a great review wich i enjoyed reading but i disagree that the ipod mini is better. I mean the zen's better in every way! its smaller, better looking, it has more storage and it comes in a much wider range of colours. the ipod mini seems to cut your hand when you hold it where as the zen has an all over smooth feel. Sure the ipod might be more popular but im betting in the next year creative will take back their own market.
Charlie

After 4.5 hours of troubleshooting on Christmas Day, the device was still not detected by my computer. I am an experienced computer user, and still cound not get the device to work with our computer after installing and reinstalling the software, following the troubleshooting instructions at Creative.com, searching/downloading driver/software updates, and testing each USB port (which work with other USB connected devices). Needless to say, my daughter was disappointed with the gift and will be returning it.

This helped a lot. I'm still debating which one to buy; at the moment I'm veering towards the Zen Micro. The colours are sexier and, frankly, that blue light round the edge makes me horny.

Ahem.

Bye.

In my opinion iPods Are getting kind of annoying i have a zen and it was way better than the ipod that my friand have he says he will retun his and get a creative zen

Zen Micros are obviously better. Anyone who buys an ipod mini is a whoar to the apple co-operation.

I just bought a zen micro yesterday. I used to have a 40GB iPod, so I'm used to the easy-to-use interface of the iPod. The touchpad on the micro is taking some getting used to... It's a bit too sensative for my taste. The FM radio listening&Recording along with the built-in voice recorder...Pretty cool features. The removable battery is a great idea(can you purchase extra batteries?), but the backlid can slide off somewhat easily. It charges via USB(I didn't know that USB could charge anything). I've synched it with my Sony PCG-TR3 and it works fine(although the transfer rate is slower than that of firewire). Back to the ease of use, I don't know if I'm going to keep it or if I'm going to trade it for the new iPod mini(16hours battery life, 6GB storage,Tempting). Hopefully this posting is helpful.

Hi guys, i'm wondering if I should go for the iPod mini or the Creative Zen micro they both look pretty cool to me and i really am having a hard decision making my mind up please help me make up my mind.

thanks

I really think that the Zen Micro is way better than the ipod mini, since it has alot more funtion than the ipod mini, but the ipod mini, in the other hand, has alot of "add ins" the flash lights, the leather case...

hi- i'm a bit clueless about computers and computer-like objects, but i really want an easy to use ipod or zen. we have a rubbish laptop at home, so i don't know if they even have enough memepory or power to load up the software needed for either of these players... we might be getting mac... any advice? which would be easier to use?
i want to be able to download documentaries off the bbc website as well as stick all my music on there..
many thanks, (i think the review wass really comprehensive, well done!)

Ipods suck, the creative zen micro is way better. Don't be stupid and get the ipod, buy the creative zen micro.

I love my Creative Zen Micro, the touchpad button is really cool and the sound quality is great, iPOD mini is also good, but too many people are bragging about how good it is, when the Zen Micro is also good, my Zen Micro can store up to 2500 songs, and the battery last for 12 hours where as the iPOD mini, it stores up to 1000 songs and the battery last for 8 hours. That is telling me that Zen Micro is so much better and so convinent. My advice is don't buy products that people have, be different, Creative Zen Micro beats the mini iPOD in looks and in storage space. And my friends tell me to buy a PS2 instead of a Zen Micro, what kind of idiot would carry their PS2 around and listens to it!!! Not Me!!! Zen Micro is the way to go!!!

i love ipod mini... all the others mp3 players sucks!it is only ipods who have click wheel navigating... you basterds!

maybe the zen micro is better then 4gb ipod mini, but now it is 6gb ipod mini with 18 hours battery capasity. 6gb ipod mini rules! i will buy one in mext month.
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i never wrote 'ipod suck zen rules'!!!! I haven't got one of either!!!! What i wrote was any advice for a complete novice?

damn, i AM a novice. please delete my previous message.
thanks

roi all the mere

The iPod mini 6GB is also 60$ more than the Zen Micro.

The only flaw both players have is that they don't support Vorbis. The first decent HDD player to support that I'll buy.
(iRiver probably already has it, but it's damn ugly :p)

the Ipod mini sucks... i hate going through itunes to update playlists. and you can only have itunes installed on one computer for downloading/uploading songs and files. I like the fact of creative/and rio players can just drag and drop straight to the player, and being able to do so on any computer.

I think I am going to buy a Creative Zen Micro, but I need to know something first. Are you able to run for long amounts of time (40-70 minutes) without it skipping? I would mainly use my mp3 player when I run so I don't want it to skip. I would appreciate if someone would answer my question.

Brad: You should be fine jogging with the Zen Micro.

Can you play the Zen Micro in the car? Can you put songs on a Zen from an IPod but still have the songs on theIpod and the Zen Micro? My older sister has an Ipod and she can listen to it in the car. She has a big list of songs that I hope I can transfer to a Zen Micro.I really dislike the Ipods because I know a lot of people whose Ipods have broken and lost all their songs. I am only going to get a Zen Micro if you can transfer Ipod songs on to a Zen. And please let me know if you can do that and if you can play it in the car. THANKS

Can you play the Zen Micro in the car? Can you put songs on a Zen from an IPod but still have the songs on theIpod and the Zen Micro? My older sister has an Ipod and she can listen to it in the car. She has a big list of songs that I hope I can transfer to a Zen Micro.I really dislike the Ipods because I know a lot of people whose Ipods have broken and lost all their songs. I am only going to get a Zen Micro if you can transfer Ipod songs on to a Zen. And please let me know if you can do that and if you can play it in the car. THANKS

When I said in the car, I meant attach it to the car speaker system. Just to clear that up. THANKS

When I said in the car, I meant attach it to the car speaker system. Just to clear that up. THANKS!

