Creative Technology ZEN Nano Plus (512 MB) MP3 Player
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- Number of Songs: 120
- Usage: Music Recording
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Main Storage Type: Built-in Memory
- Storage Capacity: 512 MB
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893
Great MP3 Player For a Low Price
Pros
small; durable; holds many songs; FM radio; low price
Cons
scroll wheel is not entirely user friendly; slow ripping program
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's not perfect, but it's still a very good MP3 player.
If you're looking for a basic but high quality MP3 player for a much lower price than most iPods, the Creative Technology Zen Nano Plus is a good buy. I got one for Christmas over a year ago, and it has been working great for me.
Since I spend nearly every day either running outside or working out at the gym, I needed something small and portable with a decent amount of storage space so that I can have enough music to choose from to keep me pumped up. The Zen easily fits in my hand or pocket, but since its plastic casing has a clip, I usually fasten it comfortably onto my shorts. When I'm done, I can easily fit it into the small pocket in my gym bag.
The Zen stores a pretty large amount of music. I prefer to listen to full albums at a time rather than a mix of individual tracks, and I usually have around ten albums stored at a time, though there is certainly room for more. It comes with software for ripping CDs onto your player; unfortunately the ripping is pretty slow. However, transferring MP3s from your computer is a simple matter of copying and pasting. Just hook the Zen to your computer with a USB chord, and it acts as a normal storage device such as a flash drive. This makes it nice when I come across a download at work or at a friend's house. I can grab it right away instead of having to somehow get it onto my own computer before I can update the player.
One big edge the Zen has over some similarly priced MP3 players is that it also comes with an FM radio. While I'm running, I can check out what's on my local stations, and if I can't find anything, I still have my own MP3s. Not only does the radio function increase the music variety, it is also perfect for when I want to tune to a certain frequency and listen to what's on the television at the gym.
Switching between radio and MP3s is easy once you get things set up. The Zen does not have the flat, easy to use scrolling wheel popularized by the iPod. Instead it has a combination wheel/button that juts out from the side of the player. Rather than making full scrolls to find the function you want or flip through radio stations, you have to flick the wheel one option at a time and then press it in to make your selection. It's a bit cumbersome but easy to get used to.
The Zen runs on one AAA battery. I would prefer a rechargeable one, but at least the batteries seem to last a while before needing replacement, depending on how frequently I'm using the player.
Running at about sixty dollars, I'd say this is a great bargain. It's not perfect, as evidenced by the cumbersome scroll wheel, but considering you get an FM radio along with a decent amount of storage, I'd say this is a great MP3 player for someone who doesn't need the frills of an iPod. Small, lightweight, and durable, the Zen is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a device primarily for workouts. Unless you really want features such as video capability or massive storage space, I would recommend the Creative Technology Zen Nano Plus to just about anybody. It takes a little extra work, but it's worth it.
Since I spend nearly every day either running outside or working out at the gym, I needed something small and portable with a decent amount of storage space so that I can have enough music to choose from to keep me pumped up. The Zen easily fits in my hand or pocket, but since its plastic casing has a clip, I usually fasten it comfortably onto my shorts. When I'm done, I can easily fit it into the small pocket in my gym bag.
The Zen stores a pretty large amount of music. I prefer to listen to full albums at a time rather than a mix of individual tracks, and I usually have around ten albums stored at a time, though there is certainly room for more. It comes with software for ripping CDs onto your player; unfortunately the ripping is pretty slow. However, transferring MP3s from your computer is a simple matter of copying and pasting. Just hook the Zen to your computer with a USB chord, and it acts as a normal storage device such as a flash drive. This makes it nice when I come across a download at work or at a friend's house. I can grab it right away instead of having to somehow get it onto my own computer before I can update the player.
One big edge the Zen has over some similarly priced MP3 players is that it also comes with an FM radio. While I'm running, I can check out what's on my local stations, and if I can't find anything, I still have my own MP3s. Not only does the radio function increase the music variety, it is also perfect for when I want to tune to a certain frequency and listen to what's on the television at the gym.
Switching between radio and MP3s is easy once you get things set up. The Zen does not have the flat, easy to use scrolling wheel popularized by the iPod. Instead it has a combination wheel/button that juts out from the side of the player. Rather than making full scrolls to find the function you want or flip through radio stations, you have to flick the wheel one option at a time and then press it in to make your selection. It's a bit cumbersome but easy to get used to.
The Zen runs on one AAA battery. I would prefer a rechargeable one, but at least the batteries seem to last a while before needing replacement, depending on how frequently I'm using the player.
Running at about sixty dollars, I'd say this is a great bargain. It's not perfect, as evidenced by the cumbersome scroll wheel, but considering you get an FM radio along with a decent amount of storage, I'd say this is a great MP3 player for someone who doesn't need the frills of an iPod. Small, lightweight, and durable, the Zen is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a device primarily for workouts. Unless you really want features such as video capability or massive storage space, I would recommend the Creative Technology Zen Nano Plus to just about anybody. It takes a little extra work, but it's worth it.
