I did a quick search before, but failed to find any threads with the same question as me.
Christmas is around the corner and I’ve been thinking about what to use my santa fund on. I’ve been contemplating over whether I should ask for an 80 GB video iPod or a 60 GB Creative Zen Vision: M.
I’ve googled some comparative reviews on the two, but they’ve left me inconclusive. I’ve asked my friends on their opinions and they’ve all said something different.
So what do you think?
What are teh main points you’d consider?
Which do you think is better overall?
All input greatly appreciated.*
Ed
Oh. I forgot to add; I’d be mostly listening to music I think. Probably watching the odd video though. Also I’d use it for a lot of file storage.
I have a Zen Creative and find it fine.
The best thing about it is the radio function.
The worst thing about it is the small lid that covers the battery. It is held in place by a teeny tiny piece of plastic which is very easy to snap.
Bit of a design flaw there.
Ahhh, I thought this thread was about listening to music on your iPod vs. meditation. I vote for meditation if anyone asks. Its screen doesn’t get all scratched up and it works fine even if your friend spills coke on it.
ZEN!! I’m really tough on mp3 players in general, and went through two ipods before finally switching to the creative zen, and its the best thing ive ever done. Unfortunately, if you are already using itunes, and didnt change the import format, you have to convert your music, as the only player allowed to use apples aac format is the ipod…cheap.
go with the zen (I havent had any problems with the battery cover, and ive had mine for a year
If you have an apple then there is no choice you should be getting an ipod, cause I know that file storage is easier than being hand feed apple sauce.
But with a PC I’m not sure.
ZEN!!
I had an iPod, it broke. And when I say broke, I mean the battery died.
Also, iPod’s dirty secret is no longer exactly as that video says, but the fact that it once was exactly true makes me want to never deal with Apple again…
The battery fix is now really easy though.
And is there anything were there weren’t bugs in the beggining?
The only reason no one else had this problem is because the ipod was the first out there, so all the bad stuff was already known when the other companys put there mp3 players out there.
[/applefanboyrant]
That plague is actually a well devised SCAM by Apple. See, they give it a one year warranty, then shortly after a year the battery dies and they need to buy a brand new iPod. That’s how it used to be anyway, they changed it so now you only need to pay $99 every time the battery dies.
ya, Ipods were not at all the first ones out—years before the ipod came out I had a smaller mp3 player, smaller capacity though, made my iriver, and before that a different one made by creative—its hard to say who made the first mp3 player, but creative would be my bet. edit thats why they (creative) just won a ??20 million?? (i dont actually remember the numbers) dollar lawsuit with apple for copyright infringement involving the format of the player
I had a Creative Zen (not the vision) 40 GB and that thing was a BRICK. After about 6 months, it started getting all weird on me and then I found a gnat under the screen (yea there was a bug in my mp3 player) the interface was just boring blue against black, but it was pretty fast. The things I didn’t like in the zen are all made better in the vision.
The only reason I would consider getting an ipod is because everything is designed for it. There are tons of cool accessories for the ipod that wouldn’t fit any other mp3 player. That will probably not be the case for very long though. Creative and some other companies are starting to catch on and make more stuff.
Ipod only seems like the first mp3 player because they marketed it so incredibly well. However, a nice commercial doesn’t make up for a crappy product (not that ipod necessarily is, there are just better, cheaper options out there).
iPod. I used to be all anti-apple, anti- ipod, etc. but after owning and using an iPod, it simply can’t be beat. Anytime a competetor comes near to it, it crushes them witha new feature. All i’m saying is, once you go iPod, you don’t go back.
Did the reviews cover software and ease of use, or just features? The main strength of the iPod is its ease of use with iTunes (whether or not you buy anything from the store). I have mine set to rip and eject music CDs. If I stick a music CD into my computer, iTunes will open up, find the playlist from Gracenote (or wherever), rip the album, and also download the cover image if it’s in the iTunes database. It will also download album art for your other songs, even if you didn’t buy them from Apple (long as they’re in the database). I encode my songs as 192 kbps MP3 files. No need to be stuck with the Apple codec unless you buy from the store. I’ve owned/worked with three different iPods. One for Jacquie, one for me, and then a new one for me as part of a hand-me-down thing.
I haven’t used the Creative product. If having radio is a factor, the iPod can’t compete. Not sure what the other plusses are; obviously not storage space, and probably not battery life.
Yes it’s true two or three years ago iPods had batteries that didn’t last much beyond the device’s warranty, and were not user-serviceable. Within about a month of when this was discovered to be a problem, there were step-by-step instructions online on how to do it yourself, and third-party companies selling replacement batteries. Another company offered a service where they would overnight your iPod to their offices and back, and fix it in 24 hours or something. So yeah, there used to be a battery problem, so beware if you buy any old, outdated iPods. Also be careful if you buy a Chevrolet Corvair, or a Ford Pinto from the early years.
Have you looked around at other comparable products? I think Archos has some similar stuff, and I really love their products.
I have a gmini 400 (very old, they don’t make it anymore), when I bought it it was the same price as the iPod, but back then it was the 20 GB iPod with no colour screen or anything, whereas the Gmini had a colour screen, better software (worked with any software such as windows media player and alike) that wasn’t constantly throwing advertising at my face, video, photo, games (any Mophun games for phones worked, and later it was hacked for emulators).
It is definatly worth your while to look around at other products. I would be surprised to hear that those are the only two choices at that price range that have the features you want.
