Creative Zen V 1GB MP3 Player with Colour Screen - Black/Orange

Prior to buying this Creative player, I was struggling along with another 1GB MP3 player in "stick" format, which cost only ten pounds less!

The first huge advantage of the Creative Zen V, over the "sticks", is the LCD colour screen and the functionality that comes with it. It's exactly the same principle as with the Apple iPod - you simply scroll around the menus to play individual tracks, whole albums, complete genres, playlists or what ever else you want. None of this is normally possible on an "MP3 stick".

Next benefit, is the rechargable battery. It recharges quickly via the USB socket and lasts fairly well. Better than constantly shelling out AAA batteries, I think. A word of caution on this - I did buy a remote charger for it (generic MP3 player model, not a Creative product) and it doesn't work with the Zen, so watch out for that if you're shopping for a charger!

The third big plus, is the file transfer system. Although the Creative software looks a little bland and baisc, it does allow much quicker file transfer than my old player (where I "dragged and dropped", but the files were very slow to load).

The photo storage option is, in my opinion, just a nice gimmick! For a start, you only have 1Gb of space and a photo is commonly around 1Mb. Secondly, the screen (nice though it is for text), is really too small to allow you to see any detail in photographs (as with a mobile phone). On top of that, it kills the battery!

The packaging and the accessories included (quality earphones, various patch leads, neck strap, velvet carry bag, software disc etc.) are also very impressive, given the low price.

I gave it 5 stars, primarily because it only cost 41 pounds (may have gone up now) and for that price, it simply cannot be beat!

My only two critiscisms (in case anyone at Creative ever reads these reviews), would be:

1. Having the "play/pause" button mounted half way up the case (on the right hand side) and the "return to previous menu" button underneath it, makes a lot less sense to me than it would if these controls were reversed. I use my player exclusivley for listening to a (very long) language tuition course and I need to use the pause button all the time. It makes my hand cramp up, when I have to hold the player in such an awkward way, to access the pause button. Also, for anyone who wants to put this player in their pocket and access the pause control through a layer of clothing (as I frequently do with my iPod), it's quite hard to find the right spot to press. If the button was on the lower hlaf, it would be easy to just squeeze the lower corner of the unit, to pause it.

2. The earphones supplied are the "traditional" design, but I had to replace them with Creatives (rather excellent) EP630's in-ear phones, to get the most out of this good-sounding little player. OK, maybe this more about personal preference than anything else and I guess that some people still have phobias about "sticking foreign objects into the their aural cavities", but buying them separately did add another 14 pounds to the price of the unit (in my case).

So, all in all, it's nice to be able to recommend something so heartily. Until recently, the 4Gb version was on offer for here only 66 pounds - now THAT really is a bargain!

As there are so many good and accurate reviews for this product there's little I feel I can add. It looks good, sounds good and 'by gum' it does you good (actually that last bit's not true..). Anyway, just a few points:

1) I also bought the creative ear buds and found the sound was slightly enhanced (comfortable too).

2) I bought a matt black silicon skin from ebay for £3 inc. P&P. It actually looks even better now and will hopefully keep it well protected.

3) The player has actually 'hung' or 'locked up' on me a couple of times. This is easily remedied by pushing a pin or straightened paper clip into the (tiny) reset aperture. Still, this has annoyed me on the odd occasion it has happened.

4) Someone mentions album art. I don't know what software he's using but the Creative software I got, though excellent, doesn't support this feature (if I'm just doing something wrong please let me know!).

All in all I highly recommend it.

Advantages...

1. Charges via USB (regular charger not supplied).

2. Very easy to use / navigate.

3. Make playlists (both using software and directly on mp3 player).

4. Shows photos (jpeg).

5. Really excellent sound quality (brilliant headphones supplied).

6. Has a choice of a number of menu colour schemes.

7. Can set photo as background.

8. Can be used as a flash drive

9. Can record either directly or using the supplied line in cable to the line out/headphone jack of another cd player/ audio player (These recordings are in WAV format which is larger than mp3)

10. Creative is always very compatible.

11. Has a number of organiser functions alarms etc. if you like that kind of thing.

Disadvantages...

1. Charger not supplied so must be charged by USB.

2. System Requirements fairly demanding.

3. So pretty, you'll want to buy a protective case.

4. People have reported battery problems..(must not leave uncharged for a long time to avoid this).

5. Rechargeable battery (replacements must be bought from Creative) cannot be replaced without voiding warranty.

Other Points...

1. Can connect as a USB storage device to computers that do not have neccessary system requirements. This is useful for charging when away from you home computer.

2. Files stored in the removable disk part of the memory cannot be played/viewed directly using the MP3 player.

So if you don't have the system requirements to transfer mp3's using proper mp3 software you will not be able to load mp3's onto your player (you cannot store mp3s in the removable disk part of the memory and hope to be able to play them)

Summary a lovely little player that is a joy to use. I had to think hard to find any disadvantages.

P.S. I bought this following after both my, AND my girlfriends MATSUI 2gb mp3 player broke... don't buy MATSUI they break.