Creative Zen Touch 20 GB MP3 Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had a Zen for the past few months, heres my review.
Q - Why a Zen?
A - I just wanted a Jukebox, that I could store all my CDs on and play them at work. Zen was Cheapest of the 3 majors and did everything I wanted it to do.
Q - Research?
A - I read every review and Mag on MP3 Players for about a month. Mostly all said the same thing. Each one of the Majors (Ipod, Iriver and Zen) all have same various problems, ( Set up issues, Poor Tech. Support, Bad Software etc..) and a majority of the reviewers seemed to be people whom had just got a Dud model, so I really didn't get that much out of it. ( Ck's Amazon review excepted, which is a wonderfully helpfully piece.)
Q - Why not Ipod?
A - I have friends whom have Ipods, but they all have apples and seem more attached to the styling and fashion statement, rather than the players features. Yes, Ipods look great and the Wheel navi. is great. But I have a PC and bad copy of XP, and the last thing I wanted to do was buy a new computer because of an MP3 player ? Add in the Battery issue (design Feature or Fault?) and Propriety software issues, On top of the Apple / PC compatibility issues and this just isn't a good choice for PC users.
Q - Why Not Iriver?
A - It came down to a choice between Iriver and Zen. Most other brands seemed to be new too the market, I was unwilling too take the chance. (although the new Sony seemed interesting.)Iriver does have more features, but I was never going to use them. So I couldn't justify the higher price.
Q - Hardware Issues?
A - The headphone suck, really suck. (new pair required) the touch pad is just way too sensitive (adjustment in Set Up required). I found it a bit hard to use at the start, but that's well over now. Other than that, nope. The player is small, compact and not too heavy.
Q - Software Issues?
A - Not great, but usable. All I use the software for is ripping, transferring and burning CDs. I am sure it does other stuff, but I have little use and less interest. The Burning has been excellent without fault.The ripping has been good. Out of 3000+ songs ripped, only about 20 have been duds. Transferring has been fine, but I have had problems. It seems to crash if I want to transfer over 1500 songs. (But this could also be my PC / XP. ) The AutoSynic function, (the automatic transfer function) comes up with errors every other time I use it. So now I repeat the update, which seems to solve the problem. The player has the odd habit of replicating some songs and not picking up certain tracks from transfer? I am still not to sure how or why. But this is only for 30 odd tracks, so no biggie.
Q - Music?
A - Its mostly MP3's, but a wide variety of length. It has 3400 tracks loaded with 7Gig left. The Quality is good and there are no problems with the working speed of the player. I use the playlist function which works well, but create/alter them on my PC. The song replay is alphabetical. so if I have an Album that I want to play in song order, I just rename each one, 01..., 02...., 03.... And that seems to do the trick.
Q - Battery Life?
A - No problems. I have had a lot of problems with rechargeable batteries before, so I made a point of fully recharging it overnight and then draining it completely before recharging. I get over 12 hours continual use out of it. This includes menu surfing etc..
Q - Other Features?
A - Apart from the Radio function, I don't really use them. Its got a clock, contact list etc.. But its not what I what I use it for. The Radio reception works fine. But I live in a Central City area, so there would be a major problem if it didn't work.
Q - Result?
A - For what it is, I am very happy with it. The player isn't perfect and the software can be a pain, but these are only minor complaints. After what I have experienced and the problems friends have had with Ipods, I would make the same decision again. In short, I would recommend the Zen to any PC user.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Zen Touch 20 GB MP3 Player

Product Description:
Creative Zen Touch - style, size, capacity and an extra long battery life make it the ideal digital audio player for music fans. Its innovative Touch Pad supports easy, fingertip navigation through the songs, while the hard disk can also store other file types for convenient data sharing and transfer. Super-Fast USB 2.0 connectivity ensures high speed downloads, while Creative MediaSource software makes ripping simple. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers up to 24 hours playtime per charge and the large backlit display with multilingual interface completes the experience.

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Creative Zen V Plus 2 GB Portable Media Player (Black/Green) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought two of these (one for my wife also). I've owned a 15GB 3rd gen iPod and a 60GB 5th gen iPod (video). I returned the iPod video to buy these two and get some money back. I don't care what they say; iPods never have worked and played well with Windows.

