Creative’s Zen line of media players hasn’t stolen much thunder from the iPod, but it has been more successful than many. The latest, dubbed simply the Creative Zen, is a flash-based player that does video on a 2.5-inch screen and rocks a full-size SD card slot. It’s not bad-looking, and it resembles the Zen Vision in many of the right ways. But its boatload of features and attractive interface — not to mention reasonable price — are offset by a few flaws. Then again, it comes in a 16GB version (in addition to 4GB and 8GB), so that may be reason enough to buy for many.
The Zen measures 3.26 x 2.16 x 0.44 inches, but weighs a scant 2.1 ounces. It feels slightly bulky, but what do you expect from a player with a full-size SD card slot and roomy 2.5-inch screen, which rivals that of the 5G iPod in size but supports more colors? The glossy black plastic front gets schmutzed up with fingerprints faster than a subway pole, but it’s complemented nicely by the matte black finish on the back.
The buttons to the right of the screen are laid out very similar to those of the 30GB Zen Vision. But they aren’t backlit, so it can be difficult to know what you’re doing in broad daylight or total darkness (even with the screen glow) unless you’ve memorized the button layout. There’s a pinhole mic on top next to the card slot for making voice recordings, and the sync connector on the right next to the headphone jack and power/hold switch is a standard USB 2.0 mini-plug — no proprietary cables!
Startup time isn’t excruciatingly slow like with the SanDisk Sansa e200 series, but it’s not particularly speedy like the iPod’s instant-on capability. I love that the main menu is easily customizable, as is the wallpaper, and the icons are very clear and attractive. You can assign a function to the Shortcut button, which is one of the Zen’s handiest features.
My biggest complaint is that the buttons aren’t very responsive; it often took me a few taps on the same button to get something to happen, particularly with the Back button. Also, there’s a noticeable lag with most functions, except for browsing content, which is speedy enough and helped by the ability to jump to a specific initial letter. Then again many times I get early units for review, so hopefully Creative will tighten that up as production goes on.
Audio performance is excellent, with no audible flaws on any of the test tracks I listened to. I selections by Stevie Wonder, Interpol, Stravinsky, McCoy Tyner, Led Zeppelin, and John Coltrane. Interestingly, the player supports AAC files as well as WMA, protected WMA, MP3, WAV, and Audible; it’ll work with tracks from the iTunes Plus music store, but not Apple’s DRM-laden offerings.
Despite supporting 16.7 million colors, photos and videos look a bit washed out on the Zen’s 320 x 240-pixel screen. I transferred photos via WMP 11 with no problems, but videos require conversion to WMV format, which WMP handles automatically. The resulting video was passable, though there’s a lot of blotchiness in large dark areas, and the screen doesn’t give you “true” blacks. If you stop a video and go to some other mode, you can jump right back into your movie where you left off.
You can transfer videos in Windows Explorer via drag and drop, but they’ve got to conform to the Zen’s fairly stringent size requirements, unlike its more flexible big brother the Zen Vision:M. Videos can’t be bigger than 320 x 240, and they’ve got to be in MPEG-4 (SP), DivX, or XviD formats. All of the videos I had lying around (mostly in 640 x 480 resolution) needed to be transcoded.
Creative rates the non-removable battery’s life at around 25 hours of audio and 5 hours of video per charge. Those are respectable numbers, giving it roughly the same playback times as the “fat” iPod nano. Expect about 15-18 hours with normal use, unless you watch lots of video.
Voice recordings are in WAV format and sound very clear despite their low bit rate. The on-screen mic levels are handy, though you can’t adjust sensitivity. The FM tuner works very well and had little or no trouble picking up even weaker stations around New York City. You can also sync the Zen with Microsoft Outlook so you can read your calendar and task list, and it has a built-in alarm clock.
Creative’s DJ feature is great if you have a tough time deciding for yourself what to listen to; it picks out things like Album of the Day and Rarely Heard, and you can set it to one-touch access via the shortcut button. Of course, the player works fine with online music subscription services (Rhapsody et al) too, in case FM radio or a virtual DJ aren’t enough for you.
