the possibility? i believe you can use it while its plugged in the USB drive, and run iTunes. question is how good is the SQ compared to actual USB Soundcards? say the ones like Transit, Audiophile and maybe even the Echo Indigo?

i'm really itching to get one to use as a soundcard. then it'll work as a usb memory key, soundcard, portable player..3 in 1..winner.

please keep the discussion about its "shuffling" "no lcd" @ portable audio section.. i want to explore the possibility of using it as a soundcard...it would be a great alternative

I may be wrong, but I doubt that the Shuffle will act like a USB soundcard. These type of devices normally appear to the PC as a USB hard drive.

So, while you could use it while it's plugged in, you would only be able to listen to the tracks that are currently stored on the shuffle. You could obviously move songs on and off as required, but I think that this would quickly grow tiresome.

If the Shuffle actually CAN act as a USB soundcard then I'd be very interested and impressed.

I don't know, but I assume that it'd be like the other iPods when connected to the computer... not able to play music at all.

However, if it could act as a USB soundcard, that would be one correct thing in the mountain of wrong that this product is.

Well, the iPod doesn't really compete with the Audiophile USB, so I don't the Shuffle will.