The Creative Labs Nomad II C is one of those gadgets that are so much fun to play with, you find yourself forgetting they're useful, too. When portable MP3 players first hit the market, they were relatively simple devices good for one thing: playing MP3 files. Now, as companies have learned customers want more than just that, today's devices can no longer be described as just MP3 players.
The Nomad II C's most overlooked feature is that of a digital voice recorder. Since voice recordings aren't the memory hogs that music files are, the Nomad II C can record up to four hours' worth. This feature is perfect for dictating messages to yourself or for the fledging journalist recording interviews, and you can even upload voice files from the Nomad II C to your PC.
From an audio perspective, the Nomad II C couldn't have performed any better. The equalizer had good settings, and the ability to program user-defined settings was awesome. Furthermore, a wired remote control and bass-enhanced, behind-the-head headphones completed the package.
MP3 players are great for music lovers on the go. Because they have no moving parts, they're well known for skip-free music. To test the Nomad II C, we loaded it up with some hip-hop and headed down to the local BMX spot in San Francisco. With the player clipped to a belt, we put it through its paces over a multitude of jumps and with more than enough crashes. We did our best to make it skip, but it performed perfectly (though beware--the Nomad II C isn't scratchproof). Only after the battery started to get low (the Nomad II C offers eight to 10 hours of playback) did performance degrade. But this was easily remedied by dropping in a new AA battery.
This version of the Nomad II C has 32 MB of onboard memory, but it does include a slot for SmartMedia memory cards. As additional memory is still relatively expensive, and most of us don't have extra cards lying around the house, there will come a time when you'll tire of the songs on the device. And without the presence of your PC--and no additional SmartMedia cards--you're at a loss.
MP3 music, like everything else technology related, is in constant flux. Recognizing that, the Nomad II C ships with reprogrammable firmware that should enable it to support digital-audio formats and software extensions as they emerge. So, you should be able to enjoy your Nomad II C for years to come. --William O'Neal
Pros:
- Awesome sound
- Lightweight
- USB interface makes connecting to your computer simple and downloading fast
- Intuitive software
- Supports numerous digital-audio formats
Cons: - Simple software could be more robust
- Navigating the LCD menu can be a pain
The Creative Labs Nomad II C is a compact nonmechanical player designed for crystal-clear, skip-free digital audio, no matter where you take it. Built to be the next-generation portable digital audio platform, the Nomad II C is futureproof, offering reprogrammable firmware to support multiple digital audio formats and software extensions.
The Nomad II C includes 32 MB of built-in flash memory and is expandable using SmartMedia memory cards. It supports both MP3 and WMA file formats and is upgradable to future audio compression standards. Additionally, the Nomad II C includes a voice recorder, allowing you to store up to two hours of spoken-word recordings on the 32 MB memory.
You can manage, access, upload, and download content to your Nomad II C player in seconds using the included software: PlayCenter 2 for Windows and SoundJam MP for the Macintosh. Both enable you to encode, decode, and archive high-quality MP3 files and WMA files, as well as convert CD tracks and compile them by preference.
The Nomad II C offers USB interface for lightning-fast data transfer between your Nomad II C and your PC or Macintosh. It includes one AA alkaline battery and a USB connector cable. Note that the Nomad II C does not include a docking station, carrying pouch, wired remote control, or headphones.
1 Great little player
I've had the Nomad IIc for about three months and couldn't be more pleased. It's extremely light weight, it's durable, dependable, easy to operate and the quality of the sound is wonderful. The software was easy to load and easy to use. Downloading into the IIc is a snap. I had a 128m card in the desk drawer when I got the IIc and immediately filled it will music. I also had a couple of 64m cards from a previous I-Jam player that I gave away (piece of junk) and I filled those. Changing genres is easy...jazz on one care, blues on another, classic rock on yet another. Using the 128m card, plus the onboard memory, I can get about 3 hours of music into the little guy. You can pay a lot more and not get the features and quality of the IIc. It's a great product from a great company. If you get one, you will not be disappointed.
2 Great player... while it works
I actually bought this as a gift for a friend, and she loved it. The player was small, light, had decent sound, and was working great until just a short while ago. The player just spontaneously died (just sitting on a desk... it wasn't being jostled around while running or anything). To my horror, I've discovered problems with the Nomad II line are fairly common ... To top it off, the unit was past its short 90 day warranty, so there's a [monetary fee] (plus shipping) just to have Creative examine the player for repairs. After they assess the problem, they'll charge extra money for repairs. For all that time and money, you may as well just buy a new player from another company. Stay away from this product. It seems like a great deal, but they are manufactured cheaply and prone to break down. Creative itself doesn't even have enough faith in their own product to back it up with a better warranty.
3 Nomad II "C" Series
This is the BEST MP3 player out there. It is my 1st one and i am completely satisfied with it. I got it for my birthday about 5 months ago. It still works well without any problem.
I use MusicMatch to put music onto my Nomad IIc. With MusicMatch i can compress the audio files so i can get 73 songs onto mine with a 128Mb memory card plus the built in 32 MB. If anyone doubts this player, DONT, buy it its the BEST player for the money...
Much better than a MiniDisc Player. Don't buy one of those.
4 Software doesn't work
We did a lot of research before buying this and saw that a few people had trouble with the software, but didn't hear it from others. Well, we can't get it to work at all, and there's no custoemr support available from Creative since you can never get through on their 800 number - and it took 20 minutes to even find a phone number, it's extremely well hidden. Terrible disappointment!
