2. At The Touch Of A Fingertip

With its white bezel and matte-silver border, the Zen Touch creates an impression of elegance with a dose of robustness added. And indeed it can handle the shocks and falls of normal use conditions (that is, subways at rush hour, running after buses, etc.) without problems, even if Creative officially doesn't recommend it for joggers.

The Zen Touch's handling is a nice blend of modernity and classicism. From the modern aspects, it adopts, in part, the touch-pad principle from the iPod, in the form of a vertical strip below the "OK" button. Given the size of the display, this proves to be the most efficient method of navigating through a long list of songs. Provided, that is, that the sensitivity is correctly adjusted. Despite this innovation, Creative hasn't chosen - fortunately - the "all-tactile" route taken by Apple. The manufacturer doesn't force users to learn new habits for adjusting the volume or turning the unit off. It sticks to the principle set down with the first Sony Walkman: The basic functions must be accessible very quickly. Here, on the side of the unit, an on/off button and two others for controlling the volume let you make simple adjustments without even having to remove the player from your bag or jacket pocket. Of course, if needed, a "hold" button - also easily accessible - prevents any accidental changes. The display is a good average for the size of the player and proves to be easily readable with its blue backlighting.