Electronics : Creative ZEN 16GB MP3 Player

Rating: - Colour Me Unimpressed
Have just recieved my new zen this weekend and am writing this within 2 days of reciept. You can colour me unimpressed! I have always preferred Creative to Ipod due to the range of digital audio it will play and the simplicity of use. I decided to get this model as I had filled my zen Micro 8 gig to capacity and wanted more space - I knew I would be happy with the next zen as the micro had given me no problems previously.
Sadly the moment I opened the box I knew I was in for a disappointment. THERE IS NO CHARGER WITH THIS ZEN! And further more it is a sealed unit - no longer can you replace the battery when it ceases to charge.
The charging / download lead is three inches long. Even with my relatively up to date pc it dangles from the front of the cpu like a key fob. The screen is adequate - but I would not play a music video on it. The menus are cumbersome and complete unintuitive.
Unlike most gadgets these days this zen is not "plug and play" having installed the software you are expected to restart before you can use the software. Additionally when I hooked up both my zens to transfer data between them - you can't! This zen firmly refused to acknowlede that it was connected! I had to drop 8 gig to my desktop and then copy it onto this zen - a process that took half an hour to complete!
Creative seem have cast aside their previously good standards and have decended to pandering to a teenage throwaway market.
CREATIVE YOU CAN DO BETTER.

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Rating: - Great gadget
I recently bought this item from Amazon after a short bit of deliberation. I, like many others read the reviews on this player and thought about whether or not I wanted an alternative to the iPod.

Its true, the iPod is one of the most successfully launched products in the history of the world but by god, can this player compete!

The player does everything that the iPod does with ease and in half of the size too. The player has an added bonus of being expandable to the High Speed SD format which is a real plus.

Its cheaper than an iPod Nano and better looking too.

The gloss finish makes the player look slick and really helps to finish off the unit. I think you will be impressed with the lightness of this unit too, compared to the iPod this unit is light, small and is exactly the same size as a credit card.

The sound is great, many different preset equilisers and a function which lets you customise your own levels.

Added features such as the organiser and calendar could be useful although I have to admit that I leave that sort of stuff to my smartphone.

This player is a showstopper and is a real rival. If comparing on price, you will not regret this for one second.

Cases and accessories are cheap on the market too.

5 out of 5 from me.

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Rating: - Very Impressed
I'm one of those people who hate the fact that people are so fixated with ipods, yeah they are nice to look at but are very overpriced. I bought this 16GB Creative Zen for £89.99, it is also a very good looking piece of kit, the same size as a credit card and only 10mm thick. The menus are very easy to navigate and transfering music/photos/video is a doddle (Just drag and drop in Windows Media Player/Centre or Windows Explorer).

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Rating: - problems
have had to return two of these within a week and amazon's policy is that they do not send a third item out and so am awaiting refund.
first one worked fine for a day then refused to switch on. second one never got going and screen was constantly white. pressing buttons had no effect. (amazon replied to my email saying that this has been a common problem!). nay mind - have to go to the "other side" and get myself an ipod! gutted coz for the day that i had the first one it seemed a fantastic little mp3 player.

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Rating: - Good enough
I had to return my first zen after 6 days because the screen went white and had no control. Amazon sent the replacement straight away and it's working fine now (see for how long?)

Cons:
The headphones are a bit big for my ears (I would prefer them smaller).
The usb cable is ridicously short.
The radio doesn't seem to catch many stations in London.

Pros:
Screen, design and price are very attractive.
Quality is good.
It's not an ipod.

Overall a good buy.