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Basic Playback (6.0)
 As previously mentioned, all playback controls are on the remote incorporated into the included headphones, with only a simple 3-way switch on the Shuffle itself to set the playback mode or turn it off. You adjust the volume with the up and down buttons on the ends of the remote and the center button offers navigation control. A single click will pause and play music, a double click will advance to the next track, and a triple click will jump back to the beginning of the current track or skip to the previous track if you do it before 6 seconds have elapsed in the current song. Pressing and holding the center button will fast-forward through the current track, while triple-clicking and then holding will rewind the current track.
Unlike the Shuffle's larger sibling, the iPod Nano, there is no hold switch to avoid accidental playback control input. With all of the controls on the headphones, there's no worry in accidentally pressing a button the Shuffle itself when you put it in your bag or pocket.
These are a lot of button click combinations to remember at first, though it's easy to get used to after a short time with the Shuffle. We can't help but think that it's a little more cumbersome than it really needs to be compared to a device with actual buttons that can accomplish all of these functions so easily.
Advanced Playback (2.0)
[Photo: screen cap of controls]
This center button on the remote also controls the VoiceOver technology to tell you the name and artist of the current song as well as let you select a playlist to listen to you. This is where the new Shuffle differs vastly in its operation from the previous version that had physical buttons and a visual interface to aid in navigation. On the new Shuffle, a long press on the remote's center button will prompt an announcement of the current song's title and artist. Pressing and holding the center button will prompt a short beep followed by a recited list of the playlists saved to the Shuffle, during which you can skip forward and backward using the volume up and down buttons, and then select one by pressing the center button again.
This is pretty neat functionality in a media player that we haven't encountered before. It sounds awkward on its face and we expected it to be clumsy and slow to respond, but it's not. Announcements of song and playlist information happen quickly and, despite the robotic sound of the voice, are completely intelligible. VoiceOver makes the shuffle even more amenable to use during physical activity since it avoids the need to focus on a display screen to control playback. We can envision this as a major selling point to those who want a media player than can play their music and not be a distraction to use when engaged in other activities.
As with the previous Shuffle, a simple switch offers 2 playback modes - shuffle or play in order.
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