Creative Zen Micro 5GB vs. Apple iPod Mini 4GB
Page 5
Creative Zen Micro
The Player
Let's take a look at the player.
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If you notice, the touchpad area is not a clear plastic finish that I thought from seeing the publicity photos of the Zen Micro, such as the one below.
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It was a slight disappointment, because the current matt surface doesn't give that polished, refined look that I had hoped for.
Anyway, as you can see, all the controls use the touch-sensitive pad. The only movable parts on the exterior is the Power/Lock switch, and of course, the battery compartment.
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The top of the Zen Micro, with the Power/Lock switch, headphones jack, and USB port. As mentioned earlier, the Zen Micro uses the standard USB port, so if you have an existing USB cable you can use it, and don't have to use the one provided by Creative. Ah, the convenience of USB.
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The side view.
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And the bottom.
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The back of the Zen Micro, which is the battery compartment.
The "breathing" blue glow.
Remarks
The minimalist design of the iPod Mini is what makes it so attractive. The Click Wheel takes away four buttons, saving even more space on the iPod Mini. The iPod Mini is also very slim, and the anodised aluminium is cool to the touch. The iPod Mini also comes with a connector for various accessories, which are compatible on 3G and 4G iPods as well. Unlike the white plastic finish of the iPod, the iPod Mini has a metallic case. The five colours, hence, are in the metallic shades.
Like the 3G iPod, the Zen Micro features touch sensitive buttons, but with a blue backlight. It has one more button than the 3G iPod, which is the "Options" button. The design isn't as minimalist as the iPod Mini's rectangular body and round buttons. Instead the Zen Micro is curvy, and the buttons placement is something that you need to grow into. I was also disappointed that the touch sensitive buttons did not come with a clear, acrylic finish, but are instead a slightly recessed, matt surface. But the blue, glowing strip around the player is just cool, as is the pulsating glow when charging. The Zen Micro come in ten colours, all loud and bold, unlike the pale metallic colours of the iPod Mini. Unfortunately, some of the colours make the player look cheap.
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