Which would be easier to use to drive some segment Led’s:
the LED display driver: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9622
or several shift registers wired together: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/733
I’m looking for simplicity, more mainly in the coding than the hardware.
I’m making a clock, so i’d be using the RTC module as well 
If you are looking for simplicity, perhaps look for a bcd to 7-segment decoder.
It works in parallel using four bits. To display a ‘5’ give it binary B0101. It also decodes hex characters.
If you need a string of displays then it would make more sense to go with the other chips.
I would go with the driver IMO. It looks like it controls more with less wires. I just noticed it has some sorta built-in bcd decoder like what I mentioned before.
Dave
The shift registers will require substantial additional hardware components to correctly drive several displays. (one shift register per digit for a non-multiplexed display. Additional transistor row-drivers for a multiplexed display. Current limiting resistors in either case.) Additional software to do multiplexing, if you go that route.
OTOH, I find the Maxim display drivers to be sorta horribly overpriced…