5 Best player for the money!
I'll keep this short...I did fairly extensive research on portable digital audio players, particularly after trying several other products at the suggestion of friends and colleagues (don't even get me started on Rio...which is a Harvard case study on a company that has excellent packaging/design and absolutely now QC.)
I finally purchased the Nomad IIc (64 MG)and have been 100% thrilled with it's performance. The software, while simplistic and somewhat ham-handed, actually WORKS - and the player delivers on its promise. Bottom line - this is a nice entry level player with plenty of memory for a run, workout, or chill time.
6 A great digital audio player
I have the newer Nomad IIc digital audio player with 64 MB onboard memory (model: DAP-6406), but Amazon doesn't have it listed yet so I decided to write my review here.
This digital audio player is great for people who are looking for an alternative to CD-players and hard-drive based music machines. It has no moving parts, which means no skipping, so you can use it while jogging or playing sports. It is small, lightweight, and only requires 1 "AA" battery, although you'll probably want to invest in NiMH rechargeable batteries.
The sound quality is amazing. I use my own headphones and not the ones that come with the player, however, so that likely makes a difference. But the quality and loudness of the music is exceptional nonetheless...I can hear perfectly with a volume setting of "3" and if I switch to DSP mode I can hear with no problem at volume "0"! Amazing sound for such a small device.
Before I got it, I wondered about the set-up, since I heard that these machines can be a pain sometimes. The Nomad IIc was very simple to get going. I just installed the Playcenter software and drivers on my machine (running Windows 2000 Pro), plugged in my player via USB port, and I was able to transfer files. The interface is similar to the FTP program WS_FTP, where you have two panes -- one for files on your computer and one for files on the player. Just select the files, click "Transfer", and that's it. Very easy to use.
The layout of the player is pretty good too. You can do the normal play, stop, skip, ffwd, etc. functions as with a CD player. There is also voice recording capabilities which is pretty cool -- it encodes a large amount of audio in WAV format. The player has an option that shows you how much memory is in use and even allows you to directly erase items without connecting to a computer. The backlit LCD screen is readable and it doesn't take long to figure out how all the buttons work.
The big question most people ask concerns memory. I specifically chose the 64 MB model because I knew 32 MB wasn't much. With 64 MB I can cram about 18 full-length MP3 songs on it (about an hour of music), or double that if I do Windows Media Format, which the player supports. If 64 MB isn't enough, there is one expansion slot for a Smartmedia card -- currently the player can support a 128 MB card for a total of 192 MB of memory. It is firmware-upgradeable, however, so as better technology comes out you can easily upgrade your player.
Overall, the Nomad IIc digital audio player is probably the best portable music machine on the market and I highly recommend it.
7 128MB SmartMedia cards *are* supported.
There seems to be some confusion about the size of SmartMedia card supported by the Nomad IIc. 128MB SmartMedia cards are supported, but you will probably need to upgrade your player's firmware to version 1.05, downloadable from Creative's website. You can check your firmware version by accessing the Info menu on your player. My player shipped with firmware version 1.01.
It's possible that some brands of SmartMedia may not play nice with the Nomad, but 128MB SmartMedia support is definitely a feature.
Note: I'm not sure if Creative has provided a mechanism for Macintosh users to upgrade beyond firmware version 1.04 without having access to a PC.
8 I really love this machine
For the price, this machine is great. The only problem I've encounter developed from someone else's review. The review said that you could purchase up to 128mb of additional memory for the machine. So without really looking into it I did and had to eventually sell that card and purchase another card for 64mb (the maximum amount allowed for this machine). But with the new card I am able to listen to 73 songs with this thing. It's just wonderful.
9 Great Bargain
I was very glad I shopped around before purchasing this mp3 player because many aqaintances of mine have paid more for an inferior product. I've had the player for six months and i must say it preforms better than expected.
Battery Life is excellent, software is quick and managable.
Only a few minor problems with the backlight remaining on but this happen after it was throw and hit a cement wall. I've dropped it since, and there have been no more problems.
10 Great Player
I bought a Nomad 2c recently and I have not had any problems yet. The sound is great. There were only a few drawbacks though. 1. It comes with no headphones. 2. Batteries do not last to long. I would recomend going up to the regular Nomad 2 if you have a little extra money, because the Nomad 2c with the accesories kit is only about 30-40 dollars cheaper and the regular Nomad 2 comes with an FM radio. It is still an excellent player.
11 No Radio
Great product and everything, but beware, there is NO RADIO. The Nomad II has a radio but not the Nomad IIc.
But it's still a great product
12 Creative changes my loyalties...
Being an active runner, I used my Rio 500 every day for almost two years. It was a dark day when the unit finally started malfunctioning, though it was well overdue with the type of stress I put it through. So I began my search for a new mp3 player, specificly one that would top my current Rio both memory and performance wise. After a few days of visiting my local best buy and reading reviews, I chose the Nomad IIc. Why change my loyalties from a company which granted me a unit that lasted over two years? Simply put, Creative offered a much superior product for a better price. I was able to purchase the Nomad IIc, the docking unit, Koss SportaPro headphones (which I also recommend), and a 128mg Viking Smartmedia card for a price still under the retail value of the Rio 800.
How does the unit perform? Perfectly. Compared to the Rioport software, Creative Playercenter 2 was a relief to use. Instead of the constant lockups and messy interface associated with Rioport, I was met with a efficient piece of software which I proudly added a quicklaunch icon to. As far as memory, I'm pumping out 160mg of mp3 goodness that sounds incredible on my Koss SportaPro headphones. I was pleased to find that the menu also featured a "lineout" mode, which made it very easy to switch between running and use in my car. In the Rio I had to reset the custom EQ settings to 0 bass 0 treble. The belt clip COULD be tighter, but the unit has shown no intention of slipping even as I sprint down the road. Creative has won me over with their Nomad product line, and I recommend this unit to anyone who is an avid runner or simply wanting a good value.
