to go to the store to either wait for your Genius Bar appointment, or shell out $30 for a new pair.

...and I will say it again. Putting the controls on the headphone cables was a terrible idea. Apple should have put rocker controls on both sides of the nano (like the volume control on the iPod Touch).

The cables are just too flimsy (not just Apple's, but any thin cable like that); of course they are going to break. BAD BAD DESIGN. I would have liked the player's design if the aforementioned controls had been added to the body of the player.

FWIW, I took mine back after three days.

I was actually waiting for the 3rd gen to come out before I got a Shuffle. When I saw what Apple did to the design I drove over to Best Buy and bought a 2nd gen. I couldn't be happier with it and wish I would have bought one a long time ago.
Too bad Apple is putting form before function with these new things.

One other nasty surprise with this model is that it is incompatible with the 2nd gen shuffle's charger. Makes sense considering the dock won't allow it to dock, right?

It wouldn't matter anyway, because they literally are incompatible. If you try to charge the 2nd gen shuffle with the new charging cable (nice cable) that comes with the 3rd gen...it won't work.

That is why I took mine back as my wife and I hoped to retire her charging stand and use the cable that came with the new shuffle. Nope. I guess I will keep using my 1st gen shuffle til the thing dies and then buy a 2nd gen model.

I shouldn't be feeling schadenfreude over this, but damn that was an obvious one. I used the cable remote controls on the iPod mini and even they were too finicky... and they were far simpler than these ones.

Just like with scratches on ipods, this isn't Apple's fault. If you spend that kind of money on a music player, you need to treat it with care. They are delicate devices.

As you were told when you complained about scratches, you spent good money on the device, you should treat it with care. Just don't put it in your pocket.

The Shuffle is the same thing. What are you thinking of, using it while sweating. That is just so gross. You're lucky the water sensors don't flip on the thing. The shuffle should never be placed in any environment in where it is too dark, too sunny, too moist, or too dry. Never ever touch the thing. You should stay immobile when it is playing. The headphones and wires should all be covered with protective film to keep any unwanted materials away. Never insert anything metallic into the headphone jack. And whatever you do, never connect it to any cables or devices that carry any type of electrical charge, for fear of shorting it out.

Follow these simple rules and your iPod shuffle should last a lifetime.