Ok i dont wanna argue about this to anyone but.. ive been doing lots of research on Ipods or Zen micros... my lil bro recently bought a ipod mini and its pretty cool but scratches easy and the wheel gets dirt pretty fast/loose. I think ppl are stuck on Ipods cause theere "cool"... common get ur head outta ur ass its clear Zen minis are better qualaty and way "cooler" than a mini. THE SOLID METAL TOUCH PAD ROCKS!!! metal is soo awsome expecily for somone who is damn rough on pads and i tend 2 push buttons lots. Do ur research and ull see the Zen mirco is better.

My boyfriend just gave me a ZEN Micro for my b-day and it is basically the best gift EVER!!!! I love it, he is a computer whiz and at first had purchased the IPOD but after reading the reviews he took it back and got the ZEN. At the time he purchased the ZEN they offered a special so he got a FREE Battery. Also I am not a computer whiz at all but the ZEN was very easy to use and to transfer or rip all my music to. It also plays in the car so I no longer have to have all those CD's in the car!!

Yeh, my family has had 3 ipod minis and 2 have broken and had to get replaced. I believ the new generation of minis is much better but. I would def buy the zen if i had to buy another.

Does anyone know whether there is a problem with using zen micros on planes? I ask this as I know it has an FM tuner and am wondering whether the tuner is still on even if you are just listening to MP3s.

Hi,

I'm a college student and am really into mp3 players. I personally have an iPod Mini, and my housemate has a zen micro, so I have had the opportunity to toy around with his mp3 player and compare it to mine.

My experience:

iPod Mini: I tell you, the scroll wheel is one of the greatest inventions ever!! If it was not for the scroll wheel on my iPod mini, I would never, ever have gotten an iPod. The Zen Micro uses an up-down scroll, and has its select button smack down in the middle of the scroll pad, so sometimes you might accidentally press the button when you're scrolling.

The iPod Mini beats the Zen Micro hands-down in ease of use to find songs.

Additionally, the iPod Mini is extremely accesorizable, with many, many add-ons etc out in the market, eBay, everythingipod.co.uk etc.

Also, the interface for transferring songs is much, much better using iTunes, rather than Creative's software.

Zen Micro:
The right click idea is really, really good, enabling you to add a playlist easier than an iPod's.

I also really liked the zen micro's size. It's a bit smaller than the iPod mini, but to tell the truth, the small difference wouldn't really make much of a difference to me. A lot of ppl go about comparing which of the players is smaller, but frankly, I think they're both so small that it wouldn't make a difference which one you put in your pocket.

The Zen Micro's sound quality was also slightly better than the iPod's when I first listen to the zen, but I can't confirm that for a fact.

As a conclusion:

I really liked the size and right click functionality of the zen, but the iPod's scroll wheel and ease of use still prevails. If the Zen Micro had a scroll wheel, I would definitely get the Zen Micro.

Please do email me or post questions if you have any and I'll try to get back to me as soon as possible.

The fastest way from Point A to Point B is a straight line, not a circle.

End of story.

Plus the Mini breaks like an egg.

you might not take me seriously becuz of my name, Elmo_the_Night_Time_Stalker, BUT to tell u the truth i've been going to forums, sites and other stuffies, to see that alot of ppl prefer zen micro instead of the ipod mini, which has bulshit commercials about it. Zen micro is actually smaller! even by the slightest bit! so thats one gewd thing bout it. second it has a variety of colours! unlike the ipod mini, only 4. ='( ya so that basically covers for the exterior. thirdly, Zen micro is cheaper than ipod mini! only if ur getting the 6gb ipod mini though =P. but who wud want a 4gb ipod mini? 5gb is the best rigt inbetween 4gb and 6 gb, so that its not that less and its not that much. although zen has a terribly bad/slow software to transfer songs from ur pc to the player. :P CONCLUSION: i think zen micro is alot better!~! so dun waste ur money on ipod(s)... HAPPY MP3-ing

does the zens fm tuner interfer in the airplanes radio waves or whatever you call them???

does the zens fm tuner interfer in the airplanes radio waves or whatever you call them???

Ipod mini RULES!!! The touchwheel is second to none! The ipod got more space too! Maybe the old Ipod with 4gb. sucks a bit but the new one is much better than Zen Micro! 6gb against micros 5gb.
If u wanna buy one of'em buy Ipod Mini! its a lot better than Zen Micro!
I love the design on Ipod Mini too!
BUY IT!

i'm creative supporter,i'm also a computer shop onwer, i owned 3 units of creative MP3 player - (Digital MP3 Player 2-64mb)too small - (Zen Touch)give my girl fren - (MuVo² FM)share with my bro. -last month i intend to get my one new MP3 player, i do a research (read lot forums and it's spec. and also practically test and use it for few days) on this two mp3 player(zen micro & ipodmini-6gb).... finally i make a decision on buying a brand new IPOD MINI 6GB version... WHY!?!?! these my reason:-

1. Zen Micro made by plastic mini ipod is metal..let me feel more more and more solid then zen lotz. and the wordings behind the zen can be rub off and scratch easily.for sure after 2 ~3 months use it'll look old and lots scratch mark for this plastic made player. the wording behind the ipod is laser carve ,it wouldn't gone easily.

