Shuffle

An entire chapter of The Perfect Thing is devoted to the "shuffle" function of the iPod, the feature that selects and plays music, almost at random.

Apparently, this is one of the most popular features of the iPod. (There's even a model that does almost nothing but.) Some people are convinced that these random selections are anything but, even that the device has it's own agenda or distinctive moods. In fact, "random" can be a surprisingly elusive ideal, and the human mind does rather badly with this concept — we're quick to see trends and connections where there really are none.

(Apple later introduced a feature that allowed users to tweak the shuffle function, to make it appear to be more random by actually making it slightly less so.)

As I was reading about the "shuffle" function, I suddenly realized, I've never, ever used it. I suppose it's just never occurred to me. (I listen to my iPod just about every day, but I only use it to listen to music once in a while. I tend to listen to Podcasts while driving, mostly news and documentary programming.) I'm sure this will sound unimaginative and monotonous — but I enjoy an element of control over what I'm listening to, even prefer it.