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The Creative Zen family album

Jasmine France Jasmine France, Senior Associate Editor September 20, 2007

Clearly, the Apple iPod is one very popular MP3 player: it offers a sleek design, is easy to use, and has loads of readily available content. But Apple's not the only company that knows how to produce a quality device--a handful of others are well-versed in that regard and have legacies of their own. Take Creative Labs and its Zen family, a line of MP3 players with sweet sound and slick interfaces. Indeed, the iPod's own user-friendly interface is based on Creative's invention, and I daresay the Zen's customizable UI makes it a bit more fun.

At the bottom of the pack, we have the ultrasimple, ultracheap Zen Stone, a 1GB pebble of a player with few features and a price tag to match: this one will set you back just $40. Just a small step up from there is the 2GB Zen Stone Plus, which adds a screen and an FM tuner for $40 more. Next we have the Zen V line, which includes the video-capable, FM-tuning Plus models. These compact, toylike flash players offer color screens and voice recording. At the top of the MP3 player line is the Creative Zen, a pocket-size replacement to the Zen Vision:M with up to 16GB of internal memory and an SD card slot for adding more. For those after a true PVP, Creative delivers with the Zen Vision W, which is the beast of the bunch and offers a hard drive with up to 60GB of space. And we can't forget the Zen Micro Photo, a now-retro microdrive player with a touch-sensitive control pad. This player is at the end of its life and can be found for great prices online.

More Resources
Apple iPod family album,
Archos family album,
Editors' top MP3 players,
Editors' top headphones
Product name
Price $35.98 to $65.99 $96.99 $267.99 $164.99 to $181.98 Check Prices $293.99
CNET editors' rating
Average user rating
Review date May 09, 2007 July 26, 2007 June 20, 2006 September 14, 2007 September 13, 2006 November 22, 2005
The Bottom Line The Creative Zen Stone is a fantastic choice as a secondary MP3 player or for first timers on a budget who want a simple, great-sounding device with limited features and a bargain basement price tag. For those who want a supersmall and cute MP3 player that offers more than just simple music playback, the Creative Zen Stone Plus fits the bill nicely. The Creative Zen V Plus is a superb choice for anyone looking for a compact and feature-filled flash MP3 player with great sound quality. If you're looking for a more sophisticated design (or have large thumbs), look elsewhere. We're hard-pressed to find anything not to like about the Creative Zen. It's a great option for anyone looking for a great-sounding, pocketable MP3 player with an excellent, video-capable screen and plenty of extra features. The bulky but easy-to-use Creative Zen Vision W and its nice screen will dazzle video lovers who don't require video recording. The Creative Zen Micro Photo is an excellent full-featured MP3 player and, for its size, a decent photo viewer; it just doesn't combine the two effectively.
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Features
Dimensions (WxDxH)2.1 in x 0.5 in x 1.4 in
2.2 in x 0.5 in x 1.4 in
1.7 in x 0.6 in x 2.7 in
3.3 in x 0.4 in x 2.2 in
3.3 in x 0.4 in x 2.2 in
3.3 in x 0.4 in x 2.2 in
ResolutionInfo unavailable64 x 64
128 x 128
320 x 240
320 x 240
320 x 240
Software typeDrivers & Utilities
Drivers & Utilities
Creative MediaSource
Creative Media Explorer
Creative ZENcast Organizer
Drivers & Utilities
Creative Media Explorer
Creative ZENcast Organizer
Drivers & Utilities
Creative Media Explorer
Creative ZENcast Organizer
Drivers & Utilities
Creative Media Explorer
Creative ZENcast Organizer
Digital player signal-to-noise ratio90 dB
90 dB
92 dB
97 dB
97 dB
97 dB
PC interface(s) supportedUSB
USB
Hi-Speed USB
Hi-Speed USB
Hi-Speed USB
Hi-Speed USB
Flash memory form factorIntegrated
Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
Flash memory installed1 GB
2 GB
8 GB
16 GB
16 GB
16 GB
Battery technologyLithium polymer
Lithium polymer
Lithium ion
Lithium ion
Lithium ion
Lithium ion
Weight0.7 oz
0.7 oz
1.6 oz
2.3 oz
2.3 oz
2.3 oz
Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications
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