2. Zen FM Tuner function is Sucks, even in house or outdoor or in car also couldn't receive clear FM very noisy,mostly receive fm in MONO mode more than STEREO mode... even my cheap cheap radio tuner better than it.. better to remove tat FM function save up space..even it come with FM recorder is useless...

3. yes ! Zen have a better sound quality than ipod, but is ipod 4GB version. u guyss really have to listen to IPOD 6gb version it's far far better than zen lots!! this is true ! i have try 4GB ver. and 6GB ver. it's BIG different, 6gb ver. have a louder soung and crystal clear quality for songsss.this is one of the main reason i bought ipod 6gb ver.u guys have to read the release of ipod new ver.

4. ipod not only improve the sound quality of player, they improve the BAttery life for last longer(18+ hrs) than zen(12+hrs), but the size of it still remain tat sLim .

5. Superior GOOD navigation button for Ipod, when u try to look for a songs in a thousand mp3s list u'll find out this wheel is lotzz lotzzz easy than zen, u only have to slice ur thumb to do few circle on the wheel instead of ;(zen) slice ur thumb scroll it from up to down and again up to down and again up to down one time up down only scroll 10 ~ 15 songs,it's annoying!! and ur thumb will be tired doing this... Ipod wheel also do better than zen when we try to adjust the player's volume ,more efficiently and acurately.zen touchpad is Sucks ,during listening to songs and if u adjust for the volume and accidently press the next or previous button ur playing song will be jump to next songs, it's cut ur mood of listening of the current song.becoz the volume button is too close with the next and previos button..some more its too sensitive,u have to very careful when adjusting the volume. zen lousy navigation button really a bit issue for me why i'm not choosing it.

6. microphone rec. features i have my previous model also come with this function. but honesty tell u, i never use tat features at all!!! for wht?!? i have no idea... yes maybe u'll find out interesting on recording ur own voice or some stupid conversation,but u really will get bored with it and ignored tat features.

7. what i need is a MP3 player ! a really good for mp3 musics player ... when my hand holding the Ipod Mini i feel like using a MP3 Player a really best quality player, but for zen ,i just feel like a toy for me or not really impress of it.

a. battery last longer(18+hrs).
b. good quality sound.definitely ipod 6gb version(i'm very particular in sound quality)
b. a very ease and good navigate button.
c. don want those useless features stuck inside the player.simplily good for mp3 musics enought.

conclusion: (-.-'') IPOD Mini 6GB is the KiNG of the KiNG of MP3 Digital Player around !

i think ipods suck they are cheap and brake too easy!

---------------------Read this and that's it-----------------

Zen Micro for me why? First Ipod indeed has a sleak design which better fits for girls. My girl bought an Ipod and Zen I choose Zen for its muscular cube built and Ipod for her. Who wants to listen to 1000 songs if your battery going dead. Ipod wins here but mine has a replaceable battery which totals to 24 hrs(my choice indeed). Blue Led light stands out really crowd has seen it "Dang! whats that". Lastly I want a massive download database un like Ipod only goes for Itunes. The voice recorder and stuff, I dont use it but it may come handy most of the time. Unlike Ipod you have to buy seperate snap-ons for it. Sound quality CREATIVE are poineers for these. Practically Zen Micro wins. Dont forget I got a good deal with my Zen cause it has a remote and extra battery for 200 no tax and all regular accesories in the box. People buy Ipod is just for advertising and they are very good at it. Ipod wins on selling totals only.

I decided ZEN after reading tons of reviews on the net and my decision as well.

I would probly listen to what Creative Supporter ~> IPOD is saying, but i can't understand his crappy broken english. Because of your bad english (and because it's better) I am getting a Zen Micro. Also I'm pretty sure you just contradicted yourself with that last statement. Anyway Zen micros beat ipods hands down.

i dun think this part matters to some, but for me the fact that the zen can play wma's without having to convert them n stuff and the ipod cant makes the sez a much better player.....(also the price difference between an ipod 6 gb n a zen micro is noticeable...U cn buy like 2-3 extra battery packs for that amount...n still have money to spare....)
also the ipod breaks very easily.....

ZEN micro RULES>.

I was on the fence about buying an ipod mini for a while, until my sister received one as a graduation present. When I tried to give her my songs(most of which are stored on windows media player), I encountered a lot of problems. For one thing, unless I had the original cd, itunes wouldn't let me transfer protected albums. As a result I found that a substantial portion of my library, was not easily transferable. For me, this was a huge downside to the much praised itunes. I therefore chose the creative micro because of its compatiblity with windows media player and the fact that it can store wmas.

The one downside is that although the interface is easy to learn, the touch pad is overly sensitive which can make things difficult.

In conclusion, if you already use media windows player and value your current library, or don't like the idea of being tied down to itunes go for the micro. If you don't care about these factors, go for the player with the better commercials.