13 Great "starter" MP3 player
For a reasonable price, the Nomad II delivers everything you would want in a simple, easy to use MP3 player. The player is compact, and with the included clip it is easy to carry with you. The controls are intuitive and the display is large enough to show all of the necessary information. Granted, it could be a bit more crisp and have better constract, but I haven't found it to be a problem.
The built-in 32 megabytes of memory is reasonable, but if you're going to be using the player for more than 20 minutes at a time you'll probably want to invest in a larger card. Personally, I often use the player while exercising and found the built in memory to be adequate. However, I made the investment in a memory card for longer usage period (plane flights :)) and found it very worthwhile.
Getting music on to the player is simple with the included software. Just attach the player using the provided USB cable and the software automatically detects the player and starts. Transferring music is as simple as putting in a CD and selecting the tracks you want. The software handles encoding them (in MP3 or other formats) and transferring them to the player. Simple. MP3 creation can be adjusted for smaller size or higher quality, allowing you to optimize the space available on your player.
That was the good side of the software. Unfortunately I think the software is the weakest part of the product. Yes, it is easy to use, but installing it and using it for more advanced tasks can be tedious. First, the software must be installed in order to get the full product manual. Only a small pamphlet is included in the box. The installation process puts several applications on your system by iterating through the install programs. Talk about confusing and annoying... and to top it all off, the install process doesn't clearly describe what is being installed.
Finally, the user interface for the software is terrible. For transferring music to the player it is fine, but finding menus and "advanced" properties can be difficult. The software tries to be cool by being "skinned", but completely sacrifices usability in doing so.
Overall, I love the player and highly recommend it. The software has it's problems, but isn't a good enough reason to not purchase this product.
14 A potent MP3 player for the money
There are many mp3 players on the market now, but few actually have the combined features of the Nomad IIC such as 32 mb base (with up to 128 mb addition for a total of 160), upgradeable firmware, excellent sound and display system, and quality design. As a fickle audiophile, I researched many hours on the net and used Consumer reports as an unbiased guide to make my decision.
As a testament to the quality of of this player (or my lack of coordination) I have dropped the machine several times from 5-8 foot heights and have been amazed at the resilience of the player. 128 mb of space will yield approximately 30 songs at 128 kbps. Unlike other mp3 players, this system is LOUD...loud enough to cause bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (not kidding)...the system software allows for ease of mp3 transfer files and is upgradeable through the web site...for ($)plus ($)for the additional memory card, this machine is a bargain...just have some decent headphones, this system doesn't come with one, unless you buy the kit which is NOT worth the money.
In short, pros: excellent (and loud) sound, qaulity casing, ease of use, upgradeable firmware, reasonable price
cons: short battery life, 2-3 hours depending on frequency of use
15 Great sound but watch for the product's power problems
I have owned this player for about 2 months and it works great except for a couple problems. The things I like about this unit are that it is compact, takes one "AA" battery and works perfect for jogging and weightlifting. There is a lock switch that disables all buttons on the Nomad so you can clip it to places on the body and not accidentally turn it off while moving. The Nomad IIc comes with 32MB onboard memory and I suggest getting a 128MB smart media card and forget anything less because this is 160MB total memory at less than $200.00. The sound is great, but you will need to purchase your own headphones because the IIc does not come with any. I bought some Sony earbud headphones and Phillips earclip headphones. The Sony sound much better, but I have to wrap the wires around my ears so they don't get tugged out during a heavy workout.
One of the problems I have had with this unit is that my computer absolutely would not recognize it when connected to my USB port unless I put a battery that is fresh from the package in the Nomad IIc. So, I figure that the USB port doesn't supply enough power to the unit for the computer to recognize it and a fully charged battery is the only way to get enough juice for file transfers. My solution was to buy a docking station because it has a power supply of its own and I figured this would solve that problem. In turn, I have a new problem. The docking station doesn't charge the rechargeable battery that Creative sent with the docking station because according to the newsgroups these batteries are defective. Obviously this is a simple fix if you have a Radio Shack someplace close by. So, my advice is that if you choose this player then beware of Creative's power issues with the Nomad IIc.
16 Excellent product
Only complaints are that the 2 memory cards are treated completely separate and USB transfer is very slow. Very small, very light weight, seems sturdy (although I have not dropped it yet). I never installed any of the software, since I use iTunes and it is just supported.
17 Simply the best and the most affordable
Excellent sound quality and offer the most features. The best part of all is it utilies the standard Smartmedia card (up to 128 MB with the latest firmware) which the memory card is getting cheaper and cheaper. Also, it supports the standard SSFS for handling files store, that means you don't have to rely only on their software to transfer mp3 files, you can use other means such as any USB Smartmedia reader and just copy files like you do with a removable drive. I find it much faster to transfer with a SanDisk reader, 128 mb transfer in a matter of minute.
18 love it. hate the spyware
the nomad 32 is a great little machine. we just got it, and then added a 64mb card and the total price was just 150$. pretty great deal.
my only complaint is the creative labs software installs a weird little spyware program called NewsUPD.exe that by all reports is just straight-up spyware. type "NewsUPD.exe" into google and see for yourself.
great product. lousy company.
