The exciting new Zen Micro carries up to 2500 songs in a micro sized player And with USB 2.0 youll be able to transfer songs in a flash spending less time at your computer and more time enraptured in your music. Green in Color. 5gb capacity.
The Zen Micro digital music player from Creative Labs packs an incredible 5 GB of storage capacity into a shell small enough to sit comfortably in your jeans pocket. It also rides nicely in your hand, with a palm-fitting profile and thumb-friendly front-panel controls. It's a bit shorter than an Apple iPod Mini, yet its rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides 12 hours of continuous playback--50 percent more than iPod Mini's. The Zen Micro is compatible not merely with MP3s and WAV files, but with WMA as well. Toss in USB 2.0 connectivity and you're looking at one spiffy portable music player.
But playing isn't all the Zen Micro does. You can use it to receive FM radio (with 32 station presets to keep your favorites at the ready), and to record, either from the radio or from live sources such as voice dictation or lectures using the Zen Micro's built-in condenser microphone.
Trimmed in a luminescent blue glow and with easily visible backlit buttons, this stylish green player holds up to 1,250 songs (83 hours) at 128 kbps or 2,500 songs (166 hours) at lower-fidelity 64 kbps (MP3/WMA)--that's a solid week's worth of music listening, never playing the same song twice. Compatibility with Microsoft's WMA compressed-audio format grants access to over 2 million downloadable songs offered promotionally or for sale online.
Perhaps the Zen Micro's coolest attribute is its DJ feature, which will shuffle not only all the songs you've loaded or all the songs on a given album, but also, at your discretion, only the tracks tracks you listen to most or the ones you rarely hear, taking the work out of selecting your favorites or hunting out all the music you're still getting to know.
Zen Micro's rechargeable battery is easy to replace. |
For navigation, the device features a vertical, linear touchpad designed to make searching through songs or playlists easy, quick, and fun. The unit's blue, 160 x 104-pixel, electroluminescent LCD shows key functions and song details at a glance, and you can even customize the main menu to keep right at your fingertips the features that matter most to you.
Another of the Zen Micro's handy features is its personal organizer. You'll never forget an important anniversary with the onboard calendar, and it also includes a to-do list and a contacts list, all of which sync seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook (Outlook thus required for use of these features). Further, the device offers a sleep timer and alarm so you can drift off to sleep to the strains of one playlist and wake to a completely different one.
The Zen Micro's removable battery is easy to swap with another fully charged battery (additional batteries sold separately), extending your listening by a half-day per swap.
What's in the Box
The Zen Micro player, stereo earbud headphones, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a USB 2.0 cable, an installation CD, a quick- start guide, and Creative MediaSource software.
1 Works with Yahoo Music Unlimited
I got my Zen Micro about a month or so ago and I love it. I recently tried the Napster subscription service and it was cool because I could fill my MP3 player with music without having to pay for it, but my trial period just ran out. Luckily I read an article today about yahoo music unlimited, which is like napster, but even cheaper. I just paid $60 for an annual subscription, and my Zen works without having to update the firmaware. This is going to make the train ride to work much easier. Be sure to buy the Zen and fill it with music from yahoo.
2 Worst electronic experience ever.
I recieved the Zen Micro as a present and although I had never heard of it, I was excited to get a new MP player, and even more excited to get one that played 2,500 songs.
After recieving it, it took about an hour to download the software onto my computer and then 7 hours to fill my player with songs and create albulm for them. With the Creative media player that installs on your computer and takes over as the primary media player wether you want it to or not, the process of uploading music involves moving track by track and about a minute per song.
After getting about 800 songs on the player it was full, what Zen only writes in very fine print is that the player holds 2,500 WMPAs, which I had none of. Still excited to have a small player to put in my pocket on the treadmill, I headed out to the gym. After less than two minutes the player was broken. I tried rebooting it acording to the intructions, this involved awkwardly pulling out the battery and hitting some buttons, nothing happened. Also some of the aptions in the rebooting menu that pops up an not only wipe out your music, but wipe out all the firmware on the player, and because of the desighn of the virticle touch pad, accidently hitting on of these options is all too easy.
On the phone with Creative, they said they would replace it. Since my player was bought off of Amazon during the holiday season and I did not get it until two months later it was too late to return it to Amazon.
A month later I recieved my replacement. Again after spending the good part of the morning and early afternoon uploading my music, I headed off to work with my new player in hand. Then it happened again, this time I was running to catch the city bus when the player froze. Again nothing happened when I tried to reboot it.
Creative replaced it again becuase that was all they could do, they refuse to give me any type of refund.
I just recieved my third Zen micro yesterday, oddly enough it arrived on the same day as my new IPod mini. The ipod took less than an hour to download the software (itunes)which had a much better interface even on my PC. Another hour later, itunes had uploaded 1,000 songs as promised to my IPod, which has proven to work wonderfully walking around, riding the subway, catching the bus, and yes working out at the gym. Also the circular pad is much easier to use tha the vertical pad of the Zen. The rebooting process also only involves hitting one button as opposed to opening up the player and giving yourself the oppertunity to wreck the whole thing.
Six months after first using the Zen Micro I am now happily part of the MP player carrying community with my new IPod mini. All I can say is that it's on top for a reason.
3 Forget about this product
Please, don't buy this piece of crab. It broke down twice in less than 3 months period. It broke down first within less than 2 weeks. I had to spend hours and hours before I receive the replacement unit. Then the replacement unit broke down again after about 2 months. I swear I never used it rough, or anything. In fact, I used it very cautiously.
I contacted customer Service for refund, but they don't even reply my questions. I am so angry with this piece of junk. It's not worth you are paying. I guarantee you have high probability that this product will break within two months.
Also, I have to tell you followings before you want to buy this product. Don't trust what other say about this product. - They might be hired by the Creative Labs.
1. Forget about the radio. The reception is horrible. I like listening to classic music. But, it can't catch the signal.
2. Battery is useless. It won't last even for a day. I had to carry adapter everyday. Don't trust their ads.
3. Sound quality is not good as you think. Take my word for it. I am a semi-expert about it.
4. I think there is a problem software. First, I had to spend about 1 week to make my Toshiba notebook to recognize this unit. Then, second, my notebook stated having problem recognizing other USB devices after that. (Why did I buy this product...)
5. I promise you will get annoyed by the touchpad-type interface.
If you want to buy MP3 player, iPod is still a better choice. If you want a good sound, Gowon Audio-i is also nice (but, a little bit overpriced.) Just avoid buying this one. I am warning you.
4 Love it!
After much dithering and research at epinions, consumer's report, and amazon, and after reading countless reviews of the Zen Micro I decided to go ahead and get one. After making that decision, I then ended up fussing over which color to get -- ORANGE! I noticed that there was a lot of criticism of things like the headphone jack; it being that I tend to handle my electronics like a crate of eggs, I figured that if I were really careful, I'd be okay. So far I haven't had any trouble with the headphone jack at all, but maybe it's just because I'm careful? My only complaint, and it's fairly minor, is that the battery doesn't actually last 12 hours; otherwise I'm really pleased with the sound quality, portability, and performance, and how well it works with my little FM transmitter. The touchpad is easy to use -- you can set the sensitivity from low to high depending on your preference; the backlight makes things easier to see if you're in dim light. The menus are also fairly straightforward, and you can pick and choose which components to display in the main menu, and uploading music from your computer to the Micro is quick and simple if you do it through the software that comes with it -- I use a combination of the Windows Media thing to set up my playlists and then move them to the Micro media program.
If you're considering getting an MP3 player, do plenty of research before you get it, just to familiarize yourself with the pros and cons!
5 Zen Micro vs IPOD
Rather than simply repeat what others have said, I prefer to list the areas in which the Zen Micro, in my opinion, surpasses its chief competitor the IPOD...(I own both), and the areas in which I give the edge to the IPOD.
First, let me say that, in general, I (very slighly) prefer the Zen Micro.
Areas in which the Zen Micro outclasses the IPOD:
User replaceable battery
Battery Life..realistically about 8-9 hours compared to about 5 with the IPOD
Sound is somewhat better..definitely more bass
The Zen, in addition to having configurations for Classical, Jazz, etc, also has a five frequency graphic equalizer that can be customized, i.e. each frequency range can be strengthened or weakened as necessary. This is important to me because to simply set the music for jazz, classical, etc., there is no provision (on the IPOD) to properly set frequency boosts for the HEADPHONE that you are using.....yes, every set of headphones has its own frequency response and being able to customize the player to this response makes for much more pleasurable listening....and if, you are an audiophile, you will soon grow tired of the in-the-ear headphones that come with both of these units.....I use the Sennheiser PX-100's exclusively with both units...BTW the Koss Porta Pros also sound very good, but are less comfortable..but I digress....
If you purchase music from Itunes, it is in a proprietary format, which cannot be converted to MP3 files and thus not usable in any other player, whereas if you purchase tunes from another source, you can use these tunes in virtually any MP3 player.
Drag and Drop capability...very simply: you can drag and drop music files from your computer to the Zen.(it is simply seen as a drive in "My Computer)..OR you can simply copy and paste..this is particularly handy if you want to copy several files at a time; simply hold down the Shift key while selecting the files that you want to copy...then paste them onto the Zen.
Areas in which the IPOD wins:
Seems a bit more solid
Sounds slighly better with classical music..(smoother highs)
Controls are definitely smoother...It can be difficult to hone in on a setting using the slider(on the Zen)...usually you tend to overshoot your mark the first time and need to back up. The IPOD's controls are very smooth.
MusicSource and Itunes....I find this is a toss-up. The only disadvantage of Itunes is that you do not want to touch it if you own any other MP3 players..It is really proprietary in nature...Music Source is much more flexible with other equipment (such as pocket MP3 players of other maufacturers)
Why do I then slightly prefer the IPOD....Sound, sound, sound....
6 Ipod Please give me a break
Only have had this player for about 24 hours and am very pleased. Very easy set up, controls are a little touchy but after fiddling with it becomes better. Sound and every thing is great. THe best however is having access to Napster to go. For 14.95 a month all the songs you want. I already transfered around 20 songs so lets see, if i had an I pod that would have been $20.00 not counting the amount im gonna transfer, ipod is a rip, if your looking for more bang for your buck get this. Or if you want an ipod because advertising says its cool then more power to ya, give apple all your money.
7 Amazing little player- KO ipod mini
I've had this player for more than 4 months and I'm very happy with it. I use it on an average 5 hours a day I hook it up to my Belkin FM transmitter in the car or to my Logitech 2.1 Speakers at home, I rarely use it with the earbuds, though they are much better than the ones you normally get with other mp3 players.
The Look & Feel:
I have the black one and the contrasting neon blue on the buttons add a very nice ambience. The light pulsates when you are charging it almost as if it were breathing. The player itself is tiny , it gets a bit bulky when you put it in the hardcase, which you need to do if you don't want to get scrathes on the back(its a nice looking back too ). It feels tiny in the hand without it. The stand that comes with it is very usefult to prop it up on the desk. The belt clip however is not very useful if you move around a lot. The blue backlit LCD looks really neat and is easy to read. The touch controls took a little getting used to but now I wouldn't change it for the scroll wheel.
The touch buttons are textured so that your finger sdon't slip which was very thoughtful.
Reliability & Build
I dropped the player once from about 4 ft, and it fell hard, but kept on playing. The hardcase they give with it must work well.
It feels solid and not flimsy like the carbon.
Sound
I'm no audiophile but I was amazed by the clarity the player had, it was much better than the sound card on my Computer and louder too. I have had the ipod mini and it performs on the level with my sound card but the micro beats it outright.
Best of all the WMAs(I have a lot of them) sound great.
Utility
Its got a huge list of features including an FM Recorder a Calender and contacts list. Its not convinient to enter name of course but synchronise it with outlook and it becomes a gem of a address book. The songs recorded with FM are as good as the original signal. The interface takes 2 secs after you press record to show up but its actually started recording at the moment you press record.
Software
The software that comes along with it is not very intuitive but once you are used to it,it does the job well. Creating and modifying playlists is easy and clean.