ı have got creative zen micro but I haven't got driver please help me alikapucu@gmail.com

I got an Creative Zen Micro and it was way better than the ipod mini (when i tested it out at best buy). It just takes a while to get used to the verticle touch pad. But if yuo go to the "system menu" on the micro you can lower the touch pad sensivity. So in conclusion Ipods are way too overrated and its about time a company can oversucceed Mac corp. Go Creative ^_^

I got an Creative Zen Micro and it was way better than the ipod mini (when i tested it out at best buy). It just takes a while to get used to the verticle touch pad. But if yuo go to the "system menu" on the micro you can lower the touch pad sensivity. So in conclusion Ipods are way too overrated and its about time a company can oversucceed Mac corp. Go Creative ^_^

Ive just ordered a zen micro from amazon for an amazing 130 british pounds which is the cheapest on the net.ipod is 149.wtf were not talking about the 6G version because for the price you can get better mp3s out there.My freind has a mini ipod and its total crap dnt get one watever that guy sez who talks like a chav says. Ive spent a week on the net reading reviews and spec and the zen micro is the best.
yes i am a techno geek. and yes i say go creative if your smart!

very hard to compare~... coz someone else talking bout cheaper brand ,cheaper price ,low budget and sucks function(lousy FM tuner,lower sound quality compare to iPod 6GB ver,short battery life,plastic,thick,sucks navigation button)... and we talking bout quality~,very particular in soung quality,particular in long term use, how can a plastic item compare to metal item... very practicaly just like car, a mercedes car compare to suzuki economic car, cheaper and bit more function ....but for those who really seeking a class,good,quality car,why those people still go for mercedes? this is the diferent practicaly, creative mp3 player low class at all ... can't fight with apple product at all....apple design for us.... apple design for who r seeking quality products.... for me~ QuaLiTy always far far more important than qUantiTy ..

Zen Micro Rules ! I did lot of comparitive study of the two and there is no way I could have bought ipod after that. Ok. Agreed ipod has advantage in looks bcos of 'cooooooooool' factor and also very easy in navigation. But thats it. Featurewise there is NO COMPARISON between the two. Why the hell I should keep on buying accessories for ipod. I am interested in only the package. Zen has voice recorder and FM. I can listen to songs and record songs. I can use it as recorder in any lecture/ meeting etc. Believe me.. thats a very big plus. Ok. I-pod supports addon voice recorder.. but hello.. I have to pay extra for it ! Zen micro 5GB has a free 40 $ battery with it. Thats a big plus. Zen has same or better sound quality that i-pod. After all these.. only and only reason anybody would go for ipod is.... bcos of its looks. I can't think any other reason.

all rite... i read all of the review found a lot information ,(i am on a $200 buget and im lookin for quality and great features), and i just cant find the rite one al of ppl say ipod or creativ.... i am sooo not sure! i hav so many questions... (ill will list them in order)
1. Which has better quality(be honest)?
2. What are the extra features on the creativ? How many are there?
3.Can u transfer from music from a burned CD to either the ipod or Zen?
4. Does Zen hav a rechargable battery? like the ipod?or do u hav to keep buying batteris?
5. If ur on an airplane does it work well? Ipod or Creativ?
6. Does the creativ skip? Does the ipod skip? evr?

well those are all my questios for now... if i com up wit more .. ill ask...
~ Jlil

ps. answer the qusetions ASAP! ill b buying one soon wit my pops so... hurry!!! he is gonna buy one for me so i need to make up my mind!
l8ta chicos/chicas

my email is dreamangl992@yahoo.com not jacky like the one abov

as far as quality goes creative has apple beat. how can you pay the same $200 for min when you get nothing but an mp3 player no extra features. the zen has fm tuner/recorder, voice recorder, 5gb over 4g mini, metal touchpad over the plastic mini's which will last longer, replacable battery for extended battery life, can use drag n drop functions which is easier than any software apple can put out, and more flexible because zen works with more music services than any ipod. ipod can't compare to zen's flexibility.

oh and when my ipod battery died last year i sent it to the factory which cost me $99 and they went there and erased all the songs off my hard drive and i had 6000 songs that i didn't back up because i upgraded my computer hard drive so if i wanted those songs back i would have to pay for all of them over again. with zen i can simply buy a spare battery for $50 and have no worries.

and as for mercedez i've had mine in a shop repeatedly for steering and transmission problems over the course of 5 years. my 1994 honda accord hasn't needed any kind of service besides filter replacements and oil changes. price doesn't reflect quality dumbarse.

I really wish people would type posts that make sense when they are defending a product. It doesn't help their product if they sound like they either don't know English (which would be more easily forgiven) or simply don't care. And the whole "zen micro sucks ipod mini rulz" thing... doesn't say much for iPod except that their marketing has swooped in and scooped up all the kids and teens who just want what they think is "kewl."

Now then. I've had my Zen Micro for 6 months. You couldn't pay me to change it for an iPod. (Well, maybe a couple million dollars. Then I'd keep the iPod prominently displayed in my mansion and sneak out and buy another Zen Micro to actually use)

To refute some of the things that I've seen in other posts:

1 - the lettering is still intact after 6 months. Not sure why that actually matters, but it seemed to matter to one person. I keep it in a case (I made the case - didn't see one I liked so I made one to match the color I got), which helps. Taking care of a device like this seems prudent.

2 - the only problem I had with the fm tuner was in auto-tuning it while I was inside. Once I was outside, it auto-tuned fine. I wish you could scroll through and pick and choose the stations to tune instead of having to do it automatically, but it's not that much of an inconvenience. I haven't used the recorder yet, but once I get stuck on a new song before the CD comes out... and this is probably why you can't transfer recordings to your computer (as far as I can tell). :-) I'm thinking you could get around that by doing a line-in recording on your computer from the Zen, but haven't tried it yet...

