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Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 Player Limited Edition - Silver (5GB Internal Hard Drive - MPN: 70PF108000013)
Description: You will never be without your favourite music with ZEN MICRO. Squeezed into its micro-sized casing is the capacity to store an astounding 2,500 songs on its 5GB hard drive, and it keeps your music going for up to 12 hours on a single batte.... Read More Description: You will never be without your favourite music with ZEN MICRO. Squeezed into its micro-sized casing is the capacity to store an astounding 2,500 songs on its 5GB hard drive, and it keeps your music going for up to 12 hours on a single battery charge with its removable, rechargeable Li-ion battery. There's no need to go round in circles with the ZEN MICRO's intuitive Vertical Touch Pad. Designed to let you easily navigate through your music, you can be sure to find any song or data file with ease.Shuffle your songs or albums with the DJ feature, or tune in to the hit songs on the pop charts with the radio. Whatever you're listening to, enjoy the superior sound quality and clarity of a hi-fi that fits easily in your pocket.Not only does it play music, the ZEN MICRO helps you keep your life organized too. The mini-organizer consists of a calendar, an address book and a to-do-list. Keep track of all your business appointments or classes. Sync up your Microsoft Outlook email addresses, calendar notes in your home or office PCs with ZEN MICRO. Need to record lectures, business meetings, or just love the sound of your voice? The built-in microphone lets you to create and store voice memos with the built-in voice recorder.Created in 10 attractive colors and with a mesmerizing blue backlight glow, FM tuner and FM recording with 32 preset stations, USB 2.0 for fast transfer of files and 8 preset EQ settings, the Creative ZEN MICRO packs so much into something so small. Now, whoever said small had to mean minimal? Minimize |
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| Date Reviewed: 12/01/2004 |
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Strengths: Small, Compact, good DJ features, decent battery life, great sound quality, can charge while plugged into USB port or plugged into wall.
Weaknesses: no dedicated volume button (although it is rather simple to change the volume)
Silver / white casing isn't visually appealling.
No fast scrolling feature (more of an annoyance than a weakness)
Summary: Overall, MP3 player is great. The DJ features provide a very good mix of music. The equalizers work very well (although it would be nice if you could assign each song its own equalizer settings - similar to the WinAmp MP3 software).
The user interface is very easy to navigate. The negative reviews about the touch pad being to sensitive are very overrated. My Micro is still set to the default setting and after 5 minutes, I was able to navigate the menus without a problem.
Size of the MP3 player is great. I think my cell phone is bigger than this thing!
The software provided is also decent. It has its draw backs (you can only update songs, MP3 tag info, artists... one at a time) but its nothing that you can't work around.
My one disappointment / surprise is that thus far I've needed to use the software provided with the player to transfer / read files from the MP3 player on my PCs (Windows 2k / Windows XP operating systems - both fully updated). I was hoping to be able to just plug the player into the USB port and tranfer music using windows explorer. Thus far,I haven't been able to figure out if that's possible. This becomes an annoying when I want to grab songs from my friends PCs and i have to wait 15 minutes to first install the software / drivers and now my friend is stuck with the program installed on his computer.
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase and I plan to order 2 more within the next week or so for my wife and sister.
 96% of People (181/189) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 02/07/2005 |
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Strengths: By far the best MP3 player I have come across.
has clip, stand, case included.
Weaknesses: Battery is not lasting anywhere near the 12 hours suggested. tech support is only 9-5, but still beats ipod support.
Summary: I bought an IPOD and returned it in one week. With this player you can delete tracks from the player, and edit playlist on it as well. It has a radio that works great and has a built in mic for audio recording. all the perks that ipod doesnt offer. You can also use up to 2 gigs of its memory to store data files to back up your drive. You cant do that with ipod. Its easy to use (easier than IPOD) and works great with microsoft media player. No complicated programs to load up for transferring music. Its a ibm pc friendly so if your used to that format, it works great and the programs that come with it run well on my computer.
Also includes a nice hard case that doubles as a belt clip or stand.
94% of People (65/69) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 01/19/2005 |
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Strengths: Sound quality, attractive design, FM radio, vertical touchpad, size, storage capacity, start-up time, included accessories, navigation, use of ID3 tags, removable battery, organizer + transfer speed.
Weaknesses: Ran slow the first few minutes, but I think that was because of the cold temperature when it arrived. (below zero F)
Summary: I've spent at least a month researching different mp3 players and, without any regrets, chose the Zen Micro. It's easy to use and the only thing it lacks from the iPod is the games and I would have liked if it supported the OGG Vorbis file format--hopefully it will soon with a firmware upgrade. I prefer the vertical touch pad that is on the micro.
93% of People (50/54) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/28/2005 |
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 It's a cool little MP3 player! It isn't great though. Strengths: I like the sound and the fact that you can use the radio. Being able to record things is also very nice. I like the sleek look and such.