There are 2 things that need fixing
First is the battery life. It will run for 6 hrs without problems with medium usage of the buttons.
Second might be a problem I might have with my PC but not too sure, when the player is connected on the USB and I start playing on it and also using the windows explorer, it sometimes pauses by itself and tries to synchronise with the PC during play, which is a bit irritating.
8 awesome player with extrodinary features
I got this player back in november 2004, when it just came out. I used to own an iPod mini, but wasn't very satisfied with it; the Zen Micro exceeds it in many areas. I use the Zen Micro primarily for commuting to/from school. So far it has been durable and fairly resistant to scratching.
To see the basic specs, visit www.Creative.com
- SIZE & APPEARANCE
The whole player fits comfortably and securely in my palm, and is very light. It is shorter than the ipod mini but thicker. Headphone jack, lock button, and USB/Charger are all on the top. The secreen and font are extremely easy to see. When backlight comes on, the buttons and a cool decorative outer frame on the front lights up in blue. I just love the way this looks, especially at night.
- FEATURES
5 GB of space, and can also be used as a removable storage drive; but it only lets you store a max of 2 GB of removable storage for some reason.
Built in FM radio. But has bad reception. It's good to have incase you wanna listen to the radio for news or something, but there's a lotta static. Could be because I live in NYC.
Built in voice recorder is decent. I tried recording my professor's lecture once and it came out pretty well. You can upload recordings to your PC.
Removable battery is an excellent feature and one that I cannot live without.
- BATTERY POWER
One of the Zen Micro's finest features is the removable/replacable battery. When I bought mine it came with 1 extra battery, but I don't think they have that promotion anymore. (A battery is around I think 30 U.S. dollars). A battery can be fully charged in less than 4 hours. I've noticed that leaving the battery in the player during non usage sucks up power, so I just remove it at night and put it back in the morning when I need it; the small battery can be conveniently slided in/out.
This way, the battery, when fully charged, runs ~9 hours at ~80% volume with no backlight (the backlight is pretty but I don't need it when I commute during daytime). With backlight turned on, battery life is reduced by 10-30% depending on how many seconds you set it to stay on and how often you make it light up.
- INTERFACE
The menus are easy to get into; and you can customize the functions that are displayed on the main menu for easy access. For example, I have "Randomly Play All" and "Removable Storage Mode" on the main menu because I use those frequently. On the other hand, I took off "Planner" from the main menu because I don't have a need for that.
There are no buttons - all the play controls are on a touch sensitive pad. Therefore when you put it into your pocket or bag, it's important to switch on the lock; but it's a very convenient button to flip. When I first bought it it was very annoying because I was constantly pressing the wrong buttons; but now I've gotten better at using it and it's not a problem anymore.
The various preset EQ's and playlist options are typical of most mp3 players so I'm not gonna go into that. The software for managing songs or transferring files is quite easy to use.
- SOUND QUALITY
A++. Very sharp and clear and deep. I've never used the earphones that came in the box because I already had very good 40 dollar earphones, so I don't know how good the stock ones are; I've heard they're so-so. One of the reasons I got rid of my old ipod mini is because I wasn't satisfied with the sould quality; the Zen Micro in my opinion is a little better.
As is the case with all mp3 players including the iPod Mini, the bass is not strong enough. I think this is because good bass needs a powerful battery - something these kinds of players don't have. However, the quality is superb so the bass factor can be overlooked.
The Zen Micro is a counter-part to the iPod Mini. I don't think Creative is doing a good enough job of marketing their little product. Maybe 1% of my friends has ever heard of it. The Zen Micro can definitely steal lots of market shares from Apple if people knew how good it is. Unfortunately, today's society is full of trend-whores who value hipness above all else. Consider the comparison between Zen Micro and iPod Mini:
-Zen has longer batter life
-Zen has replacable battery, the Mini does not
-Zen has 1 more GB than Mini
-Zen looks cooler
-Zen is smaller
-Mini gets jacked a lot, especially here in NYC
-Prices are nearly identical.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Creative Zen Micro to anyone who's looking to buy a mp3 player in the ~5 GB range.
9 touch pad does not work
We recieved this player as a gift for my husband. The first one continued to lock up. He would try to re-set it, but finally it wouldn't even do that. So we requested a replacement. All went well for the first few times, but now the touch pad again will not respond. Two of the "buttons" do not respond at all. So once again we are having to return the player. This next time we are going to try the Apple.
10 Great sound - poor reliability
I purchased two Zen Micros for Christmas for my chilren. The sound quality and features are excelent. Unfortunately the reliability leaves something to be desired. My daughters started turning itself on when not in use and had to be returned for waranty service, when it was two months old. My son's lasted about three months before it would no longer boot.
Portable CD players aren't as convenient, but they're a lot more reliable.
11 Love it, but had a firmward problem...
I love my Zen Micro, but after having it for a month, I starting having trouble getting it to dock properly, had to restart it a bunch of times, and finally got a firmware error before it really died on me. When I went to the creative.com website to check out firmware upgrades (click on Support link, then Downloads), the Enhancements and Fixes offered (see info below) sound pretty essential to everyone...so I'd suggest upgrading your firmware before you start having problems. Also, the message on the site says you'll lose all your content if you upgrade the firmware, but this didn't happen to me.
Hopefully Creative will get it together on this stuff, since it could be a great little product! I love the colors, and the software for downloading songs is very intuitive.
From the creative.com site:
For firmware version 1.02.05:
"It has been reported by some of our customers that they have experienced reduced battery life after charging their Zen Micro. Our product development team has researched these reports and determined that the users may have experienced this after they plugged their Zen Micro into the AC adapter that was already inserted into a wall socket with the AC power on."
Enhancements
Improves the look of the volume control bar
Improves the appearance of the Lock icon
Adds a 4GB option in Removable Disk Mode (for 5 or 6GB players only)
Fixes
Prevents battery drain when the player is charged with an AC adapter already plugged into a live power outlet
Restores proper functionality after disconnecting the power adaptor or transferring content using Zen Media Explorer
Redirects playback properly when skipping to the beginning of a WMA track
12 Best device ever!
I just got my new 5gb Creative Zen Micro two days ago and I love it. While the battery life is definatly not 12 hours, the backlight is mezmerizing and the capacity and extra features of the mp3 player are outstanding. Infact the backlight is so bright I could use it as a flashlight at night. While I hear all these bad reveiws about the Creative Zen Micro I have expireinced none of the problems everyone else is talking about. The touchpad is extremely simple after getting use to and you can get a new battery that lasts longer. I've never used an Ipod but I can't imagine a device any better.
13 Way better than the iPod
I got the Creative Zen Micro about 3 months ago in pink and love it. I used to have an iPod and hated it. This is much better. The FM radio is an added bonus. And its tiny and the blacklight is amazing. I currently have 1,152 songs on it. I would suggest downloading Napster To-Go for new songs, its less than $15 a month for unlimited downloads (much better than $1 for a song at itunes), and once you download the song it automatically transfers to the mp3 player. I esp love the fact you can make a playlist as you go so you dont have to keep chaning to the song you want.
The only things i dont love are: the earbuds (quite uncomfortable, i bought a new pair), dies a bit quickly, it takes forever to scroll (sometimes i get it to go if i hold it, other times i have to keep scrolling), and maybe its just mine with alot of songs, but it takes awhile when you click to go to the next song, go back, or for the song to start playing.
Overall i love this product and highly recommend it!
14 Just something to keep in mind
I bought this item 3 months ago and have had nothing but trouble. I use the item when I run or work out, having assumed by lack of information, that this was an item with the ability to be used for that. I was wrong, it freezes after running with it for more than 5 minutes along with freezing on its own on several occassions. I find myself staring at the "shutting down..." screen for the entire minute in fear of it freezing and swalloing the entire battery life. It is good for listening in the car when you are not driving and walking is fine, but the cronic freezing really gets the best of me. A friend of mine purchased the red one, not that color alters quality, and she has the very same problem. So if your intent is to acutally utilize the Zen for what it is made of than dont buy it. The plat screen is an almost identical copy of the iPod, although I am an avid fan of teh underdog, reasoning my purchase of this over the iPod, i dont seem to hear people complaining about that. In addition to that, as many others have noted, no it does not hold 2500 songs its more like 1500, give or take 100.
15 Creative Zen is wonderful
I have had my creative Zen mp3 player for about 2 weeks now and i love it. It's 'control pad' is so much easier and user friendly then the i-pod mini's circle thing. The major reason for why i bought this product over the i-pod mini is that the battery in the Zen player is replacable, where when the i-pod battery dies, you must either pay A LOT of money to get it repaired or buy a whole new i-pod. Another reason that i bought the Zen was that it has much more memory space compared to the i-pod mini 4GB, for just a few more dollars. Another reason that i purchased the Zen over the i-pod mini was the fact that I could go anywhere on the net to download music, and not just through i-tunes. I use napster-to-go, and it is amazing (plus you get a month free with the creative zen player). With napster it's $14.95 a month for unlimited downloads, i-tunes is $.99 a song. My last reason was for the design, the i-pod mini looks very cheap compared to the zen. The Zen has curved edges and the i-pod hes sharp edges, and the i-pod mini just looks like it will break very easily. The only bad thing about the Zen that I can think of is the radio that the Zen comes with (the i-pod mini doesn't). The reception is fine one moment and the next it's totatlly horrible. I have to hold the headphone wires way above my head to get a signal. All in all, this is an amazing player, and i would recomend it to anyone. It has many advantages over the i-pod. An amazing design and great sound quality.
16 Good but Broken
I had the Creative Zen Micro for all of two months and it died on me claiming it had a mysterious 'firmare problem' illness! I'm not going to give up on it however because while I had it, it was fantastic. So I'm in the process of trying to figure out Amazon warranties. So if anyone knows and can help that would be great! So I recommend it, but make sure you keep recepits because it isn't 100% reliable.
17 are u supposed to handle it like china clay,go with ipod
man let me tell u the marketing led me to buy this product.i had this product about last month and guess what it fell, yup it did, but it fell from less than a feet with a its protective leather case on it. iw rote to the guys that this is highly unusual, a fall of just a feet that too on thick carpet, with the leather case on, there must be something wrong with this piece.guess what after the results from the lab came in, they said they couldn't do anything. i kept screaming that what kind of a product is this which can't even bear this much shock, but it fell to deaf ears. moving on
creative mediasource player is one of the worst players out there. it is cumberosme to use, it takes too much memory and has crashed my pc several times. and guess what once i was deleting a song form the library it ended up deleting up the whole folder of songs from my documents to recycle bin.it takes ages to load the songs from the pc.
now ay
y u shoudl go with the one who started it must be the best philosophy
don't get fooled by a 20$ dollar less price and some radio thingy.afterall it is just a copycat of the original. apple made it and it remains head above the rest. and u get quality for just 20$ more dollars.my friend has an apple over a year and it is has no problem either with battery or nething.check out the new ipod mini. it packs a lot of features. (...)
18 Music Listener's Advise
Okay, I'm not a kid, but all that "enter your e-mail address" stuff is annoying, so I thought this was easier.
Anyways... I have been thinking of buying a mp3 player for a while and I have been thinking of which one to get for a long time because of what reviewers say about them. My opinion is that all mp3 player have problems (yes, even iPods) so get one that is not that expensive and doesn't have a very bad history of problems. If you buy this get the 2 year warranty. I'm sure it will be worth it in the end, especially if something weird happens like one day it just dies for no reason.
I bought the Creative Zen Micro because I own some speakers by Creative and I have been very happy with them. Creative has very good quality products.
Problems: I have only owned it for a couple of days and so far I have not experienced HORRIBLE problems. Once when I looked down at the screen I saw a message that said "Playback Error", but it was only for a second and it didn't seem to do anything bad. The first night I wanted to put some more songs on the player so I hooked it up to my computer and it wouldn't detect it. I shut down my computer and the next day I started it up and tried again and it worked, so... whatever. The software could be a little better, but it gets the job done. *Note: when transfering songs make sure you are tranferring them to the player and not the library... I learned that they are different things.