My guess about the airplane would be that it would be the same as any radio. If it's not on, it's not on. When you have a radio/cassette player or radio/CD player, the radio isn't on when the other functions are on. I can't imagine that the fm tuner is on when you are playing mp3s, or you would have radio bleed-over in your headphones, kind of like when I use the crappy cheap wireless headphones I bought from Radio Shack - I listen to Audioslave, I turn my head the wrong way, and I get part of a lecture about hellfire... But I'm sure the information could be obtained by contacting Creative.

3 - I haven't heard the sound quality of the 6GB iPod mini, but I can't imagine anyone having better sound quality than Creative. I guess it could happen. But it would really surprise me.

4 - The battery life on the iPod may be longer, but with the removable battery on the Zen, you could buy multiple batteries, keep them charged, and switch them out for longer playing time. I only have one battery right now, but I intend to get another one plus the car charger and Belkin's fm transmitter for road trips. The only problem with keeping the batteries charged is how to charge them unless you plug them into the Micro - I haven't looked in to whether or not someone sells a charger for that type of battery. Creative doesn't.

5 - the navigation/touchpad/wheel issue... personally, any portable electronic device with a wheel on it sends up a big red flag to me. The design is inherently unstable (imho). Dirt can build up in the wheel (especially if we're talking teenagers here), and that type of thing just breaks too easily. The sensitivity of the touchpad on the Micro can be adjusted. One person complained that if they accidentaly hit the touchpad, it would skip a song - well, there's a "lock" setting on the top of the player. If you "lock" the player, you don't have to worry about that - touching the touchpad won't do anything. As for finding things in the player - it's set up like Windows. If you can use Windows, you can use the Micro. It's neatly organized.

6 - I guess the microphone might be useless to some people, but I've used it and plan to continue using it. It's very handy. And I need to get Outlook - the player comes with an organizer that you can synch with Outlook, making it more useful than just an mp3 player (for those of us who are PDA-less). You can also use it as a removable drive. I forget how, but it does give instructions on how to section off part of the hard drive to use for simple storage. Sydney should have one on Alias. :-)

Another plus for the Micro is, as others have said, that you aren't tied to itunes. I'm using the software that came with the Micro simply because I've been too lazy to downoad the drivers for Media Jukebox (J. Rivers). But I have a much wider variety of programs and file types with the Micro than I would with the iPod.

I do wish it had more accessories. Belkin makes car holders for both the Dell DJ and the iPod, but I haven't yet figured out if either would work for the Micro. And a docking station/speaker would be nice, like the one Bose makes for the iPod. But, I generally use my headphones anyway.

So, my recommendation - if you want superb sound quality and technical excellence, buy the Micro (and a really good set of headphones). But, if you're not computer-savvy and you just want something easy to use that's "in" and will make you look good to your friends, by all means, get the iPod.

Is there a cover over the wheel on the iPod? If so, I take back the dirt issue. I still think it would be more likely to break. I have a friend who had hers for only 9 months when she had to send it back and get a new one - luckily she had a warranty...

I was wondering... Just to make sure about this i currently have an ipod mini. I was pretty satisfied with it, but the battery life COMPLETELY sucked (i have the 1st gen mini) but the UI saved it. iTunes was pretty good, and i was happy with my product. BUT THEN, one fateful day 6 months after my purchase MY FLIPPIN' IPOD FELL AND THE SCREEN COMPLETELY DIDN'T WORK OR SHOW ANYTHING....all i could hear was just my music. I have no idea whether i should just get another mini, fix my screen ($100), or buy a zen. Really, from what i've seen from the previous posts, the last option seemed the most tempting. OF COURSE i went to apple. com AND WHAT'D YOU KNOW??? every flippin person was like "IPOD MINI RULEZ" and all that crap, no one recommended the micro. But, that was apple, this should be nuetral. So, anyone have an idea that i should do?

My friend bought a mini ipod like three months ago and it really sucks. The battery life doesn't last more than five hours at the most if it's on constantly, and it's really easy to scratch. Zen is really cool because it has a battery where you can take it out and put another one in instead of wating for it to charge like you need to do for Ipods. I also thought Zen's were cool because you can record the songs you listen to on the radio. You can't do that with ipods. I have also seen that Ipods breack really easily. So..... I'd say go with a Zen....not an Ipod.

I was wondering too... If i were to purchase the zen, ill have to go through a crap load of files and junk to move all of my music to the creative program.... Which leads me to ask exactly how effective is the creative program, and how much of a hassle will changing the files be?

Hi everyone,

I have read all the reviews on this discussion. I've played with the IPOD MINI 4gb and was somewhat impressed, but then I was able to work the ZEN MICRO 5GB and what a difference. I do believe that the ZEN MICRO is a better system, offering more features and better sound. I am an artist and product designer and looking for a computer engineer to backwards design the micro to work with existing IPOD accessories (Bose, JBL, etc.). If anyone is up for the challenge, I have the schematics and information needed to step Creative to the next level.

I waz impressed wit both Creative and Ipod... but i hav a couple more questions (again)I wrote them down when i waz finding information:
1.When you buy a creative or a ipod does it com with a rechargeable battery thingy?so u can recharge ur battery? or do you just have to kepp buying new batteries?
2.Does creative come wit a warrenty?If it does how long does it last?
3.How long does the battery last(without recharging)?
4.What do people mean by" Zen is really cool because it has a battery where you can take it out and put another one in instead of wating for it to charge like you need to do for Ipods"?Does tht mean u dont hav to reacharge the battery?
5.But does creative hav any games like ipod? bec all the toher stuff is not that interesting? does it?

