I am currently a Gap year student working for 12 months at Rolls-royce Derby, studying product desi...
I am currently a Gap year student working for 12 months at Rolls-royce Derby, studying product design at university next year. Design experience makes reviews far easier.
Member since:03.10.2007
Reviews:1
Overal, the Zen Stone is a decent MP3 player however there are several design flaws which a company like creative which has been i the industry for years should have been able to overcome.
The MP3 player is clearly aimed for use by people who use the gym, go running or jogging or listen to music while on the go. It is incredibly light which is one of the reasons I like it. You can hardly tell it is in your pocket which means it causes no discomfort whilst working out or playing sports.
I recently bought a Zen stone as an alternative to an Ipod, this is for a few reasons:
ADVANTAGES
It doesn't use itunes (this makes it easier to drag and drop music). music doesnt have to be converted before it can be played Cheap but still made by a reputable company Aesthetically appealing: the smooth facia is very attractive Ergonomic (no sharp edges) Light weight: you can hardly tell it is in your pocket which makes it a brilliant player to use whilst at the gym or playing sports. Warranty and support available
MAJOR DISADVANTAGES:
The Stone is made from a very poor quality plastic (PP or PET? LDPE?) which gets scratched VERY easily. So be warned! I was cleaning my car and it was in my pocket the whole time, I looked at it when I had finished to find several large and very deep chunks had been cut out. I may have caught it against something but it should not get scratched this easily! shame on you creative!
Organising music is very difficult, the best option is to put it on shuffle as trying to arrange it in a particular order is a challenge. There is no real way of doing it. The shuffle feature is of course fantastic but if you want to listen to a whole album through then it can make mistakes.
Head phones: no MP3 player comes with good headphones - fact. the Zen is no exception, the headphones supplied are comfortable but it may be worth buying some higher qualty ear phones like those that rest in your ear for a better experience.
Considering the size of the player, the buttons could have been bigger however due to the circuit board layout i doubt it would have been possible to make the buttons larger without reducing the players durability even further (bigger button connected to a small contact on the circuit board will break easily). The small buttons are a good thing in this respect.
OVERALL
The Zen stone is a good MP3 player but be warned, it does get scatched easily and it is worth buying a new pair of headphones. A protective case is a must have it only takes a small amount of effort to damage the smooth shiny plastic facia.
CONCLUSION
Buy this Mp3 player, but also buy the case to go with it. It is a fantastic device dispite it's design flaws.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Av Output to plug to a TV, built-in speakers, easy to use. Come with very good earphones (-) Does not come with power supply (easy to charge from the PC though), av cable is sold separately
The Creative Zen Stone Car and Home 2 in 1 Combo Charger with TipExchange is the essence ... more
of an all-in-one charging solution for all your travel needs. Designed to function as a high quality Rapid Car charger via a standard DC vehicle cigarette lighter...
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Excellent sound quality, small, great range of accompanying products Disadvantages: Uncomfortable headphones...and I guess you could lose it easily!
JesTperfect 03.09.2008 (03.09.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Creative ZEN Stone 1 GB
Oct 6th, 2007
very helpful by (17%):
helpful by (83%):