Overview: This player has amazing quality. You can change the EQ on the player itself (a nice thing to have). The recorder is very good. You can record things fairly far away. The FM radio is pretty cool. This is an awesome feature: you can record the radio! You can change the language of the menus... pretty cool. The menus are fairly easy to navigate. Overall, this player is really good.
19 My Zen vs My Wifes Ipod Mini
My wife already had the Ipod Mini when I purchased this, and I must say seeing it in action, I had some reservations about getting a Zen. However after playing with it for three weeks now, I'm convinced, the Zen Micro is superior. I think sound quality should be the first and foremost feature, and the Zen is leaps and bounds better in sound quality, with no need to upgrade the earphones. I thought the FM radio would not see much use with so many tracks avaiable to me, but its great for tuning in to TV programs at the gym while on the treadmill, concerts and programs being simulcast, NPR, and on and on. When you don't feel like toting a PDA while out for the day (i.e. cycling, window shopping, etc,)simply download everything thru outlook. I've read about the issues with the scroll bar, but they must have taken care of that now. Mine is as easy to use as the mini without any firmware download. Its also smaller, and gets more looks. People are use to seeing so may Ipods, that when they see my Zen, they have to ask questions. An extra gig of room, FM radio, voice recorder, PIM applications with sync to Outlook. This is really a no brainer. BUY THE ZEN!
20 nice and bad experience
I was very excited when i first got my zen micro, but as soon as I got it my disappointmetn grew more and more.
The color didn't look as I had imagined, and after updating the software ( the clearly states that is not guaranteed to work in big red letters, coincidentially the same color as my player)I wanted to get as many songs as I could, after spending 3 or 4 hour a day trying to make it work, including intalling and reintalling the software several times. I finally managed to get music on it, the playlist that I had created were gone, and no matter what I did, I couldnt make the player to play my playlists, and it is very anoying to have music and be in the middle of a set of exercises and stop and deal with the anoying touch pad to choose something else to listen to.
Something good that I have to say is that it looks really nice, and is a great conversation started with strangers specially hot chicks, I have scored some digits thanks to my zen micro.
One day it just decided to dont' work any more, as I had feared one day after many, many, headaches and bad mood because the player, i just froze showing the legeng FIRMWARE ERROR it didn't wor any more, I tried everything, ( of course I remove the battery to reset it, it just died in my little brown hands, taking 700 hundred of my favorite tracks). I returned the player and got my refund.
I also bough the H-10 and since I opened the box I just didn't work, I returned the player after some hours.
I'm starting to think that getting a mp3 player that works the way it should be, its just as difficult as finding your soulmate.
21 micro
This one is better than the Ipod. The Ipods battery life suckes. Why are we all ripping on Ipod....because its the leading company why not? Just have it on hold when its in your pocket. Besides that its good. Small and I love the controls also the battery is really good you can remove it and stuff. Plus it has over 2 million songs to chose from on MSN and Creative. Ipod doesnt even come close.
22 Something other reviews did not mention...
Let me preface my remarks by saying that I've only had the product for 24 hours, so I haven't experienced issues that others seem to be having. On the other hand, I have experienced one thing that I have not seen mentioned. So let me explain my initial impressions and issues:
I purchased this device despite the myriad of negative reviews. I figured I could return the device if it acted up within 30 days. This is my first mp3 player so I have little to compare it to.
Out of the box, it was missing a neck strap. The manual says some countries won't have it included. Is the USA part of that?
The software is marginal. I can't fully review it until I've played with it some more. I can say that the VERY FIRST thing I did after charging the battery was to download ALL updates (including firmware) from the creative website. This might be why I haven't encountered some of the problems others see. Always download the latest. The reason for updates is usually because they have found bugs in previous versions. You are asking for trouble if you don't do this.
I also adjusted the touchpad to HIGH as others have recommended and have had no problems with it. It did take me a few seconds to figure out that you need to slide your finger on the up/down cursors to scroll.
The controls are very sensitive. I just took it out of my shirt pocket while touching only the top and the selection stopped playing. Be sure to lock the controls with the lock switch.
NOW for the one issue I have that I have not seen mentioned. My device emits a very high pitch sound OCCASIONALLY. It comes and goes. I'm an electrical engineer and have been tempted to hook up a scope or spectrum analyzer to see what frequency it is...perhaps based on some internal oscillator. I'm going to experiment a little more with it. Anyway, if you don't have good high frequency hearing, this shouldn't be a problem. And maybe it is only my device that has this problem.
The FM tuner is marginal. It is true that only stations in your back yard can be picked up. Stations that come in strong in your car or at home are no guarantee. I can usually only get one or maybe two stations. Right now, I can get a local college alternative noise (I mean music) station and a country western station. Not a good choice in New England.
The belt clip really is cheap. I am going to look for some alternative method. An iPod holder or cell phone holder. Something to provide protection and stability.
Battery life? Don't know yet. I've been playing it about 4 hours and it is about half drained according to the charge indicator. I suspect it won't go 12 hours but probably will hit 8 hours. Still, not bad.
I have not played with the recorder or the calendar/contacts/task stuff.
My recommendation if you buy this is just to make sure that you upgrade the firmware immediately. I'll follow up this initial review in about 4 weeks after more use.
23 .....AWESOME PRODUCT.....
I've been behind the times using the same portable CD player for the last 6 or 7 years... so this was really a BIG step up for me. Hopefully this review will be helpful if you have never owned an mp3 player before....
I have no idea how this compares to the ipod, but here is a list of the lesser known features of the zen micro:
PROS
+++ It tells you the number of tracks, albums & playlists uploaded. Total Mb & Mb remaining.
+++ FM radio.
+++ Removable battery & micro hard disc.
+++ If you're halfway through a song (or paused) & you shut it down (or it shuts down after being inactive for a while, IT RESUMES WHERE IT LEFT OFF in the middle of a song when your turn it back on again!! :-)
+++ You can change the idle shutdown time, backlight time, contrast, touchpad sensitivity, language (there are 15 languages installed!!)
+++ sleep timer
+++ You can personalise (configure) menus, much like with mobile phones.
+++ PLAY MODES: normal, repeat track, repeat all, shuffle, shuffle repeat & track once.
+++ You can find songs by albums, artists, genre, playlist
+++ DJ menu: album of the day, random play all, most popular & rarely heard tracks.
+++ There are 10 bookmarks, which I have absolutely no idea how to use, but it must be put onto this list anyway. ;-)
+++ 12/24hr time, alarm, calendar, date (several date formats and you can even choose between the following separators: space, dot, dash, slash)
+++ Variable microphone sensitivity.
+++ Organiser; tasks + contact lists. (synchronised with creative sync manager)
+++ Smart volume + Equaliser (numerous modes: Off, custom, acoustic, classical, disco, jazz, new age, pop, rock, or vocal)
+++ master reset. :-0
+++ track name, title & artist on LCD display.+ battery indication, and various other on-screen icons while a song is playing, such as EQ & repeat modes.
+++ Gives the length of a song as a bar graph so you can tell the progress of the song...
+++ A lot of stuff in the box: remote control, belt clip & cradle, pouch, usb cable, charger, earphones, software (easy enough to figure out).....
+++ Last but not least: a cool blue glow + white backlit screen!!!
+++ There ISN'T a one second delay between playing each song.
+++ My zen micro hasn't crashed on me yet (and I have been sucessful in crashing every computer product known to man, eg: my Ericsson T39m phone several times!)
CONS:
--- The touch pad can be annoying sometimes. So you either have to hold it by the edges when playing a song or put it on hold mode, otherwise your palm will set off a whole bunch of menus.
It's okay when you're using it though.
--- You can't hear any music while fast-forwarding through a song. I am used to being able to go by ear while doing this, but you can't do that with this thing. Maybe a future firmware upgrade will fix this issue? Please??! Creative???!!
--- I walked all around sydney and couldn't find this in *ANY* shop. So I had to buy it online. All the photos of the zen on the 'net are front on.... and I didn't realise until I opened the box that the back & sides of the zen micro were coloured WHITE!!! ARRRRGHHHH! I hate white! Aaaahhh well, I suppose I'll get used to it soon enough.
--- I find the lowest volume setting isn't all that low. I can still hear songs well in a fairly quiet room during the daytime. At 3:00am I think this might be just a tad louder than I would have liked. [This is with panasonic earbuds though]
--- You have to first aportion (partition) the HDD to be used as an extrenal flash drive. Available sizes are: 128, 256, 512Mb, 1, 2Gb. You should be able to just use whatever is available. This isn't a big problem though.
--- Earbuds are too thick for my ears. Wearing them is like stuffing a peanut lengthwise in your ear. It pulls your earlobes out.
--- There is sod all information (on how to use the menus) in the instruction manual.
24 More features than an iPod...
I have had my Zen Micro (silver) for a week now and I love it. Perfect size for my use and more features than the iPod. Creative has a great reputation so I look forward to a trouble-free experience. I love my Micro and I am still learning to use all of it's features. Just keeps getting better and better. The naviagating feature is a bit sensitive at first and takes a bit getting used to. Just go to the settings and set the touch controls on slow till you get used to it. :)
25 A College Bound Student
I just recieved my Zen Micro a couple days ago! I was sooo excited! I told my parents I needed it because it had a built in voice recorder, so I could tape my lectures at college next fall. Of course I really wanted it to listen to my music while walking to classes! I did 2 weeks worth of research and finally decided on this one. Its great! The software is pretty easy to use. The touchpad isn't too hard to learn. Overall it has great sound! I had to buy new earphones though, bc the ones they sent were way too big. So far I haven't had any problems! I am very glad I made this purchase!!
26 IPod sucks
I've had this item for a few months and it is the best MP3 player I've had. I had a Rio, which continually crashed, and an IPod, which needed to be replaced twice in the first month, so I bought this. It has 1 GB more than IPod mini, and hasn't crashed. Also has much easier software to use than IPod. It also is compatible for Napster to Go, where I've paid 15$ for a month and gotten over 800 songs.
27 This product is sooo stupid
The Zen Micro looks cool when you buy it, but don't be deceived by looks. This stupid piece of crap doesn't even work. It crashes any time you touch it and you can't even get muic on it because it crashes every time you download a song.
28 Great product!!!!!!!!
OK, Lets start from the begining, I wanted to buy an MP3 player so I reviewd every available gadget on the market...as many people, I finally had to choose between a 4GB mini-Ipod and the zen micro. Although I am an Apple fan it just didn't seem right to pay the same price for less space, and in adittion to that the battery of the mini I-pod is not user replacable. So I took the risk of trying the ZEN MICRO...It was worth it...It IS an excelente device, I can store almost all of my music and still have space for my data, I think I have never heard the same song 2 times in shuffle mode!!!
The only little problem is that the battery doesn't last as long as I expected....(at least not the 12 hours advertised)....but well....10 hours or so is a lot of time and you can always have a second battery available.....
29 needs better controls.
After researching exactly what I wanted in an mp3 player, I was excited about the Zen Micro. I wanted it so badly... I was totally and completely sold on all of its features and convinced it was the perfect player for me.
But when I finally got it, I found that the touch controls-- especially the "intuitive" click-wheel-- were horrendous. I hated them. As you are trying to scroll down the list, the machine thinks you're clicking and opens items you don't want. Many times I found myself having inane brain conversations with it that sounded like, "Back, back, back. Aw crud-- back, back, back. DOWN. No, DOWN. DOWN! Enter."
Hrgh. I tried to change the sensitivity settings on it but I noticed no difference no matter how lightly I used the buttons. It was stressful and frustrating to use. I'm checking out the Dell DJ now.
On a side note, I felt like the colors looked more classy on the box graphics than they actually did in person. The box tries to make it look like there's a nice brushed texture to it. When you get it in person, it's just cheap-looking plastic sticker look. I know that's not a big deal, but I wasn't pleased with the look of it in person. I liked the light, though.
