Creative Zen Nano 512 MB MP3 Player (White) Review
I bought this little guy a few years ago, have dropped it, scratched it, played it 'til it turned blue. It's amazing that the battery cover hasn't broken; heck, that the whole thing hasn't. Great sound output and battery life as well. This version's suitable for bringing along your favorite tunes, and considering how simple and cheap it is, it's a smart tag-a-long purchase for when, like me, you don't want to drag around your 0 iPod (Touch, in my case). Buy it if you need a small flash player and can get it for cheap!
Creative Zen Nano 512 MB MP3 Player (White) Feature
Stores up to 250 songs on 512 MB internal flash memory
Choose from a wide range of stylish colors
Built-in microphone for voice recordings
Built-in LCD lets you control your music in more ways than just a simple shuffle
High-speed USB 2.0 connectivity
Creative Zen Nano 512 MB MP3 Player (White) Overview
Zen Nano is a skip-free MP3 player, perfect for anyone new to music downloading and wanting to show off their style. When it comes to choice, the only difficult decision you need to make is which of the electrifying colors suits your lifestyle. Will you choose pink to match your wardrobe, blue for a running companion, or black to show off on the slopes?Take shuffle to a whole new level. Not only will Zen Nano randomly shuffle through all your 500 songs, but the LCD display reveals more then one way to listen to you music. The possibilities are endless! Now you can find the songs you want to hear, listen to your new album, repeat your favorite songs, and more.Listen to hours of continuous music by simply replacing the AAA battery on your morning jog, afternoon lunch, or midnight rendezvous. Enjoy endless hours of music anytime, anywhere...Use the built-in microphone to capture ideas and save quick reminders when you're out shopping. Plus, record long lectures when you're in important meetings or presentations.Take your tunes on the road during those long commutes or spontaneous road trips. Zen connects wirelessly to your car stereo using a Belkin FM Transmitter. Never cut your musical journey short!
Creative Zen Nano 512 MB MP3 Player (White) Specifications
Ready for skip-free music enjoyment, in a package that's chic and stylish? The Creative Zen Nano 512 MB MP3 Player is just the answer. Enjoy amazing audio quality when you're listening to your MP3 and WMA music. The Nano is much more than just a music player as it functions as a voice recorder. Plus, it also comes in an amazing variety of electrifying colors that will make it stand out in the crowd. Will you choose pink to match your wardrobe, blue for a running companion, or black to show off on the slopes?
The Nano lets you take music shuffling to the next level. Like other players, the unit will randomly shuffle through all your songs, but with the built-in LCD you can control your music in more ways than just a simple shuffle. Find the songs you want to hear, listen to your new album, repeat your favorite songs, and more. Battery life is outstanding, allowing you to listen to music for up to 18 hours on a single AAA battery. The 512 MB model's flash memory can store up to 250 songs (WMA-encoding, 64 kbps). And transferring those songs to and from the device is speedy, thanks to the unit's USB 2.0 connection. And last but not least, you can use the built-in microphone to capture ideas and save quick reminders when you're out shopping. Plus, record long lectures when you're in important meetings or presentations.
What's in the Box Zen Nano player, Creative earphones, USB 2.0 cable, AAA alkaline battery, quick start booklet and installation CD.
Belkin AC Wall and USB Charger for iPod with Dock Connector (White) Review
I haven't used this charger in the dark so I can't comment whether the blue light is annoying or not. I am using this charger at work so it's been plugged in under my desk. The fact that you can only use the cable included to sync or transfer data is actually a plus for me since we're not allowed to connected personal devices to our work computers. It's much easier to plug it into my keyboard than to constantly unplug it from the strip on the floor. If someone asks me why I have my iPhone (3GS) connected to my computer I can honestly tell them it's just charging and no data can be transferred. It hasn't come apart and continues to work just fine after a few months of occasional use.
Belkin AC Wall and USB Charger for iPod with Dock Connector (White) Feature
USB/AC wall charger designed for all dock-connecting iPods; compatibility: iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G; nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod touch; iPod mini
Connects to audio player via included iPod-to-USB cable
Ideal as backup charger for traveling or the office
Cable measures 4 feet long for easy connections
Backed by 3-year warranty
Belkin AC Wall and USB Charger for iPod with Dock Connector (White) Overview
Connect your iPod to the Power Adapter with included dock connector-to-USB cable. Plug the Power Adapter into a wall outlet to recharge your iPod.