Creative has been coming on strong with aggressive pricing — $249.99 for 16GB, $199.99 for 8GB, and $129.99 for 4GB are damn fine deals. Having a sexy player in my pocket with twice the storage of an iPod nano plus FM radio, voice recording, an SD slot, and AAC support is pretty bitchin’. There are even a handful of accessories for it from Creative, including an armband and a few cases.
It’s a shame they didn’t make the Zen Mac-compatible or give it sweet earbuds like Sony did with the Walkman A818, but the screen size makes for almost-comfortable video watching and it’s…well… shiny. But if you don’t care so much about video, expandable storage, or AAC, you might as well go for the Zen V Plus, which is just as shiny but smaller.
I just picked one up at my local wal-mart. and i gotta say its hella cool. bigger screen then nano, fm radio, voice record, and the expandable sd memory is tight cause i have a one gig sd card at my house already. so ya 5 gig for $130. thats a great deal id’ say.
if your on the edge of buying this or a nano. I would get this no doubt. Any ways apple doesnt need anymore money theyve got enough.
good product
How would not having backlit buttons make it hard to see the buttons?
I got an 8GB one yesterday and boy am I mad… There seems to be a problem with the players – a “white screen” bug… I have spent most of the last 24hours on the Creative website and found out about the problem from the forum…. Creative are offering little support and just telling people to take them back to the store they got them from….. great help!!
I am going to get my money back me thinks!!
follow this link. It worked for mine with the same problem.
youtube.com/watch?v=a8g0sh7pc54&NR=1
Because the buttons are the same colour as the ZEN. Getting the right format of videos (bitrate is important!) is a real pain, but there is some software out there that can convert….or so they say.
I waited for this thing for weeks. When I got it, I found out it does not have enough earjack power to power my high end in ear monitors (Etymotic 4’s) Tech support said all of their devices have the same earjack output. Also, the feel of the device is…well…junk! I bought their warranty also. Now that I returned the device, Creative is telling me I have to write a letter to get the warranty refunded. Ever hear of a comapny making you write letters for a refund? I haven’t and consider this some of the worst service I’ve ever recieved. When you shop at Amazon, when you have a problem, they send you a replacement before you ever return the original purchase. Now that’s service! I ended up buying the Archos 605 WiFi with the 4gb flash memory so I dont have to worry about killing a hard drive while snowboarding, mt. biking, etc. It’s bigger than I wanted, but I found myself amazed with all the stuff this thing can do! WiFi, huge screen prettier than my ThinkPad, external speakers that sound better than my laptop speakers, can connect external camcorder lens and record, full internet browser, touch screen that does all the cool stuff that Apple COPIED (LOL) for the Iphone, and that’s just what I’ve figured out it can do. The overall impretion of the Archos… IT’s NOT A TOY!!! love it! and…the in ear monitors have plenty of power.
I like the fact that they have a SD card slot… but, with flash memory, isn’t the whole thing already like a big SD card?
It, unfortunately, doesn’t seem cool enough to crunch the iPod yet; but my fingers are crossed. I’m now on a one man crusade to bring Apple down.
I recieved mine a week ago and I’m, ass allways, happy with again another Creative product. I actually have a Creative Zen W to watch video from, so idc much about the video Q even tho it’s for it’s screensize is totally watchable, even long movies. I just wanted a smaller player to use mainly as a musicplayer. I had alrdy decided on the Zen V plus, but then this thing came along and I changed my mind in the last minute and I am really happy about that. Even tho I don’t use video that much on this device I can still show the function off to my gadgetnutty friends ;) Versitility is everything!!
This player used along with the Zen Aurvana in-ear phones is amazing! I don’t even want to compare it to the iPod, cuz they are in different league. (iPod being the newbie;)
As Scoop says I to am on a mission to bring Apple down. Or at least see to it that I never (ever) again buy any of their products.
