Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought two of these (one for my wife also). I've owned a 15GB 3rd gen iPod and a 60GB 5th gen iPod (video). I returned the iPod video to buy these two and get some money back. I don't care what they say; iPods never have worked and played well with Windows.
I've never owned an iPod nano, so can't compare to it. Maybe some of this is better to be viewed as a hard disk versus flash based player review.
The Zen Vs so far have done well with windows. It's not quite as easy as drag-and-drop as they indicate on the site, but it is close. You have to open the Zen explorer (set up like the Windows explorer) and drag them into that.
I use Foobar2000 for a music player. When a good song comes on, I just drag the song from the playlist into the Zen explorer and it transfers it without a problem. Or, you can select a bunch of songs and drag them all in (from file or Foobar or where ever).
The player's screen is nice and bright and sharp, but the resolution is apparent when looking at photos. The zoom comes in handy for photos, but it never looks as good as when viewed on a high res screen, as you would expect. I put a custom background on it as soon as possible to get rid of the butt-ugly default background.
I haven't been using the cheap bag they include with it. It's too big and too ugly. But even without the bag, I haven't noticed any scuffing or scratching so far. I haven't intentionally tested it, but I haven't been gentle with it either. I always kept the 5G iPod in its case, but seemed to scratch it anyway. I'm still puzzled about that.
Navigation is easy and intuitive; click right to move deeper into the menu, left to go back to a higher level, until you hit the end (play a song or view a picture), then the back button is used the get into the menus again. Holding the back button will bring up the options menu. There are plenty of settings to play with, which I like.
The player has a solid feel to it. I like how all the buttons feel. The joystick is a bit small (and I'm a big guy), but I don't have too much trouble getting around with it. I don't think about it at all now, just a few days after getting it.
From my few days of listening to it, the sound is very good. Most of my mp3s were transcoded using high quality settings, so they are a good test. You would have to be pretty picky to complain about the sound quality. That wasn't the case with my two iPods in my opinion. I should mention that I used a good set of studio headphones to form these opinions. They sound excellent with this player. The bundled earbuds are fine, but not great.
The recorder works fine; easy to use, sounds just ok.
Haven't tried the inline recorder.
I've been surprised at how many songs I've been able put on it. I was used to 60GB of space and thought I'd really miss it. But now I realize I just had a bunch of crap I didn't listen to on the old player; I was constantly fast forwarding through songs I didn't like. I have 234 tracks on it and have it ~half full.
The scroll wheel on the iPod was better for running through songs, but the Zen V has a keyword search and quick way to get to the start of a section (like the songs starting in M section). It's different, but just as effective. Honestly, with 60GB of stuff, the scroll wheel still took forever to find anything. I think I like the keyword search better.
I like that it attaches with a standard USB cable (mini on one end). Cheap to buy a replacement or a longer one (the included one is short, but fine).
The Zencast software works great for syncing to the player, but it's not quite as intuitive to get podcasts as with other programs I've used.
I like the size and shape of it. It fits easily into my shirt pocket without making it droop badly like the iPod did. The earbuds are the hardest thing about pocketing the player.
Things that it doesn't do (picky stuff):
If the last song played was paused when the player shut down, it doesn't power up into the middle of the song, it restarts it. If you power it down while the song is playing, it starts where it left off.
Doesn't seem to count correctly when waiting to dim the screen, does it too fast for the setting it's on.
Doesn't have radio, wish it did.
Doesn't have video, but the screen is so small I don't think it would be worth watching.
Doesn't work as a USB drive - Doesn't do this right out of the box, but might be able to be configured as one.
Doesn't have that cool padlock style screenlock thing that the video iPod had
Doesn't use iTunes... oh, wait, neither do I (not a big fan), maybe that should be in the pros column.
Doesn't fetch me the newspaper or make me coffee.
One warning: Install the software before plugging it in the first time. Windows won't recognize the player if you don't.
All in all, I'm really happy with this player. I'm a really picky person, so that's pretty high praise from me.
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Creative Zen V Plus 2 GB Portable Media Player (Black/Green)With a tiny, eye-catching design, smooth contours, and a discreet size, the Creative Zen V Plus 2 GB Portable Media Player fits perfectly in your palm and slides effortlessly into your smallest pocket. With 2 GB of storage space, the Zen V Plus holds up to 1,000 songs, and the 1.5-inch OLED screen displays rich and vibrant photos, full-color menus, and album art at any viewing angle. Another great feature built right into the Zen V Plus is the tiny device's ability to support subscription services and pay-per-download music. Plus, you'll never sweat formats--the Zen V Plus plays the broadest selection of MP3 and WMA music. And browsing your music collection has never been easier with Creative's innovative interface that enables effective and intuitive navigation and track selection. The Plus has an extra feature that it's predecessor lacked: the ability to play short video clips. With the Zen V Plus you can watch short clips in transcoded video format and impress your friends with the latest tidbits from the web or a brief glimpse of a home video.
Another great features is the Direct CD Recording function that allows you to record songs directly from a CD player or other audio source without using a PC as an intermediary. You no longer need to burn CDs to your PC then download to your MP3 player. Just connect an audio device directly to your Zen V Plus, and record your favorite CDs, records, beats and more, directly from the source. Meanwhile, automatic track detection separates each song for you--a handy feature when you're converting analog (records and cassette tapes) to digital. If organization is a high priority, the Zen V Plus's Personal Organizer will help you stay connected and in-sync with your Microsoft Outlook information. Just connect the Zen V Plus to your PC, sync your Outlook information, and you'll be ready to carry around your contacts, calendar, and to-do lists right in your pocket. Plus, the Zen V Plus uses a handy built-in microphone to double as a voice recorder, so you can capture notes, record lectures, and more.
Creative knows that sporty is sexy, and this player is ideal for any workout junkie. The skip-free playback is perfect on your morning jog or your most rigorous workout at the gym. The optional armband and case fit comfortably on your arm and keep your Zen V Plus safe and secure while running or lifting. The Zen V Plus player was designed for people who appreciate style and function. Don't be surprised when people take notice of your cool, colorful music and photo player. You can proudly announce that your device carries up to 1,000 songs, and you can show off your favorite photos and video clips that you've stored on this pocket-sized powerhouse.
What's in the Box Creative Zen V Plus, earphones, drawstring pouch, lanyard, USB 2.0 cable, line-in cable, neck strap, installation CD including user manual, and quick start guide.
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