I've never owned an iPod nano, so can't compare to it. Maybe some of this is better to be viewed as a hard disk versus flash based player review.

The Zen Vs so far have done well with windows. It's not quite as easy as drag-and-drop as they indicate on the site, but it is close. You have to open the Zen explorer (set up like the Windows explorer) and drag them into that.

I use Foobar2000 for a music player. When a good song comes on, I just drag the song from the playlist into the Zen explorer and it transfers it without a problem. Or, you can select a bunch of songs and drag them all in (from file or Foobar or where ever).

The player's screen is nice and bright and sharp, but the resolution is apparent when looking at photos. The zoom comes in handy for photos, but it never looks as good as when viewed on a high res screen, as you would expect. I put a custom background on it as soon as possible to get rid of the butt-ugly default background.

I haven't been using the cheap bag they include with it. It's too big and too ugly. But even without the bag, I haven't noticed any scuffing or scratching so far. I haven't intentionally tested it, but I haven't been gentle with it either. I always kept the 5G iPod in its case, but seemed to scratch it anyway. I'm still puzzled about that.

Navigation is easy and intuitive; click right to move deeper into the menu, left to go back to a higher level, until you hit the end (play a song or view a picture), then the back button is used the get into the menus again. Holding the back button will bring up the options menu. There are plenty of settings to play with, which I like.

The player has a solid feel to it. I like how all the buttons feel. The joystick is a bit small (and I'm a big guy), but I don't have too much trouble getting around with it. I don't think about it at all now, just a few days after getting it.

From my few days of listening to it, the sound is very good. Most of my mp3s were transcoded using high quality settings, so they are a good test. You would have to be pretty picky to complain about the sound quality. That wasn't the case with my two iPods in my opinion. I should mention that I used a good set of studio headphones to form these opinions. They sound excellent with this player. The bundled earbuds are fine, but not great.

The recorder works fine; easy to use, sounds just ok.

Haven't tried the inline recorder.

I've been surprised at how many songs I've been able put on it. I was used to 60GB of space and thought I'd really miss it. But now I realize I just had a bunch of crap I didn't listen to on the old player; I was constantly fast forwarding through songs I didn't like. I have 234 tracks on it and have it ~half full.

The scroll wheel on the iPod was better for running through songs, but the Zen V has a keyword search and quick way to get to the start of a section (like the songs starting in M section). It's different, but just as effective. Honestly, with 60GB of stuff, the scroll wheel still took forever to find anything. I think I like the keyword search better.

I like that it attaches with a standard USB cable (mini on one end). Cheap to buy a replacement or a longer one (the included one is short, but fine).

The Zencast software works great for syncing to the player, but it's not quite as intuitive to get podcasts as with other programs I've used.

I like the size and shape of it. It fits easily into my shirt pocket without making it droop badly like the iPod did. The earbuds are the hardest thing about pocketing the player.

Things that it doesn't do (picky stuff):
If the last song played was paused when the player shut down, it doesn't power up into the middle of the song, it restarts it. If you power it down while the song is playing, it starts where it left off.
Doesn't seem to count correctly when waiting to dim the screen, does it too fast for the setting it's on.
Doesn't have radio, wish it did.
Doesn't have video, but the screen is so small I don't think it would be worth watching.
Doesn't work as a USB drive - Doesn't do this right out of the box, but might be able to be configured as one.
Doesn't have that cool padlock style screenlock thing that the video iPod had
Doesn't use iTunes... oh, wait, neither do I (not a big fan), maybe that should be in the pros column.
Doesn't fetch me the newspaper or make me coffee.

One warning: Install the software before plugging it in the first time. Windows won't recognize the player if you don't.

All in all, I'm really happy with this player. I'm a really picky person, so that's pretty high praise from me.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Zen V Plus 2 GB Portable Media Player (Black/Green)

Product Description:
With a tiny, eye-catching design, smooth contours, and a discreet size, the Creative Zen V Plus 2 GB Portable Media Player fits perfectly in your palm and slides effortlessly into your smallest pocket. With 2 GB of storage space,

A 1.5-inch OLED screen displays rich and vibrant photos, as well as the easy-to-use Creative interface. View all Zen V Plus features.

