mcurtiss1970
10-29-2004, 09:00 AM
Disclaimer: I’ve never even so much have touched an iPod. I will not attempt to compare anything between it and the Zen Touch.
Well, I’ve had the Creative Zen Touch for about a week or so. I’ve synced, listened, tried out new headphones, etc. So here’s my review.
Build
The first thing I noticed was that it was white. iPod white. Sending a signal perhaps to buyers that there’s an alternative? Likely so. The body feels very solid. I had the first generation Nomad Jukebox which felt like a cheap plasticky CD player. The Zen Touch has a metal back panel which adds to some of the heft. It’s not light, not heavy. I think it’s a bit wider than the iPod but who knows. It’s a great size; probably about the same dimensions as the original Palm Pilot
Controls
Very intuitive. I had the thing up and going right out of the box. The Zen Touch has dedicated volume buttons on the side and FF. Rew, and play/pause buttons on the front. It also has a random button which puts all of your tracks in random queue. Nice feature. There’s also a menu button to get into the playlists, etc
The big change here is the Touch strip. I guess this is like the iPod wheel, but I have no idea. Scrolling through the menus is done by sliding your thumb up and down the strip. The menu scrolls faster at the ends of the strip. Do I love it? Not quite yet as I find myself flying past entries, but I’m getting used to it.
Interface
Very easy to use. Nothing to comment on here.
Sound quality
I’ve heard that this is Creative’s strength. It sure seems so here! I copied all my CD’s as 64 WMA files and transferred them over. The bass is solid and trebles are crisp even for lower quality files than my older 128 MP3 files. Very impressed here.
Earbuds
Blech. Get new ones. I bought these and the bass is great: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000095SB6//ref=br_ts_slwth_th_1/104-0113173-3916769?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172541
Software
Blech again. Nice try, but if it can’t import tunes from my folders with the right tags, you lose. I use MusicMatch’s sync and it works so much better.
Battery Life
Wow! I haven’t performed any tests but 4 hours of use didn’t even budge the battery meter. I think this is what really puts this thing up in the excellent area. I’ve heard of 24 hours od use between charges and I bet its close.
Overall Rating
9/10. ease of use, sound quality, and battery life win here.
Well, I’ve had the Creative Zen Touch for about a week or so. I’ve synced, listened, tried out new headphones, etc. So here’s my review.
Build
The first thing I noticed was that it was white. iPod white. Sending a signal perhaps to buyers that there’s an alternative? Likely so. The body feels very solid. I had the first generation Nomad Jukebox which felt like a cheap plasticky CD player. The Zen Touch has a metal back panel which adds to some of the heft. It’s not light, not heavy. I think it’s a bit wider than the iPod but who knows. It’s a great size; probably about the same dimensions as the original Palm Pilot
Controls
Very intuitive. I had the thing up and going right out of the box. The Zen Touch has dedicated volume buttons on the side and FF. Rew, and play/pause buttons on the front. It also has a random button which puts all of your tracks in random queue. Nice feature. There’s also a menu button to get into the playlists, etc
The big change here is the Touch strip. I guess this is like the iPod wheel, but I have no idea. Scrolling through the menus is done by sliding your thumb up and down the strip. The menu scrolls faster at the ends of the strip. Do I love it? Not quite yet as I find myself flying past entries, but I’m getting used to it.
Interface
Very easy to use. Nothing to comment on here.
Sound quality
I’ve heard that this is Creative’s strength. It sure seems so here! I copied all my CD’s as 64 WMA files and transferred them over. The bass is solid and trebles are crisp even for lower quality files than my older 128 MP3 files. Very impressed here.
Earbuds
Blech. Get new ones. I bought these and the bass is great: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000095SB6//ref=br_ts_slwth_th_1/104-0113173-3916769?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172541
Software
Blech again. Nice try, but if it can’t import tunes from my folders with the right tags, you lose. I use MusicMatch’s sync and it works so much better.
Battery Life
Wow! I haven’t performed any tests but 4 hours of use didn’t even budge the battery meter. I think this is what really puts this thing up in the excellent area. I’ve heard of 24 hours od use between charges and I bet its close.
Overall Rating
9/10. ease of use, sound quality, and battery life win here.