Fits in your tight jeans pocket!
Pros:
Size, ease of use and ability to use SD cards.
Cons:
Low volume, small screen.
The Bottom Line:
If you are looking for portability and primarily an MP3 player this is one to look at.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I bought this product when it first came out, after my Creative Zen W (30G) went "kaput" and I needed something fast for a long road trip I was going on.
As an MP3 player, it is very nice if you have a decent set of sound canceling headphones when on a plane. If you don't have noise canceling, then you may find that the built in amplifier is not up to the task of powering standard, over the ear headphones (such as the Bose you find at Best Buy). In a quiet environment however, the sound quality is very good, which is to be expected from Creative. It wont satisfy an audiophile, but there is a pronounced difference in audio quality between Creative and Apple products.
As a video player, this device is nice, but not great. The screen size is too small to be really enjoyable. The lack of a stand (or an accessory that I could find that has one) means you have to hold the unit constantly. On top of that, the lack of real online (and legal) content means you have to rip your own content. The colors are vibrant, and the screen is bright however. In fast action scenes, you may find a small amount of pixelating, especially in blacks.
The interface is a bit clumsy at first, but once you get used to it, it is very easy to navigate, although it too can be a bit of a pain.
It has the ability to be expanded memory wise with an SD card (and if fact I have a 16GB in mine). This is great for adding lots of video content and I can carry a large amount of entertainment with me. Content on SD cards are not supported by playlists, or remember where you might have stopped a video. One other downside to the SD cards is that you have to enter a "special mode" on the Zen to add content.
Unfortunately it does not support iTunes purchased content, which is a downer, but it is compatible with Napster and Audible. The computer interface is excellent, and the built in converter is very simple to use. I know my father prefers this over his old iPod for this reason alone.
The best feature of this device though is its size. I can wear tight jeans, and still have this comfortably in my pocket which is perfect! I would only suggest getting in ear headphones or a set of active noise canceling headphones.
