Creative Announces Zen V, Zen V Plus Digital Audio Players

[Jeremy Charette]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.creative.com/press/releases/welcome.asp?pid=12557' target='_blank'>http://www.creative.com/press/releases/welcome.asp?pid=12557</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Creative Technology Ltd. a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today introduced a new small and beautiful way to FIND YOUR ZEN - the ZEN V Plus MP3, photo and video player with built-in FM radio. Amazingly small and lightweight, the ZEN V Plus is ergonomically designed so your music, pictures and video are right at your fingertips. So tiny it tucks away perfectly inside the coin pocket of your jeans, the ZEN V Plus has such great curves and contours and is so lightweight that you'll almost forget it's there except for its phenomenal sound quality. Its beautiful 1.5-inch color OLED screen displays stunning digital photos, video and color menus...The ZEN V Plus supports music subscription services including Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Urge, Napster To Go, and Rhapsody To Go, in addition to supporting Audible audio books and pay-per-download services including Soundbuzz. Each player includes a line-in port for direct recording from a CD player or other audio device, and a voice recorder for capturing notes on the go."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/prod15306_hdr_1_6_1.jpg" /> <br /><br />Wow. This thing is a real winner. I can't wait to get my hands on one and check it out. If the interface is simple enough, and it's small enough, I'm going to get a Zen V Plus to take to the gym. Combine this with the URGE All Access To Go plan, and the iPod Nano actually has some competition. Finally! :D

[Jason Dunn]

Wow, that looks cool! Hopefully the price point is decent, and it can kick some iPod ass. :twisted:

[Jeremy Charette]

Cheaper than the Nano, though rumors fly that the Nano is getting a memory boost in the next few months, double the current capacities.

As for the Zen V and V Plus:

"The V will be available in July for $120, $150, or $200, depending on capacity, while the V Plus will be coming in August and priced at $130, $170, and $230 for the 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB versions, respectively."

[ctmagnus]

Those controls must be impossibly small. This thing is only 43.5 x 67.5 x 15.9mm. I'd guess that even an average-sized individual would have trouble with the controls.

[Felix Torres]

Its small enough to look chunky.
Photos, details, and more photos here:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1979575,00.asp

http://us.creative.com/products/products.asp?category=213&amp;subcategory=214&amp;product=15283&amp;WT.cg_n=Campaigns&amp;WT.mc_id=1864

[Jason Dunn]

Those controls must be impossibly small. This thing is only 43.5 x 67.5 x 15.9mm. I'd guess that even an average-sized individual would have trouble with the controls.

Yeah, I didn't realize how tiny this thing was - wow! The controls might be easy to use though - there's just the one joystick and the two buttons, so if they make the joystick easy to use with a thumb-tip, it might be ok. I'm more concerned about the screen size and reading text on it.

[Jason Dunn]

Its small enough to look chunky.

Yeah, it's interesting how Apple has gone tall and thin, and Creative has gone short and thick. I think Creative may have dropped the ball here a bit, tall and thin is the new "cool" way of doing things - look at the Razr. The hottest selling phones are not the ultra-little ones that are hard to hold, they're the ultra-thin ones. I really want to see one of these in person, but I doubt I will for quite some time - Creative isn't very forthcoming with information or review units, at least not to a little site like Digital Media Thoughts.

[Felix Torres]

Its not so much that its thick; half an inch isn't bad at all.
Its just that at 1.5 by 2.5 its really tiny so the proportions make it look thick.
Basically its just a matchbox-sized brick.
Which is probably fine; at least they'll be sturdy.
Can't make them too thin or you'll have flex and bending issues.

Back in during the calculator wars in the 70's and 80's, a couple of outfits (Sinclair and Seiko, come to mind) came up with ultra cool, ultra thin calculators 1/8 of an inch thick.
They looked great.
But circuit-board flex and tiny button issues eventually killed them.
It'll be interesting to see how the market receives these lil things; I've seen watches that were bigger. ;-)

[Janak Parekh]

Yeah, it's interesting how Apple has gone tall and thin, and Creative has gone short and thick. I think Creative may have dropped the ball here a bit, tall and thin is the new "cool" way of doing things - look at the Razr. The hottest selling phones are not the ultra-little ones that are hard to hold, they're the ultra-thin ones.
I think you hit upon it here -- the trend today is towards greater surface area for a more useable UI (large scrollwheel, buttons, etc.), yet keeping the device thin. Creative seems to have bucked this trend for a while. I'd like to see someone release an "excitingly thin" MP3 player to keep Apple on its toes...

Anyway, it's pretty clear the iPod line is stagnating at the moment compared to the stuff others are coming out with. Apple certainly has the momentum to continue for a bit longer in this direction, but they do need to refresh their line soon if they want to keep any semblance of dominance. Now's when it gets interesting.

I really want to see one of these in person, but I doubt I will for quite some time - Creative isn't very forthcoming with information or review units, at least not to a little site like Digital Media Thoughts.
Oh, that isn't the worst of it. Suhit and I were at a press event back when the Vision was announced, and the Creative rep had one in her pocket, but didn't bother showing it to us. :? We mentioned it, but she basically parried the question. A few minutes later, a more visible reporter passed by, and she basically threw the Vision at him. It turned both of us off quite a bit. :evil:

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

Oh, that isn't the worst of it. Suhit and I were at a press event back when the Vision was announced, and the Creative rep had one in her pocket, but didn't bother showing it to us. :? We mentioned it, but she basically parried the question. A few minutes later, a more visible reporter passed by, and she basically threw the Vision at him. It turned both of us off quite a bit. :evil:

That's just messed up. :?