19 This player rocks!!!
I'll make this short and sweet. This player is not bogged down with a bunch of stuff you don't need. It's very simple to use, volume is adequate, sound quality superb and battery life is great. Don't waste good money on expensive players, this is all you will need!
20 Good price, good player!
This mp3 player is exceptional in a variety of things. First and foremost, the sound quality is excellent. I had bought a Rio One before and the sound quality wasn't good at all (plus there was a constant whirring noise in the backround). Second, the display is great. The voice recorder is of OK caliber, but is not that great. Don't get me wrong, it IS a nice feature, but the quality could be better. If you read any other reviews, ignore the constant comments about it being hard to navigate through the menus. It's easy! I had doubts about buying this player at first, but I love it. I highly suggest you buy this player. Oh yeah, WHEN you buy it (I'm confident you will) be sure to go to nomadworld.com and upgrade it's firmware. Finally, their customer support is second to none. It is excellent support, they answer your question and get back to you right away (unlike Rio/Sonicblue support, who just give you a generalize response).
Let me leave you with two words: Buy It!
21 A Bang for Your Buck?
Yeah - if you can get it to work, that is. Mine stopped working after 2 months. Controls and menus are a bit awkward - hard to navigate thru. Spend [more money] and get a decent player, if you can - you'll save yorself a headache and additional expenses.
22 CREATIVE fan
I am very satisfied with the clarity of the output. Very light weight and slim enough to put into a pants pocket. Navigating needs getting used to; also, you should really invest in a rechargable battery for this MP3 player.
23 The best player!!!!!
I bought it for a week and it was the best mp3 player. Good sound, easy to use. Everything that u need and cost ur money is Nomad IIc
24 Great value!
This mp3 player is a really great value! They don't throw in accessories like a cradle, power adaptor, or even headphones. The result is a really nice, easy to use, expandable mp3 player for $X. The standard USB cable and software to use for downloading are really easy to setup and use. It's also great to have the SmartMedia slot for additional, *standard* memory!
25 i think...
i think that this is the best damn 32 megabyte mp3 player on the market right now. its got great features, durable as all hell, and just looks cool. its easy to use, lightweight and compact, and is worth every cent that you pay for it. it doesnt take more than 5 minutes to figure out how to use it, and in comparison to all of the other mp3 players advertised here, i think that this one is the best.
26 Works Great....
Well I bought this and the Viking 128MB card and well...so far have been pretty much addicted. All the features that I need and have figured out everything (except how to set the time) without the manual.
Like many other reviews have stated, the headphones make all the difference. I started with "The Plug" by Koss but didn't like the way they felt in my ears after many hours. So I bought the Sportapros by Koss and have been very happy (just make sure you configure them on the Nomad to be line driven and not player driven).
The software has worked fine for me on my Win2000 machine. Just loaded from the CD and then updated the sw from the update on the Nomad site. Also, the firmware upgrade to support the 128MB card worked flawlessly.
I am VERY glad the I purchased the 128MB mem card. This gives me the room to load a good variety of music without constantly downloading new ones (which is very smooth and easy).
27 Great mp3 player!!!
I think this mp3 player is one of the best that has 32mb and it really compact so you can fit it in your pocket. One con about this is that it only has 32mb but it doesn't matter because you can just buy more mb and put it in your player. But all and all it's great and I really love it.
28 Gahahahahahah what a steal!
I did alot of reaserch befor deciding on this mp3 player. I looked at CD players MD players and MP3 players. CD players are to big and skip so i threw those out of the picture, MD players dont skip very often or not at all but are extreamly expensive and no one sells any stuff in MD's and writing songs to an MD takes forever (so says my freind). So i focused on MP3's and when i saw this one i was amazed at the price and at first i though there was somthing wrong b/c [price] for an MP3 player with a nice big backlit display and all the other nice features that come with this player is a very good deal. I read all the reivews and looked at all the specs, I found no one had any serious complaints and the player it self looked good to. Plus its upgradable, its got firm ware and you can increase the storage to a max of 160MB (untill they make larger smart media cards that is). When i got it I was amazed at how easy to use it was and how great it sounded, and even tho it says the lcd screen is hard to navigate thats not true, if you have half a brain you can get it. Also I saw no problems with the software that came with it... it was quite nifty. I could crank up the sound untill my ears blew off so no problems with power:) If your looking into getting any type of music player get this one! you wont regret it.
29 Great player but some missing info
Anyone out there looking for an mp3 player should take a hard look at this one it is one of the greatest players out there
Pros
Great sound, really fast in transfering, easy to use after you read the user manual,...and very small.
Cons
...The Nomad IIc which the Nomad II has FM tuner capabilities, don't buy the 128 MB smart media card I bought it and it is not compatible with the player I thought it was probably my computer I call viking to viking support and told me that Nomad IIc was only compatible with 64MB or 32 MB and not with 128MB
So with all this buy it but beware of the things that I told you, but I am pretty happy with my Nomad IIc I wish I could find a cover for it like the ones that cellular have so I would not be scratching it or things like that...
30 great product!!
it's [inexpensive] and works very well.
unfortunately it only has 32 mb build in memory, so you have to either download 64-bit mp3s or get a smart media card.
the software took me almost 3 minutes to figure out; it was fairly easy to use, even though the interface isn't all that great.
the transfer rate is very good
i recommend buying this, buying a more expensive one would be a waste of money, unless you want the fm radio, car adapted, etc.
you can actually buy those all very [inexpensively] in the accesories kit
although, if you're willing to spend some more money, go for either the regular Nomad II or the Nomad II "MG"
anyway, back to playing my mp3s!
