Creative Zen 8 GB Portable Media Player (Black) Reviews

• Disregard and don't buy: Got the white screen of death after a few months

  
  By A113WJ4VQIE1WO on 2007-09-22
  Got about 4 good months before white screen problems occurred. These issues are very common; Google "Creative white screen of death". I don't know about you, but I expect more than a few months out of a $100+ purchase. So I bought a Sony NWZ-A726B. Suggest you do the same.
  
  Got my Creative Zen this week, and have been nothing but impressed. It is a sleek, solidly built player. The #1 thing to me is audio quality, and the Zen is a Ten there. I've been using an iAudio U2, and it sounded great; way better than my daughter's Nano. This is just as good if not better.
  
  What I was looking for in a player: First, good sound. Second, good battery life. Third, a nice screen for video and photos. I was tempted by the iAudio 7, because of that great battery life and my knowledge of their sound quality. But they're irrelevant in terms of video. The Clix is highly thought of by the techie sites, but it is weak in terms of space (still waiting on the 8 GB) and display (2.2 inches vs. the 2.5 of the Zen). So as a confirmed Apple apostate, when I saw the Zen, with its awesome audio, brilliant video, and SD slot, I knew it was "the one".
  
  It seems a little odd to me that a player can claim to "support" multiple video formats, yet I have to convert almost all of them. And the Zen software seems to convert everything to WMV. But I guess that is just the normal fallout of all these format wars. I have yet to find a video or audio format (including audiobooks .aa, which I haven't seen mentioned as specifically suppported) that I can't (eventually) get on the Zen. And the bottom line: the video looks vivid, the audio sounds awesome.
  
  I synched up with Windows Media Player, cuz I'm used to it. It mostly worked, but there was some weirdness; songs that appeared under an artist, correctly, didn't appear under that artist's album. I assume that synching with the Zen Media Explorer would work better. But with the ability to drag-and-drop, or even delete and create folders, directly from Windows Explorer, these glitches are easily fixed.
  
  The key to me is the SDHC slot. With SD cards gaining in capacity and dropping in price, this seems like the future to me. I'm betting the next generation iPod will jump on this bandwagon. I've seen complaints about the SD-card implementation, which sees the card as sort-of a separate device. But I actually like browsing on the card BETTER than elsewhere, because I can structure things there like I want. If you know how to create a folder, and drag things into it, you won't have a problem. Just keep it simple: a Music and a Videos folder, and only WMA/V and MP3. I can see monster "playlists" of video and music, organized by cheap, tiny SD cards. The ultimate in modular expandability.
  
  It is a bit slow to boot up, but that is minor, to me. The battery life is average. But it's easy for the Cowon iAudio 7, with a screen half the Zen's size, to have that awesome battery life. A brilliant, color-rich screen like the Zen possesses must come with a cost.
  
  In sum: This is an awesome player--well-built, feature-packed, with unlimited SD capacity.
  
  P.S. Works great so far with Amazon Unbox. The video is very good, the audio has a little crackle-and-pop; but overall, not bad at all, and easy to load. (No conversion necessary, although Unbox doesn't yet list the Creative Zen as an approved player.) However, the .amzn files aren't recognized on the Zen's SD card--easily worked around.
  
  
  

• Small and Sleek, but SD is designed poorly and does not work as advertised

  
  By A22GEKRZG5HRQ7 on 2007-10-12
  I purchased this item based upon Creative marketing that it worked with Amazon Unboxed, Audible, and the SD card slot would "expand my media library" so that the 8GB core memory would not be a limitation. Well, Amazon Unboxed and Audible do transfer to the unit and play on the core 8GB memory only, but will not transfer or work from the SD memory slot. So, if you expect to be able to run protected videos or audible books from the SD card slot, you can forget about it.
  
  Unprotected MP3's do run from the SD card slot, but they are not integrated with the units software for playlists. So, you have to manual browse folders on the SD card and play one song at a time (no queuing or creating a play list). The moment you navigate away from the song playing on the SD card to look at the list of other songs, the playing stops. So there is no browsing through your songs on the SD card while playing a song. It works, but the SD interface is sloppy.
  
  I talked to Amazon about the issue with the Unboxed videos not playing on the SD card and they said they Unboxed player has to transfer the files to the device. If the SD memory showed up as part of the core memory, than there would be no problem. Also, they said if the unit allowed you to copy/cut from the core memory and move/paste it to the SD memory from the device, this would allow the videos to play. I could not get a response from Creative on this issue after 2 days of phone calls and emails.
  
  I so much wanted this device to be great, and it is so close but the SD card limitations make it really nothing more than an 8GB flash players. I need more room than that. I recommend reading the forums on Creative to see the list of complaints about this very problem. Creative has come out and said they plan NO firmware updates to better integrate the SD card with the core memory or core software to allow protected video or audible to play from the SD memory. It is a slick, small device that has so much potential, but the SD limitations make it useless for a user with a large video and audible library. If you only have unprotected audio, than this device will work for you. Thanks to Amazon's generous return policy, this item is on its way back for a refund since it did not work as advertised. People are also reporting the Napstet to Go does not work on the SD card slot as well, but I do not have this service to confirm it
  
  I gave it 3 stars, instead of 2 because it does work with the core memory, looks good, is small and lite; but I am very disappointed in what I feel is deceptive advertising from Creative where they hide the limitations and imply that the SD care will offer you an endless media library while working with these paid services. .
  
  

• If you have iTunes, this is for you

  
  By A3NAWKPPHPLGU0 on 2007-09-24
  I recently sold my iPod Video 30GB because iTunes has always been buggy for me and I had to purchase a separate Video Converter, just to watch my videos on the small screen. Most of the time my Divx or MPG files cannot be converted properly into the Apple video file. The video will either be all green or blank. What a shame.
  
  Also Hard Drives are a thing of the past. Flash Memory is definitely the way to go. With Flash Memory, there is a less chance of failure or bad sectors on the hard drive.
  
  I have decided with Creative because of their easy usage of copying Music files into the player via USB. Creative has their own "ZEN Explorer", which allows you to drag and drop files. Very easy. No hassles or waiting for iTunes to run or crash.
  
  The Creative Zen program also comes with a Video Converter for FREE. Of course it converts the movie file to WMV, which you can choose from Normal, Good, or Best quality. You can transfer the file directly to the ZEN player or you can copy the WMV files to a SD card and play videos from there.
  
  I have tested a 2GB Mini SD Card, 1GB Micro SD Card, & 4GB SD Cards. All works great and easy to remove and swap. Removable SD Cards!!! Everyone has SD Cards now a days.
  
  I am truly impressed with this player and charging the player from my car and at home is flawless.
  
  After many months of searching for the next MP3 player (Samsung, iPod Nano, iRiver, etc... ), this is definitely worth the money I paid.
  
  So if you have problems with iTunes and do not want to go crazy for iPods, then this MP3 + Video is definitely for you.
  