30 Big Disappointment
I did a lot of research before I bought this. Unfortunately, all of the glitches that people had been experiencing happened to me also. The device kept freezing up, could not get it to sync with its own software, then, in the middle of installing the firmware update (that everyone recommends you do, including Creative), the player crashed and I could not get it to reboot. Used the support web site to troubleshoot, but nothing recommended there would help. I am not a "techie", but I am pretty savvy about computers and software and own 2 other mp3 players (Rio, Lyra) that I have never had any problems with. Never even got to hear any music coming out of it.......
31 do NOT buy this product
I hate Apple and all Apple products so I was really excited to get this as a gift. It looks cool, has a removable battery, and has these sweet neon lights around the front panel.
Too bad this things sucks. It's crashed twice on me now and I've had to send it back to the manufacturer. It's such a pain to reload all your music. Plus I was without music for a month when I had to send it back for repairs. It just froze up on me again and so I'm just going to throw it away and buy an Ipod Mini. All of my friends with Ipods never complain about crashing.
32 Excellent Product
I was debating between the iPod mini and Zen Micro. Bought the Zen micro primarily 'coz of the removable rechargeable battery and WMA format support. I've been a Windows person for a long time and WMA format works for me especially since the songs take 1/2 the space compared to a mp3. I've ripped all my CDs in WMA and the quality is same as a CD. Have used this player for 2 weeks and am very happy. The sound quality is excellent and so are the headphones. I like the belt clip better than an armband since armbands can be obtrusive during workout such as arm curls. Overall I love this player. Creative has a great product at an appropriate price. The Creative Mediasource Organizer software that came with it is not very intuitive and took a while to figure out. I'm still giving this 5 stars 'coz I love this product.
33 Good, but not GREAT
I've had my Zen Micro for several months now, and although I like it, I wish I had gone with an iPod instead. Everyone else thinks it's so much better than an iPod, but I disagree. I've had a lot of trouble with my Zen freezing up randomly, so I have to take the battery out to turn it off. My brother bought one as well and his stopped working entirely. There also aren't as many accessories for it as there are for iPods. With iPods you can get speakers, FM transmitters, and other accessories that the iPod docks into quite nicely because the power/USB ports are on the bottom. The Zen's are all on the top, which means there is no nice little dock.
And I hate how all the free music out there is only on iTunes. iTunes songs can ONLY be played on iPods.
If you're an absolute hater of iPods and anything Apple, then this is your MP3 player. If not, I suggest going with an iPod or iPod mini. Same price (or cheaper) and you'll probably be happier.
34 Quite happy, if not amazed
I won't go into the kind of detail many people have here, but I do want to say a few things about my experience so far (I've had it about two weeks) with the Zen Micro; these are the things I was curious about when I was shopping around.
On the whole, I'm quite happy with the purchase. The sound is bright and clear, the ability to store any MP3's (and not just Apple-approved files) is great, and I plan to make use of the storage space and sound recording from time to time.
The device looks very cool, I think (exactly as the photos promise), it's comfortable and lightweight in my jacket pocket, and the interface and controls are easy enough to navigate after a bit of practice. No offense to Amazon, but I was able to find one online for just over 200 bucks (I'm sure prices here will continue to sink), and that also seemed quite a good bargain for the amount of storage space.
Now the downside: One of the features that factored into my choice of a Micro instead of an iPod (I know this is a tediously recurring theme in these reviews, but I want to get my two cents in) was the FM radio. I like some local stations, Stern, and NPR, and so the radio seemed like a great option. Imagine my disappointment, though, when the Zen Micro proved able to play only the mega-strongest FM signals in my area. It seems like you need to park yourself right next to a radio tower for the Micro to pull in a strong sound.
The battery, as others have said, also seems weaker than Creative suggests. Here's a quote from Creative's web site (hoping to sell additional batteries):
"Carry an extra rechargeable battery for your Zen Micro for an additional 12 hours of nonstop music."
Try an additional *six* hours, methinks. Still, that's enough time that I'm still satisfied, if a bit grouchy with Creative's overhyped promises.
Have not had any issues with the headphones or fragility. As I said, I don't regret the purchase at all. To use a baseball metaphor: I was hoping Creative hit a home run here, and I think the Zen Micro is more like a stand-up double. Respectable, solid, but not awe-inspiring.
35 This is Fantastic!!
This was the first MP3 player I ever bought and after doing considerable research I chose this over the mini IPOD mainly because of the FM radio and the extra storage capacity. I just received and I am really glad I chose it!! It is actually smaller than the IPOD and I love the looks of it. I chose the black but the other colors are great too! I had a little trouble figuring out how to navigate but thats because I have fat fingers. But you can lower the sensitivity! Also the Creative Labs website has a much more detailed downloadable manual. I would highly recommend this player!!
36 MOVE OVER IPOD MINI!!!
The reason I bought a Zen Micro is because my previous mp3 could only hold 60 songs(much to my frustration) and was, basically, rubbish. So, I thought about other mp3`s, mainly the ipod or ipod mini. That is, until I laid my eyes on this beauty....the Zen Micro. Stylish with a glowing screen that shines the moment you press a button and a lighting effect around it. Easy to use (the touch-sensitive controls can be annoying at first, but you get used to them quickly and their sensitivity can be altered). You can organise your songs, i.e. by genre, artist, album, etc. The DJ mode is not bad, as it tells you stuff like most popular songs, least popular songs, etc. The rechargeable battery life is not long though, but neither is it very short and I did not mind it. The only point of concern would be that the back of the mp3 can get scratched VERY EASILY, but that should not put you off buying a Zen Micro. It is small, not at all large and bulky like the previous Zen mp3`s, and is simply brilliant. A GOOD CHOICE TO TAKE!!
37 Zen Micro is Awesome; Not So for Creative Explorer
The Zen Micro is an excellent piece of machinery. I love the cool color and the bright lighting. The menus are easy to navigate and the touchpad feature is fantastic (especially when you use the "clicker" feature that allows you to hear a click upon touching the pad). My only complaint about the "hardware" is the FM feature. The headphone cord doubles as an antenna. As of yet, the antenna has only picked up one station (and even then it was not clear reception). Overall, the hardware is great.
HOWEVER!!! The Creative Organizer software is not so hot. It is virtually impossible to decipher any rhyme or reason with respect to its set-up. The Creative Organizer is not intuitive and it feels like you are endlessly wandering through a maze when trying to find albums, playlists, etc. While the Zen plays Windows Media Audio files, the Zen does not appear to very compatible with Windows Media Player. Specifically, I have not yet been able (after playing around with this for WEEKS) to get my playlists to show up on the Zen from Windows Media Player. I have to manually recreate everything in the Creative Organizer.
I highly recommend the Zen Micro--however, the Zen Organizer software is very poorly designed and not-user friendly.
38 Excellent Piece of Equipment
First off I will preface this review by saying that I prefer the WMA codec to both the MP3 or AAC methods. I think that Windows Media is an excellent program and version 10 is excellent.
That being said I found it was a pain for me to find a good mid-capacity WMA player (4-6 Gb) that could match the style and simplicity of the iPod Mini. The Micro Zen fits the bill and exceeds the iPod in some respects.
Pros:
1. Compact, shorter than the iPod Mini (though a hair thicker)
2. Removable battery, how hard is it for the rest of the companies to figure this out... I mean, my PDA and Phone both have removable batteries, shouldn't my WMA player.
3. Excellent playback, I keep most of my files between 96 and 128 kps variable rate and they sound great through the headphones or attached speakers.
4. Great battery life, around 12 hours.
5. Easy navigation, the UI is excellent with a very shallow learning curve.
6. Good WMP10 integration, plug and play at its best
7. FM radio
8. Voice Recorder
Cons
1. No included armstrap, you do get a belt clip but I would of liked an armstrap included for those workouts.
2. Playlists, I wish I could figure out how to easily import all of my WMP playlists into the thing. It is easy to make new playlists in the included software, but I would like to just import all my old ones.
3. I would have liked to be able to encode recordings in something other than WAV format.
All in all this is an excellent player that matches the iPod Mini point for point in every aspect but allows the WMA crowd to get into the game. Highly recommended.
39 Now listen up, because this is important!
I bought a zen micro about 30 days ago, and it was great...untill, out of nowhere, it breaks.
Now i know that you're considering buying the zen micro, or else you wouldn't be reading this review. You probably want to buy it because you want to be different (have something other than an I-pod.) I know, because i was the same way, and I liked the fact that the micro had goodies like a microphone (which turned out to be very usefull for keeping track of ideas, riffs, etc.) But its just not worth it.
I know you don't want to buy an I-pod, but for the sake of music, just buy one. I'm going to.
Or you can always wait 'till another, better MP3 Player comes out, which will no doubt happen in less than a year.
40 My First MP3 Player
I'm a new to mp3 players. For years I've downloaded songs and burned CDs, but I decided to simplify my life and get an mp3 player. After reading reviews and talking to a few friends, I decided on the Zen. It is not a perfect product but it does have a lot going for it.
The FM tuner, the 5G of storage, and the removable disk are all great features. The removable disk isn't really explained in the product literature but basically it allows you to partition a portion of the drive for data. You can then hook up the Zen via USB to any Win2K or later computer and use that partition to store data files. Any audio files in this area can't be played by the player. I primarily got the Zen to use for band practice, so I use the removable disk to store lyrics and sheet music.
The fit and finish of the product is first-rate. The slow throbbing glow that it emits during charging is cool too.
On the downside, I think the interface takes some getting used to and the Zen software is not as intuitive as I would like. Also, the earbuds that came with it sound great but are uncomfortable (although my wife didn't have a problem), so I bought a pair of over-the-ear headphones.
I haven't used the Organizer feature (apparantly you can sync with Outlook). You can also record with the built in mic and record FM broadcasts, I haven't tried those either.
Overall, I am very pleased with it. The more I use it and figure out how to do things, the more I like it.
41 Info especially if you want to use "Napster to go"
I just purchased the Creative Zen Micro from Amazon and received it yesterday (4/5/05)My purpose for choosing this product is to use with the new "Napster-to-go" subscription service. I followed the manual...installed per each instruction!
But upon attempting to transfer files under the terms of this new Napster plan (unlimited transfer of tracks without paying .99 cents/track) I got a pop up window from Napster telling me I'd connected a device that does NOT work with the "Napster to go" service plan.
That's impossible, I tell myself.....I *selected* this product from the Napster list of MP3 devices compatible with the new service!
So....I make the (long distance) call to Creative tech support (no hourly fees for 1st 60 days but NO 800#) and the consultant was courteous, knowledgable, helpful...and I wasn't on hold for 12 years!!
This is the bottom line: you MUST install a FIRMWARE upgrade in order to make this device compatible! This can be done on Creative's website. My tech guy gave me step by step details on navigating to the upgrade.
The one thing that gives cause for some caution...the firmware upgrade is a beta version. They've posted this disclaimer:
*********************************************
IMPORTANT: This is a beta (unfinished) version of this update. Before installing beta firmware, you should understand that a beta release does not have the stability of released Creative firmware. You could experience problems while using it.
Beta releases are meant for testing and validation, so you may encounter problems with a beta release that could possibly result in loss or corruption of data, require a reformat of the device, or, in extremely rare cases, may render the device inoperable.
**********************************************
Inoperable?? YIKES! BUT...without the firmware upgrade, you can't use "Napster to go"
Otherwise...I love the size of the Zen micro and the features I've read about in the manual. (I'm just up/running w/ mine so haven't tried all the bells/whistles).
The touchpad will take some getting used to....I especially find I must "tap" (pound?)very hard to select options w/ the touchpad (guys may not have this problem; being female, I guess I have a light touch!)
Oh... a couple of important tips:
Do NOT connect this device to your PC before installing the (incl'd) software!
After installing Creative's firmware upgrade, you MUST reboot the PC for the upgrade to be active!
The firmware upgrade, *required* for "Napster to go" can ONLY be used with Windows XP!
Hope this helps.... I'm off now to transfer my 1000 most favorite songs from Napster!
42 For the Clumsy Music Lover
This is the perfect MP3 player if you are looking for a pocketsize. memory (5) gigs and good market value.