31 Mislead on Features...
After reading "All the great features of NOMAD II at a price you can't resist" from Creative's site and looking at Amazon's nice large pictures I thought the "C" really did have all the features of the NOMAD II, blah, blah, plus it had the onboard 32 so it looked like a really good deal over the original II. But it DOES NOT have FM radio, which I found out today when it was delivered. Also the picture Amazon has of this product showing the FM tuner IS NOT an actual picture of this product. It works great for me with itunes and OS X but I wanted the FM tuner....
32 Good product at a great price
I purchased this product a few weeks ago and my experience has generally been good. But its far from a perfect product. I gave the product 4 stars because it has a number of shortcomings, but for the low price I'm willing to look past that.
Pros:
* loaded with features, like graphic equalizer and voice recording
* relatively intuitive software
* excellent sound quality
* built-in USB connectivity (no cradle required)
* expansion slot for smart media cards - they keep dropping in price so buying expansion cards down the road will be much cheaper than paying a lot for 64MB or 128MB of internal memory today
* uses standard formatted smart media cards, so I can swap my memory card between my digital camera and the Nomad without reformatting
Cons:
* software CD wouldn't install on my Windows 2000 system. I had to download everything from the web site
* downloading songs to the Nomad is a bit annoying because the Nomad treats the internal memory and expansion memory as 2 different blocks. So you have to seperately load each part of memory. It would be much more intuitive if it treated both internal and expansion memory as one continuous piece of memory
* when viewing the list of songs on the Nomad, the titles don't scroll
* inserting and removing an expansion memory card is cumbersome
* the base of the Nomad has a small rubber piece that always comes off, no matter how much I try to keep it in place. I finally gave up and threw the rubber piece away
As you can see, the Nomad isn't perfect but its priced right
33 Great Features
I especially like the voice recording feature. It's great for leaving myself reminders.
It comes with 32MB internal memory and now you can upgrade with a 128MB smart media card for a total of 160MB, so you can fit a decent amount of music on it.
34 Excellent product and price
I did a lot of research before buying my mp3 player and I know these reviews help, so I'll try to be as detailed as I can. At frist I was unsure about buying an mp3 player because they hold so few songs. I thought about buying a 64 or 128 megabite player but was turned off buy their very high prices. I began researching the nomad II and found that it had 32 megabites of built in memory, which means that there is no smartcard involved with the original 32 megs you get. Then I started looking at the prices for smart media cards. I was originally going to get a 128 bite card, but again the price was too much. I settled for the 64 megabite viking card. I went for the viking because it was cheaper and just as good as the competition. In fact the only differce is the name. With the built in memory and the 64 MB card i can fit about 30 mp3 files onto my mp3 player. This is the perfect amount for me. I get about 1 and 1/2 to two (2) hours of music(all files were mp3 files, not WAV). The other thing I wasn't sure about was how well the software would be. I have over 300 mp3 files on my hard-drive and I use MusicMatch as my default mp3 player. At first I thought I would have to transfer all of my musicmatch mp3's over to the Creative Labs software. To my surprise, the software for the nomad II accepted my MusicMatch files and I was able to transfer all of them to the mp3 player no problem. If you're wondering how long it takes to transfer mp3 files, it's pretty darn quick. It only took me about five minutes to add a fresh 30 or so songs to the nomad II. The battery life on the nomad II is great. On average you get about 10 hours of battery life, which is pretty good considering it's only one battery and my cd player only gets 12 hours of battery life with two batteries. Some other reviews said that the menu navigation was difficult, I found no problems and it only takes a little tinkering with to get all the controls down pat. The only problem with the nomad II is it comes with no ...instruction booklet. You have to get the instructions off of an adobe acrobat file. That's a big pain in the [behind]. The other software that comes with the player is ... obsolete. The only program I kept installed was the Creative sound lab so that I could transfer mp3's to the player. I will continue to use MusicMatch as my mp3 player and I'm sure your other programs like Real Jukebox will be more gutsy when It comes to listening to music on your computer. All in all the nomad II is the best for the price, and I would recomend buying additional cards to expand the memory.
35 Excellent Purchase
This is my first mp3 player and im very happy with it i was burning music onto it within 5 minutes it is very easy to use the price is excellent,the sound is crystal clear, if you are looking for your first mp3 player i highly recommend the IIc
36 Best player for the money by far
You can't beat this for 2 1/2 hours of mp3 music. Buy the player and buy a 128MB card and you are set.
I upgraded from the Rio PMP 300 because I wanted more max memory.
This is a great device (it's my 4th mp3 player). It is very small and stylish, has USB to transfer songs faster than I can pick them, software is good, firmware upgrades are easier than with my Rio Volt, supports WMA, records voice, nice DSP and has user a customer setting.
The volume level is good, there is a nice track title display instead of numbers, menus have nice config options (time off, backlight, contrast, etc), Creative doesn't charge you extra for cheap headphones!
Negatives: memory sits over battery a little. This is a problem if you change rechargeables often. Alkalines should last long enough that it wont matter.