  Good luck in your search for your next Music player.
  
  

• Few flaws, many pros

  
  By A3A53X9NSO3M4Z on 2008-02-27
  IMPORTANT NOTES FIRST:
  
  YES, it is iTunes-compatible, and YES it is compatible with Yahoo! Jukebox, BUT ONLY THOSE TRACKS THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED AS "BURNABLE". In other words, you will not be able to transfer your Subscription or Stream tracks to this device, which is only fair (for that, you have to have Yahoo! Music Unlimited To-Go, which is an invite-based service and thus uncommon). Needless to say, you can import tracks from any CD quickly and painlessly, and/or copy any wmv/mp3/mp4 or whatever that you already have on your hard drive: the device is browsable with Windows and all you need to do is copy/paste to the right folder.
  
  Now for the review.
  
  
  THE GOOD:
  
  ++ Compatible with an amazing variety of file formats, without conversion, unlike iPods. Whatever is not compatible the software will convert for you if at all possible. This is a HUGE plus for the computer-illiterate.
  
  ++ Great sound quality, a bare minimum requirement for a music player.
  
  ++ Sleek looks, IMO superior to the trite iPod-like, spin-wheel design. It certainly got more looks and comments than the iPod I had previously. Also, it's more pleasant to hold in your hand: small but not too tiny, and very sturdy/solid (which, if you'll handle it 8-10 hours a day like I do, is a huge plus).
  
  ++ The included software is fantastic. It's fast, reliable (never froze), and lets you manage files and create playlists quickly and painlessly. Basically, anything you can do with the player's built-in software you can do with ZEN Media Explorer from your computer. So, go for it.
  
  ++ Many complained about the interface, but I actually like it very much. The built-in software is easy to understand and utilize. The buttons are a tad tricky, but all you need to do is play around with them for ten minutes before you're able to find them blindly by just sticking your hand in your pocket (something you certainly cannot do with iPods, whose interface is more visually-driven).
  
  
  THE SO-SO:
  
  ++/-- The SD expansion slot is both a pain and a pleasure. Yes, you can basically make this a 16Gb with an SDHC card for a few bucks--but it's true that only SOME content will run off of it, and that while you are playing content from the SD card you cannot navigate the built-in flash memory. So, caveat emptor... but if you know what you're getting there's no reason to complain. How many times do you really browse your music while you're already listening to something else anyway?
  
  
  THE BAD:
  
  -- Perplexed about battery life info: "25 hours of continuous listening"? I don't think so. More like 10-12, which is on par with similar devices.
  
  -- The shortest USB cable ever bundled. Buy a cheapo extension from Monoprice right away, unless you already own a USB hub. Otherwise, your player will lie on the floor or, worse, hang by the cable while it's being charged and sync'ed, neither of which is good.
  
  -- The joystick buttons make a slightly annoying clicking sound, not when pressed but when released. However, this does not happen on my friend's ZEN, so maybe I got a "bad" unit?
  
  -- AWFUL packaging! What were they thinking? Not only is it one of those impossible-to-open blister packs, but if you use scissors it's relatively easy to harm the contents... not the player, thankfully, which is in full sight, but the manuals and CD and bundled cables. So be careful.
  
  
  OTHER THOUGHTS:
  
  ** BUY A SCREEN PROTECTOR! Apply it immediately. The screen will collect dust (and thus scratches) within hours, like any LCD.
  ** BUY A CASE OR SKIN! Piano-black finish is attracted to fingerprints like flies to s__t.
  ** 8Gb is perfect for the serious music listener with varied taste. Buffs and pros want to go for 16Gb. Occasional listeners will do well with 4Gb. Media moguls, of course, need not apply: that's what the Vision is for.
  
  
  Overall, one of the best entry-level portable music players on the market. The price tag may well be the deal-breaker here: it is cheaper than any other brand music player, and it does the same things AND, in my opinion, more and better. Support by Creative is also famously good, so I see no reason not to buy a ZEN.
  
  

• Compact, great sound

  
  By A2VMAQV0277US6 on 2007-09-27
  One week, and little time to explore the Zen's various functions. But I immediately filled it with songs. About 1,700 mp3 files left me with around 500 mb of memory remaining. The sound is much better than my old Dell MP3 player and better than my wife's Ipod Nano. The display is the best I've seen -- like you're holding a tiny HDTV in your hand. I feel it was a great deal for $199. Battery life is great, but I'm only listening to songs -- no video yet.
  
  CONS (minor, really):
  1)Slow to boot up (oh well).
  2)The included software CD took nearly an hour to download (my computer is by no means slow), and dumped more than 100 mb of stuff onto my hard drive, including FOUR new desktop icons. I have no clue what any of it is. All I wanted was music, and to load mp3s I simply dragged and dropped the files from my hard-drive to the player. They moved quickly and quietly. So what's with all the software?
  3) The Zen comes crammed with about 75 needless (yet quite vivid) sample photos and several strange songs. I killed them all to free up memory.
  4) The USB cable to connect the player to your computer is not even 5 inches long. My computer sits on the floor, so my Zen would have to sit on the floor, too. I decided to use my old Dell cable instead. It's 4-feet long.
  5) The FM radio is a nice touch, but as far as I can tell it only self-programs stations by scanning the dial for strong signals. I'd like to be able to manually program stations into the presets. Maybe I missed that function.
  
  Cons notwithstanding, I love the new Zen already and look forward to using it for photos and video.
  
  
  
• Great Player, but caution if you have WMP 11.0
  By A1XB7C2B2OHSRC on 2008-03-06
  I have the Sansa Clip 2GB and it is a terrific little MP3 player that sounds great, but I wanted to get something with more capacity so I spent quite a bit of time comparing specs and reviews between the Sansa e280, Sansa View, and the Creative Zen. 8 GB seemed to be enough to store all of my music and leave room for expansion.
  
  The Sansa View just seemed too large to carry around in my pocket. I was really considering the Sansa e280, a nice sized really cool looking player, but it is older technology and most reviews said that the Creative Zen had better sound. Also, my daughter has a Sansa e200 and has been having problems with the navigation wheel. So I finally decided on the Creative Zen.
  
  I ordered from Amazon with expedited shipping and it came a day earlier than I expected, which was great!
  
  The Zen design is what I would describe as minimalist. It's not something that is really going to catch your eye, and it comes in every color of black that you would want, but it is a nice size and weight and the image quality is outstanding. There is no external volume control but you can program a short-cut button to access it, and I like to use headphones with a line volume control anyway. The navigation buttons work nicely, even with a skin installed over them.
  
  The sound is just awesome...even better than the Sansa Clip, which had previously impressed me. Now I know what a really great MP3 player sounds like! The navigation menus are logical and well designed too, and I like how you can customize them. The device has a lot of really nice features. The expandable memory is one reason that I chose this player, despite the fact that there is a HUGE flaw in that it is not integrated into the main library and you have to access it thru the menu into the "Memory Card" selection and access files like you are using Windows explorer. I think this would be a killer if you plan on putting more music into the expandable memory thinking that it will just integrate into the rest of your music library, but since I knew about this in advance and I just plan to put documents, videos, photos, and maybe music that I don't listen to very often there it was not a big deal to me.
  