PROS -
very small, very stylish - the blue light on the borders illuminate and "breathe" when charging
unbreakeable - I've dropped mine so many times
Easy to use in the car - lightly touch the pad, it lights up in the dark, easy to feel out while driving
Headphones with the set are actually good quality
Touch sensitivity can be adjusted so you can browse with efficiency
CONS -
Battery life is more like 4 hours
Freezes in weather under 40F, but I just pop out the battery and pop it back in and it works fine
Software not the easiest to use, good if you don't transfer much
43 Lots of problems
Had a great first three weeks with this product and then out of nowhere...it failed. And failed. And failed. And then failed some more. Every time I tried to restore the firmware something else would go wrong. Waiting for Creative to ship a new one. If that one doesn't work, I'll try another brand or wait for something better. Beware of the new Napster. I talked to a service rep from Creative and he said there had been quite a few problems with Napster to Go, because it was rushed to the market. If you don't update your songs daily or at least plug into Napster with your Zen then you risk your songs being erased because of the firmware that is installed. Be very wary of this product.
44 Zen Mastery
I purchased the Zen Micro to use with "Napster To Go" based on my positive experience with the 60GB "Creative NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra". After using the Micro only occasionally over a 17 days period the machine's hard drive turned out to be defective (confirmed by a call to Creative's tech support). I called Amazon and they overnighted me a new unit and I returned the defective unit. I have now given the second unit very heavy use for about two weeks with only one minor problem that was easily resolved (unit froze up while shutting down - removed and reinserted the battery and everything was fine).
All in all the Zen Micro works well with "Napster To Go" (you have to upgrade to the latest firmware version which was straight forward, and if you want to continue to use the accompanying software applications: Zen Explorer and Media Source in addition to Napster you need to upgrade them too - again a straight forward procedure - download the file from Creative's site and run it.) Works well with non-Napster To Go files too and both peacefully coexist on the player.
The sound is terrific and I actually love the headphones that came with the Zen. I am partial to this type of headphones though. The volume seems fine to me I play it on 16 on the subway and 10 in the office. At late night it can even go down to a 4. In a car using an FM transmitter I pump up the volume to about 20 and the car stereo volume to about 2/3 of the way. The smart volume setting is really useful and works well.
As others have pointed out the belt clip that comes with the Micro is really very flimsy. I treated it gently and never actually used it to clip to my belt just my shirt pocket and some external speakers (see below) but after a week when I went to unclip it the clip went flying off and the small plastic hinge that holds the spring to the clip had broken. It is not common knowledge (at least I couldn't find it on their website) but if you call Creative Sales you can purchase replacement clips for $4.95 each if you want to continue to replace them.
The touch pad control works great after adjusting the sensitivity setting. Originally I set it to light but it was still too sensitive, someone suggested setting it to heavy and that worked great now after a couple weeks use I find that I had to set it back to medium because I've acclimated to a lighter touch.
No one has mentioned that you have the ability to personalize your Micro with your name on the "Player Settings" screen, so I'll point that out. Also I don't think it's been mentioned that Vajacases makes great custom-built leather cases for the Micro in solid or mix and match colors of your choice with optional (sturdy) belt clip and the option to have your name embossed on the case.
A remote available separately at Creative comes in a choice of black or white works well (on/off, pause/play, forward/backward, volume up/down, lock, radio toggle). The faceplate is only loosely attached however and fell off of mine, again with gentle treatment, I superglued it back on and now it is quite sturdily attached.
The unit can be easily clipped on to a pair of Altec Lansing inMotion external speakers made for the iPod. Just clip it to the bar between the two speakers and use the plastic cover that comes with the speakers to cover the connector underneath the player. This allows you to see the face of the Zen should you want to look to see what song is playing. A word of caution though as mentioned above the clip is flimsy and could conceivably break and release the Zen.
Battery life seems good, I played it for 9 hours on volumes ranging between 10 and 16, occasionally accessing the menus to change playlists and songs and still had one of the three bars showing on the battery life indicator, so it appears it would have reached the 12 hours of usage time had I continued to use it without recharging.
While the Creative Sales seems to be run off-shore the tech support line is operated out of Oklahoma. The unit comes with 60 day of telephone support but it is not toll free. Still I've called 3 times (twice for my Xtra once for the Micro the time the hard drive was defective on the first unit) and have never had to wait for more than a minute or two to speak to a tech person. The tech staff are very knowledgeable, courtesy, and helpful.
The rest has been covered by other reviews. Had I not experience the problem with the defective hard drive I would have rated this 5 stars.
45 VERY DISAPPOINTING!!
I just got my brand new Zen Micro on Friday. A beautiful red one. I plugged it in, got it charged, put my songs on it, and listened to it for about 15 minutes. It had great sound! I didn't listen to it for the rest of the weekend. Monday morning, I am on my way to the train, I go to turn it on, and it is dead. COMPLETELY DEAD! I tried everything to make it work. I looked on the Creative message boards, wrote to people, called Customer Service, did what they said....nothing. I am now in the process of sending it back for an exchange. I would like to give it one more chance before asking for my money back. I am so disappointed that it's so buggy. While looking on the Creative site, I saw that there were many other people having this problem. What can I say? I didn't think it would happen to me so soon!! I thought I would be able to get more than 15 minutes use out of this product. Well, it sounded good for the short time it worked, but I would suggest waiting for the next better version or buying another brand completely. I wish I would have heeded the few negative reviews I saw here on Amazon....
46 the troubles i went through...
When I got my Zen, I was excited because not only was it small and aesthetic, the sound was great. I installed the software into my computer, and put the songs onto my zen, however the second time I tried to transfer the songs, it didn't work. The computer didn't pick up that I plugged my zen in, and the "creative zen micro" icon on the Organizer didn't show up. I was really frustrated and called the Creative help line, (who were by the way helpful, polite and I didn't have to wait to long for the line to connect). The guy told me to do all these weird things with my computer, but the main thing was to uninstall the software. It took more than three hours to uninstall and reinstall it, and I knew i can't POSSIBLY do this EVERY time I want to transfer songs on it...I was about to return the mp3, thinking of getting an ipod.
However, I tried to use to Zen on my mother's laptop, and it worked perfectly! The computer was able to pick up mp3 player every time I plugged it into the USB cable!
Maybe of you may experience the same problem I did, and it's not the zen, its the computer that you are using. I suggest try to install the software on a computer that isn't loaded with junk and it more recent.
By the way, the clip-on holder sucks, I used my old Nextel cell phone holder as a case, and it works excellently. (Its the case that has a "leather" back and a clear front--you can slip the zen into it, and the clear front lets you navigate the touch-pad)
I hope I helped!
47 A nice Musical Experience....
I have been researching MP3 players for the last two weeks. Of course the first one I decided to research first was the Apple iPod. However, as soon as I found out that I could only download songs from iTunes, I immediately decided that was NOT the MP3 player for me. In addition, I didn't like the fact that I'd have to pay $.99 for each song I wanted to download.
So I went to www.playforsure.com to see what devices were compatible with various downloading services. I had been eyeing the Creative Zen Micro 5GB as I researched various players. I finally decided to purchase this player because it was compatible with Napster 2 Go....which is a subscription service, allowing me to download as much music as I want for a $14.95 flat fee. I have a lot of songs that I need to download.
I was going to purchase a pink one and then decided that I'd get a purple one because that's my favorite color....however Circuit City had it for $10 cheaper ($219.00) in black and I could pick it up from the store. So I decided on the black one. And I must say...this MP3 is very cool. It is exactly the same size as my flip phone. It's so cute...and behind the black panel it glows in a neon blue.
After installation, which was VERY simple....I downloaded any updated software from the Creative website, before I downloaded any music. There were two downloads I had to complete. One was the firmware upgrading from the installation CD and the second was regarding the "playforsure" (even though it's in BETA), to make sure I could use Napster 2 Go. I then registered with Napster 2 Go and it immediately recognized my player. And within one hour I had downloaded , organized my play lists and was listening to the songs I downloaded. Napster 2 Go also allows members to view other members play lists in different genres, so if you are looking for lots of songs and you don't want to search for them endless, you can just grab them from other members play lists.
The sound is very nice. I feel like it's just me and the music and I am transported into a different world. It also comes with a case so you can either stand it up or use a belt clip. So I can't wait to get on my treadmill with it. I also like the lock feature, so it makes the touch pad inactive.
I tried to use the FM radio option, but it doesn't seem to really pick up the stations I listen, however I am going to try it in a different location, it may have just been my residential location.
I would say the only thing I need to adjust is the sensitivity of the touch pad. Even when I set it to low, it's still very hard for me to adjust the player to where and what I want it to do. However, I am going to try the suggestion of changing the sensitivity to high and see if that solves the problem.
Otherwise, I am extremely please with the Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 player.
PS. I've been ZETAZEN long before this player came into existence...lol and my player's name is ZETAZEN. :-) www.zetazen.com
48 Vinyl to 8 track to cassette to total Zen!
This middle aged woman is love, love, loving this new toy. It's now my favorite battery operated thing in my house! %-) This baby is so intuitive to use. I already have 80+ cds in it and just love the easy use. I have sub lists set up for songs that lift my spirit, cardio lists for the bike at the gym, a list of love songs about my partner, and my very own ultimate recovery list. I love that I can have it randomly play music by category too. It's like my own personal radio without ads. BTW I chose pink because I just knew my 15 year old son wouldn't be caught dead carrying a pink mp3 player.
I have already used it while cleaning the house, running errands, shopping, working in the yard, at the gym, traveling. I'm just waiting to see the tv ads of the middle agers embracing this technology. I could write the ads for them.
Thanks Creative!
49 Better than an IPOD!
Smaller and louder than an IPOD! Nice touch feel and a lot cheaper! This is the one Creative has been trying to make to beat an IPOD and in my opinion they have! The ability to change your own battery was one of the key points for me, FM radio {not a feature I'll ever use}, Voice recording, sync to Outlook, all nice touches. The ability to drag-n-drop from Windows {which other Creative players had lacked}, I really like using MusicMatch Plus and it works great with it, I was unsure because I could not find any information anywhere before buying if it would work with this particular player and it does very nicely, and without a Plug-In. I highly recommend this MP3 player to anybody! Great job Creative, finally some competition for Apple!
50 Great little toy
My 2 choices were this and the iRiver H320 (wanted Napster to go compatibility) Chose this because of the replaceable battery.
The unit is very small, a little bit bigger than a closed flip phone. You'll hardly notice it in your pocket. The controls are easy to use and nicely arranged.
If you download the firmware updates so you can use it with Napster, you'll also need to download another version of the Zen Micro Media Explorer update (the cd that comes with it isn't compatible with the new firmware) and there's no way to organize your files without it: Napster and Media player stink for that purpose. All in all, its a great unit. Don't buy all the iPod hype and pay 99 cents per song. Buy the Zen Micro and pay $15 per month for unlimited music.
51 NOT NAPSTER TO GO FRIENDLY
My girlfriend purchased the Creative Zen Micro for one purpose...to use the Napster To Go feature where you pay a monthly fee for unlimited downloads onto your portable player. Both Napster and Creative claim that the Zen Micro is compatible with this service. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
I repeat....GOOD LUCK!!!!
I spent countless hours trying to get Napster To Go to work with the Zen Micro with no luck whatsoever. This was a few weeks ago and I have waited to write this review until my anger subsided enough so that I could type without shaking! The details have faded, but the feeling has not.
Basically the player will not be recognized by Napster to Go as a valid player for that service and will not download songs to the device. The next step I followed ended up being the demise of the Creative Zen Micro. I downloaded the latest firmware that was supposed to be a fix of the "Napster To Go Compatibility Issue" and installed it in the Zen Micro. What happened next was devastating....THE COMPUTER WOULD NO LONGER RECOGNIZE THE ZEN MICRO!!!!!!!!!
We had to send the player back and my girlfriend was charged shipping and handling by Amazon. Both for the original shipping of the Zen Micro to her house and for the return shipping.
Summary....My girlfriend spent $11 for me to spend hours of hell trying to get the Creative Zen Micro to work with Napster to Go.