37 Whoa! Am I dreaming??
Wow! 32 Mb, Voice recorder, and a whole bunch of other features that are almost equivilent to the Rio 600 and its almost half the price! I have never seen anything like it. I have seen some with the same price but not with the same features. You get the most bang for the buck on this player. Anyone who says stuff like the battery cover broke, or they couldn't get their headphones out of the connector, etc, etc, they really don't have one. Though, I have found a few flaws in the Nomad 2c, and they are, that the rubber dust cover on the USB connector looks as if it were to break, but I am just not sure. And the smartmedia slot is inside the battery compartment. I think the cover may just not close with the card in there but I cannot be sure because I hvae never tried! ALSO! I'm sorry *Cough! Cough!!* I just don't think that 32 MB is acceptable. I mean, just look (hear). If you encode an audio file to 64kbps WMA format, it sounds really bad especially if there are a lot of drums, cymbols, or any percussion like that. it sounds static-y or in otherwords, REALLY BAD. actually anything under 192 kbps is just bad. my suggestion?? get a smartmedia card. what kind you may ask?? get a Sandisk 64 MB of Viking 128 MB. But anyways over all this is the best player ive seen and heard (after the smart media cards) for the price so BUY IT NOW!
38 Wonderful .... after your consult your installed manual
After doing my homework and checking out numerous customer reviews, I purchased the Nomad II along with a 64MB Smart Card.This is my first MP3 player and I didn't want to spend more than I had to for a new toy. (I have a digital camera so I have the necessary hardware to transfer music files.) This is far less expensive than purchasing a player with more memory. Getting started was a bit difficult using the sheet of printed directions which came with the player. However, as soon as I consulted and printed out the manual--which is excellent---Go to PROGRAMS -- CREATIVE --NOMAD II and you will find the manual.(Before you activate the manual start the Adobe program or the manual won't automatically appear. I printed it out so I could comfortably follow the directions and learn to use all the features. The software is good and as long as you consult the help menu. It's very easy to install music and play it back. Enjoy!
39 I believe ya
After looking at pretty much every mp3 player there is, i narrowed it down to this one. i read all the reviews and im convinced that this is the best player for the money so i guess ill ive it a try
40 Nomad IIc: The right MP3 player at the right price
I always take a hard look at consumer electronics when purchasing nearly anything. After deciding I needed an MP3 player, I did this and wound up with the Nomad IIc by Creative.
The form factor is small enough to fit anywhere, and the interface to my Macintosh is smooth as silk. You get a special version of SoundJam, and can convert CDs en masse. The controls are good enough; the most-used ones are on the central dial, and you can control them through a shirt pocket. Rarely-used ones (like "DSP" and "Erase") may require some searching, but that's perfectly reasonable. The LCD display is legible and the icons are clear.
I have only a few complaints.
* The voice memo is hard to use; entering the menu item often results in a dialog saying that you don't have any memos. You need to have a quick hand on the "Record" button to enter one. Frankly, I'd have been just as happy without a voice recorder.
* The song title only scrolls once, even if the title is longer than will fit on the display. I'd have liked a continuous scroll.
* I'd also like a way to isolate the memory card from the internal memory. If I make up special SSFD cards for special purposes-- say, a dance mix as opposed to lullabies-- it would be great to be able to play from ONLY the internal OR the card. (Randomization should therefore work only on the target device.) I hope this will be added in a new version of the software.
But these are minor and should not keep you from buying this excellent player! I found it best to buy a card (and chose the Viking 64 Mb) and a docking station at the same time.
41 Great Player
The Nomad IIc was simple to use right out of the package. In about a half hour I was ripping cd's for some traveling music. The fact it has no moving parts makes it great to use in the car-no skips, even on Pa. roads. The upgradeability is also a plus. I expect to get a 128MB card soon to expand the amount of music I can take with me for long hauls. And the price was excellent--much better than a Rio or others with similar or better features. I would recommend this player to anyone who wants a quality item for a good price.
42 For the active user
The Nomad IIc is the biggest bang for your buck available today. Priced at $... less than its cousin, the Nomad II, and $... less than the top-of-the-line Rio 800 and Intel Pocket Concerts, the Nomad IIc provides unparalleled flexibility and ease of use for the active user. If you are looking for something that will carry your entire CD collection around, look into the Nomad Jukebox - however, do not expect to go running with that thing anytime soon.
All you're missing from the Nomad II package are an FM tuner, 32 less megabytes of memory (which actually provides a boon - more on this later), and packaged headphones/remote/carrying case. The latter three can be purchased seperately in the Accessory kit, along with a car adapter, for $....
The player itself is roughly the size of a deck of poker cards, and weighs slightly less. It runs on a single AA battery, of which 8-10 hours can be expected. A removeable belt clip screws into the back of the player. The main buttons are located on the front, underneath the display. Secondary buttons run up and down the length of the left side, with the lock and the USB port (protected by a rubber flap) on the right side.
The included software (Creative PlayCenter 2.0) was fairly easy to install, and once I formatted the internal memory transferring music was a breeze. A printed version of the manual is not included; however a .pdf is available on the CD. You can download the latest drivers and software from its website at www.nomadworld.com; Creative says they the firmware is upgradeable to support other codecs in the future, but I have not seen anything on their website yet. I found the player's GUI very easy to navigate once I read the manual. It saves the necessity for a lot of useless buttons on the face of the player.
Now let's get to the meat of this player. As I said before, the Nomad IIc comes with 32 megs of on the board memory, as opposed to the Nomad II's 64 megs of removeable Smartmedia memory. What this means is that the Nomad IIc is upgradeable to 160 megs of memory opposed to the Nomad II's 128. I have seen 128 MB smartcards go for $70 new on the web - factoring in the accessory kit and the docking station, your IIc can have 160 megs of memory and all the amenities for $70 less than the top of the line Rio 800 and Intel Pocket Concert. Very nice.
I have taken my IIc running every morning since I got it. It has not skipped once, though the belt clip does not clip on to anything but a belt very well.
The mic records well, but does not pick up sounds from far away. Don't expect to record your teacher's lesson with it so you can sleep in class! However, it is very handy to keep personal memos on.