  Here is my advice to you if you are planning on getting this player:
  
  Follow the instructions and charge it up for 4 hours before doing anything. If you install the software and plug it in and start going thru the registration process while it is charging, you can update the Zen software but it will not let you update the firmware because the battery is too low and you will have to exit and do it later.
  
  The biggest !!!WARNING!! that I have to give you is that you need to be really be careful if you have Windows Media Player installed on your PC. You need to find out if you have version 11.0. If you don't you will be fine. But if you do have 11.0, you will find that when you upgrade the firmware on the Zen that the upgrade will hang up and suddenly your unit will be stuck in recovery mode and your computer will no longer recognize the player and you won't be able to do anything with it. I could not even turn off the Zen without using the paperclip in the reset hole trick. Trust me, this will happen. I've spent many hours reading forums about others that have had this problem and the official FAQ for Windows Media Player specifically mentions the problem with the Zen Creative. If you have WMP 11.0 on your PC your are either going to have to roll it back to an earlier version, or set up your Zen on a different PC with an older version of WMP and update the firmware. Once that the firmware is updated, if will work fine with WMP 11.0 (which is really cool and I prefer using it over the Zen software), but DO NOT upgrade your firmware with WMP 11.0 installed on your computer! I'm sure that Zen will fix this problem eventually, but as of this date it is still an issue that I am sure will screw up many customers. By the way, the only way I was able to fix it was to take my Zen to work and find a PC with an older version of Windows Media Player and install the software and upgrade the firmware. After that, the player was working fine again and when I took it home it worked fine on my PC. Again: You need to upgrade the firmware BEFORE upgrading your WMP to version 11
  
  The expandable memory and the firmware issues are the reasons that I downgraded my rating from 5 to 4. If the sound was not so excellent, I probably would have given it a 3.
  
  
  
• Won't do what it is supposed to do
  By A308161JNMOJPG on 2008-03-08
  If you want to watch video more than 60 seconds or so.
  
  First, do yourself a favor and try to find the creative lab phone support number on their website. Back yet? didn't find it did you?
  
  Second, go to the creative lab forums and search on video and sync. You'll find dozens and dozens of posts from people that watch video where the audio looses sync. You'll find no answers on how to fix this. You'll find suggestions about changing frame rate and bit rate and such (all of which require you buy and use a 3rd party conversion tool since the creative tool won't allow this)
  
  1 month, 6 emails, 4 phone calls (eventually found their phone number from another source). They can't fix the problem (I have a degree is software engineering and work in development of consumer electronic, so whether this carries any weight with you or not, I am not an idiot when it comes to troubleshooting)
  
  They refuse to refund my money. They RMA's a new unit with the same trouble AND a button which is faulty. Now I can pay shipping again to get another device which will probably not work. They also refused to put one of my videos from the return unit on the new device so see if it worked before they returned it!
  
  I won't be buying another creative product... Or at least I'll only buy it locally, test the hell out of it, and decide to keep or return withing 30 days.
  
  
• Much research and Creative fan
  By A3CWPPD0UV8GPF on 2008-01-12
  After much research and being a Creative buyer for a long time, I decided on the Creative Zen 8gb. I was looking for something compatible that had enough memory to use for music, photos and videos. I also liked the ability to use a memory card. I had a Zen V Plus 4gb and the new Zen is so much better. The screen is bigger and brighter and the controls are so easy to use. I would recommend that you buy the Creative charger with it. I tried many other chargers that claimed they worked but didn't and wound up wasting my money and throwing them away. I bought some Creative speakers (I-Trigue 200) and use these at work (they sound great) and the unit can play for 16 hours without a recharge. I also bought the PCMICROSTORE Zen Snap-On Crystal Protective Case Cover, the ZEN Clear Case, a Case Logic Large Pocket, the Zen armband (for jogging) and the Koss KSC22 DVD Sportclip Headphones. The PC Micro case fit perfectly, is thick enough to protect the unit and has cutouts for access to all controls. If it had a lanyard with it it'd be perfect. The Zen clear case is good too, but you can't plug in the speakers when it's in the Zen clear case, although you don't have any problems with the headphones. The Case Logic Pocket is neoprene and has a great lanyard which I took off and put on the Zen case and it works great. I carry the unit back and forth to work in the Pocket and can use either one around the neck, I would highly recommend both. I don't like ear buds (and the ones that come with the unit aren't that good) therefore the Koss headphones. I also put a screen protector on the screen after reading some of the other reviews. In summary if you're buying this unit you need to consider the additional costs of a case, screen protector, charger, headphones and for exercisers, the armband. I would recommend all and am very happy and satisfied with my Zen.
  
  
• Better than iPod?
  By A3I04RM049YS8Y on 2007-12-25
  I bought this for my mom, therefore I just spent a few hours teaching her to rip cds, and sync music.
  
  I have owned three iPods (a nano, a video, and an original one). This is a more feature-packed device than any of my ipods. For many, it will be a better choice.
  
  Features:
  Zen beats iPod in the features department. The screen is better than the one on the new Nano (same resolution, but larger). The display eye-candy factor is better. It includes a very good recorder and a strong FM tuner, which are missing completely in the ipod.
  
  Accessoies:
  The zen doesn't even offer a dock. iPod kills zen in the useful accessories competition. You can get any imaginable accessory for iPod. If you want a player to do more than drive your headphones, don't get the zen.
  
  Ease of use:
  Ipod gains an edge here. Both are easy, but ipod is easier. Ipod will probably always win this battle because itunes is very good software. Podcast options in itunes are easier. Options like picking playlists and videos are easier in itunes. The itunes store is far superior (although I prefer to buy most music on discs). I had a couple crashes when initially setting up the zen due to conflicts with WMP trying to access the player at the same time as the Creative update software. I had to soft reset the device twice while messing around with it. This kind of thing doesn't happen with iPods because iTunes does it all, and it is designed for iPod. Zen relies on compatibility with WMP, which is not Creative brand software. Because I bought this as a gift for an older person (my mom is almost 60), if I made the purchase again I would buy the ipod nano.
  
  Form factor / controls:
  Ipod has a slight edge here too. The click wheel is a lot easier to use than the 5-way nav + play button + menu button + up button on the zen. Ipod is slightly more pocketable. The zen is quite a bit larger, but both are so tiny and pocketable that it hardly makes a difference.
  
  Price:
  Zen is widely available for about 25% less than the iPod.
  
