I had a ZenMX 16 GB I purchased 7/2009. I'm an audio book fan and that unit was the most recommended for the genre. It had the capability of bookmarking, but more importantly restarted exactly where it left off every time so I could listen to a book shut down and later pick up the story without loss. In truth I had read many negative reviews for that specific unit and yet decided to try it because of the functionality I wanted. I really didn't use it much at first just here and there because I listen the most in my car and used CD books.
However in January this year I loaded it with several very long books (30 hours+ each) to get me through an extended overseas trip. It performed exactly as I had hoped and I listend for hours upon hours without problem. At that point I would have given the Zen a TEN star rating.
When I got back I decided to try the unit in my car. Attached by cable to the cars audio system as an auxillary I listened every day for about 45 mins each way on my commute. At first it was great, but then more and more it would fail to "resume" and would take me back to the beginning of whatever I was listening to. Then after not too long a while it often dropped out while playing - battery still charged - but it quit. I blamed myself thinking it might have become too warm if left in the car all day - so I started taking it in every day. Final straw I shut down one morning as usual, saw some kind of wierd break up on the screen, and thereafter it refused to do anything. Full charge acknowledged, reset applied, would not turn on.
So we cut to the chase... I contacted Creative, was told too bad buy a new one. I DID.
The only ZEN unit available at this point is Zen MX SE (I chose 8GB)
No big deal features AKA radio, video etc, Don't need. All I want to do is hear my books.
I have had the unit 8 days.
I charged it. I tried to load books on it and everytime it connected to my Audible library it performed a disk scan and shut off.
I went through the motions of setting time/date - what a waste of effort! Disc Scan - all bets are off.
Finally - I have no idea how - I got it to accept downloads and put a few books "out there"
It plays, it sounds great - but it looses the place and restores me to the begining of the book 2 of 4 times when I shut down.
It "scans disk" every time it is connected to the computer, even if in Off mode and expected to charge.
Oh by the way - the claim that it has 30 hours per charge is bogus. Do the math in my story.
All the on-line chatter about Creative having gone down hill are, in my experience true.
My REAL issue is what is there to replace the functionality I need.
And ...Why aren't they (Creative) working to fix it???