Apple's Shuffle hits the shelves

It's here! Apple's player shuffles into the retail market.

Apple's second-generation Shuffle MP3 player is finally hitting the shelves almost two months after being announced.

The 1GB Shuffle, which has the prestige of being the smallest digital music player in the world, can be purchased from Apple authorised resellers for AU$119 from this Friday, November 3. It was announced at an Apple event in San Francisco on September 12.

In contrast to the original Shuffle, which was shaped like a USB thumb drive, the new model has a clip design that allows it to be attached to your clothing or bag. One of the reviewers from CNET UK even clipped it to his earlobe, but given the potential for bodily harm, we don't endorse that method.

The arrival of the Shuffle completes Apple's new range of iPods, which includes higher capacity video models with brighter screens, and neon-coloured Nanos that max out at 8GB of storage space.