Sure, the iPod Shuffle was made for those who just want to play MP3s, and don’t want to have to deal with the price of more elegant models like the Touch. However, the Shuffles are pretty expensive in and of themselves compared to MP3 Players like the Creative Zen Stone and the Sansa Clip Plus.

I had a chance to try out the Sansa Clip Plus, and I have to admit, it was much easier to use than an iPod Shuffle. For starters, I didn’t have to deal with iTunes, which really eats up a lot of processing on my computer.

In fact, since the Clip Plus has a card slot, I could just put all my tunes on a microSDHC card and put it in to listen to my tunes. I could also get one of those slotRadio and slotMusic SD cards if I just wanted to hear some definite hits.

By the way, it also connects to my computer with a tiny USB cord for some drag and drop action. The tiny USB cord also serves as the way to charge it, and it has a battery life of 15 hours.

I realize that there was a lot of changes made to Apple devices on 09-09-09, but I don’t think the iPod Shuffle has that SD slot, neither does it have an FM tuner nor voice recorder. It does have the clip, though.

In short, I highly recommend ignoring the iPod Shuffle as a gift, and save some money by purchasing the Sansa Clip Plus. It is available in 2GB ($39.99), 4GB ($49.99), and 8GB ($69.99) versions in black, blue, and red.

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