2. The Cube

Creative Labs has wrapped up these treasures in a fairly plain-looking cube. The advantage here is that it fits neatly into the hand and can slip into even a tight space. The disadvantage is a lumpiness that can be inconvenient for a pocket. Still, you have to admire the miniaturization: 67 x 67 x 20 mm is a perfectly reasonable size and a weight of 100 grams with the battery should be no problem, even for the most mobile person. That said, with a disk of this size, you may wonder why this device isn't slimmer. But let's not forget that for 4 GB, it only weighs twice as much as a flash player. The lithium-ion battery alone, which, at 22 grams, accounts for nearly a quarter of the total weight, gives a continuous operating time of 12 hours (our measurements). 3.7 GB of working disk space gives you no less than 30 hours of MP3 play at 128 kbps! I reckon nobody will really complain about the quantity/ size/ weight ratio!

Low Sex-Appeal

We were used to attractive looks from Creative, but here they are a bit below par. Apart from the shape, the gray housing and black front are not exactly thrilling or wickedly sumptuous. Some would say understated. The case is much better looking, but unfortunately, it gives you no access to the screen and controls. The screen, by the way, is decidedly microscopic; we expected something bigger on a device of this price. However, it is still perfectly legible and the blue backlighting is very effective. The ergonomics are a model of simplicity with just two buttons. One is the on/off and play control; the other has four positions and controls the volume and track skip, along with some very useful menu browsing. The functions are the usual ones, with a special mention for the manual equalizer.