So now it’s a 2 man mission :)
http://www.anythingbutipod.com
Got a 4gb+2gb flash a week ago: great piece of hardware!! Love it in every thing. Great sound, great video (can’t ask more from a 2.5 screen) and very nice and tiny. Was close to get an ipod nano, but after looking carefully all specifications and price i think that Zen is way better than the apple stuff.
Just got the 4gb version yesterday. very pleased with it! The FM Radio is superb as it sounded so clear. I am very happy with the “Photo” function where you can upload your own photos into the Zen. There are functions like rotate,zoom(very clear),rate and you can set your own photos as wallpapers too(even the zoomed in ones).There are several themes but i didn’t make use of them as the wallpapers are nice enough. The pictures are sharp and colours are brilliant!
The microphone function,is great too. The recorded voice sounded quite okay. The videos are clear and the music quality is good(only when i use a better headphone). There is NO lag time when playing music, too! And after downloading the new firmware, it only takes 2 or 3 seconds for the player to boot up. Besides, i tried the Organizer which must be saved from the PC,
However, i am rather displeased with the software provided. It lags too much!!!(whenever i edit the genres, titles, albums of the songs) And the software is rather problematic(probably on my com only, i can’t be sure).Many times there will be “unknown error”. Another thing is that, when connecting the player to the PC, there are some things that I have to or must take note of. When i was still unaware, i connect the player[Switched ON] to the PC(of course after installing the software)the player literally freezes and hangs. I was scared out otta my wits! After trying several times, i realize that I am not supposed switch on my player when connecting it to the computer.(So,beware!) Luckily, there is always the RESET button which is really , really useful. I keep making the same mistake and keep resetting until i realize THAT. So, now besides the lagging/having errors software, i am very pleased with the player itself even though it might lag abit while loading the pictures. The other functions are just, simply great!
Got a question:My album art is problematic too!!! Around 95% of my songs are from the same album -_- lol. Any body can help? ><
To edit to the previous post, the manual wasn’t specific enough to mention what NOT to do , and thus, i makes several little mistakes which causes my player to freeze and i gotta find a pin to reset it. But note, the reset function is really useful and very helpful. Resetting the player won’t lose any important stuff, but everybody knows that constant resetting is bad for the player’s health! haha! so, prevent it as much as possible!(I’m trying too!XD)
And, please don’t expect much from the headphones provided,it really sucks. Would recommend anyone to change it as it completely FAILED to bring out the full potential of the player. But after trying with a better panosonic headphone, it was such pleasure to listen to music,yeah! Thus, i am rather disatisfied with the package, laggy software and lousy headphones. Luckily, i am really pleased with the main ZEN itself! If to choose again, i ‘d definitely go for this again!
-its sleek and like-a-camera/credit card design caught my attention at first , how about you? :)
i had this player for a week already. and its working very fine, did not break down on me. it is also very light and portable, supplying me with high quality music wherever I go. The features are unbelievably good. Eg. The radio, microphone, photo, video and of course, the MUSIC! very nice sound quality. There is really nothing much to pick on this new Zen. Except for the terrible headphones supplied and the laggy software. Besides these, its really a wonderful player, would recommend any music/movie lovers to buy it!
I loved it for 3 days! Now my computer says the device is not connected. See the internet comments on the Zen about this problem (soooooooo many). After many hours on the Creative fans site (they must have very few fans if this is an example of the quality they are peddling) I still cannot get a response from the device. I want my money back!
A shame really – it was a deep love for all of 3 days. You have been warned!
(PS, if you know people you don’t like, give them a Zen for Xmas…they will waste all of their holidays trying to get it working again)
I initially bought the 4gb version and it was DOA out of the box. the backlight on the screen would work ok but i could not get any video to display. After exchanging it for another 4gb, and immediately updating the firmware to v1.2.x it runs absolutely great! Screen size is acceptable, audio playback is exceptional albeit the ear buds are weak, video playback is smooth, and there is a plethora of features that put its competitor (the new nano) to shame. This IS a new product but so far the number of DOA and soon-after dead units is borderline unacceptable at best. Great player….if it works.