  Conclusion:
  If you want a super-easy to use, super slick device: iPod is the best choice. If you are less tech savy and computer software drives you nuts, ipod wins again. If you want a richly featured device and are willing to put up with slightly awkward desktop software, the Zen is the way to go. If I buy another player, I think this one would win for me because the FM radio and recorder would be very useful, and I am patient with computer hickups. As a gift for my mom, I wish I had bought her the iPod.
  
  
• This little device is absolutely awesome!!!
  By A3DBJP445LMZKH on 2007-10-05
  I bought the ZEN a couple of days ago and am completely impressed. I have had a couple of others (Zen V Plus - stopped working and Sansa Connect which had poor battery life and slow response) but I like the ZEN so much that it prompted me to review it. This is the first thing that I've bought that impressed me enough to rate it on Amazon.
  
  The sound is incredible, plus it works very well with both Rhapsody to go and Yahoo! Unlimited. It is packed with features too. The display is bright, colorful and quite vivid.
  
  The only thing that I would rate down on it is the lack of a dedicated volume switch -- but volume can be easily accessed via the "Shortcut" key so I still gave it a 5 because Amazon doesn't allow 4.5. Besides, the iPod doesn't have a volume switch either. I don't have an iPod, but from what I've seen this blows it away AND unlike iPod, you can use this with online music services and play iTunes unprotected files!
  
  Definitely worth the money - just buy yourself a good set of earbuds (VModa Vibe is great or if you can afford it the Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5 is superb!).
  
  
• My best effort for a comprehensive review
  By A2KZ6050JGJ8LQ on 2007-12-11
  Ok, I'll try and be as comprehensive and thorough as I can be. I've got the 8gb Zen and I've had it for about a month and a half now. Currently, I'm using the 1.13.01 firmware and that clear case with key ring that Creative sells.
  
  Given that this is a music player first and foremost, audio quality is priority number one. While I do not consider myself an audiophile, sound quality is nevertheless important to me. The Zen comes out with honors here.
  
  The sound right out of the box is fantastic. However, it can get even better with the equalizer and sound options. Hey, after all, Creative has just a little experience with computers and audio equipment and they get it really right here.
  
  I've listened to other players that are on the market and I must say that I believe that the Zen is near the top if not at the top in terms of sound quality. Also, there is talk that they will be introducing X-FI to their players which is just going to put them head and shoulders above the rest.
  
  Battery life has improved. Initially I was not getting the advertised 20 to 25 hours playtime, but with the firmware updates, this has improved greatly. Not sure if it's at 20 right now, but its acceptable. The Zen easily gets me through a couple of days before needing to be recharged.
  
  The included USB cable is, uhm, convenient if you are traveling and using your laptop? Maybe? Fortunately, Creative is not using proprietary stuff here and I just switched out that USB cable for a longer one that I already had and I'm doing just fine.
  
  There are actually two schools of thought with how Creative implemented the SD Card and I've become somewhat on the fence with this. First, I know that a lot of people would like to see the SD Card fully integrated (which is where I was), not all features are available for the SD Card. However, as a portable flash drive, it is great! Drag and drop with no hassles with the ability to still use it as extra storage for videos and music. And if 4gb, 8gb, or 16gb is not enough for you, just wait. Creative is coming out with a 32gb - don't know when though.
  
  The other features are nice and I can't complain really about any of them. There's a FM radio, Calendar, Clock, Organizer, Contacts List, Microphone and plenty of customizable options. I just wish it could work better as a PDA (alarm and modify daily tasks) and then I would be completely satisfied! But hey, I got this for playing music not as an organizer.
  
  The included software is really easy to use. Drag and Drop if ya want! The video converter works well, but may take a while to convert your video to an acceptable format. I just watched Battlestar Galactica: Razor on my Zen and it looked and sounded great! However it took over an hour to convert and put it on my player. There are other programs to use.
  
  All in all, I have been more than happy with my Zen. Great, size and looks and sound quality is top notch with some nice features added on. There are somethings I would improve, but those do not keep me from enjoying my player. It does everything I ask of it. I highly recommend this one.
  
  If you are considering the Apple Nano, take a look around. There's a reason the Apple Fan Bois are squirming. There are better options around and this is one of them.
  
  Lastly, just remember, get your hands on one and decide for yourself. The vast majority of people that are happy with something are not going to come to the forums to brag about it. That kind of distorts the image more than just a little. There have been bumps in the road, but Creative is really good at fixing stuff and I'm sure whomever wanted to rush this out in time for Black Friday and all that stuff has been fired...
  
  
  
• A few annoyances
  By A1KL7GCWLQT3MV on 2008-01-24
  I have now had the Creative Zen for about a month.
  
  What I like about the Zen:
  
  (1)its looks (very stylish and "with the times")
  (2)the screen (clear!)
  (3)the sound (crisp)
  (4)the size (perfect).
  (5)the alarm (it turns the player on automatically at your set time) .. but no snooze.
  (6)the ability to drap & drop
  
  However, there are two annoyances that I have found with it that make me give it only 3 stars -- an "average" rating.
  
  (1) it does not have resume play. So when the Zen turns off, so does the place you were at in your music. ESPECIALLY if you are in shuffle. It turns back on a completely different song, in a random place. I don't like this, because when I'm in my car, when I leave and come back, I want to continue listening to what was just on, more like a CD.
  
  (2) it tends to freeze A LOT when importing music and syncing. I have had to push the restart button at least 50% of the time I am loading new content. It doesn't get rid of anything when it has to be restarted, but it's a pain to have it constantly freeze and then have to restart it.
  
  Because of these two issues, I am not sure if I would recommend the Zen to anyone.
  
  
• very disappointed
  By AM5GMD1DVH3UO on 2007-10-10
  When I first ordered this product I had such high hopes for it because it seemed to offer so many features for a reasonable price. I had heard that the SD card did not integrate with the main memory but I was willing to live with that. However the player was riddled with many other problems. First, after I installed the software it would not recognize the player when I connected it to the USB and the problem should not have been with my computer because I downloaded all the updates from Creative. Second, on more than one occasion the player would freeze up and when I tried to turn it off before sending it back to Amazon it would not shut down. I actually had to send it back while the power was still on. Finally, there were a few times when music was playing but the player would not respond to any of the buttons. I could not stop the music or switch back to the menu.
  I understand that every manufacturer produces a defective product from time to time but I have read several other reviews both here on Amazon and over on Cnet that claim similar problems. I don't think I will be giving this player another chance because the odds of getting another defective product seem relatively high.
  
  
• The reviews aren't exaggerating, unfortunately
  By A3T90UPTKWSZ6Y on 2007-12-04
  The reviews aren't exaggerating. I consider myself rather tech savvy and thought that perhaps the bad reviews were from people who didn't really know how to be careful with complicated hardware. But I was wrong. This is a beautiful player with a lot going for it, except for the fact that it's extremely buggy. The first one I received had the "white screen" bug -- it started at white screen right out of the box, nothing I did could make the display change, and Creative was completely unable to fix the error. I sent it back (to Amazon -- see my postcript below), and received another one. The second works much better than the first, but goes to white screen when I "lock" and then "unlock" it again. I have to turn off the player, then restart it to reset the display.
  