Email me at dreamangl992@yahoo.com(its not 1992 it L 992)

Hey, Im hopefully getting either an iPod or Zen Micro next week. Ive been doing ALOT of research.

Likes of iPod:
1. Easy nagigation of wheel.

Dislikes:
1. Have to use iTunes which 50% of the time has an error and you cant put your songs on.
2. You drop it once and you spend the rest of the night crying about it because its broken.
3. Battery stops working. Now what? Yes send it in to Apple.

Zen Micro seems like much more of a better deal. The only thing im worried about is that the day I buy it, A new mp3 player is going to come out thats like way better and ill be pissed :(

so i got an apple ipod mini like.. 2 days ago.. and thing is.. you have to have windows 2000 or XP.. i still have windows 98. and i was trying to find ways to get the software/driver on my PC. [some people found a way for windows 98 users to be able to install the software.] so my parents are going to return my ipod to costco [189.99 !! who can beat that price?] and my parents are going to get me a new computer with XP once i return it. and then shortly after an ipod mini or a zen micro.

all i need to know is.. what should i get? i mean i know the majority of the people here say 'creative zen! creative zen!' but why? i also had the controversy of picking between an ipod mini and the creative zen when i was buying it.. i chose the ipod mini mainly bcuz of its popularity.. can someone tell me if its easier to put songs on the zen or the mini. and how do u put it.

OH YEAH.. do u guys know if i can put songs from my friend's computer [who has itunes] onto my zen [if i get one] LATERS DUDES

zen micro rules.

battery life rocks, how can people say that it is an imitation of ipod, when it doesnt copy blindly the technology of the click wheel? 10 diff colours, had me reeling frm what 2 choose.

why pay more for style, when it is giving you hell?

GO ZEN

i think the zen is bettter since it has more features like fm radio, and the i-pod is only notest because of the name not because of its service personally the zen has more varity of things like the different colours e.t.c.

IF YOU NEED HELF ON WHICH ONE TO BUY READ THE FOLLOWING.

IPOD!!! FIRSTLY ZEN MICRO EXAGGURATE THE AMOUNT OF SONGS THAT CAN BE FITTED ON THE MP3. IPOD ARE HONEST AND TRUTHFUL WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE NEEDS WHEN DECIDING WHAT ONE TO BUY.
ZEN MICRO IS ONLY MORE UP TO DATE BECAUSE IT WAS RELEASED AFTER THE IPOD. MY GUESS IS THAT THEY GOT HOLD OF AN IPOD AND DECIDED TO COPY IT AND IMPROVE T SO THEY WOULD SELL BETTER. HOWEVER MANY HAVE LOOKED AT THE ZEN AND TURN THEIR NOSES DOWN AT IT AS IT LOOKS LIKE A BAD IMITATION OF THE IPOD. THE FM RADIO IS GOOD BUT YOU HAVE AN MP3 PLAYER TO PUT SONGS YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO ON, SO THEREFORE A RADIO WOULD NOT BE NEEDED. ALSO IPOD IS KNOWN FOR IT'S SOUND QUALITY. IPODS HAVE THE BEST SOUND IN THE WORLD. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS LIKE THE MUSIC IS PLAYING IN YOU HEAD. ZEN IS NTO AS GOOD AND WHO EVER SAYS IT IS NEEDS THEIR EARS TESTED BECAUSE IT IS A FACT PROVEN.
A RECENT SURVEY TOOK PLACES AND IT SHOWED THAT THE COLOURS OF THE ZEN WERE BETTER (EVEN THOUGH IT CAME OUT AFTER IPOD, THEREFORE GETTING BETTER FEATURES) IPOD HAS NOW IMPROVED BATTERY LIFE AND THERE IS NO OBJECTION TO SENDING IT TO APPLE TO GET A NEW AND IMPROVED BATTERY PUT IN. THE PERSON (NO OFFENCE TO HIM/HER) WHO SAID THAT THEY GET SCRATCHED EASILY - THAT'S WHAT ISKINS ARE FOR!!! IT DOESN'T MATTER ABOUT HOW MANY COLOURS THEY ALL HAVE, YOU MIGHT ASWELL GET A CASE IN ANY COLOUR SO IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT COLOUR YOU HAVE. IT IS HARD TO PUT A COVER ON ZEN BECAUSE THE KEYPAD TAKES UP VERTUALLY THE WHOLE OF THE FRONT, THEREFORE, HAVING MORE OF A CHANCE OF GETTING SCRATCHED.
IN CONCLUSION, IPOD IS THE BEST SELLING MP3 EVER AND ZEN COULD DO BETTER IF THEY WERE MORE ORIGINAL. APPLE IPODS HAVE NOW GONE INTO COLOUR WHEREAS CREATIVE ARE LEFT BEHIND. THEY FEED OFF OFF APPLES SUCCESS MAKING BETTER VERSIONS OF THE IPOD, ALTHOUGH NOT SELLING ASWELL.
I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOT ZEN AND THE MENU IS JUST LIKE IPOD WHICH LEAD ME TO BELIEVE CREATIVE HAVE NO IDEAS OF THEIR OWN. THEY HAVE ALSO COPIED OFF OF IRIVER (ANOTHER TYPE OF MP3) THE TOUCH PAD ON ZEN IS TOO SENSITIVE, RESULTING IN PLAYING SONGS YOU MAY NOT WANT TO LISTEN TO AT THAT TIME.
I HOPE THIS HELPS ANYONE WHO WANTED TO CHOOSE BUT PERSONALLY, I GO FOR THE IPOD. ISKINS CAN BE WORN OVER THE COLOUR WHICH COME IN A VAST AMOUNT OF COLOURS THEREFORE ALL OF THE CREATIVES COLOURS ARE NOT NEEDED. IPOD HAVE ALSO EXTENTED THE MEMORY AND BATTERY LIFE ON THE NEW IPOD MINIS, SO ONCE AGAIN OVERTAKING AND LEAVING ZEN MICRO FAR BEHIND.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST ZEN MICRO, BUT IPOD IS THE ORIGINAL ONE TO OWN
THANKS