Just got the 8gb version 4 christmas. WOW!!! This thing is awesome. If looking for a player which is cheap, this is the perfect toy. Its got loads of good quality features and a SD card holder (just ordred a 4gb card)
A absolute bargain of a buy!!!!
Product = fairly good.
The creative software that you are forced to install when you purchase this product = horrific and impossible to uninstall
Will never purchase a creative product again just due to their software issues.
You do know yu don’t have to use their software, they’re not forcing you to use it t all. Yo can use a differnt software like WMP or Media Monkey, or ust drag and drop,unlike ipod and itunes and the zune and ne marketplace.
I WAS so impressed with the many possibilities and features of the creative zen when I bought it 3 weeks ago! I was specially delighted with the calendar features, the radio (which can automatically detect any station in the city), the photo uploading, the video playing, the voice recorder, and the good quality of the sound.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEN, I discovered that there is no specific sound buttons (although you can use the up and down arrows for that, and also pre-set a specific level of sound), that the earphones are terrible, that the supposed 15-18 hours of battery of music playing never passed the 6 hours in mine, that the conversion of movies would take hours (even though it supposedly reads Divx… but not if it is too big) and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, that the device would freeze, without me doing anything, in the middle of any song. Moreover, most of the complements (screen protector, armband etc) for the creative zen are out of stock, at least in Australia, so you cannot protect it with anything specifically done for the device.
I’ve EXCHANGED the one I bought 3 weeks ago because I consider intolerable a new device getting frozen out of the blue and having such a short-lived battery. I hope that I don’t get the same problems again, because I will return it again for any other brand.
I LOVE the device when it works, but there are too many lows, in a device that is not specially cheap. For the same price I could have bought a similar media player Sony (my fav mp3 players by far re the quality of sound) or an Ipod. I hate Apple, but, at the end of the day, they don’t have the problems that Creative has, at least my device.
I FEEL that I’ve waisted my money and my time with creative zen. If the new one I got has the same problems, I will report it in this forum.
hi!
im from australia too, if it helps in any random way…
anyways i know what you mean when you say it freezes- mine does the same. ive had it for abut 6 months now, so im no ametuer when it comes to my zen. i know you exchanged it- but did you ever try plugging it back into the computer, leaving it to charge and trying again in a couple of hours?
and by the way: if you know how to overcome the problem, please let me know. i love the zens because theyre functional (mostly) and good looking so i dont want to have to get a new one..
thanks
emily
i bought a creative zen a couple of weeks ago and put all my songs on it. I used windows vista. just a couple of days ago i brought it to school to try to get music on to another computer and my friend hit the “sync to computer” button.
Now it won’t connect to my vista, it wont turn on, i tried resetting it but nothing happens. what do i do?
Thanks
The Zen i got was pretty good except that it costed $105. Other wise it is sooo awesome. The only thing is, I wish you could put a calculator on it for homework. If you find a way plz inform me by email.
By the way, my email is alaskanbearboy@yahoo.com
I am looking to buy the 16gb. I don’t care about movies or pictures, but need to ensure I can use it in the dark. Is it possible / easy to use the Zen without actually looking at the screen? I need to be able to move from folder to folder and just listen to the music.
Any advise will be appreciated
Thanks
Noam
IM VERY MAD I JUST GOT THE THING ITS FROZEN ALL I CAN SEE IS A BLACK AND WHITE SCREEN I WILL NEVER EVER BY A CREATIVE PRODUCT AGAIN
PS I TRIED EVERY THING
I HATE IT! at first it kicked ass… now it lags sooooo much!!
Ive had my zen for about 6 months now, and recently its been freezing once i turn it on. i have no trouble turning it on, but once its actually switched on, it seems like the buttons are frozen.
the first time it happened i plugged it into the computer and it worked fine the next time i used it. i find it happens pretty much everytime i have it on a sleep timer (like when im listening to it in bed to sleep). however, now, i turn it on and nothing will work. ive tried everything i know: including what usually works..
has anyone had the same problem and can help?!
emily