52 So Much Better Than The iPod Gimmic!!
TRUST ME AND BUY THE ZEN MICRO OVER THE IPOD.IT IS SO MUCH MORE WORTH YOU'RE MONEY
53 Nice Player, Lousy Software
I've been working with computers since the Altair 8800 (around 1975). I'm currently a senior Information Systems Manager with a major Federal Government agency. I received my Zen Micro about two weeks ago (of course, I ordered it about two days before its price dropped $40 or so). It comes nicely packaged and did not include an extra battery (of course, I ordered it about two days after that promotional offer ended...).
In the two weeks I have had my Zen Micro, I have yet to be able to get the software that came with its included CD-ROM to work properly. The first time I installed it, Mediasource (the very klunky interface program for the Zen) told me several times my Zen was not connected to the PC (even thought my PC had detected it and loaded the device driver). After six or eight attempts to connect the Zen and to get Mediasource to either recognize it or not shut down due to some error, it finally worked...ONCE! Only one time was I able to transfer a batch of MP3s over to the Zen.
In the past two weeks, after removing/reinstalling all the software that came with the Zen (no fewer than 10 times), about 18 e-mails from Creative with troubleshooting ideas (most of their troubleshooting ideas have been repetitive, but I will give them credit, they are VERY responsive), along with attempts to get the software to work on three PCs in my house with different OS's (Windows ME, XP, and 2000), I have no choice but to give up on this player. Too bad, it does seem like the player itself is quite nice, but the software that comes with it just refuses to work on any of my computers.
Not only that, but since the first installation of the software that came with the Zen Micro, the sound and the USB mouse no longer work on one of my PCs. I'm continually getting random errors and freeze ups as well (even after uninstalling everything in Safe Mode). To add insult to injury, I can't even add a sound device to the computer in Device Manager any more, and my USB port won't "auto-detect" the mouse when I connect it--I have to manually reinstall the mouse every time I boot the computer.
The player itself gets four stars, but the software package that accompanies it gets ZERO.
54 I love it
I got my Zen Micro last week. I absolutely love it. It's so small. It looks sleek and modern. It holds plenty of songs. The sound is amazing. The menu is easy to use and understand. I love the touchpade controls. They're easy to use.The radio and voice recording are nice. The earbud headphones are really nice. The battery has a long life. It's rechargable and supposedly easy to replace though I haven't had to do it yet of course. The file ripping/transfering software that comes with the player is easy to use. It's faster than WMP. So far I have no complaints with this player. If anyone is thinkning of getting an ipod mini, forget it and go with this player. It's cheaper, holds more songs and is smaller.
55 Excellent little ipod mini killer
This thing is great, works perfectly, easy to use, very slick looking (people in my classes ask about it, and a few have purcahsed their own). And if anyone is questioning if it beats the mini or not...just note that apple had to step up the specs of the new mini just to compete. Too bad this is still a better deal.
Buy it.
56 Not a 'sport model'? I beg to differ.
I purchased the Zen Micro after carefully reviewing players through all my geek magazines and passed on the Carbon for the Zen Micro. I've never looked back. Value for the buck right now compared to the iPod mini, Rio Carbon...well, there is no comparison. At 5GB I'm still trying to see if I can fill it up. Plus you get the hard case, usb cable, recharger and if the battery does die, you can just buy another one and put it in yourself.
All the magazine reviews rated the Zen Micro mid to low on the sports scale. I have to disagree. I cycle and carry the Zen in the pocket of my shirt. I've yet to experience a single skip after about 600 road miles. Also, I did a header over the handle bars. My ear buds came out and when I put them back in the player was still going.
The touchpad does take some getting used too. I recommend playing with the settings and finding your comfort level.
I can't really come up with anything negative to say about the Zen Micro, except, what happened to yellow?
57 I Would Buy a Zen Micro All Over Again
I've had a flash player since 2000, and always loved it. I did, however, often get tired of having to change the music so frequently. My first flash player had 64 MB, and I later bought a 256 MB player. Even with the larger 256 MB player, after a week of morning workouts, I was ready for some new tunes. I disliked the weekly routine of rummaging through my music collection to find something to replace the stale tunes on my MP3 player. (And even with over 800 CDs to choose from, I was always ready for some *new* music. More on that later.)
So, when I bought a 4GB iPod Mini for my wife, I was instantly jealous of how much music she could store on it. I used her iPod from time to time, and yes, the iPod Mini rocks! But, I felt I had to stick with the flash-based player because I use my MP3 player mostly for working out and running. The hard-disk-based players are not (supposedly) built to sustain the jostling that comes with jogging. Indeed, the manufacturers warn you against running with your hard-drive-based player. I read enough reviews though of people successfully running with their hard-drive-based players that I decided to give it a go.
Before I bought the iPod Mini for my wife, I researched all of the available players, read countless reviews, and went to the local CompUSA to try out various players. I finally decided (and I truly believe) that the iPod Mini and the Zen Micro are the two best MP3 players in the small hard-drive-based player category. I bought one of each for my wife and let her keep the one she wanted for her birthday. She chose the iPod Mini without ever even opening the box for the Zen Micro. C'Est la vie.
Then comes the Superbowl, and Napster advertises Napster2Go....a virtually bottomless supply of music for your MP3 player...all for $15 a month. And guess what, the Zen Micro supports Napster2Go. The decision was made. I had to have a Zen Micro. So, I bought one from Napster for $260 (including S&H) and got three free months of Napster2Go.
I've had the Zen Micro for a month now, and (as the title of this review says) I would indeed buy my Zen Micro all over again. That said, allow me to point out some of my observations from the past month. (I won't bother stating or reviewing each feature of the player, as I you can easily get that information from the product description of numerous other reviews.)
1. The interface for the Zen Micro is completely usable. I set the tough pad sensitivity to *low*, and I've never had a problem using the interface.
2. The player includes a very cool option to find rarely-heard songs for you. I use this feature more often than not. Since I always have new tunes from Napster2Go, I want to make sure I check out those new tracks.
3. The battery life leaves something to be desired. Creative advertises that you'll get 12 hours of use from a full charge. I've gotten 8 hours of use from a full charge. At that point, the battery indicator has been at its lowest reading for a few hours. Could it last another 4 hours? Perhaps, but I've never been willing to risk being stranded somewhere with a dead battery. So, after 8 hours, I feel the need to recharge.
4. My Zen Micro got perhaps the ultimate running test last week...and it passed with flying colors. I was doing speed intervals on the treadmill when the belt clip decided it couldn't hold on anymore. The player fell from my waist, hit the speeding treadmill, flew off the end of the treadmill, and dropped to the floor. I picked up the player, plugged my headphones back in, and it was *still* playing. Wow! That says a lot for the durability of the player. That also says a lot about the strength (or lack thereof) of the belt clip. The belt clip could be better. It's fine for its advertised use (i.e. clipping it to a belt while walking). The belt clip didn't break, but I'm now looking for a more secure fastening option.
Now how does the iPod compare to all of these observations?
1. The iPod interface is superior. Hands down. If I had never used the iPod interface, then I'd say the Zen Micro's interface is great. Since, I've used the iPod's interface, I can only say that the Zen Micro's interface is completely usable. It won't let you down. It's just not as awe-inspiring as the iPod interface. (Since Apple has a patent for that interface, don't expect others to have their own copies anytime soon.)
2. The iPod doesn't work with Napster2Go. Apple has stated that it does not believe in the subscription-based model. That's too bad. If the iPod Mini supported subscription-based music services, then I'd buy the new 6 GB iPod Mini and enjoy its improved 18-hour battery life. So, for those of you that don't want a subscription-based music service, the iPod mini is the player for you. End of story.
3. Again, the new iPod mini boasts 18-hour battery life. Impressive.
4. The iPod Mini's belt clip is no more substantial than the Zen Micro's belt clip. However, the iPod Mini *does* include an arm band that may stand up to the rigors of speed training. If not, the iPod has an amazing number of accessories available.
So, it really comes down to whether you want support for a subscription-based music service like Napster2Go. That was essential for me. If yes, choose the Zen Micro. (You may want to look for the new 6 GB model.) If not, choose the newly-improved iPod Mini.
Before you make the choice though, you should know the following facts about the iPod Mini. (These facts would not influence my decision, but they may influence yours.)
1. Apply artificially lowered the price of the Mini. The Mini no longer includes the AC power adapter. The Mini now includes only a USB charger. So, if you're ever away from a computer (e.g. when you're on vacation) and you need to charge your Mini, you'll need to buy the AC charger for $29.95. (The Zen Micro includes an AC charger in the box.)
2. At some point your battery will stop holding a charge. (This happens to all lithium-ion batteries eventually.) You cannot change the battery of the iPod Mini yourself. You must send the whole player to Apple and pay $99 for a new battery. (You *can* change the battery of the Zen Micro yourself, and spare batteries are available for $39.95.)
58 I-Pod.....forget the hype and get a superior product.
Who can say, what I will say is this is one superb sexy looking gadget.
The touch pad gets a little bit of getting used to, but once you know what you're doing accessing tracks, albums or bands is a doddle.
The headphones supplied I threw straight in the bin and bought some Sennheiser MX500's for £15.
Sound quality is excellent, I've uploaded 1500 tracks @98kps and I've still got 573Mb of memory.
The DJ feature is a nice touch with Album Of The day, Random Play All etc..
The Creative software is top notch too, allowing you to compile playlists, delete and rename tracks, and most importantly, upload music to the device. (you can also use Windows Media Player)
I've had my player since Christmas and I've been nothing but delighted with it, currently I have 1,505 tracks uploaded with 139mb free.
59 Better Sound than iPod after Setup Gremlins
I would give the Creative Zen Micro five stars without hesitation...except for the eight hours of my life I can never get back. Doing what, you ask? Why, troubleshooting, mediating software conflicts, devising workarounds, and when things got too bizarre, even calling tech support.
Now, there's nothing wrong with the Zen Micro a few months in beta testing wouldn't iron out. But, they rushed it to market, so you, general public, get to roll the dice. Are you feeling lucky today? Who knows -- you may avoid a migraine altogether.
Before you run out and buy an iPod, understand something: there are REASONS the Zen is worth encountering this kind of hassle, principally excellent (for MP3) sound quality.
The supplied headphones are hands-down better than the mediocre iPod buds. That said, you can get more of what the Zen is capable of by donating them to your local iPod person (they're white) and getting a pair of $60-$80 aftermarket headphones. I'm getting stunningly good results with Sennheiser HD-497 phones. Going further up-market and using super hi-rez audiophile headphones is probably overkill; they will only serve to cast MP3 limitations into sharper relief, and honey, you can't hear what ain't there.
An aside about sound quality: You can have good sound or 2,000+ songs, not both. You're better off not dropping below 128 kbps, especially with music. 64 kbps is a terrible price to pay. If you absolutely, positively need over 2,000 songs for your next wolverine photo shoot, get a 10 GB player.
The player is smaller than you think. Something about the pictures suggests a deck-of-cards size, but you can hide the Micro completely under a standard business card.
The touch pad is over-sensitive, and is adjustable to only slightly oversensitive. You quickly learn to brush your thumb ever so lightly over its surface.
To minimize any frustration (and the odds that you may return a usable unit), keep the following in mind:
1. While your unit is unboxed and charging up, visit the Creative website for necessary firmware and/or driver upgrades, especially if you're planning to use a service like Napster. Keep in mind the required upgrade may be a beta version (mine was).
2. Some upgrades are needed for the Micro to work properly with the Windows XP operating system and Media Player 10.
3. You may need to briefly disable various spam blockers, cookie swatters, and antivirus programs (I know, I know -- get offline first). My gatekeeper programs kept fixes away a few times until I got wise to it.
Bottom line: If you value excellent sound quality and the ability to use music subscription services, and are willing to deal with the possibility (not the certainty) of setup gremlins, by all means get the Zen Micro.