  Bottom line: I really want to like this player -- enough that I will try it a bit longer and wait for one more firmware update (if it arrives). But it sounds like many of the problems are hardware rather than firmware. I fear that it's a lemon, which is disappointing. Purchase with caution.
  
  P.S. Five Stars for Amazon's customer service!! It's so nice to know that I have protection from getting burned by Creative's manufacturing problems -- something that will keep me coming back to Amazon as a regular electronics customer.
  
  ***UPDATE*** And it's not good news: 24 hours later, I try it out again, and it won't play music. It just freezes. Not good, Creative Labs. Not good at all. I will give it 48 hours -- if there is not a firmware upgrade in that time, I'm back to Ipods. Man, I really want to like this player, too.
  
  
• Great hardware, but software kills experience
  By A2H2ZC7EC208CG on 2008-03-19
  For three years I used a Creative Labs 70PD055000031 Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30GB and loved it. Sure, it was clunky and the size of a Walkman, but since I grew up with those portable tape players, it worked fine for me. Syncing was stress-free on a variety of software (RealPlayer, Rhapsody, WinMediaPlayer, and even Creative's house app.) But, around Christmas time, it finally got to the point where it was full almost all the time. Since I had ripped my music to MP3 @ 192bps, I figured I'd just re-rip everything and save enough space to get another year out of the old friend. All that churning was too much for the disk, and the capacity quickly dropped from 30GB to 20GB due to disk errors.
  
  My overall good experience with Creative led me to look at them again for a replacement. I decided to go flash instead of drive-based, and wanted something that supported videos and subscription-based music files (Rhapsody to Go). The new Zens looked like the best combination of capabilities/price, so I got myself one for a belated holiday gift.
  
  At first, I was impressed. The device itself is both sleek and light and surprisingly solid. The quality of video and audio playback is great, up to the Creative standards.
  
  But a couple of months of use have revealed a much higher stress level than my old Xtra. Syncing is a slow process on most apps (although WinMediaPlayer seems fastest). Regardless of player, transfers sometimes hang. It works with Rhapsody, but only when everything goes well. If anything happens during a Rhapsody sync or update, the players gets confused and redownloads everything again, even through the original files are still there. The need to "import" supposedly supported video formats is a major hassle. And the memory card feature is almost useless -- as other reviewers note, it is totally unintegrated with the main player. It's bad enough you have to browse a specific folder to play music there, if anything happens during playback (like an idle shutdown), the player makes you go back to the main memory card menu and start browsing all over again. You can't even see the card when browsing using Windows Explorer or Media Player. Needless to say, you can't store protected Rhapsody files there.
  
  If the main thing you listen to is music you own (rather than rent) and you don't mind letting the little guy sit for 10 minutes or so to transfer a couple of albums, this player should work for you. I'm personally disappointed and will be looking at other manufacturers when it's time to replace this one.
  
  
• Great Player!
  By A13TZFPGBX00AH on 2007-10-23
  I think this player is awesome. I've had it just for a little while now but I have not had any issues with it so far and it works great. It does collect finger prints but I don't care much. I like the whole functionality of the player. I've had the RCA H115 for a while now and this is much better, in every way, than the RCA. The screen is beautiful! The colors pop off the screen and the motion of video is smooth with a crisp picture. I like the radio, too. I read that someone said you can only set presets by the auto scan..... not true. If you hit the play button in radio mode, it takes away the preset mode and lets you tune manually so you can set your own stations. I just hit random buttons to figure that one out because I knew Creative was smarter than that. And there are "dedicated" volume buttons while in music, radio, and video mode. Just hit the up, volume up, and down, volume down, buttons while in one of the modes that has audio. I have not used the organizer yet, no need for it so far. The time display is very convenient, my old player didn't have the time and I had to pull my phone out every time I wanted... the time! I have not used the SD slot yet but plan to really soon. I'm gonna put video and pics on the SD and leave the 8 Gigs for music. I don't see why some people are disappointed, its memory expandability! I like that the user can choose what shows up on the menu. The included Creative Zen explorer software is good. The only thing that I don't like is that you can't drag and drop folders into other folders with the "explore media" (I think thats what it's labeled) menu. You have to do it in "removable media" mode. Why is this bad, I did a few CD ripping's and then imported media, with the import media button, of the same artist and tried to put the imported album into the already existing artist's folder and it wouldn't let me. I had to go into the properties, choose the "show as removable media" option and then go back into the player shown as "removable media" and then do it. Sounds like a long process but not too complicated, just a little annoying. Now that I know this, its a lot easier. Hope it helps someone out. So overall for me it's a great media player, function, ease of use, quality, and enjoyability!
  
  
• Every bit as good as expected and then some...
  By AL245M6N4DX77 on 2008-01-01
  I don't buy electronics without doing my homework. I have been buying Creative Labs MP3 players for several years, since they were more the size of graphing calculators. My 22 year old has had one for 5 or 6 years now and still loves it despite it's bulkiness. I bought my daughter her first one last year, 1 GB and so tiny I was afraid it would be lost immediately. She loved hers as well, with the exception that in fact, it held about 350 songs and for some strange reason that isn't enough!
  
  She wanted an IPOD for music only but recognizing they were wildly expensive she said she would buy it herself after Christmas. Not content to let her waste her money, I researched and found this honey. All the major reviewers loved the Zen 8 GB, both for its sound, its video and its style. I debated between this and the 16 GB but the latter was difficult to find, and since she told me she didn't care about video AND it accepts SD Cards for expansion, I settled on this.
  
  She is completely agog over this machine. She has well over 1000 songs, the latest Harry Potter film downloaded and two Harry Potter audio books download and there is still more than 1.5 GBs. She intends to take the books off and put them onto SD cards for long trips in the car. The picture quality and clarity is absolutely remarkable, and while the ear phones that come with the machine aren't great, as my 27 year old said after listening to it, the sound is darn good even with a cheap pair of earphones.
  
  It was worth every penny and is such an amazing alternative to an IPOD.
  
  
• fairly good player with some problems
  By A1T7EHCMZ92TKC on 2008-04-29
  Creative Zen 8gb
  
  I ordered this player from Amazon, charged it, turned it on and got the white screen problem other people have mentioned having. I tried various things to make it work. Pressing the reset button, updating firmware, turning it on and off. It seems this is not an uncommon problem with the Zen. There is a very long thread on the Creative forum about this problem, and several reviewers on Amazon mention having the same problem. I thought about whether I should return it for a refund, or try another one. I decided all the positive reviews on Amazon can't be wrong, so I exchanged it. Amazon was awesome and I had a new one 2 days after contacting them about exchanging it.
  
