Creative Zen Micro 5GB vs. Apple iPod Mini 4GB
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Comparisons
| Specifications | Creative Zen Micro 5GB | Apple iPod Mini 4GB | Rio Carbon 5GB | Creative MuVo² 4GB |
| Picture |  |
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| Dimensions (inches) (mm) |
3.3 x 2 x 0.7 84 x 51 x 19 |
3.6 x 2 x 0.5 93 x 51 x 14 |
3.3 x 2.5 x 0.6 84 x 63 x 13 |
2.6 x 2.6 x 0.8 67 x 66.5 x 20 |
| Weight | 108g/3.8oz | 102g/3.6oz | 91g/3.2oz | 101g/3.5oz |
| Capacity | 5GB | 4GB | 5GB | 4GB |
| Battery Life | 12hrs | 8hrs | 20hrs | 14hrs |
| Battery Type | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion | No info | Lithium Ion |
| removable? | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz | 20Hz - 20kHz | 20Hz - 20kHz | 20Hz - 20kHz |
| Signal/Noise Ratio | up to 98dB | No info | No info | up to 98dB |
| FM Tuner | Yes | No | No | No |
| FM Transmit | No | No | No | No |
| Recording | FM/Voice | No | Voice | No |
| Realtime Encoding | No | No | No | No |
| Connectivity | USB1.1/2.0 | FireWire 400, USB2.0 | USB2.0 | USB1.1/2.0 |
| Remote Control | Yes (Asian version) | No | No | No |
| LCD | 1.4" (diag) | 1.5" (diag) | No info | 2-line |
| Specifications | Creative Zen Micro 5GB | Apple iPod Mini 4GB | Rio Carbon 5GB | Creative MuVo² 4GB |
| OS Support | Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP | Mac OS X, Windows 2000/XP | Mac OS X, Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP | Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP |
| Formats | MP3, WMA, WAV | AAC, MP3, AU, AIFF, Apple lossless, WAV | MP3, WMA, AU | MP3, WMA, WAV |
| Upgradeable firmware | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio effects | 8 EQ presets, 1 5-band custom EQ | 20 EQ settings | 5 EQ presets, 1 5-band custom EQ | 4 EQ presets, 1 4-band custom EQ |
| Can use as external HDD? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price (USD) | $250 | $234 | $200 | $190 |
Summary
| Device | iPod Mini | Zen Micro |
| What's good | - Classic Apple minimalist design - Simple navigation - Fast transfer - Works as removable drive without any additional steps - Mac and PC compatible - Sleek metallic finish - Click Wheel eliminates need for seperate buttons |
- Improved interface - Ingenious combination of simple and complex interface - 5GB, 25% more than iPod Mini - Small, curvy design fits in the hand - Sounds great, plus 5-band custom EQ to make your music sound just the way you want - Higher resolution LCD display makes text easier on the eyes - FM tuner & recording - Voice recording - Longer battery life |
| What's bad | - Over-simplified interface lacks advanced functions - No custom EQ - Battery life still needs to be improved - Non-removable battery - Low resolution LCD is disappointing |
- Slow, slow transfer - Removable drive feature requires partitioning and enabled before connected to PC - A lot of features seem copied from iPod - Buggy software that causes both Media Explorer and Zen Micro to hang - Too much hype |
Conclusion
Creative has tried extremely hard to come up with a digital audio player with the "it" factor. And in fact, much of the problems I've found were more the result of the excessive hype surrounding the product, rather than the product itself. Now that Creative has caught up with Apple in terms of software design, for the average consumer, the deciding factor between buying a Zen Micro or an iPod Mini would be the looks. No longer would "easy-to-use" be an excuse to buy the iPod Mini.
On the technical aspect, Creative has added some nice touches. For example, the "breathing" glow while charging, the combined Power/Lock button, and the solution to the Simplicity/Advanced user interface problem. The bright colours are a welcome over the iPod Mini's dull, metallic colours, although this is, again, a personal preference.
I dare say that the Zen Micro is one of Creative's biggest products, and may very well be the foothold to grab the market share from Apple. A version with a colour screen is already being developed, and I can hardly wait for the Zen Micro's successor to arrive.
In conclusion, the Apple iPod wins for the very reason that it is an iPod. We love it for the winning design, proven by the sales of iPods, and the "cool" factor. The Zen Micro, while seeming like an imitation, has several extra features over the iPod Mini. Personally, it would be very hard to choose between the iPod Mini and the Zen Micro. But, being the geek that I am, I think I would go for the Zen Micro.
Apple iPod Mini 4GB: 9 out of 10
Creative Zen Micro 5GB: 9 out of 10
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