The iPod Shuffle is a flash-based portable music player from Apple. It is the smallest and most affordable member of the current iPod family.

The first generation iPod Shuffle was released on January 11, 2005. This particular model came in 512MB and 1GB models. It is shaped like a pack of gum, only smaller, and has no display or playlist management features. It simply had buttons that allowed the user to play, pause, fast forward and fast reverse music, as well as the ability to control volume and select the previous or next song. Users could set the iPod shuffle to play songs in order or shuffle them. The first generation models were priced at $99 for the 512 MB model and $149 for the 1 GB model.Official Apple Site: iPod Shuffle

The second generation iPod shuffle was released on September 12, 2006. This version of the iPod was drastically different from the previous incarnation - it was less than half the size of the first generation and could be clipped to clothing. In addition, the shuffle no longer had a USB connector, rather, it came with a USB dock to transfer data through a headphone jack. This version of the iPod shuffle was originally released as a 1 GB model that sold for $79 in the United States, but a 2 GB version was also released on February 26, 2008. The iPod shuffle came in a variety of different colors, which were refreshed several times until the release of the third-generation iPod shuffle in 2009.Official Apple Site: iPod Shuffle Engadget: One More Thing: New iPod Shuffle Colors (September 9, 2008)

The third-generation iPod shuffle was released on March 11, 2009. Billed as the world's smallest music player, this latest version could hold 4 GB of music and came in two colors - black and silver . In addition, the volume and track controls were relocated to the headphone cable. The latest version features VoiceOver, which, at the press of a button, tells you song information and playlist titles.