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After the unexpected downtime on the Apple US store this morning, we have one price drop and a minor update.

You can now buy the 1GB model for $49 - a $30 reduction on the previous price. I’m guessing this is just something Apple has to do now and then to keep up with competition, especially with flash memory prices decreasing. A 2GB model has also been introduced for just $69 - that’s still $10 less than the previous 1GB iPod Shuffle.

“At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “The new 2GB model lets music lovers bring even more songs everywhere they go in the impossibly small iPod shuffle.”

The new prices of the 1GB model are effective immediately, while the new 2GB Shuffle will be available later this month.

People that were hoping this minor downtime was anything to do with new MacBook Pros will be disappointed - because it didn’t happen. It was pretty obvious to me that this wouldn’t be a major update anyway, because the UK store, and every other store in the world was still online. Which means the US are the only ones being treated to this generous price drop and new model of iPod Shuffle. But hopefully Apple will get around to updating the other stores worldwide soon.