Creative Zen

Like MP3 players, PMPs (that is, Portable Media Players) are getting smaller and smaller. Take the Creative Zen for instance. Yes, it’s simply called the Creative Zen and looks like a compressed and flattened version of the Vision:W. Considering that it was only recently launched and there’s also rumor of a 32GB version coming soon, I'm glad that my buddy Rajesh got one for me. Here’s what I’ve found.

Form Factor
It’s a slim and sleek device that’s about the length of a credit card and is thinner than a pack of cards. It’s available in 4GB and 8GB versions and, according to the grapevine, a 32GB model should be out sometime in the near future. As if that’s not enough, it also supports external memory with MMC/SD cards. The slot is located at the top. The front has a superb 2.5 inch display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and 16 million colors.

The keys are well-placed with a five way nav-pad. There's a Return and sub-menu key above it, and a customizable key and the Play/Pause key beneath. On the side is a 3.5mm earphone slot. Underneath that is the slider for Power and Hold activation and finally a miniUSB slot at the bottom. The whole device weighs about 65g, so it’s extremely easy to carry around in your pocket. Heck, you could probably carry it around in your wallet.

Features and performance
Miscellaneous Features
The Creative Zen is a great gadget with a well-rounded feature package, like most of Creative's Media players. Since the resolution is great you’ll have no problem viewing your JPEG images. You also have a choice of viewing them as a slideshow with music. You can set any image as a wallpaper, and there are themes to choose from. The interface is simple yet catchy enough with easy maneuverability. The Zen also allows you to transfer your schedules, tasks, and contact base from your PC to the player.

Audio/Video
Although I realized the oddity of having to go back and forth to change presets in EQ, there’s no direct link to the System Audio Settings directly from the sub-menu. But having a customizable EQ and presets is a good thing nevertheless. The Music menu has a simple alphabetic search option that makes locating files quite easy.