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Review
I have had my Creative Zen Vision M for 2 years and still love it. I originally bought a Sansa e player (being an anti-iPod music lover) and enjoyed the Sansa. I was traveling internationally and wanted a second player because the battery would not last through the plane ride. This "back up" quickly became my primary mp3 device.
It is large by today's standards - jogging with this is like jogging with a brick - but it is sturdy, reliable, high quality and has survived the test of time. I now catch up on TV shows and movies on the road, by using TiVo and the Zen Converter program. Easy to use, easy to set up, great music and video - it's a great little package all around. My only other "nit" is that the menu navigation can be a bit touchy.
I thought the 30 Meg size would be a limitation. I have yet to fill this puppy past the 85% mark. I use Napster and am constantly filling it / exchanging music. I also have at least 15 audio books and 20 1 hour recorded seminars. At least 10 hours of movies / videos. Still can't fill the dang thing.
I was initially concerned about battery life, especially with the funky exchange program with the iPod. With constant use (at least 10 hours a week) the battery is still going strong. I bought a power supply with international adapters, so I can recharge it from anywhere in the world. I use a set of portable speakers (my favorite is the HMDX set from Bed, Bath and Beyond) and am never bored where ever I am.
My husband now enjoys the Sansa e for his own use. At first, it was a challenge to synchronize it with Rhapsody but that settled down once I started using Media Player. I recently purchased a Sansa Clip, but that is for exercise only because I am tired of running with a brick.
Net, net - If you are thinking about buying a Vision M used, or buying another Creative product, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend Napster and Media Player. Both have been extremely reliable for managing all of my music needs.
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Feature
30 GB multimedia device holds tens of thousands of photos, up to 120 hours of videos, or 15,000 songs
2.5-inch, high definition LCD screen features a 320x240 resolution and hundreds of thousands of colors
Supports many video formats, such as AVI, DivX 4 and 53, XviD4, MPEG-1, -2, -SP, WMV9, and Motion-JPEG
Integrated FM radio and recorder, voice recorder
Measures 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.7 inches and weighs 5.7 ounces
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Overview
Creative's Zen Vision: M is the ultimate player for people who want to enjoy music and movies on the go. This stylish, versatile system features an advanced 2.5-inch high-resolution color screen that can display movies! The Zen Vision: M's rechargeable battery delivers playtimes up to four hours with video and music. For live entertainment or capturing those special moments there's also a built-in FM radio and voice recorder. The Zen Vision: M supports popular music, video and photo formats. It can also be connected to the TV to share images and videos with friends and family.
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Specifications
In its own right, the Creative Zen Vision:M is a very capable digital audio player, video player, photo viewer, FM radio, and more. Indeed, one could go on and on about how it has the right specifications to make it a constant companion for entertainment on the go. The really big news about this device, though, is that it's the first device to boast complete compatibility with Amazon Unbox, the new digital video and music download service from Amazon.com.
The Zen Vision:M has the features, ease-of-use, and power to become your constant media companion. See the Vison:M interactive demo.
Design Let's get things out in the open. The Apple iPod is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to the digital media player business and, unavoidably, every other device is measured against it. In most respects, the Vision:M matches up pretty well, and there are few things you may even like better. Length and width dimensions are exactly the same at 4.1 and 2.4 inches respectively. When it comes to girth, though, the iPod has the Vision:M beat; the Vision:M is .7 inches thick, while the iPod measures .4 inches. The Vision:M is slightly heavier, too. These details aside, the Vision:M feels comfortable, yet sturdy, in the hand, with curved surfaces in all the right places.
Creative takes a somewhat different approach with the Vision:M's controls, answering the iPod's Click Wheel with a vertical touch pad--which allows you to scroll up and down menus and control volume--plus four buttons that offer navigation through the user interface. The contextual menu button on the bottom right is a welcome addition, allowing you to make quick settings changes and view information about media files on the fly--functions that are more cumbersome on an iPod. Creative could have made the buttons a bit more sensitive--they require a firm press that gives an overall feeling of clunkiness to an otherwise well-designed user interface. Another annoyance is the touch pad's over-sensitivity; it's easy to make selections unintentionally, sending you on a wild ride through the user interface.
