Customer Reviews:
 great product May 26, 2008
i have my zen now for 3 monthes. its a really great device with clear voice and a wonderful screen resolution.
now every one of my family members need one so i bought more zen.
trust me its a great value for a great product, it beats up ipods by simplicity, great software, screen resolution and a really clear sound.
 Zen vs Ipod: and the winner is... May 25, 2008
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
I had super high hopes for the Zen when I ordered it, and finding it on sale was the perfect excuse to nab one. I've had about 5 generations of Ipods and have always wanted to try Creative (I used to sell electronics for about 5 years, so I have a decent head about me with MP3 Players, to be honest after everyone wanting an iPod you just really wanted to encourage any kind of other player) and I didn't like the fact that over many years, Apple has gotten rid of some of my favorite features (like the manual backlight) and not added some badly needed ones (like being able to add/delete songs, name playlists, have more playing options). After trying the Zen out for a week, I am sending it back today.
*I originally bought it as just something to jog with, but I found major flaws with just the simple features I wanted the most. It DOES NOT work with mac, even as a flash drive, which I found very disappointing. My Ipod, when formatted for windows, works on both my Mac and PC with full control (adding/deleting songs, making playlists, etc).
*I don't like the all-plastic body that the Zen has, whereas my Ipod is 100% metal and can take a hit (and has, believe me!!)
*I find scrolling annoying on the Zen, it seems to take forever to get to the song I want. It does have a system on the righthand side where you can select a letter of the alphabet to jump to, which I do enjoy.
*Songs/Albums are listed as title only, so you have no idea what artist sings it. On the ipod when you scroll through songs, albums, etc it lists the title of the artist in smaller text below, which is extremely helpful (especially if you have similar names for songs, mixes, etc or if you just listen to a lot of new music and want to be able to differentiate easily).
*I just don't like the Zen software that much, iTunes is much more user friendly and since it integrates so well with your music collection it is much easier than with the Zen, moving folders here and there instead of having straight-forward music lists and searches.
*The backlight IS ALWAYS ON! There is NO WAY to turn it fully off unless you put the Zen on 'Hold,' which HIGHLY irritates me since most of the time I just want to turn the volume up a little or simply skip a song (I like to keep the unit in my smallest jean pocket an just occasionally click a button, which I keep sticking out slightly). But to do that, I would need to take the unit off hold. Lame, frustrating, and just a bad idea. Way to conserve battery power, Creative.
*The Zen seems to take a while to load up/shut down, whereas my iPod is almost instant.
*Lastly, I know this isn't really fair to say, but when choosing an MP3 player you need to consider the accessories you can get along with it. Creative only has a few, the iPod has about a million. Any case you can dream of, which is SO NICE since the lack of selection on the Zen leaves you with a case that you probably won't like.
A Few Pros:
*Flash drive memory, which is harder to break and more reliable.
*Sound is a bit better than the iPod
*Expandable memory card slot
*'DJ' function - probably my FAVORITE thing on the Zen. You can choose to play recently added, most listened to, least listened to songs, which is a major plus for me since I'm always adding and deleting, getting new music.
In all, I'm sticking with my iPod (160GB) even though I don't completely agree with all the changes Apple has made to its software over the last few years. Though, if you just want a decent MP3 player for your smaller music collection, or know almost all the songs you're going to be putting on it, the Zen isn't bad at all. The software won't bother you that much unless you've got an extensive music collection, I think. If you're just going to add a lot of music in one go, then add a few songs here and there, you may find happiness with the Creative Zen.
iPod Killer May 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Excellent device. Synchs effortlessly, plays myriad formats of music and video, and the screen is so sharp, I can even read subtitles on it. The built in EQ is a great touch, and the software does more that I even need. A truly great player.
Creative ZEN 32 Gb May 22, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This model performs and has features well above it's size and class. In fact you have to go to a larger frame model for anything from the competition to even compare. Small size large screen, FM tuners, 32 Gb flash drive for anti-vibrations and reliable fast transfers and reading. Multiple media formats, memory stick expansion. Videos, Pics, Clock, alarm, Calender, Music, file protection etc. There is absolutely no other model out there to consider for a pocket size that easily fits in your pocket along with ear buds. Nice converter application too. To consider anything else you have to be willing to have a large frame model to get more features and better specs than this unit. And of course more mony too. Amazon was very quick to process. Only three days and it was in my hands with regular shipping. Very very happy! Don't hesitate to buy this one, reward/support the right company when they get it right!! No better unit in it's class/size!
KOSH
I'm Addicted to My Zen!!! May 22, 2008
I've had my Zen now for two weeks and I can't say enough positive things about it. I love it, simply put. The graphics are awesome and I've already downloaded two audio books and two movies. I take it everywhere. My nephew just paid $250 for his mp3 player, took a look at my Zen and was jealous. He wants one now. That speaks for itself. I would highly recommend the Zen.
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