When the iPod shuffle was released this year, lots of people complained about the lack of a display on the unit. The head of Creative even called it technology that is five generations old. But my brother-in-law Robert pointed out something almost genius about the device that I didn't realize: you don't need to look at it to operate it. The controls are so simple that you can run the thing without ever removing it from your pocket.
I think this is a big deal for those of us adding mp3 players to our cars. As someone who's hacked up iPod inputs for my cars, I can tell you that operating a standard iPod in a moving vehicle can be a bit dangerous at times because you must look at the display to use it. The iPod shuffle is a great, safer alternative here.
Of course, I'm still going to install my OmniFi DMP1, but hey, that's a geek tax that I must pay.