I have had my problems with it, as well. Mine did not come with a rubber port protector - but since my first shipment was lost in the mail, I did not feel like mailing it back for a replacement, and I plan on purchasing the docking station soon. I have had a few instances in which it did not turn on, caused because the battery was lined out of place - it is easily remedied by jiggling the battery. The volume, controlled by a + and - button, is not accessible when the player is in lock. A disc-based volume control like those found on some Discmans would have been preferred. You can control the volume with the remote in the accessory kit. There are smaller players out there, but none are as upgradeable as this one.
Final verdict: Highly, highly recommended. So flexible, so economical, so very useful.
43 Simply The Best
I have done tons of research on MP3 players. When I found out about the Nomad IIc, I decided to give it a try. I fell in love with it immediately. Within minutes, I was uploading WMA files to it. I was able to fit 11 WMA songs at 96 Kbps (CD Quality Hi). It even recognized my 80 Kbps (CD Quality Lo) WMA files, in which a previous player did not. With my 128MB SmartMedia expansion, I was able to fit 6 complete CD's worth of WMA using Windows Media Player's portable transfer tool. The sound quality is superb and the 5 band equalizer just made it better. The USB interface makes transfers of all files (MP3, WMA, and non-music data) quick and easy....
44 Good Purchase.... Best for the money!!
This is the first MP3 player I have owned and i am extremely satisfied. My friend has the Nomad 2 so i knew that the Creative Labs digital audio line was a good one. I decided to get the Nomad IIc and an extra 32mb card. This makes the Nomad IIc just the same as the Nomad II if you allready have headphones and you dont want the extra FM radio feature. Why pay 50 bucks for headphones and a radio? I convert all my files to wma at 64kbps to get 32 songs onto my player with the extra 32mb card. This is below CD quality but I cant tell the difference and you get an extra hour of music. The software is also great! It is so simple to use. It only takes about 5 minutes to get a fresh 30 or so new songs onto the player. No moving parts meens no skipping. All around--- a good choice.
45 Best MP3 Player for Workouts
I EXTENSIVELY researched all the MP3 players out there, even the mini-disc players. The Nomand IIc is the best built and best value for the money. The slightly concave design fits right into your pocket when jogging. Battery life is excellent -as advertised. Sound is great AFTER you purchase high quality headphones (you really need to go to a store and listen to select the best ones. Headphone efficiency will also affect your battery life). Display reads the full title of the song, not just the track numbers. Best of all this thing will hold 160MB of music with the purchase of a 128MB memory card AND will still cost you less than the 128MB Intel MP3 Player (which is not upgradable). I am sure in a year's time we will see 256MB cards for under ..., which you will be able to use on this unit. I bought this for my daughter two weeks ago - I just purchased 2 more for my son and myself!
46 Excellent Player For Jogging/Workouts
An inexpensive player that provides excellent sound quality during hard workouts and runs. I went through 3 CD anti-skip players trying to find one that was actually skip-free. You know what, they don't exist! I should have bought an MP3 player before I purchased CD player #3, but the reviews were so good that I believed it would be satisfactory - WRONG - no better than #2 - that's player number 2. Anyway, the Nomad IIc works extremely well. Sound quality is good/excellent with my Sony Sports Walkman earphones - a little more bass would be nice. And, with no moving parts, NO Sound distortion, no matter how hard I exercise. I am far from a software expert, but I was able to Rip CDs and download MP3 files from the Internet within an hour or so - I guess that speaks well for the "user friendliness" of the Nomad IIc. At the 128 setting you get approximately 30 minutes of CD-quality music, as advertised. The controls are easy to navigate and read. My only criticism is that the belt clip is a little wimpy and purchasing a secure holder is a good idea.
47 Mac Users Rejoice!
This little guy is one great performer. Responsiveness with iTunes is amazing. When you connect your player via USB, iTunes will display it on screen within a couple seconds. I've found I like hooking it up off the side of my keyboard. The USB cable that came with it is incredibly sturdy and I doubt anyone out there would ever wear it out. To make the niceties even greater, Creative made a standard USB port on the side. So you can easily hook this up without needing a special cable with a small connector. The 32mb onboard is nice, but the expansion options are superb. Though Creative has not publicized it (I haven't the faintest idea why!) the latest firmware update you can download from them will add support for 128mb Smart Media cards. That's 160mb, five times the original capacity. It took jumping some hoops to talk with tech support to find that out. .... Playback is incredible. There is no hiss or interference, the fact that you've gone digital will be crystal clear when you listen. The output volume goes up a tad over too loud, which you'll like if you enjoy damaging your ear drums like me. In the past I'd have to turn music up really loud to just hear the full spectrum of what I was listening to. After using this a while, I've found I listen to things quieter because I don't have to struggle to hear the subtlties in the music. The display is gorgeous. It displays your battery indicator, volume level, elapsed time of track, name tag, artist tag, and encoding rates all at the same time! The display is also backlit (glows green). The only problem I have with it, isn't so much the screen but the interface. I'm really getting nit picky here though. What bothers me, is you have to stop playing your music in order to make changes to the contrast of your screen or backlighting. You'll hardly ever have to make these changes, but it seems to me this shouldn't affect playback. The player is smaller than a deck of cards and is really light. It's powered by one AA. I don't know how long it runs for yet. For you Mac users out there, get this:
I have iTunes installed on my computer. Upon opening up the player I just hooked it up to my Mac and started using it without using the installation disc or having to do any configuration! Plug 'n Play nirvana realized.