The Vision:M's screen, which measures 2.5 inches diagonally, offers sharp details, vibrant color, and excellent response with little or no video ghosting during high-action sequences. The 320 x 240 resolution is to be expected from a device this size, and although it's small, you'll likely have no trouble enjoying video while you're sitting on the subway or a flight, or in the back-seat of a car. Our only nitpick was the screen's less than stellar viewing angle, especially when compared side-by-side with a video iPod. While this can be good for maintaining privacy, the narrow viewing angle also means that friends beside you will struggle to see anything other than a black screen.
Music, Videos, Photos, and More The Vision:M's music organization scheme is standard fare; you can browse playlists, artists, tracks, albums, and genres. Equalizer settings are robust, with a nice range of automatic settings, plus a custom equalizer that's easy to control. The music library's "DJ" function is a nice touch, allowing you to listen to your most popular tracks. It can also pull up the tunes you listen to least frequently--in case you've got some forgotten tunes lying around on the Vision:M's 30 GB hard drive. Sound quality is everything you'd expect from a top shelf digital audio player, and DRM'd Windows Media files played without a hitch. The device fully supports a whole range of "PlaysForSure" download and subscription services, such as Napster and Yahoo Music. Creative also ships a CD-ripping and music transfer application called MediaSource with the Vision:M.
Playback of Windows Media DRM'd video files (WMV9) was also hassle-free. Purchased videos delivered crisp colors and detail, with no frame drops. Video playback consumes a lot of power, bringing Creative's claim of four hours of video playback into serious doubt. Expect under three hours when watching videos continuously. Thankfully, if you need to come back to your video later the Vision:M's software remembers the timecode of where you left off--unless you power the device down between viewing sessions. In addition to protected and unprotected WMV files, the Vision:M can play MPEG 1/2/4, Motion-JPEG, DivX 4 and 5, and XviD formats, making it a very flexible device with respect to encoding options.
The Vision:M can also store thousands of photos, letting you browse through them or set up a slideshow. The device's TV-out option comes in handy here, as you can present slideshows on a TV or projector. Videos can be displayed this way, too. An FM radio with easy preset tuning functions and great signal reception, plus a voice recorder feature, round out the extra media features. There's also a handy tool to format a portion of the drive for use as a USB 2.0 mass storage device, letting you set aside up to 16 GB for data storage.
Connectivity and Synchronization A Creative Sync Adapter ships in the box with the Vision:M, making it a snap to connect the device to a USB 2.0-capable PC. With the connection made, Windows XP recognized the device right off the bat and Windows Media Player immediately asked us if we wanted to load the PC's music onto the Vision:M. Music management and synchronization has come a long way on the PC, and the experience of organizing and transferring music to and from the Vision:M was, barring a few curious click-through boxes, pretty seamless. The Vision:M also supports synchronization of your Outlook contacts, calendar, and tasks, in case you want to use it as a personal organizer of sorts.
Amazon Unbox Integration To be truly successful, the Vision:M has to be more than a great media device, it has to integrate with Amazon Unbox and make the process feel like second nature. Although the Vision:M was tested using a beta version of Amazon Unbox, things are looking good already. Amazon Unbox and the Vision:M go together like peas in a pod, making the process of purchasing, downloading, and enjoying content on the go a real cinch. The Amazon Unbox Video Player, which queues, downloads, organizes, and plays your purchased movies and TV shows, recognized the Vision:M right off the bat. An icon for the Vision:M appears in the devices panel of the application, and you can immediately begin transferring downloaded content to the device. Once you're all loaded up, the Vision:M offers a great way to bring Amazon Unbox entertainment along for the ride.
Pros
Crisp, vibrant color screen is great for video
Generous video format compatibility
Excellent sound quality and music management functions
Cons
Narrow screen viewing angle may be a problem for some
Finicky controls for some functions
Slightly more bulky than other competitors
What's in the Box Creative ZEN Vision:M, earphones, Sync Adapter, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, user's guide, and installation CD that includes Creative MediaSource and Creative Media Explorer software. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter.
