What a Steaming Turd

Okay, maybe it's bad journalism to give the tell away in the header like that but I'm fed up. I've had one of these things for almost a year and I can't figure out how to make it make even the slightest sound.



In the meantime, I discover that Apple has already phased out this model and the NEW Ipod Shuffle is about the size of a thick postage stamp. This is ridiculous. All I want to do is play some podcasts and audio books. I don't need to see video, I don't want to spend a fortune on downloadable music.

What I've done and How I've done it so far:

I downloaded Itunes and subscribed to some podcasts.

I installed (for the second time) the Apple Ipod Firmware.

It initialized and wiped the Ipod (again).

I dragged and dropped the podcasts and sudiobooks and etc. into the Ipod. I played it back (through Itunes) using the files on the (recognized by Itunes) Ipod, which would indicate to me that the thing had loaded the songs. It plays through my PC with the Ipod in a USB port.

However, when I plug a pair of earphones (and I tried several kinds) into the Shuffle, I hear nada. Zip.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG with my procedure? The last time I tried it, Apple's wonderful "troubleshooting" site said Uninstall Itunes and the Ipod software and try again. I have done so, and have experienced the same results as last time, which is to say, nothing.

Anyone ever have success in loading an Ipod from an XP platform? Someone had to have made this thing work, or else they wouldn't have sold a gazillion of them.