  I have had it almost a month now. The new one is working ok, except I had to press the reset button a couple times after disconnecting it from my computer which makes me worry a little bit. After my experience with the first player, and reading about people who had the white screen problem develop months after getting it, I am a little worried about the quality of it. I like things that last. I don't want to be replacing this any time soon.
  
  The player charges through a USB cable. Its short. Really short. Like 4". I like it cause I already have several long cables from my digital cameras, and the short cable lets the player sit right next to my laptop. But I think if you had a desktop computer the player would probably have to hang from the USB port. I am kind of mad that it doesn't come with a wall charger. That means that if I want to charge the player in my car while I am driving I would need to have my laptop out and plugged into my power inverter, rather than just plugging in the player to the power inverter. But really that doesn't matter since you can't play anything on it while its charging. One of the main reasons for getting this player is for road trips, and those two complaints make this player not the best choice for me.
  
  Pros:
  - Looks really cool. That was what made me exchange the first player instead of asking for a refund.
  - Menus are easy to navigate.
  - Accepts SD cards.
  
  Cons:
  - First hand experience with the white screen problem so many people seem to be having.
  - Feels a little too light and plasticy.
  - Doesn't come with a wall charger. You have to charge it with a usb cable unless you buy the wall charger, which is something like $30 I think.
  - The included earbuds don't fit my ears very well. I am not a fan of earbuds, but these seem especially bad.
  - Won't play while charging.
  - Does not pick up where it left off when you turn the player off and then back on.
  
  
  
• Other than freezing up, a great player
  By AT3V53J32EH5V on 2007-10-29
  I really like the dimensions, screen display, and sound. The recording function works very well, too. The only problem I have is that the screen occasionally goes black and the player freezes. It stops responding to anything and I have to let the battery drain. Once it's drained and I recharge it, it seems fine. I can't find a reason or pattern for the freezing. So far, it's happened 3 times in a month (once after I unplugged it from the charger, once when I tried to play a song I'd listened to already and once when I tried to turn it off). I sometimes wonder if I should have gone with the iPod just for the stability.
  
  
• Why people buy Ipods?.
  By A24JVJQI2NZ5M3 on 2007-11-08
  I am a mp3 player user since 1998, when you had to assemble your mp3 playerusing PC parts, then I bought the first Rio player, the first creative, the first archos, the first Ipod. This is the best deal ever in a mp3 player. The sound is outstanding betas the Ipod 10 to 1. The use is so easy and flexible adaptable to what you really need. I adujsted the menu to show only the functions I use. The browsing of artist, album using the letter at the right of screen is exactly what I need. I am creating a library of SD cards with my favourite music ( just as I did 20 years ago with cassettes) , so I can selct which 4 GB of musci I will use additional to the 8 GB of the player. So far, because of my SD cards library, the virtual capacity of my ZEN is 36 GB, soon I expect I will have my complete colletion of mp3 in SD cards, classified as I want. The quelaity and color of the videos and pictures is the best in the market, but the screen is too small to me.
  
  
• creative zen review
  By A2O6UIBKR60SEZ on 2007-11-09
  i bought the creative zen 8GB mp3 player recently. i love the fm radio feature. the stations come in surprisingly clear most of the time. the battery lasts a pretty good amount also. good sound quality. i really like the earbuds that came with it. very small and light. holds about 1600 songs if there aren't any videos/pictures on it. but has room for additional memory card if wanted. i also like that it is compatible with napster. very convenient. but you have to sync up to the computer every couple of days to update. (small drawback) the only thing that i don't like too much about this product is the fact it sometimes turns off unexpectedly and for no reason. it doeasn't happen all that often but it's still irritating. overall, though, i think this was a very good buy. i would definately recommend this little guy.
  
  
• Creative Labs customer service
  By A1NYPMOWAS4P5T on 2008-09-29
  Greetings to all potential Creative customers,
  I was greatly disturbed today when I found out the lack of help provided by the Creative Labs Company to my wife when her 30 GB Zen MP3 player failed to run properly. In my opinion, it's actions like this that are ruining companies and our country's economy. Due to this company's inaction today, they have lost a once satisfied customer. Once being more than happy to promote this product, now we will be sure to divulge to our friends and relatives of this company's lack of helpfulness. My wife asked specific questions of the technical advisors in the e-mail form which were ignored; she was given a form letter, was referred to the website, and was told that she would be charged by the company for further help. She expressly requested the guidance of upper management from the technical support specialist, and this request was ignored, proving that Creative Labs is unwilling to provide any kind of meaningful help and does not value customer service. The menial help that the highly flawed website provided was a firmware application that caused the device to completely fail, and then the last piece of friendly advice that we received was that we should purchase a new one from the company's website. We were given an application that made our expensive device inoperable, and for that, I will never purchase another Creative product again. We have both been faithful Creative Labs buyers for years, and my wife had multiple friends and relatives buy their products based on her recommendations. It is with deep regret that I inform all that Creative Labs customer service has proven to be a bitter disappointment and for this, they have lost my family's business.
  
  
  
• Exceeded all of my expectations
  By A2XGH2PEL1I9XC on 2007-10-04
  I got my creative Zen a couple of days ago and I'm nothing but amazed. The Zen is smaller than I expected and the screen just looks great, bright colors, nice interface, excellent sound quality, easy to use... the only thing I regret is not getting the 16gb :(
  
  I'm glad I didn't get the iPod..
  
  
• Zen may challenge iPod.
  By AI2H34G2AY421 on 2007-10-06
  I received my Zen soon after it's first availability.
  
  Upon opening the box I was impressed with the simplistic layout of the unit. The customizable shortcut button is a nice touch. While not labeled, the unit does have dedicated volume control via the up and down buttons on the d-pad around the center square button. During audio playback, you can view the album art and even change your personal rating of the song in play for creating playlists based on song rating.
  
  The included synchronizing software is easy to use and files quickly transfer to the unit from my laptop. I have used the video conversion program with mixed success so far. Thirty minute episodes and music videos transfer easily, but I am currently 1 for 3 on full length movies. I do believe that WMV or DivX movies at 320x240 will not require conversion.
  
  Sound quality is wonderful and equal to that of an iPod. I personally prefer the menu layout compared to iPod and others as the menu is completely customizable.
  
  For 8MB of flash memory, being only slightly smaller than a credit card, and the extreme light weight, you CAN NOT beat a Zen.
  
  I would recommend a case fo the Zen. I am in constant fear of scatching my screen!
  
  BY A ZEN!
  
  
• Good Sound - carry a paper clip.
  By A2PMEEBSVGLEEX on 2007-11-22
  My new Creative Zen (8gb) sounds great with other earphones. Updating the firmware was quite easy to do - download the program from the Creative site, attach the Zen to the computer via the USB cable and run the program. Easy. Adding music was quite easy - I used Windows Explorer. Then I tried using the SD card to play music. I was able to do so. However, I accessed the menu system while playing an MP3 from the SD card. The system locked up requiring me to find a paper clip to stick in the reset hole. Now I am leery of using the SD card unless I have with me an object to push the reset button. Locking up the player during my first 5 minutes of use is not a good sign.
  
