Creative ZEN 8GB MP3 Player - Black
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Price Range: $119.78 - $147.00
(10 reviews)
- This is the Creative ZEN at a glance. Decked out in an all-black suit, the Creative ZEN is smaller than your average credit card and sits snugly right in your palm. With an attractive 11.3mm thickness, this sleek player weighs a mere 65g, allowing you to carry it around easily.
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User Reviews for
Creative ZEN 8GB MP3 Player - Black-
By bschiszik
Reviewed
20-Aug-08 -
Pros:
The buttons and screens are fairly intuitive. I like the size--size of a credit card. The screen is visible even in the sunlight. Some of the settings can be customized. The microphone is great.Cons:
The software bundled with the ZEN to organize media is average. The button to fastforward/rewind could be a little bigger. The USB cable is very short--too short for me so I got a longer one.Summary:
It is easy to add in mp3 files and photos. The photos I loaded look good to me colorwise. They take a few seconds to load. I have not loaded any video but the ones that come with the ZEN have good quality. Navigating around the screens is easy and you can customize the menu order and what displays on the menu. The microphone which I use regularly to record lectures does all I need it to--there is some static in the recording but I get what I need. The biggest frustration is the software. My previous mp3 player, the Creative Zen MicroPhoto had better software (I ruined that Zen in water) which helped me keep up with the tags (genre, track order, etc.) for each mp3 file that meant more to me than the defaults. And, I find when rewinding or fastforwarding within a song I sometimes advance to the previous or next song instead so it takes a little practice to get used to hitting the buttons just right to do what you want. There are features I have not explored yet, like rating the songs, the memory card (I have not needed it yet), the personal information manager (calendar, tasks, and contacts). I don't get good reception on the player for the radio but I don't have a need for the radio anyway. I've had to reboot the player twice in three months--it is easy to do, it just changed the menu order I had set up. Overall I like the player and would recommend it.
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By odomkr
Reviewed
22-May-08 -
Pros:
- Nice display- Removable media card offers a lot of flexibility for storage of all types (and SDHC compatible)- Extra capabilities (radio, voice recorder)Cons:
Sometimes locks up and needs to be resetSummary:
This MP3 player has a lot of variety in features. It can play audio and video but also has voice recorder and radio receiver. I have used one for about 6 months and now am purchasing another one for my daughter. While the documentation is not as robust as it could be, with some trial and error it is pretty easy to figure out. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new player. The display is bright and sound is great. Creative offers drivers and firmware upgrades on their website and periodically updates them to keep them current. The Creative Media Explorer is decent and makes keeping track of your files relatively easy.
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By pSyGoN_PoLYgOn
Reviewed
24-Mar-08 -
Pros:
Gorgeous and spacious screen; sleek, quick, and easy interface; best bang for the buck in terms of quality and functionality; SD memory expansionCons:
Not wide-screen; most video files require conversion; volume should be louder; buttons should be backlit; battery should be replaceableSummary:
This PMP beats the "fruity" alternative in almost every way. It has a bigger and better screen, can play more file types, has an FM tuner, is more affordable, and has unlimited storage with its memory expansion. The Zen is not perfect, however. It should have been widescreen; it should have sounded louder. Most video files do require conversion, but it is very easy with Creative's software. The SD memory expansion feature should have been integrated with the main memory; instead, you have to access the files on the SD card seperately. Hopefully, Creative can tweak and improve on the Zen's weaknesses with a future firmware update.
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By Benny357
Reviewed
10-Mar-08 -
Pros:
Size, portability, vivid colors, multiple operations.Cons:
USB transfers are slow...transferred all data from old zen to new zen. Should come with screen protection. Sticker you see in the pictures is on the unit when it arrives. Leaves a goo mark.Summary:
This is a fantastic little player, and for the money, wow! You can get it for less than $135 if you are watching closely. Video and music are very smooth...I like the flash memory over the hard drive memory...actually sold my Zen Vision M for this unit.FM player has improved leagues beyond old Creative products...well done. I love the shortie USB cord. I get them tangled all the time anyways. Transfers easier with universal USB, instead of connector like Vision M had. I use my same charger for the cell and my Zen now.Navigation is straightforward, but takes a little getting used to if you are used to the scroll bar. Above all, enjoy! This is a fantastic piece of electrical engineering. My 7th generation MP3 player, and by far the best.
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By fiftywaysto
Reviewed
16-Jan-08 -
Pros:
Small size and weight (smaller but of course thicker than a credit card). Ease of use. Flash memory. SD Card expandable memory slot. Audible Books capable. Available accessories.Cons:
Fingerprint magnet. Only 8GB. Mediocre earbuds. No on-the-fly radio record function. No case included.Summary:
This is my first foray in to mp3 players so I didn't want to spend much on a player until I became more familiar with them. Great deal at one of the online retailers listed here. $129 after $50 rebate. Plus sign up for their credit card and receive $30 off your first purchase. Save $5 more with a review here. Total investment $95.I'm still learning to use the controls but they become intuitive after continued use. The sound is fantastic, especially with a pair of Radio Shack's Koss Titanium Headphones (which regularly go on sale for $20). I'm amazed at the sound you can get out of something so small. It supports the regular formats including the now unprotected iTunes AAC. The video is better than I expected with a large vibrant screen and the radio reception is decent. Sleep function is great. I haven't been able to get anywhere near 25 hours of battery use, but as small as the battery is, it still lasts a long time. Of course like most of the other mp3 players, the rechargeable battery is not user replaceable. The photo viewer, voice recorder and equalizer presets are all excellent. Other features I don't plan to use are an alarm and calendar. I would have given this 5 stars except for the fact that I haven't tried out the other mp3 players.