applezen

Hi, I'm going to buy an iPod mini because I think is better and I think you people shouldn't be talking in that way about it, ok, maybe you like the micro better, but you have to respect other people's choices. That's all I'm saying, everybody has their choices, so don't say iPod sucks, just because YOU don't like it.

I got this info above at http://us.creative.com/products/products.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=10795&CampID=20577

Go check it out!!!!

Sorry....can you delete my other two posts? Thank you.

ipod sucks shit. I don't have either but i have used both and the zen is best. Sure it has the click wheel, but thats it. The creative Zen has more features and the buttons are still in a good easy to reach position. Plus the ipod has shit sound quality compared to other players. Creative zen has a exiting look to it. Have anyone noticed that every thing Macintosh creats looks the same

actually, im still thinking what i should be buying... My mind is like, 70% zen and 30% ipod... The only thing that keeps me from buying an ipod is that i still do not know if it (ipod) can also serve as a storage drive. Well, zen has this feature where i can transfer any type of file from my computer to zen. Tell me, does ipod have the same feature? However, ipod can switch colors, ryt? Would this be the same for the zen? Help me! im so undecided yet...

Help me! Im so undecided yet!

jimmy: iPod cannot be used as a storage device. My sister has an iPod mini..and you cant which is a drawback. I have had a Creative Muvo2 for a year now..and it has worked flawlessly, which means that creative make very good quality players (it hasn't got a scrath on it, and still works beautifully even after i have dropped it many times..), and from what i have heard, iPods are alot easier to break, (several of my friends have iPods, and it is..fragile.) I hope this will help you.
P.S read the reviews comparing zen micro and iPod, and most poeple will agree that the zen micro is the better player.

i'm a complete beginer at the zen micros and i am really confused on how to get songs onto the zen from the computer. i have the software and everything, but the format is really confusing...please help

hopefully someone still reads this forum. any input on phyasical activities while using the Zen micro? Im planning on getting one for Christmas, and I snowboard, which is where I'll mostly use it. I need to be sure its going to be able to deal with being out in the cold and able to handle a bit rough conditions. anyone?

The zen micro is the ugliest thing i have ever seen in my life, look at it its all big and bulky and plasticy, eww. its like 3 times thicker than the ipod and woah it has 10 colors im so excited! no not really, the black is the only good color because all the other colors make it look cheap. the new ipod video with 60 GB, (now thats a good looking mp3 player!) kicks butt and looks way more sleek and NICE looking which zen obviously lacks. dont be one of those ppl who want to be "different" and buy a crappy ugly zen micro, just for the sake of being "different" the zen micro is crap buy an IPOD!

o and the new 60GB or 30GB ipod can hold video, can your stupid sen micro do that?? no. thats what i thought

Well, people definatly have their opinion of which mp3 player is the best. I have owned both an iPod and a Creative Zen Micro. Each have their pros and cons. Technology has adapted itself to fit every lifestyle. Weigh the pros and cons and choose the best mp3 player that suits your lifestyle.

When I wanted style I chose the iPod. When I wanted subscription music service rather than pay-per-song I chose the Zen Micro.

Maybe one day there will be a perfect mp3 player that is customized to every person and comes preloaded with every song ever created and updates the every song ever created database every 60 seconds via broadband which is free and has an excellent signal anywhere in the world. Until then, weigh the pros and cons. Merry Christmas to all.

i loved the ipod mini 6Gb i got it in september and i used it everyday and thought it was brillant. then i woke up this morning and the ruddy thing wont switch on. first, i thought the battery was dead so i put it on charge. its now 10 hours later and it still won't work. i am taking it back tomorrow and am unsure whether i should get another or try something new. has anyone got any suggestions?

The zen micro.. WOW its liek the best mp3 player ever. C'mon compare to the ipod.. their so much better, ipod is only good for wat .. more space for more songs which u cant even get through and it doent have anything mind blowing, but creative's zen micro looks so sexy and removable battery, removable disk (usb drive) and fm tuner ALL of this is what makes it so good. Some people say the clcik wheel is the best but no it's not why? because if u have many songs u have to make circles wiht ur finger over and over again, but for the zen micro, u can search it, or u can hold the down part of the scroll and it will automatically scroll down very quickly, not to mention creative's superiour soound qaulity, it beats all ipods no matter what generation. The only bad thing after usign the zen micro for so long is the easy to break head phone jack, man oh man this breaks in about every zen micro, but once this is fixed by opening it and soldering it back on tightly its going to be your best friend. U guys it's a creative-ipod war right now, and with creative's new VISION M its going to overtake the mp3 industry because seriously.. music is all about sound, and creative actually delivers good sound, ipod on the other hand only wants money.. so you people can decide what u want for chirstmas this year creative products, or tryign to attach yourself to society by fittign in with an ipod.. ZEN MICRO AND ZEN VISION M RULES!!

