zen

I recently got the Creative Zen Vision:M for my birthday and I’ve got to say I am very happy with it. It has been about 2 years since I got an mp3 player, and following trends, it was about time for a new one. I needed something first of all, that held more than 5GB. With a music library of over 15GB I’d like to have most/all of my music with me, I needed something that only held 1/3 of what I’ve got. The Zen Vision:M has 30GB. That was my only real requirement, though FM Radio was a nice feature I had tucked away in the back of my mind.

The Zen Vision:M offers those 2 purposes and so much more. I can store not only music, but video and photos. The video quality is great- the videos appear really clear on the screen. Along with an FM radio it has an FM recorder, something that won’t be around much longer. I can also store files on it if I so desired. The surprising but awesome features include the ability to make play lists right on the device, and synchronization with Outlook (calendar, contacts, tasks). I find it particularly cool because it something I find pretty useful and didn’t think of.

As for interface design, it is pretty intuitive and their alternative to the beloved iPod click-wheel is a pretty good one. It allows me to quickly cycle through my music collection and easily switch screens. It also comes with a search by letter feature or you can search by keyword with an on screen QWERTY keyboard. The software it comes with is also easy to use, and has a number of great features like Rip CD, Convert Video, and Sync music collection. The battery life is about 8 hours, which is fine for me and I think pretty good in general. The only problem I have found with it is the screen gets pretty scratched up if you don’t protect it. However, it does come with a nice little pouch. All-in-all, a nice device to check out, and a great alternative to the Video iPod. Later!