Creative Zen Stone: take 1

Recently, a friend of mine brought this digital audio player (aka mp3 player) to my attention. I had heard of the Zen Stone prior to this incident, but hadn't really paid it too much mind. And, after giving it some thought, I realized it deserved more. I believe that Creative could possibly be the most under-recognized and underrated companies in the world. It's sad how Apple's success with the iPod always outshines them, because their products are of really good quality. A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive a Zen Microphoto as a gift from my parents. It had many features that an iPod Nano did not; a customizeable wallpaper feature, a custom eq, a slew of different themes, a microphone, fm radio, and wma support (which was important to me as I used a lot of wma files; how I regret that, as I now received an iPod video from a family friend).

But, the Microphoto is another subject. Maybe I'll touch on it another day; today, I'm talking about Creative's Zen Stone. It's in direct competition with the iPod Shuffle; the question is, will the iPod Shuffle outshine it?

Although I don't actually have this product, I will seriously consider getting one for the future. It comes in two formats, actually; the screenless Zen Stone which has 1gb of storage and is available for $49.99CDN and the Zen Stone Plus, which has double the storage of the Zen Stone and a screen and can be yours for $69.99USD (CDN price approx: $74.60).

I'd go for the Zen Stone as a decent backup digital audio player during times when I don't really need to bring my iPod (short driving trips, jogs, and lawn mowing come to mind). Alas, I would get a Zen Stone Plus, but I don't really think I would cough up $74.60 for a backup player.

Source:http://images.creative.com/iss/images/products/headers/prod16424_hdr_1_6_1.jpg

The Zen Stone could very possibly compete aesthetically with the 2nd gen iPod Shuffle. The Zen stone might not be as small or slim; in fact, it's a bit chunkier, smoother, and rounder (hence the name Zen Stone). But, it still looks quite decent for a digital audio player.

What extra features could it possibly have? Well, it does feature wma support. And USB drag and drop features. But for $49.99, what more can you expect?

It's rated battery life is up to 10 hours, which really isn't too much once you think about it (sadly). It's also missing a clip, as you might see. Another downer, no?

So, this is a barebones digital audio player, much like an iPod Shuffle. But the iPod Shuffle, if I remember correctly, was and is still very successful. All I can hope for is the same success towards the Zen Stone.