Electronics > MP3 Players > Creative Zen Touch
Creative Zen Touch
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Creative Zen Touch ReviewRating:
Date: 01/03/2005
A close rival to the Apple iPod 20GB, the Creative Zen Touch also comes with 20GB of storage and can hold over 300 hours of music (5,000 tracks of length 4 minutes). This capacity is based on music encoded in 128 Kbps MP3 format (see below for an explanation).
The first thing that strikes you about the Zen Touch is how much thicker and heavier it is than the iPod 20GB. It's heavier than many mp3 players, but that's because of the extra battery power hidden inside. A full battery charge can last for up to 24 hours at 128kbps MP3 or up to 32 hours at 48kbps MP3. That compares very well with the Apple iPod, which can manage just 12 hours between charges. The battery can be recharged either from a normal power socket (using the mains power adaptor supplied) or via a computer (using the USB 2.0 cable). Recharge time is around 4 hours for a full recharge. The Zen Touch is also more solidly built than the iPod and probably less vulnerable to scratches.
The touch pad control of the Zen Touch makes it easy to select files and scroll rapidly up and down through playlists. With a little practice, this is very easy to control. Random play can be selected with one click. The volume control buttons are placed conveniently on the side of the device. The screen is larger than previous Zen models, but not as large as the iPod's, nor as high quality.
The sound quality of music from the Zen Touch is excellent, comparable with a decent home hi-fi system. The stereo headphones supplied are fine, but can be upgraded if desired.
The Zen Touch supports digital music in MP3 and WMA formats. The WMA (Windows Media Audio) format generally outperforms equivalent sized MP3 files in terms of sound quality. The Zen Touch is compatible with Windows-based PC's only.
The supplied software is excellent. AudioSync™ lets you seamlessly update your Zen Touch with the latest music on your PC at the touch of a button. MediaSource™ converts your audio CD's to MP3 or WMA format. Nomad Explorer™ lets you drag-and-drop data and music files to and from your Creative Zen Touch inside Windows Explorer. Alternatively you can use Windows Media® Player 9 to manage your digital audio collection and transfer tracks to the Zen Touch.
Overall the Zen Touch is a good alternative to the Apple iPod, offering solid audio output, outstanding battery life and an FM radio / voice recorder option, at the expense of more weight and bulk. Unfortunately the Zen Touch does seem to suffer from poor reliability. In particular freezing is a problem for some users, as you can see from our user reviews below.
Creative® Zen Touch - style, size, capacity and an extra long battery life make it the ideal digital audio player for music fans. Its innovative Touch Pad supports easy, fingertip navigation through up to 10,000/16,000 songs, while the 20/40GB hard disk can also store other file types for convenient data sharing and transfer. Super-Fast USB 2.0 connectivity ensures high speed downloads, while Creative MediaSource™ software makes ripping simple. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers up to 24 hours playtime per charge and the large backlit display with multilingual interface completes the experience.
Features of the Creative Zen Touch include:
- Innovative Touch Pad for easy access to all functions
- Smooth, slim shape with ergonomic control buttons, backlit LCD and multilingual interface for easy control
- Up to 24 hours playtime from rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Supports MP3, WAV, WMA and WMA with DRM
- 20/40GB ultra-compact hard disk stores around 10,000/16,000 songs or other digital files such as photos, presentations or business data
- Super-Fast USB 2.0 interface for ultra-fast downloads
Creative Zen Touch Consumer Reviews
(105 reviews)
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Displaying reviews 101 - 105 of 105 (displayed in order of date):
Reviewed by arifin from indonesia on 13/03/2005
remarkable..!!
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Reviewed by ronz tha don on 12/03/2005
I have nothing to say expect this is a heavy Mp3 player
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Reviewed by Alex on 12/03/2005
This is really good if you dont mind the size and weight of it. The sound quality is amazing and the touch pad is brilliant to use. It holds loads and loads of songs that will last you a life time. it is a great alternative to the i-pod. Alex
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Reviewed by god on 09/03/2005
so good but a bit too big
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Reviewed by Yusef on 21-01-2005
I have the 20GB version of the Zen Touch, which is enough to store up to 10,000 songs. Who needs more? The Zen Touch supports a range of formats, including WMA. Transferring files from a PC is quick and easy with USB 2.0 and the supplied software. Battery life is excellent & better than an ipod. I only need to charge it once a week. Sound quality is good, although not the best ever, but I'm probably being fussy. Styling is not as cool as an ipod, but all round it's a better product.
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