Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: creative, zen | Themes: Audio/Video Players
- 3. Full of Features
- 4. Zen Gives Nano a Run for Its Money
3. Full of Features
["Function" "Adjust to Screen Size" "View Full Screen" "Adjust Volume"]
The Creative Zen can read audio files with the following formats: MP3, WMA, WMA DRM (protected), WAV and AAC, as well as videos in the WMV, DivX and XviD formats. For the videos, a program is supplied in order to encode them in an appropriate format. It’s perfect for the task of fixing the resolution of video files.
The audio and video playback interfaces are very intuitive but classic. We appreciate the presence of the equalizer, which allows the user to adapt bass and treble to the style of music they listen to. You can do this via the predefined styles (classic, rock, etc.) or by accessing the manual equalizer, where you can precisely set the different bands to suit your likes and your music.
["Sun", "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thur", "Fri", "Sat"]
The bonus features
It has to be said that not all MP3 device come with bonus features; this is a shame, because novelty features are always appreciated! Well, the Creative Zen has tons of them. It has an FM tuner feature that can have up to 32 different pre-programmed stations (though it doesn’t display the names of the stations that you’ve found). It has an integrated Dictaphone, as well as an organizer feature with a calendar/datebook that can be used to store all of your contacts. This feature even allows you to synchronize your files with Outlook.
["Preset 1"; "Cherie FM" is an FM radio station and French entertainment portal] ["Preset Screen"]
A program that meets expectations
["Please Select a Task" "Media" "Browse Files" "Add a File" "Create Playlists" "Edit Playlists" "Extract CD Tracks" "Video Conversion "Data" "Browse Documents" "Edit Organization of Data" "Other" "Synchronize Media Data With Outlook" "Settings and Information"]
In order to optimize the use of your MP3 player, Creative includes a program suite with the Zen package. It contains the video conversion program we discussed, as well a Webcast handling interface (the equivalent of Apple’s Podcasts) and a synchronization program. Everything is ready to help you take full advantage of the Zen. Despite the innovations in the programs, though, we do come miss the older models, where you were allowed to fill your device by simply copying and pasting.
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the zen is twice as thick as the nano, but it also comes with twice as much capacity, with the option to add another 32gb.
during reading the article, the author seemed to me as he was kind of an apple-fan and so he found irrational cons on the zen.
sorry, but i'd appreciate a _short_ usb cable. and the power button with the integrated hold-function is also nice - i testet it.
ok, i'd also prefer it, if the sd-added capacity would be recognized as ordinary system memory and would be integrated completely, but hey! the nano comes with 8gb _maximum_!!!
i dont want to say the zen is better, but it sure is, like the nano, a great multimedia-player.
16million colours
customizable menus
customizable button
sdhc
i dont like:
plastic-finish
u have to use creative suite
First of all, the device uses MTP to link up with Windows, which requires Windows Media Player 10 or above. In other words, you can forget about other platforms like OS X or Linux. There is an open source third party software for Mac, and it works reasonably well, but I can say the same with Linux. I have a Ubuntu Linux laptop, an d the software on the repository did work with my Zen. A quick search on google showed I need to manually compile the source and override some default settings. This is just a bit too much for casual Linux user (the very same reaason I went to for Ubuntu for the ease to use reason)
Secondly, unlike iPod which you can at least see and use the device as a mass storage. This is not an option with Zen because of the MTP protocol it uses. So if you want to use the Zen to move files about, you can forget that idea.
Thirdly, Zen was sold as a video player as well as a competent mp3 player. Well, Zen is very picky on the video format and size. If you have a library of DivX files, and you think you can simply play it on Zen, you will be disappointed as I am. It only plays DivX video at 320x240 (can remember the exact horizontal resolution) with very strict encoding condition, i.e. you need to recoding your videos to play on Zen. In addition, I found the video and audio often out of sync (I am already using the latest firmware from Creative)
Honestly, if I know Creative had changed the way its players linking up a computer (using MTP), I would avoid it like I avoid iPod in the first place.
If I really was an branded player again. This time I would pick up an iPod due to its years of refinement. I guess iPod being the top of mp3 players for so long is for a reason.
Zen does not work on Ubuntu with the library on the repository.
You cannot use the Zen as a simply massive storage device.
... as it should be read as "I cannot remember the horizontal resolution restriction on Zen)
i didn't have to the time to transfer any files, so i might be wrong?
other than that there's Gnomad2 which should be in your repositories. If it isn't, then add it. If you can't, then you can either compile it (2 seconds) or switch to a more mainstream distro.
For mac users there is XNJB, but I don't think it can transfer album art like Amarok can.
How are you going to complain that creative is limited with what it can sync with? The new Ipods can ONLY sync with iTunes (without a hack) This is one of the most open mp3 players onthe market.
So know your mp3 player before you complain
What the hell is it with this trend? Fu
As for drag and drop works despite of the error message ... well, my computer seems to tell me differently. It won't let me copy video files that are not supported.
Open ... you can using a proprietary protocol from Microsoft(MTP) is open? Where is the old pain massive storage device?
That's the primary way for me to tell if my Shuffle is actually on.
it would have been nice for him to compare the two side by side. it would have been nice for them to show the picture quality of both players.
also compare the price of the two. also take time to consider what it takes to put flac encoded file on any ipod. next how many different ways can you add your music collection to a zen vs an ipod new generation wich practically forces you to use itunes.
you might not need the sdhc expansion if you already have an 8GB ipod, but it gives you the option. creative seems to be the only one who sells accesories for the zen when you can find ipod anything anywhere. i think unless you dont feel like shelling out money to creative for accessories, overall the zen is better for the money. i think the biggest con of this device is the noise level. why does it have a noticable noise level. are the ipods the same way?