Nomad Creative Zen Xtra 30GB MP3 Player
The Greatest Alternative to the IPod
I recently bought the Nomad Creative Zen Xtra 30GB Hard-Drive MP3 player because I did not want to spend as much as an iPod was, and the Creative holds more. After using a friend's iPod, and another's iPod mini, I can safely say that I like my Creative Zen Xtra the best by far.
Navigation: 5 out of 5
I started with this since it seems to be such an important issue with people that plan on getting an MP3 player. I have used the iPod's touch wheel system, and I like the Creative's navigation system much better. It gives me much more control, and is much more precise.
Price: 5 out of 5
I ended up paying about $150 for mine, but they generally cost around $220 brand new. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to find it as low as $180 brand new on the internet though. Considering that the 20GB iPod costs as much as $300, the Creative Zen beats it by far.
Storage: 5 out of 5
After looking around, I found that Creative offers way more in terms of storage for the price than any other MP3 player on the market. 30GB for $180 is unbeatable by any other company, much less the Apple iPod.
Sound Quality: 5 out of 5
It may have been the headphones I was using at the time, but the sound quality on the Zen Xtra beat out the sound quality on the iPod. Either way, it is perfect quality, and sounds better than anything else I've ever heard.
Size: 4 out of 5
This is one of the complaints I hear about the Zen, so I have to give it a lower rating. For me, it never is a problem, seeing that it fits just fine in my pocket. I like it, because I know it won't fall out (and would be hard to steal), and it fits very snuggly. The case makes it look bigger than it actually is, too.
Accessories: 5 out of 5
Right out of the box, the Creative Zen comes loaded with free classical music. The best part, however, was the free carrying case that came with it! The case protects it from scratching, and I keep mine in the case at all times. It also comes with a set of earbuds that fit great in my ears, and of course a USB cable and AC adapter.
Battery: 5 out of 5
My battery has never run out of charge on the road, and I rarely plug it in except for when I'm doing file transfers. The best part about it is if you are going on an especially long trip, you can buy another battery, and switch it out when the other one runs out of charge. The price of the battery? Around $15 brand new on ebay. You can't beat that with an iPod!
Screen: 5 out of 5
The screen quality is excellent, and is crystal clear. It also has a blue backlight, which looks great and is powerful enough to light up a pitch black room.
Customization: 5 out of 5
There are so many options in the menu, that there is no doubt you can get the settings to be perfect, just for you. You can also store different profiles with different settings, and switch back and forth between them with ease!
Extras: 5 ouf of 5
There are many different extra features added, such as the ability to normalize all files, play them slower or faster (particularly useful for ebooks and lectures), car mode, and much more. The pre-bundled software works great, and it works so well that I even use it just to organize my music collection.
Overall: 5 out of 5
I have a condition that I believe is called "Buyer's Remorse," and it is very severe for me. I have regretted everything I have ever bought (including pets), with one exception. You guessed it, my Creative Zen Xtra! I take it everywhere with me, and it is one of my most prized possessions!
Navigation: 5 out of 5
I started with this since it seems to be such an important issue with people that plan on getting an MP3 player. I have used the iPod's touch wheel system, and I like the Creative's navigation system much better. It gives me much more control, and is much more precise.
Price: 5 out of 5
I ended up paying about $150 for mine, but they generally cost around $220 brand new. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to find it as low as $180 brand new on the internet though. Considering that the 20GB iPod costs as much as $300, the Creative Zen beats it by far.
Storage: 5 out of 5
After looking around, I found that Creative offers way more in terms of storage for the price than any other MP3 player on the market. 30GB for $180 is unbeatable by any other company, much less the Apple iPod.
Sound Quality: 5 out of 5
It may have been the headphones I was using at the time, but the sound quality on the Zen Xtra beat out the sound quality on the iPod. Either way, it is perfect quality, and sounds better than anything else I've ever heard.
Size: 4 out of 5
This is one of the complaints I hear about the Zen, so I have to give it a lower rating. For me, it never is a problem, seeing that it fits just fine in my pocket. I like it, because I know it won't fall out (and would be hard to steal), and it fits very snuggly. The case makes it look bigger than it actually is, too.
Accessories: 5 out of 5
Right out of the box, the Creative Zen comes loaded with free classical music. The best part, however, was the free carrying case that came with it! The case protects it from scratching, and I keep mine in the case at all times. It also comes with a set of earbuds that fit great in my ears, and of course a USB cable and AC adapter.
Battery: 5 out of 5
My battery has never run out of charge on the road, and I rarely plug it in except for when I'm doing file transfers. The best part about it is if you are going on an especially long trip, you can buy another battery, and switch it out when the other one runs out of charge. The price of the battery? Around $15 brand new on ebay. You can't beat that with an iPod!
Screen: 5 out of 5
The screen quality is excellent, and is crystal clear. It also has a blue backlight, which looks great and is powerful enough to light up a pitch black room.
Customization: 5 out of 5
There are so many options in the menu, that there is no doubt you can get the settings to be perfect, just for you. You can also store different profiles with different settings, and switch back and forth between them with ease!
Extras: 5 ouf of 5
There are many different extra features added, such as the ability to normalize all files, play them slower or faster (particularly useful for ebooks and lectures), car mode, and much more. The pre-bundled software works great, and it works so well that I even use it just to organize my music collection.
Overall: 5 out of 5
I have a condition that I believe is called "Buyer's Remorse," and it is very severe for me. I have regretted everything I have ever bought (including pets), with one exception. You guessed it, my Creative Zen Xtra! I take it everywhere with me, and it is one of my most prized possessions!
Published by Daniel Ellis
I enjoy playing and listening to music, watching movies, using the computer, playing video games, and going out with friends. View profile
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- Holds 30GB versus the standard iPod's 20GB
- Costs much less than the standard iPod
- Excellent quality and easily the best player on the market
Unlike the iPod, the Creative Zen has a removable, replacable, high capacity Lithium Ion battery
4 Comments
Post a Commentit sucks ipods are much better and easier
Battle tested! Bullet Proof. Fool Proof!
Few folks understand that heat is the killer of electronics.
Everyone who buys an I Pod acts like the are buying an analog tube board in the heart of their system.
Creative sound knows that they are selling cheap digital sound. They know that they are not selling look.
So what have the done? They offer the consumer a product that has the internal space to disapate the heat that builds up in any wire with a current moving in it.
Next they give you controls that one can opperate while hiding one's player from a growing class of thinking criminal who are trying to rip off player, headphone and most importantly a music collection of 15,000 songs.
Sound, it does not matter how well a player plays when it is cool. What does it sound like after 10 hours of play for 5 years? What does it sound like when it has been struck on the hard cement when one trips on the morning jog? What does it sound like when dust has filled the 1/8 ja
I have a creative player also and give it 5 out of 5 on all categories... but I don't understand why the first thing mentioned isn't about the extras that creative offers compared to the ipod and why no one cares... First creative comes with a voice recorder and most come with an fm radio not that big a deal but can be an advantage in bad weather if the power is out. hurricane and tornado areas. also you can delete from your creative and you can change your music files around on your pc and not change them on your creative when plugged in unlike an ipod... your song lists on your pc must match your songlists on your ipod... why aren';t people complaining about this... ignorance is bliss I guess... get the creative... it is the way to go... I am so sick of all the "fooled" mac fans... I'm sorry but mac is crap and ignorant people keep falling for and buying into the hype... wake up!!!!!!!!!
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