Hi.
My son wants a mp3 player for Christmas. I was trying to find a god, inexpensive one, because i'm on a low budget. Would a zen micro or a ipod mini be better. He (my son) says he wants it to look cool too.

Thanks!

first off: aka rock_angel you must have never even touched a Zen Micro, and you're just posting because you think you can get your voice heard, and you think people are just gonna turn around and buy the mini just because you typed in capitals and falsely accused the zen of stealing from other companies. Right? You've gotta be mentally handicapped or something, let people decide on their own, and don't be a flamer. Just give your opinion instead of screaming to them what to do. And you think Creative stole ipods interface?? That's retarded. I don't know if you've ever touched a dell DJ or any other brand name MP3 player,, but they all have the same layout [Now playing, music library, settings, etc.].. So next time you post here, be a little more considerate, and maybe use spellcheck you dirty lameass flamer,,

But seriously Ipod vs. Micro is like comparing 2 TV's. they do the same thing, It's just preference

Yea my bad,, lol, I meant applezen,,, sry angel

The Zen Micro Rox! i have had one 4 6 months now and people have been sayin that after 3 months the touch pad breaks! to hell with that idea. mine is still perfect. my mate says that the iPod is better but he's so wrong. so what if the new version has better GB. the zen is sexy and comes in 10 colours. the iPod is over-rated and because of the advertising is normally the one people go for. because it's over-rated it's more expensive too. in the end they both do the same thing but the Zen will last longer and looks better. Rock on Creative!!!

I just bought a Zen Micro and I tried to use it today when I went on a run. It is terrible!!! Every time that I tried to skip to the next song, the Micro froze up and I had to take out the battery, put it back in, turn on the Micro, wait for the library to be rebuilt, and turn it back on. This was beyond frustrating on a run. Plus this navigation is so sensitive, and you can't begin to get around on the touch pad unless you stop and concentrate with all your might to "land" on the right menu item. Ugh! I haven't tried the iPod, but my hunch is that it has got to be easier to operate. But then you face the issue of the incompatibility with Napster to go, which is the best deal I've found. Anyway, we need Creative Zen Micro compatibility with iPod usability.

I think that zen suck but ipod mini aint that good either i have had 2 ipod minis and they have both broken......i now have to ask for ipod nano! i have never had a zen but i have had friends which have they said that they suck too. I think that if zens were up against ipod nano,video,photo than it would be ipod hands down!!!!!!

The new zen micro photo Rules!! Its now a 8gb player with all the features of the original and the photo add on. I also believe its prittyer

Zan Micro rocks.I currently own one. Alot of my friends have apple. I think it suck. Soem of my friends agree and have recently switched to creative. Like the Zen Micro Photo, Zen Neon, Zen Vision and more. Over all CREATIVE RULES. ESCPECIALLY ZEN MICRO!!!!!!

WTF?!??! the micro is WAY better than the crappy ipod!
u people are fukn CRAZY!!!!!!

i just installed my creative zen micro....
and it wont be recognized by my computer
if any of you could tell me how to fix this
creative tech support is unhelpful

Does zen micro use itunes?

I have perused all of the fine input, as well as not so fine. And have gathered that zenism will provide me with feelings of bliss. And as for the ipod, I's and Me's are for more ego based folks..I guess. And, much can be said about the Ego's need to feel secure. Therefore, my world looks for the love and not towards the war. So I'll guess I'll continue with the Zen. May I ask one question? Which of two players will allow one to convert CDs into mp3 files for my mp3 player, with ease? For I hope to place 250 cds on to a mp3 device, in a matter of days.
cheers!
Lukas

I just need to chime in with a "hells yeah" to Taylor and a large smack in the face for aka Rock Angel. Before you go shooting your mouth off about iPod's sound being better than the micro's, go do some research. The Zen Micro has been proven to have better sound quality than the iPod. So maybe it is you who needs your ears checked. If you disagree, go look up the numbers, babe.

OK, well I got my Zen Micro a few months ago and I love it. I got it on sale too $130 dollars. I never had a IPOD before so I can't compare the 2.

Oh yah, I think the ZEN MICRO only recognizes when it is on WINXP with all of its updates because I tried it on my desktop which has WIN2k and it didn't work but when I put the software in my laptop and plugged my ZEN in it worked.

I got an IPOD from a friend and I am very unimpressed. I think my biggest issue is that when I hook up my ipod, all of the music I have in itunes is convertated away from mp3 format to apple's format. Is this an mp3 player or an m4a player? I want my music to stay in it's original format and unless I duplicate my songs or not listen to them on the ipod, it wont.

Does Creative Zen work the same way or does it retain the mp3 format?

ok, 'ray'

how the hell did you manage to get itunes to convert all your mp3's to m4a's JUST by "hooking up" your ipod?

itunes and ipods read mp3s just fine and don't convert anything UNLESS YOU TELL ITUNES TO CONVERT THEM

itunes rips songs off cds you put in to m4a by default, but you can easily go to preferences and change it to mp3 if you'd like...

well this is one of those times when an American product gets beat.. yes the zen has always offered better functionality, but the reason why the iPod is more successful is because of its sheer popularity. people see it, and they buy it. and then other people see that others have it, so they think its cool and they buy it too. it works with anything novel, and so they blindly continue to buy and buy and buy... but if you're thinking serious about a product and want to go for the best, not simply something that everybody is possibly disillusioned about being "cool", Creative is the way to go. they're getting good, and they're getting better.