60 Fantastic Little Player
Really love this thing. It is the IPOD plus a radio and voice recorder so I couldn't resist. Very well made. The software is very easy to use also. 2500 songs is incorrect if you are uploading MP3's - more like 1000. Very small and easily rechargable - battery is removable also, so you can buy more then one. Instead of a "clickwheel" you use a touchpad - if you have ever used a laptop with a touchpad it is the same deal. Very big fan!!
Update: just wanted to let you know the player is still kicking and I am loving it more and more as time goes on. So easy to use, quality is just great. Couldn't be happier.
61 bad choice
I read and compared so many reviews before I ordered this creative micro 5GB mp3. However, it turned out a nightmare. I ordered it twice. The first one was from ECost. It stuck at the first time I turned it on. Then during the few days of trying, it stuck a lot and the "return" button were not willing to be responsive. The second one was from Amazon. It seemed to work well during the first few days although it did die sometimes. However, the ear jack suddently came to a bad contact. I was in luck that this did not happen too late so I could still return this item. Amazon is great in return policy comparing to ECost and many other merchants.
My conclusion is, if you want to use your mp3 in gym and everywhere you go, you'd better get one with flash drive rather than hard drive. Hard drive is not able to sustain your body moving so well as flash drive does when playing music (Although I haven't got a chance to try my creative 5G mp3 in a gym). An 1G flash drive mp3 would be enough. Anyway, you are not gonna use your lovely mp3 to transfer other data to shorten its life.
62 COOL MP3 PLAYER and MORE!
This player is just about the coolest thing out there! The touch-pad is a little sensitive, but you get used to it pretty quickly. And, the advertised '2500 song capacity' is only realistic if you are loading at 56. You will more likely be loading songs at 128 or better for the sound quality, so expect a capacity more like 1200 songs. The radio is a little weak, but a great feature if you are relatively near a good station. The size and looks are, however, PERFECT - especially the way cool blue backlight when you engage the touchpad or while it is charging! All in all, this is simply a terrific little player.
63 Mixed feelings: small, stylish, but unreliable.
I bought this player for several reasons. I wanted something small and portable, which would support lossless file formats, include customizable EQ, and have good sound quality throughout. I am an audiophile, and I was going to use it in conjuntion with the Etymotic Research ER-4P and the Stax SR-001 Mk II canalphones, which are of the highest quality. I searched around, got a pretty good price, and decided to pull the trigger.
I honestly cannot say that it lived up to my expectations. It's not a bad player, but it's a very new one, and like most new products, it still has issues that have to be worked out. I've decided to go ahead and write this review to tell others about them. Please do keep in mind that this is from an audiophile's perspective, and I am substantially more demanding than the average user.
The good:
- The player itself is very small and very stylish. I didn't buy it for style, since I don't care what something that will never leave my pocket will look like, but whenever I do take it out, I often get commens like: "Wow, what's that! It looks so cool!" Yes, it does. The blue backlighting is very neat, and overall the fit and finish is of the highest quality. On looks alone, this player is a winner.
- I've heard complaints about the touchpad, but I haven't experienced any difficulties. I'm pretty dextrous, so if you've got clumsy fingers you might have a problem. I suggest that you set the keypad sensitivity to the highest setting. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the touchpad becomes much more responsive and easier to operate. The menu system is logical, and pretty much everything is within easy reach. I never had to refer to the manual once to find out how something worked.
- The sound quality isn't bad, though it isn't very good either. Of course, in an mp3 player, the quality will depend most on the quality of the files you're playing and the quality of the headphones that you use with it. There's very little difference in the playback quality among the players themselves. In this particular case, though, the sound is pretty clean and fairly neutral. It won't compete against a good portable CD player, much less a full-size player, but it will hold it's own against other mp3 players. Of course, the included earphones are utter garbage, but I wasn't going to use them anyway.
The bad:
- The player supports only a few formats - mp3 up to 320kbps, wma up to 320kbps, and wave. Unfortunately, wave is the only lossless format that it will play. Now, as far as quality goes, wave is very nice, much better than 320k wma or mp3, but a whole album encoded in wave takes, on average, 750 megabytes of disk space. Since the Micro only has 5 gigabytes, you can only fit 6 or so albums before you run out of room. In other lossless formats, such as wma lossless or flacks, an album takes up 250 megabytes on average, which will let you fit much more high-quality music. I had expected that a firmware upgrade would expand support for these file formats, but this hasn't happened so far. Compressed music, such as 320kbps mp3's, doesn't sound nearly as good as lossless music, especially on hi-fi earphones such as the Etymotic ER-4P.
The ugly:
- The included software did not recognize my player when it was attached to my PC, and nothing that I tried ever changed that. In the end, I used Windows Explorer to upload music. Now, my PC is top of the line, so it's not a backwards compatibility issue. I would have expected a large company such as Creative Labs to put more effort into their software.
- There is an EQ unbalance between the two channels. The left channel has slightly more bass. It's not a major issue for most users, but when you're using hi-fi gear, flaws such as this become very apparent. I will have to contact Creative's customer support and try to get them to send me another player.
- The EQ is unusable. Pushing the bass frequencies into gain results in massive distortion. Using the EQ subtractively (i.e. dropping output across channels rather than raising them) results in less distortion, but it is nevertheless present. I have to keep EQ off in order to maintain any semblance of quality.
- The included earphone cord doubles as the radio antenna, and if you want to use the radio receiver function, you have to use the stock earphones. This is a major design oversight in my opinion, since the radio function is one the main advantages this player has over the competition.
The verdict:
3 stars. Would I buy it again, given the choice? No. I would get the iPod mini instead, or perhaps a full-size iPod. This is a very pretty player, to be sure, and it is very well built. However, many features are poorly implemented, and others just plain don't work. It gets the job done, but for more demanding customers, I would recommend something else instead.
Lastly, if you already own this player, or any other mp3 player for that matter, here are a few suggestions to get the most practicality out of it:
1) Replace the earphones that came with it. Their quality is terrible, and the player is capable of much better sound than these earphones allow you to achieve. If you have the money, the Etymotic Research ER-4P and ER-6i are very good, as are the Shure e3c, e5c, and Westone UM2. The best sounding portable you can get, other than ultra-high-end custom-molded canalphones is the Stax SR-001 Mk II. For a cheaper alternative, the Sharp MD-33 canalphones and the Koss KSC-35/75 clip-ons are very highly recommended. Stay away from anything Bose, and the Bang & Olufsen A8! They're very overpriced for the sound quality they provide! It is truly unfortunate that Apple has decided to use the Bose Triports as their demo headphone of choice. The Triports are very, very subpar, and do not competently demonstrate the sound quality that the iPod can achieve! They should have gone with the Sennheiser HD595 instead, or maybe the Grado SR-60.
2) Disable EQ, or use EQ subtractively. Don't push frequencies into gain. For example, if you want to increase the bass, then decrease all frequencies other than the bass - i.e. mids and treble - and raise the volume. This is one of the basics in hi-fi, and it will improve your sould quality significantly.
3) Don't use low-bitrate encoding. 128k mp3's are very poor in quality. 192k is better, but you need at least 240k and above in order to preserve the soundstage and microdetail of the original recording. Try encoding your CD's in lossless formats such as wave. You will be amazed at the difference in sound!
I hope this helps. I apologize for the length, but there were some things that I just had to say.
64 Creative Zen VS. Ipod Mini
I own both the Apple Ipod Mini Second Generation and the Creative Zen Micro. I just recently purchased both of these, just to test them out and see which I like better. Here is what I found:
SIZE: The Creative Zen Micro is smaller, height-wise, but thicker than the Ipod. The Zen is probably easier to carry around because it's about the size of a flip phone. The Ipod Mini however is thin and can easily fit in any pocket. Both are relatively small and portable.
USER-INTERFACE: Both players have "touch" buttons making it easy to scroll through songs. The Zen is all touch, every control button is touch. That is different from the Ipod, which only the navigation click wheel is touch. I, personally, have found that the Mini is easier to control and has a better user-interface. The Zen is hard to control and you will find that when you scroll through 1000+ songs, the design of the touchpad makes it difficult. The Ipod on the other hand has a clever and slick wheel, so it is much easier to scroll through a library of songs. The "clicking" instead of touch on the Ipod also makes it easier to control. I found that with the Zen, just to change to the next song I would have to press the arrow button multiple times before it changes. So Apple gets kudos for their user-interface, Creative needs work.
PROBLEMS: I've had both players now for about a month, and already the Zen is giving me problems. First, after the first night I purchased it the headphone jack stopped working. I could only hear through one ear for a while until I readjusted the slot and then I could hear through both. I've read other reviews from different sites, and I have learned that I am not the only one who has had problems with this. It is a common problem. Just recently, my LCD screen stopped working. The player was on and running and the screen just blacked out. The backlight was still on and the buttons were still working, I could still control what song I was playing, I just couldn't see it. I turned it off and took out the battery, put it back in, turned it on and then it worked. Then it blacked out again, I did this about 5 times and then it started to work again. Since then, I havn't had any problems yet. If it continues to have problems, I will contact Creative myself.
The Ipod, however, has not given me any problems to this date. It is contructed very solid, I can't say the same about the Zen.
BATTERY: Battery life for both players is great. The Zen has about 12 hours when fully charged, and the Mini has a whopping 18 hours. It seems like a big difference, but it really isn't. 12 hours is enough to listen for an entire day, then you can just charge it again. Each player takes about 3 hours to charge.
ACCESSORIES: The only thing that dissapointed me with the Mini is the lack of accessories. The Zen is an entirely different story and comes with an AC adapter, a very nice pouch for protection, and a USB cable. The Mini, however, only comes with a USB cable. So charging? Well, while transferring music or whenever the Mini is connected to your computer via USB it is charging. This has it's advantages and disadvantages. There are many situations where it would be more convenient to hook up the Mini into a power outlet, well to do that you would need to purchase an extra adapter. The Zen will come with all accessories needed for any user.
DESIGN: I have to give it up to Creative for coming up with this very slick design. Apple has kept with it's very simple, not too much detail for their Ipods for a while now. Some like it that way. I like it also, it's very easy to see how to use it because there aren't that many buttons to toy with. It's all right there, what you see is what you get. The Zen has all the buttons colllided, going sideways, up and down. It's all over the place, but it looks really nice. Also, on the Zen there is a backlight, just like the Ipod. But the backlight is not just on the screen. On the Zen, the light goes through the buttons and has an outline around it. This makes it look very cool in the dark. And makes it easy to see everything. The Mini's backlight is just on the screen but it's very bright.
CONCLUSION: Overall, I am happier with the Mini, even though the Zen gave it some competition. The new Mini is now only $199, and the Zen is $229. There is a difference because the Zen has 5GB instead of the 4GB the Mini carries. I picked the Mini because it's just easier to use. I love the click wheel, I think it is extremely clever. Creative gave a tremendous effort to try to put something out there that would give Apple a run for it's money. I think it did just that, the Zen is probably the highest competitor for Apple, and if they just worked on improving certain areas, it could be huge.
65 Disappointing
It was easy to load songs onto this player. However, I had to return for refund within two weeks because the inner display screen cracked, making it impossible to see what was playing. Amazon replaced it, and two weeks later, I had a new problem--the headphone jack stopped working. This is not a well made item and I would recommend ipod or another player which has a better quality. The only good thing to come out of this was that Amazon proved to provide excellent customer service.
66 worst mp3 player ever designed
I tried to use this with napster to go and it didnt work. I had to return it after pulling my hair out and trying every fix.
Buyer beware. Also, make sure you double check your player at the store as mine was literally falling apart at the seems.
The battery life was also shameful. Even though napster to go doesnt work with iPod, I would still recommend an iPod over the zen micro for napster-- folks, thats how bad this thing is
67 Great Player
I've had several MP3 products over the last few years, including the Apple Ipod. I've found it so hard to fill so many Gigs with music, so I was excited when Napster came out with their music rental service. A lot of people have criticized such a service, but I don't see how it is any different from using something like Netflix or XM radio. I will now get to try a much larger variety of music. Besides, how many people really listen to 5GB of music more than a couple times?