  
  
  
• Main memory can't hold many small photos but SD can
  By A3I5MYB3BKWEVU on 2007-12-23
  In general I like the player. Works well for music and videos and you can fill up the full memory with these type of files.
  
  For me, I wanted my Zen 8 GB to hold tens of thousands of photos of small photos. I found out you cannot do this! If you use small photos (say 640x400), they typically take less than 100 KB space each. On a 8 GB unit, you should be able to hold somewhere around 80,000 photos (give or take). But I found that the unit could only hold 8,000 to 9,000 photos before complaining it had INSUFFICIENT memory. This is despite the fact that the Zen (and the provided PC software) says the unit STILL HAS MORE THAN 6 GB FREE MEMORY! With many small photos, my 6 GB "free memory" also CANNOT be used to store any music! So, if you load lots of small photos, you cannot use anywhere near the units memory capacity!
  
  If you use high-resolution larger photos (a few MB each) you CAN fill up the entire 8 GB of memory with photos but who need giant photos on a small screen (i.e., it is useless). Also, you can only put a few thousand large photos on the unit and I want TENS of thousands.
  
  After about 4 rounds of Creative tech support, I gave up trying to get these photos in main memory. Tech support claims there is NO LIMIT to the number of files or folders that can be placed on the machine and that many people are putting this many files on their machine. I went through numerous rounds reloading firmware, formatting, clearing memory etc., but the results did not change.
  
  If there is even ONE person using the Zen 8 GB for tens of thousands of photos (and using all of the main memory) let me know by writing your own review. Maybe my unit is defective, but I honestly think there is some kind of design problem limiting the number of photos if they are small.
  
  Next, thank goodness for the SD/SDHC card slot! I am VERY GLAD it does NOT integrate with the main memory, because the SD card CAN hold as many photos as I want, limited only to the maximum memory of the card. If the SD card was integrated into the main memory system, it too would probably be of very limited use to me.
  
  For someone wanting zillions of music files, it would of course be better to have the SD memory look like the main memory. To each his own :)
  
  A nice firmware upgrade would let the user be able to choose whether to use the SD slot as it is now OR to extend the main units memory and be able to use all the nice features that entails.
  
  For those that don't know, files stored on the SD slot cannot use all the nice features that are available to files stored in main memory.
  
  
• Faulty product - buyer beware.
  By A2DPVPILEJSSVK on 2008-01-21
  I was foolishly an "early adopter" of the product, purchasing one in September 2007. I have perpetually had the following problems:
  
  Freezes most of the time when playing video;
  Fails on firmware updates;
  Fails when transferring media;
  White screen (locks up) when booting, and resetting it does not fix the problem;
  Battery life is A LOT less than advertised.
  
  I have tried everything suggested on their support site, many times, with no success. I have given this thing more chances than I should have and am finally sending it back for replacement. However, I am not optimistic that the replacement will work any differently, as I am convinced that it is flawed in design.
  
  I am not the only one to have these problems. I strongly suggest you check the forums on the Creative Labs site before you buy.
  
  
• Great functionality, low quality
  By A34LFSJHD41MGD on 2008-05-29
  Sound Quality:
  Good enough to use with high quality phones.
  
  Feature Set:
  Nearly every feature you could ask for. Radio, organizer (calendar/contacts), Bookmarking (great feature and surprisingly hard to find), EQ, Shortcut Button that can be customized to do almost anything (my favorites are "Random Play All" and "Bookmarks menu" but it's up to you), playlist editing on the fly, expandable memory through SD (SDHC is supported, so you can get another 8-16GB on the cheap), and lots more. If you want it, this player probably has it. It doesn't support ogg and flac , but it does support audible if you're into evil proprietary formats.
  
  I listen to a lot of audio books and I'd have to say this is one of the best for that purpose. The implementation of some features can be flaky though. Bookmarks don't remember which playlist you were in, so when you load a bookmark the file is placed in its very own playlist, requiring you to manually navigate to the next track when you're done. This gets quite annoying when you're listening to audio books, and the best option when a chapter is done is to use "Lookup Artist" (one of my favorite features on this player) to navigate quickly back to the book you were listening to. If you listen to books that are all one big file, this won't be a problem, but make sure to bookmark your place every time you turn off your player if that's the case! The player will only remember your spot in a track for a certain amount of time after shutting it down. If you manually shut it down without pausing the track first, I've found that the player will often be in a totally different track or location than I left it when I turn it back on. Nothing is more painful than intending to turn it off for 5 minutes, waiting too long, and having to fast forward through an hour+ of audio trying to find where you left off. Fortunately the fast forward is exponential, in that the longer you hold the seek button the faster it goes. It starts so slowly though that getting to the exact spot you left off can be frustrating - you either take forever to get there or you skip past it.
  
  The integration of the memory card into your library is practically non-existent. Most people are of the opinion that the software support for SD cards is so bad the feature is barely worth having.
  
  UI:
  Attractive and responsive. Easy to operate with one hand, as long as that hand is your right one. No 'touch' or 'wheel' interface, but the buttons work better, are more accurate, and more tactile than any fancy interface. The ability to scroll through any list by letter is intuitive, can be done blind, and saves lots of time (press 'right', navigate to the letter you want with 'up' and 'down', then press 'left' and there are you are). Menus are 'stacked' so that you can usually go back to a previous screen in the reverse order in which you reached it, but some screens forget, and when you hit back you find yourself on the main menu instead of the screen you were just on. It's easy to return to 'now playing' when you're in a menu (wait a few seconds, hit play/pause, or navigate to music->now playing), which is more than I can say about some other players.
  
  A context menu gives you tons of options while playing a song, like setting a bookmark, looking up other albums by the same artist, flagging a song to be bought, viewing detailed (REALLY detailed) information about a file, adding it to a playlist, etc. The context menu changes depending on the screen you're on (that's why its a context menu after all...) so if you can't find a feature, chances are its in a context menu that is located just on the screen you'd expect.
  
  Some stuff is placed oddly though. Why do you have to navigate out to the main menu, then go to music->bookmarks to find a bookmark for the song you're currently playing? Why do you have to go to the main menu and go to settings->audio->EQ to change the EQ? I would also have liked the option to dim the screen to black when idle without having to turn "hold" on, like the sansa. This pretty much means I have to have it perpetually on hold, or my batter will die in 2 hours, and turning hold off every time you want to pause your player gets to be a chore. The button is also in an annoying place, directly underneath the headphone jack, so that an L-shaped heaphone plug usually gets in the way of the hold button. There are enough irritating UI oddities that you wonder if it was designed by multiple people who didn't bother communicating with each other.
  
