Soon after I start using my 2nd Generation iPod shuffle, I realized a problem while connecting it to my computer.
Accoriding to this manual provided by Apple here, while iPod shuffle is connected to the computer and the light displays ‘blinking orangre (continuous)’, it means ‘Do not disconnect (iTunes is syncing, or iPod shuffle is enabled for disk use)…
However, whenever I connect my iPod shuffle to my computer, it always shows a ‘blinking orangre (continuous)’ straight away. And I would see a new ‘Removable Disk’ under ‘My Computer’ which is the iPod shuffle I am using. Hence I would assume it is enabled for ‘disk usage’ and recognized as a mass storage device by my computer.
The thing is, when I start iTunes after my iPod shuffle is connected, it detects my shuffle and checks its data, and after that, the light on my iPod shuflle stops blinking and shows a ‘orange (continuous)’ which means it is charging the battery.
There is an option in iTunes which allows user to set a certain portion of the iPod shuffle’s memory for disk usage. However I did not, at all, allocate any space in my iPod shuffle for disk use, and still it’s detected as a ‘Removable Disk’ and keeps giving me the irritating blinking light until I run iTunes.
And although I did not allocate any space in my iPod shuffle for disk usage, I was still able to save files in it and use it as a storage device.
Hence in conclusion, in order to charge the iPod shuffle, you HAVE to run iTunes everytime you connect your shuffle. Even if you do not want to transfer songs and just want to charge the player.
Some users mentioned at the Apple Support Forum that you can either ‘Eject’ or ‘Unmount’ your iPod shuffle in iTunes or Windows itself. (by the way, what are the slackers at Apple Support doing when they are asking customers to answer each other’s questions in the forum? I don’t see any other methods to contact the Apple Support stuffs like email or forms!) I tried in Windows, when you use the ‘Safely Remove Hardware’ function to stop your iPod shuffle which is unavoidably recognized as a ‘Mass Storage Device’, the connection to the player is totally cut off, including power. Hence the light on the player does not light up at all. So the only way is still to use iTunes. But if you are running iTunes, there is not a need to ‘Eject’ the player at all, because if iTunes is not transfering any date to your iPod Shuffle, the light on the player does not blink. Which means there is no need to ‘Eject’.
The ‘Eject’ function is only needed if you have set part or all of the player for disk usage, which is also useless as I have mentioned above because you don’t need to do any setting to use it as a storage device.
Lastly, let me conclude again. There is a bug in iPod shuffle which lets Windows to recognize it as a storage device even if it is not set up as one. The solution now is to run iTunes so the player can start charging. But I find is very stupid. Why should I run iTunes when I only want to charge my player?
Some people also mentioned in the forum that even when the orange light is blinking, the player is still being charged. Just that it will not turn green until you run iTunes. But how the hell do I know it is charging while the light is blinking? It is not mentioned in the manual, neither on Apple’s website.
Orh… I’m really getting irritated by these problems.
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Other reasons that caused this problem that I can think of are:
1, Apple purposely made the system work this way, so people will use iTunes more often, willingly or not.
2, People will be forced to purchase the Apple iPod USB Power Adapter in order to save the trouble of running iTunes. The adapter costs US$ 29.
I am so pissed that I almost forgot to categorize this entry.
