Creative Zen Micro Photo 8 GB MP3 Player Black

Creative Zen Micro Photo 8 GB MP3 Player Black
by Creative

List Price: ~~$199.99~~
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Category: Network Media Player
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Customers in the UK, buy this product at amazon.co.uk for British Pounds

Digital Photo Product Details

Manufacturer: Creative
Brand: Creative
Edition: Electronics
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language)
Model: 70pf165000014
Publisher: Creative
Studio: Creative
Music Label: Creative
Product features:

8 GB digital audio player/photo viewer in black weighs under 4 ounces
Compatible with MP3, WMA, Janus, WAV, IMA ADPCM, and PlaysForSure DRM WMA
Vibrant, cutting 1.5-inch OLED screen provides sharp details and clear colors
Built-in FM radio (32 presets) with record function, voice recorder, USB mass storage
Removable, rechargeable Li-ion battery with up to 15 hours of continuous play

Accessories:

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Creative Zen Micro Photo 8 GB MP3 Player Black

Customer Review: Great player + tuner and record functionality
Summary: 5 Stars

This is not a rant for or against the ipod, nor an add for creative; I have no problem with an Apple world, and I would have bought an ipod if I were richer and it had a radio function. But my tech toy budget is limited and ipods don't come with digital tuners, so I purchased the micro photo. And I have been very pleased with that decision thus far.

The micro photo feels solid and is compact for 8 gb. The battery is external (and proprietary) and can be accessed by removing a back panel; that was an attractive feature to me, as I hope it lasts long enough to replace the battery when it craps out. All external ports/plugs are on the top, with a power button/lock function button on the left, the headphone port in the middle, and USB 2.0 miniport on the right (next to the very tiny microphone hole). The screen is very legible indoors and the controls are well-spaced, with two raised dots towards the top of the touchpad for orientation. I personally thing it is a pretty sexy little player, especially with the indiglo-styled backlight edging and controls when turned on. Screen on-time and brightness can be controlled via the menu with a maximum on time of 30 seconds (a touch anywhere on the touchpad turns it back on when it's off).

The touchpad interface is very intuitive, but, as reported, extremely touchy. I have occasionally been frustrated with just how touchy, and have to be careful (especially when driving, a real inconvenience). Most of the critical touchpad movement involves the center button, a long rectangle on which you slide your finger up or down (think laptop pads) to move the selection up or down. The default setting include a clicking noise whenever the touchpad buttons are pressed or the slider is sliding, which helps some. The fast forward function in a file works well, and the micro has weighted fast forward (i.e., it fast forwards faster the longer the button is pressed). Nice for longer audio book-type files.

I have no complaints about the sound; there is some base distortion (even with the smart sound on, which is supposed to regulate that). There are several EQ settings and an option to set them manually. This is a unit where better headphones definitely helps; the stock headphones, as expected, are useless. The interactive software is good; the unit is plug and play detected with WMP 10 (and apparently only Windows XP--that's what I have, so I don't know if there is truly a problem with another OS), though I prefer using the proprietary software to manage playlists, upload content, etc. Pretty intuitive drag and drop and upload/download functionality---no complaints.

The micro seems solid and dependable: I jog with the unit and don't have any problems. A little research shows there were LOTS of problems with the predecessor player's headphone jack, but after jogging for a month, I haven't experienced any of those headaches. The lock feature is nice, especially when jogging (and especially given the touchy pad). My personal experience is that the advertised battery life (14 hours?) is not correct; I get about 6-8 hours out of the player before it needs a charge. I purchased the stand-alone charger, and find that the unit charges about twice as fast (3-4 hours) using the stand alone than through a computer USB port (6-8!).

As others have noted, the screen is almost useless in direct sunlight--would have been nice to have a brighter screen. The FM function works good (not great); we live about 45 minutes out of Portland, and I pick up the Portland stations about as good as I would expect. The record function, on the other hand, is shockingly good. The unit comes with a record feature, either voice or radio, that is pretty neat, especially the voice record. Rate=64 kbps (in .wav format), and there is NO background or white noise---pretty spectacular. It's not difficult to transfer recordings to a docking computer. I haven't used either the photo function (I have no use for 1.8 inch photos) nor the data storage function, so I won't comment on those.