  Video:
  Screen quality = amazingly beautiful. The screenshots don't do it justice. Video quality is so-so, mainly because it is strict on the format and resolution it will play so everything needs to be converted. This is pretty standard fare with mp3 players, but I expect more from creative. My wife owned a Zen Vision M, and I'm pretty sure the video support was far less strict on that device (but I could be wrong).
  
  Watch out though, the screen is extremely fragile. Like, "hold the player too tightly with your thumb and it will crack" fragile. Don't put this thing in your pocket unless you buy a hard plastic cast that covers the screen. The first time you bump into something hard it will crack, and with a screen so large you're pretty much guaranteed that any damage done to the player will affect the screen. Creative estimated $120 to repair just the screen, so you don't want that to happen. Buy a hard case, or don't buy this at all. The player is also very smudge and fingerprint prone, and the screen is almost impossible to see in bright light even on maximum brightness.
  
  "Openness":
  Creative's products have always been a great choice for those who don't want Apple determining everything they do with their player. That's still the case now, but not as much as in the past. You still can't replace the battery like you could in older creative players. Format support is surprisingly limited, but still better than apple's. Adding media can be done drag-and-drop, using a 'copy to zen' context menu entry installed by creative's software, through creative's library software (which integrates directly into windows explorer, which is kinda neat, but doesn't work if you use an alternate file manager), or through pretty much any other sync manager (WMP11, winamp, etc). There are no restrictions on copying music from the player to a machine, or on which machines or software can be used with your player. Connection is done through standard mini-usb.
  
  Other stuff:
  The player can be charged via USB connection or through usb-to-wallplug converter dohickey that you can usually find pretty cheap (much cheaper than the charger creative tries to sell you, separately of course). I would suggest not plugging it into your computer to charge, because connecting my player to my computer was always such a harrowing experience that I suggest you do it as little as possible. About 75% of the time when disconnecting my player it would 'hang' on the docked screen, even though the power was on, nothing was syncing, and it was safe to disconnect. The screen would go black, but the power light stayed blue, and the only way to get it going again was to use the reset button, which usually required a library rebuild. This rarely had any consequences other than irritating me over and over, but once I had to use creative's restore software to reflash my firmware and format the drive after it happened. I don't know the cause, and I'm sure it doesn't happen to everyone, but I was connecting it via a USB hub in my monitor, and was running Vista x64 Premium.
  
  Bottom Line:
  There is a lot to hate about this player. It will drive you completely insane sometimes. But there's even more to love. The value is unbeatable, as is the feature set. As much as I hate this thing, I'm giving it 4 stars and considering buying a new one off of amazon to replace the one with the broken screen. After hours of research and comparison, I simply can't find a better player for my money. If creative fixes the low build quality and dramatically improves the software in their next generation zen, I'll gladly give it 5 stars.
  
  If you don't need bookmarking, are willing to spend more money, and/or if you're left handed, and don't mind tons of proprietary BS, the new Zune flash will also serve you well if you're looking to avoid Apple's products at all costs.
  
  Next time I'll remember to buy the hard plastic case.
  
  
• Great product thus far
  By A24JGF4G4D373Z on 2008-06-13
  I've had this for a bit, and no problems so far. In fact, I plan to take it with me to study abroad for pre-college. With all these horror stories I've seen on Amazon, I figured I should attempt to clear it's name.
  
  The sound quality is brilliant, it's very convenient, the battery power is a lot better than my old 4th gen ipod, the display is beautiful, and the radio works great. So far the only thing I don't like is the Turn-off (the hold is a bit silly, I would prefer to hold a button than a switch). However, this does not ruin the product. (I also wish it ran on mac, but that's ok too)
  
  I only ran into one bug, and that was while I was using WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER; it would not sync properly. Frankly, this scared the s*** out of me. However, I figured out that the problem was NOT the Zen, it was WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER. I was using a program called Media Monkey before transferring to Windows Media. (This was not because Media Monkey is a poor program, but because it is not supported by Last.fm.) Once I finished re-adjusting all my album covers and such, I cleared out my Zen to avoid duplicates, and then attempted a sync. About 2% in it told me there was an error, and that the Zen was unresponsive etc. etc. etc. I took the Zen out of the USB, unplugged the USB from the computer, turned off the Zen, and then plugged it back in. I then got rid of the few files Windows Media got onto the player, and went back to try the proven Media Monkey. I was able to successfully sync my library back onto the Zen. I am going to use both programs, but for different reasons. I STRONGLY suggest NOT to use Windows Media to sync your Zen, because I think there is probably a bug....
  
  I also suggest to buy this product at a local store as opposed to Amazon, as it is about the same price at stores such as Circuit City, where I bought my Zen. More than likely, the big problem that people are experiencing is that the unit is probably getting shaken up during shipping; shipping for expensive items is just risky. I ordered a guitar online once, and it came to my front porch barely in the box (the guitar was undamaged, thank goodness) AND THIS WAS UPS!!!
  
  Also there is the fact that Amazon says that you are saving about 84 dollars, which is false. The 8gb Zen costs about $129.00, that is stated on the Creative Labs website, and that is also the price I paid for mine at the store. I think that's pretty sketchy..
  
  Worse comes to worse, you actually do have a problem that was from the factory, and you need to send the Zen back. Every company is going to have a couple of faulty products, it just happens.
  
  So, to round it all up.
  This IS a good product
  Buy it at a STORE, NOT ONLINE
  DO NOT USE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER (try Media Monkey)
  Get a warranty, ALWAYS get a warranty.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Good when it is working
  By A4S33JH6UXUXL on 2007-11-28
  The Zen is a very good mp3 and video player. You have to convert every video to 320x240 wmv format, which takes as long as the video length to convert. My main qualm with the player is that it has a penchant for restarting sometimes when it is attached to my computer. One time it turned itself off when it was charging and subsequently never turned back on (it had basically a full battery). Pushing reset of the power button yielded no result. So I sent it back to Creative and got a "new" one. This "new" one had the battery warning on the back in French (it came from the RMA facility in Stillwater, OK). The day after I got it back, I (stupidly) decided that it would be a good idea to update the firmware. Upon restarting for the upgrade, the player got to a state from which it has not returned. Upon startup, it displays the initial creative screen and subsequently goes blank. There is supposed to be another Zen screen followed by the ability to actually use the player. In other words, it does not turn on again and is unusable. I have not seen any real difference between the firmware versions on the player (I have updated it many times). My advice would be to stick with the version you have.
  
  

• Genius SP-i200 Portable Speakers for MP3 Players (Black)
• Portable Sport Case Pink
• Portable Sport Case Blue
• Coby CS-MP16 MP3 Portable Mini Stereo Speaker System
• Aiptek Fidelity Mist Portable Speaker for MP3 Players (Gray)

• Creative Screen Protector for Zen (Clear)
• Creative Leather Case for Zen (Black)
• Creative 3-In-1 Skin Pack for Creative Zen (Red/Blue/Black)
• Creative Hard Plastic Case for Zen (Clear)
• Creative Power Adapter for Zen Players (White)