Anyways, I originally purchased an iRiver H10, but had a hell of a time getting it to sync properly with Napster music. Sometimes it would work, but other times, I would have "license management" problems. The battery life was also about 7 hours, instead of 12.
The Zen Micro feels very comfortable in my hand. It feels very well built; better built than the Ipod Mini. Several people have already commented on its looks. The touchpad does take time to get used to, but after you do, I don't think it is any better or worse than the Apple touchwheel. The sound quality is superb; my classical music tracks are clear and very musical.
The included headphones are nice and look quite similar to Apple headphones, but with much better bass response.
68 Nice little Player
I picked up my Zen Micro yesterday and after I recovered from spending $240, I began to fall in love with this little player. My reason for buying the player was so I could record the lectures in my Seminary classes. When I opened the box I was a little surprised that it didn't have more of a manual, but after a few minutes of tinkering with it I found all the features that I was planning to use the most. There are just a couple things that keep me from giving the Micro a 5th star.
1. Some of the features that you are looking for are buried in menus, however once you find them their no trouble.
2. The touch pad is almost too sensitive. I immediately adjusted mine to "heavy" touch and at times I inadvertantly hit one of the buttons.
3. Fast forwarding through a song can be difficult, but this is mostly due to the touch sensitivity. You have to press and hold the fast forward button to skim through a song, but if you lift just a little bit more than you think is fine you'll skip to the next audio clip.
4. The software is not that intuitive, it takes some fumbling around to find stuff.
On the other hand I did give it 4 stars because
1. It is very small, and when you're lugging a 8lbs laptop to class the last thing you want is more weight.
2. The audio quality is superb.
3. The screen is backlit-unlike the iPod
4. The buttons are pretty clear-unlike the iPod
5a. It has a wonderful microphone that records at 64kbps (unlike the iPod mini) which is really good for recording notes or lectures.
5b. The microphone is really sensitive, but doesn't get cluttered up with background noise. I recorded today's lecture and the playback is excellent, very clear and crisp.
6. The battery life is really good, fully charged I used my Micro today off and on for about 9 hours, and it still didn't die on me.
The Micro is a nice little MP3 player, another nice thing is that I didn't have to buy a seperate microphone adapter. So far I am very pleased with my Micro, and I can rest easy knowing that this thing that is smaller than my wallet is worth what I paid.
69 Buyer Beware, Decent MP3 Player, with One Major Flaw
The major flaw exist, namely, the headphone jack which fails sooner or later on many Creative Zen Micro. [...]
Now it is useless to have all those great feature if you are getting only audio channel or no sound. Some poor souls on the forum are on the 3 or 4th replacement, and has yet find one without the dreaded headphone jack problem. The audio on my unit started fading on the first day, after a week, the left channel (audio) is totally no matter how much I wiggle the headphone connection. It cost me $39 to courier it back to Creative Labs for repair or replacement, as soon as I receive the new unit, I will be sure to sell it off right away. Until Creative Labs fix this problem, I would recommend that you save yourself the future headache and buy an Ipod Mini or Iriver H10 instead.
70 great mp3 player!!!
I just got my zen micro yesterday and I've been fiddling with it for hours and its great!! I was a little hesitant to buy it because of all the bad reviews it got, but i thought hey its cute and if it doesn't work i'll just send it back! So i got it yesterday and i opened it up and i was amazed at how small and tiny it is...it is soooo small and i have small hands so i didn't want something huge that i couldn't carry. It will fit perfectly in your pocket! I think it's even smaller than the mini ipod so take that apple!!! Alright so i opened it up was in awe of how cute it was and then i thought ok so is it going to work? I plugged it in and it lit up in this blue glow and it just made it 8 times cooler. I plugged in the headphones oh so carefully because a lot of ppl said they break, but they both worked and still are working. It never crashed, but it did go into sleep mode very quickly, but i just fixed it so it goes to sleep in 30 minutes. So I listened to the little demo they have on it and i thought the sound was very good. I just really don't like the little headphones they give you...very ipodesque...they always fall out of my ears, but thats just a personal preference or just an inability to deal with a simple headphone design whatever you want to call it!! So i plugged it in and let it charge and then i went to work with it. I installed it in my computer and had a little trouble with the program to import songs and i still don't know what "rip a cd" means, but i'm guessing it's burning a cd...okkkkkk. So i did have a little trouble and i thought well i'll just leave it alone let it fully charge and wait until the help line is open. I waited till this morning and I called just now and i was expecting to wait for half an hour like i had to with my music dowloading program, but it was so speedy!! it rang it asked me to punch in a few numbers and then a person picked up!! i was stunned. So i was having some problems and the guy on the line helped me out. He really knew what he was doing and it was fixed immediately. So people that are a little wary about the reviews that say it has hard software don't worry you non-computer geeks, they're helpline will sort everything out!!!
So in short a great mp3 player. Cute stylish and works great. Now i've only had it for 1 day granted, but people who said they had problems had them from the moment they turned it on, so i'm expecting everything to turn out great. Had a little trouble at first with the software, but called the help line (very speedy and helpful) and they sorted everything out. It plays great and no crashing at all!! So if you want to avoid the whole ipod craze i highly recommend this mp3 player. It's smaller than the ipod and cuter and comes in more colors (mines black which i think is cool, but i kind of wish i'd gotten the silver). Oh and you can replace the battery which you can't do with the ipod and it has a radio and a voice recorder which the ipod doesn't have!!!!!!!!!!
71 The best MP3 Player out there!!!
This product is amazing!!! I got it 3 days ago and I am in love with it. Before buying it I had had a lot of worries about the Zen Micro because it wasn't as well known as an IPOD and I wasn't sure if it would work very well, but it works great!
It's easy to use, the sound is great, downloading songs is fast and once you know how to do ti, it is very simple, it not only stores 2,500 songs but it has radio with great reception as well, and it is really cute and stylish.
I would recommend this player strongly especially if you are deciding between an IPOD and a Zen Micro because it works just as well and I like it and almost everyone I have shown it to likes it MUCH more. It's smaller and lighter than an IPOD and I think it looks much cuter.
I have had no problems with it at all and can't even find the smallest complaint.
You should buy it!!!
72 Great Sound, Good price outstanding performance
If you are like me who wants move to the next phase of portable audio from conventional portable CD players I hope you find this usefull.
Space : 5GB =2500 songs. If you have a huge CD collection, 5GB can hold only a part of your CD collection. Remember mp3 format lets you store tons of songs. I have stored 40 audio CDs and i still have close to 2.8 GB free.
User Interface: The software is simple and straight forward. Havent read the manual till now (remember I am good time computer user). PC software that comes with the player is not as simple as i Tunes but its not bad at all. The scrol bar agian takes some getting used to. You can use the player to store your computer data files (Good feature to have).
Battery : A Big Big plus. Most of the other players I checked dont have user servicable battery. Zen micro does. I have two spare batteries (brought on ebay for 28 bucks each). Remember this is a huge plus when travelling. Each battery lasts about 10-11 hours. If one battery drains just snap the spare one and you are back in bussiness. Another good feature is that you can charge the battery by just connecting the player to your computer using the USB cable.
FM tuner & Microphone : Having a tuner in the player is a blessing. Dont have to switch to another device for FM tuner. Since zen does not have an external antena it has some problems catching weak signals but it works. Builtin microphone is great for recording short voice notes. I have heard in other players these have to be brought separately.
Sound: This is where I love Zen the most. Excellent sound I mean the player has juice. I dont use the headphones that come with it instead I use Bose Triport headphones. The player has great potential (ur experiance may differ based on your headphones). The bass treble the sound detail is awsome. I compared it to other CD players (Two models of Panasonic, Rio & samsung) and they were no way even near Zen Micro.
Looks and shape: I have a black one and the first time I charged it and switched it on jeez the blue light looked so cool. Its compact and has rounded edges. Fits well in hand in trouser pockets.
Freebies you get: A cradle with detachable stand and belt clip, some thing very handy and useful. I dont use the belt clip cuz it fails to hold the player securely (design problem). Instead I use a cellphone cover with a belt clip and it works just fine. You get a USB cable headphones, a pouch, software except headphones you will like every thing else.
What I dont like:
Nothing much except Headphones, Belt clip design. Creative has not lounched any silicon cover for the player like ipod's (I think belkin makes it for ipod).
Stuff you may need to buy:
Wired remote from creative. This is a must have. Spare batteries incase you need some extra hours without charging. FM transmitter (belkin has a good one) to use Zen with your car Sterio FM Tunner
73 The Facts on the Zen Micro
First of all I was very pleased with the imprssion i got when it came out of the box. I think it looks much cooler than the ipod with the glowing lights. I have owned the ipod mini and i would say the zen is slightly better.
Good:
1. Removable battery makes listening time greatly increase.
2. Fm radio and recording is useful.
3. Calendar and contacts are a nice feature.
4. Sound quality much improved.
Bad:
1. The software is much worse than itunes.
2. Scroll wheel on ipod much easier to use.
3. Not as many accessories as ipod that you can buy.
74 Average reviewer says Dissapointing.........................
I'm no techno-whiz- this is my first mp3 player- so keep that in mind when I write. Still though, I'm a bright, educated person with what I think are realistic expectations.
I got the Creative Zen Micro specifically to go with Napster-To-Go. I chose this one because it sounded to be the most reliable of the three mp3 players Napster advertises. You can expect I was dissapointed when I hooked it into Napster for the first time, only to see "Device is not Napster compatible". No advice, no anything.
OK, I know enough to know that one often has to download drivers & firmware, so I go to the Creative website. There are a handful of different programs which can be downloaded, but no advice on which is needed. After a long wait, a technician advises me on the firmware I needed to be Napster compatible (it's the 2.10.05 firmware release, fyi).
So then I go to Napster & it works fine- I figure I'm home free. But what I notice right off the bat is that the touch pad is terribly over-sensitive, even on the lowest settings. Simply changing the volume would usually take me a minute, & typically result in losing the song I was playing.
Did I mention the number of songs one can download? I know that companies exaggerate, so I didn't expect to get a full "2500 songs" onto this device. Using Napster-To-Go, however, I can't even get half of that (I maxed out at a little over 1100), & that is with 4 minute long songs- no operas here.
And the "12 hour" battery. Uh-uh. Try 8 hours.
OK, so it was a pain to set up & the company was misleading- what's new? I figured I still had an attractive player with good sound & alot of features.
At least until Napster quit recognizing it again. I re-installed the firmware mentioned above, but to no effect. I played around for an hour trying different downloads & finally found a combination that worked (God forbid the site provide instructions).
So now Napster recognizes my device. Cool, right? Wrong. Now my "licenses are not valid", so I can't use the mp3 at all for now. And God forbid the the company that charges you > $200 for this thing has customer support on the weekend, when a working person has the time to call.
And did I mention that the bundled Jukebox software fails to recognize my mp3? Or that the software wouldn't install at all on my second computer?
I can't say I have any better advice for anyone reading this, but at least know what an average guy goes through dealing with this crap. I wish I had gotten a different machine. I don't have unlimited time "9-6, Monday-Friday" to wait an hour on some undertrained 20 year old to pass my problem along to a "senior technician" who then never calls back. Bleh~
75 Great Player for Car & Exercise... Love Napster-To-Go
Ok... I think I've owned and returned about every MP3 player on the market (ok, slight exaggeration). I had the iLo (a Walmart brand of Go Video's Rave MP3 player... Great screen but only 256MB and serious firmware issues when using an expansion card over 512 MB), Creative Zen Xtra (unaccessable controls that are on the side of the unit and the hardest screen to read, especially in the car), a Philips MP3 player I got at Walmart (doesn't support downloaded music...why bother???) and the Rio Carbon. I really fell in love with the Rio Carbon, since the screen was soo legible in the car (white background with black letters), the key pad on the front lit up to be able to see where the keys are in the car, and the sound was great. But since Rio dropped the ball on releasing a firmware update to use Napster-To-Go (subscription-based music service, where you "rent" songs for an extra $5 a month on top of the $9.99 normal Napster service), and the problems with some headphones "buzzing", a week