There is no audible.com support yet (dare we hope for a near-future update?). Unit has 10 bookmarks that are great for larger audio files (e.g., podcasts) and easy to set; however, opening a bookmark set in a playlist/set opens the file correctly but doesn't return to the playlist/set; a little obnoxious when you're in file 3 of 20 in a ripped audio book. Volume is more than sufficient to hear audio recordings (i.e., ripped audio books) even with very low bit rates, a definite improvement over some mp3-playing portable CD players.

Alas, it is an ipod world. There are very few accessories for the micro photo, though there were more for the unit's precedessor model (micro) that look like they would fit the same size as the micro photo. But you're not going to find them at every electronic store, like you would ipod stuff.

Thus far, this player has satisfied my expectations and portends to be a dependable and satisfying unit for a while. I highly recommend it as a cheaper and more functional alternative to the ipod--especially if you would like to have the recording and tuner features.

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Description of Creative Zen Micro Photo 8 GB MP3 Player Black

Includes: high fidelity Creative earphones with dynamic bass response, USB 2.0 cable, removable rechargeable lithium ion battery, pouch, & more. Creative Labs Zen Micro Photo 8GB - The Zen Micro Photo is an extremely portable digital audio device, with the ability to display photos and slide shows. The photos and audio information are viewed on a 1.5", first-of-its-kind, OLED display. OLED technology provides you with a host of benefits when compared to basic LCD displays. OLED can be viewed easily from any angle and in sunlight. It also supports an impressive 262,144 colors - 4 times as many as the current iPod Photo!! Giving you menus in wild and bright colors, and photos that are incredibly sharp, detailed and extraordinarily clear! Photo Album & Slide Show Modes Supports MP3 & WMA Audio Formats Supports the JPG Photo Format Zen Blue Glow - the controls illuminate with a vivid blue every time you use it Vertical Touch Pad makes navigation extremely easy Micro-sized and curved to fit into your hand more comfortably Removable and Rechargeable 15-Hour Battery FM Radio & Recorder 32 Preset Stations Integrated Voice Recorder Organizer Syncs with Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar, & Tasks 8 Preset EQ Settings Color - Black

The micro-sized, coolly styled Zen Micro Photo digital audio player/photo viewer enables you to watch slide shows of your favorite digital images on its stunning, high-intensity 1.5-inch OLED screen while listening to an MP3 or WMA soundtrack. This 8 GB player in black can hold up to 10,000 JPEG images or 4,000 songs. It's also nicely compact, measuring just 3.25 x 2 x 0.7 inches (HxWxD) and weighing under 4 ounces.

The Zen Micro Photo's vibrant, cutting edge OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen looks terrific and draws less power than conventional LCD displays. It displays 262,144 vivid colors, ensuring every picture is sharply detailed and extraordinarily clear. Using revolutionary display technology, you can now view photos from any angle. The vertical touch pad makes navigation easy, and the micro-sized player is offers a curved design to fit ergonomically in your hand. The intuitive menus in wild, bright colors makes navigating through those 4000 songs and tons of photos easy and fun.

It's compatible with MP3, WMA, Janus, WAV, IMA ADPCM digital audio files (including DRM protected Plays For Sure WMA files from online stores and subscriber services) as well as JPEG image files. Its 8 GB capacity will store up to 4,000 (266 hours) of WMA files (encoded at 64 kbps) or 2,000 (133 hours) of MP3 songs (encoded at 128 kbps).

This player also features a built-in FM radio with 32 preset stations and the ability to record directly off the radio, enabling you to capture your favorite songs and live radio interviews. The integrated microphone and voice recorder feature enables you to record short notes to yourself as well as important meetings and lectures. Choose from the Zen Micro Photo's custom EQ or eight pre-loaded EQ settings: Acoustic, Classical, Disco, New Age, Vocal, Pop, Rock, and Jazz.

Working perfectly with Microsoft Outlook, you can now organize appointments, business contacts, or even wake up to your favorite song. Additionally, the Zen Micro Photo can be used as a USB mass storage unit, allowing you to safely store your important presentations and documents and transfer them to another PC.

The included removable, rechargeable Li-ion battery provides up to 15 hours of continuous playback time, and it can be charged via a USB connection to your computer or the included USB travel charger.

The Zen Micro Photo works with many online subscription and pay-per-download music services such as Yahoo! Music Unlimited and Napster To Go. The PlaysForSure designation ensures compatibility with Windows Media Player 10 and Windows XP.

What's in the Box
8 GB Zen Micro Photo (black), high-fidelity earphones with dynamic bass response, removable rechargeable Li-ion battery, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, installation CD-ROM, printed Quick Start Guide

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