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By la2atl
Reviewed
14-Jan-08 -
Pros:
Bright, vivid screen; simple user interface, screen always stays on, expandable memory slot, great battery lifeCons:
Buttons could use backlightingSummary:
I've been using my Zen for almost a month now and am really enjoying it. Before I bought this I had a SanDisk e280 and wanted a new player because the wheel on it is cheesy. This player definitely is an upgrade. The user interface is very simple and easy to understand. It has a good number of features including a "dj" feature that allows you to play groups of songs (songs highly rated, songs rarely played, shuffle all), a calender, and allows you to even add contacts for an address book (though I'm not sure why you'd want to do that on a mp3 player). I use it while I work out at the gym and I love that fact that the screen stays on the whole time I am working out and since you can set it to display the time, I never need to wear a watch while working out. While I use my player primarily for music, I have had a chance to view pictures on it and love how vivid they are. I have also used the memory slot and find it simple to use and easy to access the information on. Some users have complained that info on the memory card can't be integrated into the player's existing data but I have had no problems with this. The reason I have no issues though might be due to the fact that I updated my firmware before I started using it. I would recommend that anyone getting this player first updated the firmware via Creative's website. There have been at least 10 firmware updates released since this product hit the market. Overall I love my Zen though and won't be looking for a new mp3 player anytime soon. For the price, I don't think there's a better deal out there. I'd recommend it to anyone who has not been brainwashed into thinking the iPod is the only decent multimedia player on the market.
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By honghebox
Reviewed
18-Dec-07 -
Pros:
Long battery life, large vibrant screen, SD card slot, easy navigation. Sounds great.Cons:
I like the little USB cable and had another longer one I could use with my desktop. I wish they'd included the screen protector and a carrying case.Summary:
This is the second time I buy this player the previous one was a gift to one of my friend. SD Card Integration - While it would be nice, it's not that big a deal. You can play audio or video files off the card, and that's good enough for me. I added a 2GB Sandisk card (not on the list of "approved" cards on Creative's website) and it works fine. Firmware - After reading about troubles with the new firmware, I decided to stick with my original firmware, and I've had no problems other than the somewhat long start-up time. I-Pod Alternative - I've been loath to go the I-p*d route, and was very happy to see this offering from Creative. Nothing against Appl*, I just like to see choices out there in the market.
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By willyramirez
Reviewed
16-Dec-07 -
Pros:
Great Design, Expandable memory, not an IPOD, FM tuner, compatible with more than Itunes, not a ZUNECons:
Interface not as sleek as IPOD's, only jpeg photos and wmv video formats are supportedSummary:
I like it, I used a friend's for a week before buying mine and I found it really good. Held charge just right and audio quality is very good (I never use the earbuds provided with these things because they usually suck wind). Big screen for such a small thing and with great colors. The best thing for me is the ability to expand storage capacity using SD cards, actually that is how I keep must of my stuff since it allows for easy organization for me. However, the 8 GB alone holds all of my preferred Cd's.
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By SZ2007
Reviewed
05-Dec-07 -
Pros:
CreativeCons:
Battery may explodeSummary:
I bought Creative Zen PMC in November 2005. It stops working last month because of the battery swelling up. I have to break the battery door to get it out. I am afraid that it will explode and contact the company.Response from Creative:Unfortunately, your Zen PMC is no longer in warranty. This product is ending it's service life and has been replaced with newer and more feature rich products. We are no longer maintaining PMC stock or accessories stock in either retail or repair channels.The most that I'm going to be able to offer to you is a 20% discount on the purchase of a new product.
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By lucavi
Reviewed
05-Nov-07 -
Pros:
Sleek design, easy to use UI, lightweight, great sound, great video, lootttsss of feature, easy drag and drop transfer, expandable memoryCons:
right now it seems the battery is depleting eventhough it is on shutdown modeSummary:
Creative zen is certainly a named alternative mp3 player besides the giant ipod production. It's lightweight and size is perfect for those who wants to use this in the gym especially with the new gym who uses FM transmitter to listen to the Television program (i suggest to buy the armband either on ebay or some other merchant because it's cheaper than creative own products). The product is very easy to use, very easy to navigate and all self explanatory. The sounds is great even with the factory earphones but i'm sure that it'll sound better once i get a better earphones, movies playback are great as well the only downside on the movie playback is that it wont give a true black on the background but very nice otherwise. The FM Tuner works great and can store up to 25 presets which is more than i need. Voice recording has clear playbacks as well eventhough i haven't really found a good use of it but it is a nice feature for future use. The colors for photos looks great and rich. the battery last a long time but i hope i can resolve the battery issue (hopefully it's only the firmware issue). I'm getting some help from the customer service and i will update on this issue as soon as i know what is going on. Summary: All and all this is a very nice mp3 player for the price, amazing features and design as well as performance. Would i recommend this for you to buy??? YES 100%
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