48 Great Player, but get the Accessory Kit
The Nomad II C is the economy version of the Nomad II which includes the items in the accessory kit(headphones, remote, car adapter). Due to the availability of the newer Nomad IIs with the built in flash memory, I think the Nomad II C is a better option now(6/29/01). The currently available(older) Nomad IIs that come with the accessory items, a builtin FM Tuner, and a smartmedia card, either 32mb or 64mb. However, the II C has 32mb of builtin memory and a smartmedia slot. So the unit can currently support up to 160mb of storage with the newest firmware from nomadworld.com, since the current IIs have only a smartmedia slot, you need to take out the 32mb or 64mb of memory and replace it with the 128mb(or other max size, anyone know if it supports 128mb?) card. So far, the only place the newer Nomad IIs(that have builtin memory) are available are at the nomadworld web site. However, the IIs HAVE a FM Tuner, the II C DOES NOT, if this is important to you, then wait for the new ones to become available, or buy it from nomadworld.com. Oh, and do get the accessory kit if you buy the II C, the remote is well worth it. The main controls are on a directional control pad on the front center of the unit, it's very easy(especially if you have fat fingers like me) to hit stop or pause when you're trying to change tracks. BTW, I've used the Viking Smartmedia 128MB Card.
49 Just Grand
I've only had the thing about a half an hour, but I'm already certain I made a great choice. You can't beat the price on this thing. Being a Mac user I was thrilled that it works with iTunes and quite nicely and easily too. I think the interface is fine. It took me a second to figure out how to start a voice recording, but other than that. its pretty much like using an onscreen VCR program. Sound quality is great at 128kps and pretty good at 64. If there is anything negative about this player its the meager 32MB's of memory, but its not like you'll find anything cheaper at this quality level. Hopefully the Smart Disks will start coming down in price soon. The belt clip seems ok to me, but I haven't taken it running yet.
50 Very Nice For the Beginner
My Grandma bought this for me for christmas and i have had the best of luck with it. The software is amazingly easy to use and there are no hastles. Everyone says the screen is hard to navigate but if you take 2 minutes to look at the directions and try it out you'll figure it out right away. The software is slightly boring and I wish it supported a little more space but, hey what ya gonna do? Overall this is a great piece of equipment.
51 Player: 5 Stars, Software: 3 Stars.
Weighing in and sizing up as to be no larger than a regular deck of playing cards, the Nomad IIc is a great little MP3 player. It is packaged with a single software CD, USB cable, and 1 battery. Yup, no headphones.
Once you have the player setup, it's ease of use is straight forward. The screen is backlit and there are different setting options to help you maximize player feedback. Out of the package, this player supports both MP3 and WMA (however I am finding WMA's a bit more picky to set up). The onboard 32MB of memory will support roughly 40min of music if ripped at 160Kbps. You can rip in the range between 20 and 320kbps (CD quality is roughly 128). The higher your setting, the more memory is used, hence less music you can store. So I suggest buying a Smart Media chip to increase memory if you want to listen to anymore than 45 minutes worth at a time. The open end of the firmware will allow you to upgrade to future codecs (so Creative says).
The player also has a built in microphone for voice recordings in which you convert later to .wav, .wma, or mp3.
I found the onboard menu's pretty easy to navigate. If you can operate a modern microwave or alarm clock, you can operate this player.
The nice thing I think aboout when it comes to Smart Media cards, is that there are no moving parts. Unlike small hard drives or discs, there is no wear or tear on internal parts.
Now the software on the other hand is a bit of a disappointment. Upon opening the package there is no manual. You actually have to install the CD-ROM and Adobe Acrobat to get to the manual .pdf files. Also there are some programs on the disc that have no description on what they do, or why they were included so I am at a loss on whether I want to load them or not. Basically you only need to load the IIc driver and player software in order to use your Nomad, all others seem to be fluff. At the very least Creative could have supplied a one page document explaining what exactly the 6 programs on the disc do.
The Creative Play Center, while serves it purpose, could have been much more robust. If all you want to do is tranfer files from PC to Nomad, or rip CD's, its very painless and straightforward. Third party software like Real's Jukebox or WinAmp does a much better job in organizing your MP3 library and making changes. The changes you can make in the included software are basic at best and really limit full control over your music library. The manual is also buried on the disc and while explanations are adequate, it lacks depth. For a computer/MP3 newbie, this could prove a little challenging and overwhelming, you may want to look at other software music organizers. Overall the disc is not too user friendly.
52 Simple was all I wanted.
I was looking for a basic player to take to the rec center, and that's exactly what I got.
Right out of the box I was loading songs with no problem. The software was very intuitive - though I did have to refer to the online manual to figure out how to navigate the menus on the Nomad itself. Luckily the manual is crystal clear.
32MB seemed small, but that's fine for my purposes (besides it's expandable, though I don't think I'll find the need.) I loaded 15 songs with no problem using the WMA format at 64kbps. Now I know that's only 'near CD quality' but in the rec center with crappy little head phones, who can tell the difference?
This unit doesn't come with headphones. That was fine with me, if it had come with headphones I probably would have just replaced them.
There are two reasons I didn't give this 5 stars. One is it doesn't come with rechargeable batteries. There is no reason Creative Labs can't package this with rechargable batteries for the same price - and it's just silly using throw aways in it. Before it even arrived I bought myself a couple of rechargeable batteries and a charger.
The other is the belt clip. It is pretty loose. I'm using this in an active environment, and may end up having to buy a carrying case for it.
Bottom line - I'm quite pleased with my purchase.