Weaknesses: Durability
Summary: My brother and I each got one a year ago, his headphone jack broke in about a month so we sent it back to the company and got one for free.
Mine lasted much longer, I just got another one from the store, (warranty), because mine started to act possesed. The headphone thing happened to mine, and it started to turn itself on, which wasted the battery and was really annoying seeing as I was on a trip where I didn't have access to outlets to charge it.
It worked fine for the first 11 months I had it, no problems, the software is great, and recordings are amazing, but I caution you to get some type of warranty with the store so you can bring it back if things start to go wrong, because it really is nice, just take care of it.
92% of People (12/13) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/29/2004 |
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Strengths: Small, 5 Gigs, long battery life, touch pad, cool blue glow, dual usage as flash drive
Weaknesses: must lock if in pocket using small power/lock button. must have genre, artist, album info in MP3 ID tag to be useful.
Summary: Overall, I like this MP3 player a lot! 5 gigs is a lot for its size and I'd buy this over the ipod mini any day.
I have a ton of MP3s so not all of them have complete ID tags. I also have all of my MP3s organized on my drive using a GenreArtistAlbumSong folder system. I had to manually edit a lot of the tags in order to use them with this MP3 player since all the MP3s basically get put into a single flat folder. I loose all of the organization that I have on my computer and I must rely on the MP3 ID tags. After taking some time to make sure that all the varieties (for example, Punk Rock, Rock, Punk, Punk/Rock, etc) are the exactly same, everything works great.
The software is OK. I wish i could access the MP3s more directly as simple hard drive in Windows. You may want to Google "NotMad" for an alternative software program. Creative's software has improved over the years but it's not the best.
Overall, I love it and everyone is jealous.
91% of People (40/44) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/29/2004 |
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Strengths: storage capacity, small size, battery life, FM tuner, recorder, great sound, lots of color choices
Weaknesses: none
Summary: I was in the market for a small MP3 player and I was debating between the Zen Micro and the iPod Mini. I ended up getting the Zen Micro, and I couldn't be happier.
Size: The Zen is just about the same, if not smaller, than the iPod mini. Size was very important to me, as I didnt want to be carrying a brck size player to the gym
Storage: 5GB (zen) vs 4GB (iPod). Zen wins hands down. More bang for your buck
Controls: The Zen has a very intuitive touchpad that you use to control your player. Very responsive, and easy to learn.
FM Tuner: This is a great bonus feature. The iPods dont even have this.
Looks: The Zen is very sleek looking. You can choose from 10 different colors. It also has a mesmerizing blue glow around the buttons, and all around the player
Battery life: I'd say the battery lasts a good 10 hrs or so. Mine came with a free second battery (limited edition). Battery charges fast as well.
File transfer: The Zen includes the software that you'll need to seamlessly transfer MP3 files from your PC to your MP3 player. Easy to install and use.
Overall, it's a GREAT little gadget. It's better than the iPod mini, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's in the market for a ultra-small portable MP3 player.
89% of People (107/120) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/16/2004 |
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Strengths: Excellent sound, robust, not failing, good interface, good size (smaller then credit card) and excellent features (more then ipod)
Weaknesses: only 5 GB, expensive, weak on/off switch
Summary: I had this player ordered becasue it has built-in microphone and radio. Which works great. all it's featerus are really working well, it has a very easy interface, and it's a real good thing to work together on a PC. I didn't go for the ipod because it's so MAC-related. The zen micro is an excellent choise if you want to buy an mp3 player+ radio walk man. The size is enormously small... never could imagine they could stick a 5GB HD in there... good stuff, only a bit expensive imho.
87% of People (53/61) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 08/27/2005 |
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Strengths: Compact, portable, easy to use and transfer songs to. I use Napster to Go and this works great with the Napster (Windows Media Player) software.
Weaknesses: The key pad is very sensitive, but the lock function prevents accidental touching. I did have a software malfunction with the player and had to re-install the driver and all the music.
Summary: Overall, this is a great player, and with the Napter to go capability, it's easy to transfer tunes. I use my player in the car, at home, or working out...I'm never without!
87% of People (13/15) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 01/16/2005 |
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Strengths: Cute compact design, every thing you need in the box
Weaknesses: a carrying case for the extra battery would be great.
Summary: It is the best MP3 player I have seen. 5G is big enough for me. An extra battery in the box is great. I have to say the manufacture has put a lot of thought on it. You would find everything you need in the box. No complain about the sound effect. Recommended it to every one who want to enjoy music everyday.
86% of People (19/22) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 12/29/2004 |
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Strengths: FM tuner, nice small size, plays WMA and MP3, 5GB storage, good battery life
Weaknesses: None
Summary: Once again Creative beats Ipod hands down, with longer battery life, greater storage, FM tuner, and WMA support, there is really no good reason to buy an Ipod. I also got the Zen Xtra (40GB) but unless you need the room for all those songs, this product may be better because of its FM tuner.
