Creative Zen MX 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Comment: For the money it can't be beat. This is my second Zen. I gave the first to my grandson, it was a 4gigger. This is a 16gigger and I'm thrilled with it's operation and price. I know they have higher priced audio and video players out there and I know the Ipod is a great little gadget. BUT, the price is scary and my daughter had one that never worked right. The point it you can get a lemon at any price. I've been thrilled with the two Zen's I've had and would recommend it to anyone.

Comment: Depending on the service of Creative, this review is tentative. I received my player and it was great. Good quality and functionality. I used it for half a day and then when I went to update it on Creatives' own website, it killed it. The thing never worked again. Wouldn't even turn on. I love Creative products but this is ridiculous. I'm not going to just throw $100 away for a paper-weight. Come on Creative, you can do better than that. I really hope you rectify your reputation by sending me a new one, because if not, I would advise you not to ever go to the Creative website.

Comment: For the spec and money this Zen MX is a very impressive little MP3 player. You can play your music, photos and videos, as well as listen to a fm radio, set alarms, use a voice recorder and set up an organiser, all on a unit the size of a credit card! You can also customize the back screen so it is of a colour you like. The sound quality is very impressive and that was on the pre-set EQ setting, once you tailor it for your own preferences you will be in sonic heaven. The volume range is more than adequate as well. The 2'5 inch screen is fairly decent when selecting your music, but for prolonged photo or video viewing it can be a touch too small, but this is perfect for those snaps you may want to quickly share at odd moments or those you want with you at all times. This has an expandable memory via an SD card and whilst the onboard 16GB may seem too small for some users, this is easily rectified with additional cards; for my main music use this is more than acceptable. This was quick and easy to transfer music to and although it comes with some Creative interface, you can just as easily drag and drop, which is what I did. The battery life is fairly decent on a MP3 of this size and whilst it comes with a USB cable for charging, I invested in a mains charger which was cheap to find here on Amazon. In fact the USB is the only down side to the whole package, it is extremely short and not practical in the slightest. I used an existing cable I owned and kept the MP3 player out of harms way on top of my desk as I transferred music. But as you can see, this is a very minor issue with what is a very adaptable and impressive player. After many years of Sony use and their terrible ATRAC software, I am glad to get my hands on this and can't see myself going back. Overall this is an impressive little player, with decent sound and features and although there may be better units for photos and videos, this is still well worth buying for what it offers all round.

Comment: The ZEN MX 8 is not easy for the beginner to conquer. I bought it for a gift for an elderly friend of mine and loaded "her" music on it. She was thrilled at first as I showed her how to use it (I had trouble even though I have had 2 ZENs for some time).
THE BEST THING ABOUT THEM IS THEIR ABILITY TO REPRODUCE BEAUTIFUL SOUND THAT YOU CAN CARRY AROUND WITH YOU VERY EASILY.
THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THESE PLAYERS ARE THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR USE BY CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. WE "SENIOR" FOLK ALSO LIKE TO HAVE AND USE THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY.
Prob 1: The ear buds that come with the ZEN are impossible to use. I had to buy new ear phones for me and my friend.
Prob 2: If you don't use it continuously it is very hard to get used to the tiny "buttons" that you must push to listen to your music. (Not very compatible with arthritic hands).
Prob 3: The directions suck! Again, written is sanskrit or ant crawl.
Like everything else (cliche) the ZEN is neither all bad nor all good. If you like a challenge and have a little time to learn it's intricacies you will love it. I listen to mine whenever I'm on the computer (every day) and find the time very enjoyable thanks to this tiny music machine.

Comment: Great value - love the long battery life - I can use it all day at work and still have battery life to spare