Creative launches X5 killer?

[b-rude]

Just bought the X5 and I am all in all quite happy with it (was a bit dissapointing that when I connect my Etyomotic earphones to the remote, a clicking sound appears, and I wish there was more editing possibilites when displaying photos, and the movie playing function does not work flawlessly). Then I saw that the Creative Zen Vision: M was awarded best in show at CNET: http://www.creative.com/products/mp3/zenvisionm/

The new Zen got the looks going for it (got the iPod thing going on) and the unit can be directly connected to a TV set for playing movies. Other than that it seems quite similar to the X5. Has anyone compared the Creative Zen series to the X5 and how do you perceive this new Zen Vision M in comparison to the X5?

[bigbabydaddy1968]

I think the thing is ugly as all hell--the Creative DAP, I mean. The specs and reviews indicate it performs well, but it still looks like a prototype for a 1970's toy, not a serious DAP. If it were leaps-n-bounds ahead of everything else on the market, I'd snap it up--but it's not. Besides, the Zen Sleek Photo looks way better and is a great DAP (then again, I think video on a DAP is gimmicky).

[Rancho Gordo]

Does it record?

[HiMDforMe]

i'm pretty sure it does record line in and voice record similar to the X5. overall, it seems like a good DAP. i think it's rather ugly as well, though.

[SaHO_G_]

no line in recording, its a dumb video ipod rip off with "creative firmware" stuck on it. The regular zen vision can so so much more for around the same price. Although the A2 can do ALOT more so pick your choice. So i wont take the vision m seriously other than a wannebe ipod style. Even though our X5's are starting to show its age i still love the firmware and set up for it (for the creatives you have to partition the device then go into "usb mode" before you can use it as a UMS, get tf outta here.)

[dman777]

looks kinda cheap. also looks like a bland hospital white

[afruff23]

It looks nasty. I can't believe it won best in show. What retards. The new Cowon player looked nicer(even though it has that diagonal touchpad which doesn't seem very ergonomic).

[SaHO_G_]

Does anybody else feel that a touchpad is a novelty feature? Its got its upsides and downsides but when i sold that brick of a zen touch to my co-worker he just said "what is this a touch pad? i want it!" The Dell Renegade should've won best in show, THAT THINGS A MONSTER

[Konechiwa]

I don't. I like it, because it isn't tactile (and can't snap off or break off or something). Just press and go. But the only thing i don't like is companies trying to come up with new touchpad designs (+'s? /'s? |'s? how about ><'s or ='s).


Press and go:
:lol:
as compared to tactile, like this:
:moonu:

much faster. But either way:rock: :jamming:

i feel i am :blah:

wt:woh:

:hi:

[CptnObvious999]

Looks not too bad however I trust the iAudio brand for quality built products plus it doesn't have two of the best features: OGG/FLAC support and USB-OTG.

[bhatman]

OK, I tried it out today from a friend for a couple of hours in school and this is what I saw:

DAMN nice screen. It does look good for how big the screen is and the detail is pretty good.

It has recording, and FM tuner, but no line in and has a propritary port like the X5.

The GUI is pretty straight forward and works ok with the controls.

The Controls: hmmm...well the touch pad is a nice touch, and also it has little arrow buttons on the side of the touch pad to move in and out of menus. The buttons surrounding the touch pad are not touch sensitive, and you have to push on the buttons to get a responce from them.

Build Quality: Feel ok, but too much plastic for me. Prefer the X5 metal. Nearly the same weight as the X5.

I didnt try the UMS or the line in or recording so I cant comment on that. Movies look better on the ZVM than the Ipod G5. Thats all I can say for now on the ZVM.

[dfkt]

It's not an X5 killer: it needs some crappy software to put music onto it, doesn't it?

[NoComp]

It's not an X5 killer: it needs some crappy software to put music onto it, doesn't it?
All NEW DAP's that use an id3-tag-browsing-library just need an external software to build this library (besides all ARCHOS DAP's).

I'm pretty sure that Cowon will do the same for all it's DAP's since iAudio-God once mentioned that id3-browsing will come together with the new jetaudio-version-release!

Of course Cowon will hopefully allow folder-browsing as well. Would be really a damn shame if they would drop that!

BTW: I absolutely love the ZV:M's GUI, its screen, the XVID & DIVX-video-support and the touchpad-control,

but I simply hate hate hate the UGLY DESIGN and all this white plastic!

[dfkt]

But with Cowon, iRiver, Xclef,... you have the choice to NOT use any (cr)application to perform the simple task of uploading your music to your player.

With Creative, Apple, Sony,... you are FORCED to use the junk-software they provide.

Personally, I keep my music well organized, I don't need ID-browsing. I reproduce the same folder structure that I keep on my PC, for music on my X5. If someone else likes ID-browsing, that's fine. But that's no excuse to force other people into using applications they don't want/need.

[NoComp]

With Creative, Apple, Sony,... you are FORCED to use the junk-software they provide.
Just because of the fact that all these devices do not allow folder-based browsing.
So it's quite obvious they don't let you drag'n'drop your music, since id3-browsing is the only option and they do not call themselves ARCHOS!

I pray every night that Cowon is going to "copy" the ARCHOS-system. That would be the best of all possibilities: drag'n'drop combined with folder-based- and id3-browsing at the same time! But as I already said, id3-brosing will be surely combined with jetaudio, unfortunately.

[dfkt]

I'm sure Cowon are aware of the fact that they'd lose a lot of their customers if they ditched drag&drop-support. They certainly would not make the mistake for future players to force people to use JetAudio, but give them the choice to stay with Windows Explorer, or use the players from Linux, etc.

(BTW: What does JetAudio look like? ... Never tried it. ;) )

[NoComp]

I'm sure Cowon are aware of the fact that they'd lose a lot of their customers if they ditched drag&drop-support. They certainly would not make the mistake for future players to force people to use JetAudio, but give them the choice to stay with Windows Explorer, or use the players from Linux, etc.
I think you'll be forced to copy your music via jetaudio if you want to use id3-brosing. Using jetaudio all the time (even for folder-based-browsing) would be a disaster!!!!


(BTW: What does JetAudio look like? ... Never tried it. ;) )
Well, it's a very nice mediaplayer - plays all codecs without the need to install codecs afterwards - supports most winamp-plugins - converts videos aso.
But the big drawback is the very bad GUI - just too complex and filled all over with very tiny buttons (even at 1280x1024-resolution). Though it has very nice skins btw.
Also playlists and music-browsing-capabilities are not very convenient to use. That's the reason I don't use it/I deinstalled it again.