Creative Labs 70PF165000015 Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (White) Review
I purchased this Zen Microphoto about 3 years ago. It still is working flawlessly. I love that when the battery dies you can pop the back cover off and put a new one in for about .00 Its a little bit bigger then the micro sized players they sell now, but when those tinnie players batterys go dead the player becomes dumpster food. Its hard to find a player with a removeable battery today.
Creative Labs 70PF165000015 Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (White) Feature
8 GB digital audio player/photo viewer with a stylish white design
Compatible with MP3, WMA, Janus, WAV, IMA ADPCM, and PlaysForSure DRM WMA
Built-in FM radio (32 presets) with record function, voice recorder, USB mass storage
Measures 2 x 3.25 x 0.7 inches (WxHxD) and weighs under 4 ounces
Creative Labs 70PF165000015 Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (White) Overview
Be captivated, be spellbound. Creative ZEN MicroPhoto features a revolutionary, vivid OLED color display. Dubbed ZEN Micro Photo by some, you can browse through photos or music playlists from this award winning digital music player's brilliantly clear menus. Color your music with strikingly detailed views of digital photos on this sleek MP3 player. And keep up to 4000 songs or thousands of photos by your side and in your pocket.
Creative Labs 70PF165000015 Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (White) Specifications
The micro-sized, coolly styled Zen MicroPhoto digital audio player/photo viewer enables you to watch slide shows of your favorite digital images on its stunning, high-intensity 1.5-inch OLED screen while listening to an MP3 or WMA soundtrack. This 8 GB player in white can hold up to 10,000 JPEG images or 4,000 songs. It's also nicely compact, measuring just 2 x 3.25 x 0.7 inches (WxHxD) and weighing under four ounces.
View the stunning, high-intensity 1.5-inch OLED screen from any angle.
The MicroPhoto 8 GB player holds up to 10,000 images or 4,000 songs. View larger.
See the Zen MicroPhoto in 3D.
The Zen MicroPhoto's vibrant, cutting edge OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen looks terrific and draws less power than conventional LCD displays. It displays 262,144 vivid colors, ensuring every picture is sharply detailed and extraordinarily clear. Using revolutionary display technology, you can now view photos from any angle. The vertical touch pad makes navigation easy, and the micro-sized player is offers a curved design to fit ergonomically in your hand. The intuitive menus in wild, bright colors makes navigating through those 4000 songs and tons of photos easy and fun.
It's compatible with MP3, WMA, Janus, WAV, IMA ADPCM digital audio files (including DRM protected Plays For Sure WMA files from online stores and subscriber services) as well as JPEG image files. Its 8 GB capacity will store up to 4,000 (266 hours) of WMA files (encoded at 64 kbps) or 2,000 (133 hours) of MP3 songs (encoded at 128 kbps).
This player also features a built-in FM radio with 32 preset stations and the ability to record directly off the radio, enabling you to capture your favorite songs and live radio interviews. The integrated microphone and voice recorder feature enables you to record short notes to yourself as well as important meetings and lectures. Choose from the Zen MicroPhoto's custom EQ or eight pre-loaded EQ settings: Acoustic, Classical, Disco, New Age, Vocal, Pop, Rock, and Jazz. Working perfectly with Microsoft Outlook, you can now organize appointments, business contacts, or even wake up to your favorite song. Additionally, the Zen MicroPhoto can be used as a USB mass storage unit, allowing you to safely store your important presentations and documents and transfer them to another PC. The included removable, rechargeable Li-ion battery provides up to 15 hours of continuous playback time, and it can be charged via a USB connection to your computer or the included USB travel charger. Take a closer look at all the Zen MicroPhoto features.
The Zen MicroPhoto uses PlaysForSure technology. Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you're shopping for a portable music or video device and you want to make sure the digital music and video you purchase will play back on it every time. Match the PlaysForSure logo on a large selection of leading devices and online music stores. If you see the logo, you'll know your digital music will play for sure. Choose from a large number of digital music and video stores, including MTV's Urge, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, Napster, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, and many more.
What's in the Box 8 GB Zen MicroPhoto (white), high-fidelity earphones with dynamic bass response, removable rechargeable Li-ion battery, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, installation CD-ROM, and printed Quick Start Guide.