Not much bigger than a pair of earbuds! (black and orange model shown) See the Zen V Plus in 3D. the Zen V Plus holds up to 1,000 songs, and the 1.5-inch OLED screen displays rich and vibrant photos, full-color menus, and album art at any viewing angle. Another great feature built right into the Zen V Plus is the tiny device's ability to support subscription services and pay-per-download music. Plus, you'll never sweat formats--the Zen V Plus plays the broadest selection of MP3 and WMA music. And browsing your music collection has never been easier with Creative's innovative interface that enables effective and intuitive navigation and track selection. The Plus has an extra feature that it's predecessor lacked: the ability to play short video clips. With the Zen V Plus you can watch short clips in transcoded video format and impress your friends with the latest tidbits from the web or a brief glimpse of a home video.
Another great features is the Direct CD Recording function that allows you to record songs directly from a CD player or other audio source without using a PC as an intermediary. You no longer need to burn CDs to your PC then download to your MP3 player. Just connect an audio device directly to your Zen V Plus, and record your favorite CDs, records, beats and more, directly from the source. Meanwhile, automatic track detection separates each song for you--a handy feature when you're converting analog (records and cassette tapes) to digital. If organization is a high priority, the Zen V Plus's Personal Organizer will help you stay connected and in-sync with your Microsoft Outlook information. Just connect the Zen V Plus to your PC, sync your Outlook information, and you'll be ready to carry around your contacts, calendar, and to-do lists right in your pocket. Plus, the Zen V Plus uses a handy built-in microphone to double as a voice recorder, so you can capture notes, record lectures, and more.


No matter how you hold it, the Zen V Plus is just the right size. Creative knows that sporty is sexy, and this player is ideal for any workout junkie. The skip-free playback is perfect on your morning jog or your most rigorous workout at the gym. The optional armband and case fit comfortably on your arm and keep your Zen V Plus safe and secure while running or lifting. The Zen V Plus player was designed for people who appreciate style and function. Don't be surprised when people take notice of your cool, colorful music and photo player. You can proudly announce that your device carries up to 1,000 songs, and you can show off your favorite photos and video clips that you've stored on this pocket-sized powerhouse.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen V Plus, earphones, drawstring pouch, lanyard, USB 2.0 cable, line-in cable, neck strap, installation CD including user manual, and quick start guide.

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ZEN Refurbished 4GB Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Got this refurbished.Price was good and overall works well.My less than max rating is driven by a few irritations but this is overall a pretty good player.
I have only used it for photos and mostly MP3's so I can't comment on video capabilities.Photo display is good, crisp and vibrant.Sound quality is ok (I have not tried the headphones that came with it) but I am disappointed with the lack of volume with some books I have been listening to while out walking.
Ease of use is hampered by not backlighting the control buttons and the buttons being the same black color as the overall case.Very difficult to see the controls in low light.Tough to navigate to find a new file sometimes.Outlining the controls with light or at least making them a contrasting color to the case would have been better.The size of the unit is good for photo display but is a little big for just MP3 use, although it does fit into a shirt pocket.Some kind of clip would help.Putting the on/off switch and headphone jack on the same side of the player is a good design as well, especially if you stick it in your pocket.I think battery life is good even with a large display and I like that all the title, artist, time, battery status, etc is all visible without waiting for text to scroll. I'd say the display is the best feature of this unit.You can save the battery by dimming the display when you are not using the controls.I especially like that you can just add or delete files using standard Windows commands as I hate the synch software req'd by many players.I have not come close to the 4GB memory limit even with numerous books loaded at the same time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ZEN Refurbished 4GB

Product Description:
Multimedia in your pocket!This Creative ZEN player offers an ample 4 GB capacity to hold all your favorite photos, videos, music, data files and more! This credit card-sized player supports a wide array of audio, video and photo file types, making this ZEN player an ideal travel companion for anyone on the go.Enjoy crisp, razor-sharp detail while viewing your album art, photos, and videos on the 2.5-inch TFT display. This versatile player syncs with and views Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar and Tasks, making it easy for you to stay organized and in touch. Stay up to date on all your favorite radio shows, sports, world events and traffic reports with the built-in FM Radio.This stylish player features a Secure Digital expansion slot, making it easy to expand your digital library. Uploading and editing your files is simple with the USB 2.0 interface and easy to use on screen controls. Condense your digital life into one convenient package, order your Creative ZEN 4 GB MP3/MP4 player today!

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