83% of People (29/35) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 07/10/2005 |
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 During the first few months, it was perfectly fine ... Strengths: compact size, large memory capacity, removable battery, voice recorder
Weaknesses: Just about everything else- freezes, headphone jack has broken, and my computer no longer recognizes when my player is connected to my computer, tech support
Summary: During the first few months, it was perfectly fine... the only problem was the battery life. I only had to recharge it about once every 1-2 days. Then my headphone jack started to malfunction- like someone else has said, you kind of have to push it to the side and wriggle it around to make anything audible. Then my player won't show up when I connect it to my computer to add new music, it just freezes up... but I use to same port for my digital camera and my cell phone, and all of those show up perfectly fine. I've been corresponding with the tech support people thorugh email for a while now, because I've had it too long to recieve phone support. But still, the problem hasn't been found. I know all the other reviews are positive, but take into consideration how long everyone else has owned their players. Its durability is practically nonexistent.
82% of People (14/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/07/2005 |
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 Fantastic for two days Strengths: Amazing sound! Holds more songs than you can listen to. Great package, has everything you need: Ear phones, belt clip, charger, and USB cable.
Weaknesses: VERY FRAGILE - it slipped off the belt clip and died.
EXPENSIVE REPAIRS - a new hard drive is $122. Very dissapointing when the unit is only two days old.
Summary: If I were just a little younger, I would have to cry. My 25 year old son gave me this ZEN MICRO for my birthday! After I pried it from my sixteen year old daughters hands I started downloading music from my CD collection and listening to it with the little (included) ear phones. WOW what a sound! I was instantly addicted. Then it slipped off of the belt clip and hit the floor (can't remember if I was sitting down, or getting up, but it didn't fall from a standing position) It was dead.
When I was trying to figure out what was wrong, I read in the detailed owners manual that you should not jog while wearing this unit! It can't take the vibration.
I called customer support and they told me the hard drive was bad, and it would cost $122 to have them send me a new one.
If it is that fragile, they should have a better belt clip; and with the mark up on electronic equipment, I think they could provide replacement of this very fragile device for less money than that.
I would NOT recommend that anyone buy this, but if you do treat it like a TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR RAW EGG!
82% of People (9/11) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 11/29/2004 |
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Strengths: look and feel, features, compatibility
Weaknesses: separation of data and music; doesn't support Chinese on English OS.
Summary: The look and feel of Zen Micro is like a standard IPod. Very elegant. I don't like the hard edge of IPod mini.
For about the same price, Zen Micro has FM Radio, Voice Recorder, 1 GB more space, WMA support, Outlook sync and an extra battery. It also has a standard USB port for charging and data connection. So I don't have to carry around any special cable or charger.
To my ears, the sound quality is as good as the IPods.
Now the downside:
Zen players use a separated hard disk partition to store data. Only this data partition is accessible via UMS (Usb Mass Storage). Which means, if you don't install their software, you can't access the music partition. (The partition size is configurable on the fly.)
The player has built in Chinese support. But, if you sync a song with Chinese tags from English version of Windows and creative Zen manager, you won't be able to read them on the player.
The virtical touch pad takes a while to master. I accidentally hit "enter" quite often.
Overall, I like this player over IPod mini. If Apple wants to stay ahead in the game, they have to add some real features.
80% of People (83/104) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 04/28/2005 |
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If two days ago you had asked me to rate this prod ...
Strengths: audio quality, size, navigation of menus
Weaknesses: durability
Summary: If two days ago you had asked me to rate this product, I would have had no complaints like the other reviewers here. Then, the earphone socket malfunctioned and the slightest pressure would eliminate all audio signor or only certain channels. I then started reading forums like this one and found this to be a fairly common issue.
The touch pad seemed to be taking a lot of effort for certain buttons, too. Good concept, but needs to be engineered to be much more robust.
71% of People (15/21) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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| Date Reviewed: 01/12/2005 |
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Strengths: Audio quality is great from a tiny unit like this. The same MP3s sound better on the zen than the ipod mini. I have listened to both with the same files.
Size is great, feels great in hand.
Weaknesses: Don't really like the contrast of the screen and the touch buttons are not as intuitive as the mini.
Summary: Overall this is a great buy, i much prefer it over the ipod mini based on style, features, and capacity. It is trully the best mp3 player from creative right now, much better than the larger capacity units which are no match for the ipod itself. But up against the mini, the zen holds its own. I have both, with both units playing the same mp3s. One at work, and one for the road. The one at work i carry in my pocket and for jogging, that is the zen. The mini is now just for car tunes. You can't lose with either, i just think the zen is a better deal once you get use to the buttons, but there is a learning curve for either unit.
67% of People (12/18) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
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