Creative's 4GB Zen media player is a ridiculously good deal at $64.99 shipped.
(Credit: Creative)Creative is clearing out a mess of refurbished gear, including 1GB Zen Stone MP3 players for $13.99, 2GB Zen Stone Plus players for $21.99, and my personal favorite: the 4GB Zen for $64.99. All prices include shipping!
In case you're unfamiliar with it, the Zen is Creative's answer to the 3rd-gen iPod nano. It offers a 2.5-inch screen, an FM tuner, an SDHC slot (for adding up to 16GB of extra storage via cheapo memory cards), a voice recorder, and support for music-subscription services. You can also stock it with TV shows and movies from Amazon Unbox. In short, it's way more versatile than the nano, which is why CNET and users alike gave it such a high rating.
If this sounds like a winning deal to you, don't wait: I'm certain these will sell out in a hurry. If they do, or you've got an extra $19 to spare, you can get the 8GB model for $83.99.
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Creative)
It's a leap-day special: Creative is clearing out refurbished Zen V players for $19.99 shipped. Don't expect any color or capacity choices: This is the 1GB model in white with orange accents (pretty sharp-looking, I think).
There's nothing terribly fancy about this player--no FM tuner or expansion slot, for instance--but it does support music-subscription services. It also allows for line-in recordings, which I suppose is pretty fancy. Perfect little player for the gym, especially if you add the armband (on sale for $9.99). Don't wait: The deal expires today.
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Creative)
That headline is my offhand way of mentioning that Creative just dropped Zen prices: You can now get the 8GB model for just $150, the same price as Apple's 4GB Nano. If that's your budget for a portable media player, which one should you choose?
It's practically a no-brainer: the Zen has a larger screen (2.5 inches), an FM tuner, twice the storage, and an SD card slot for adding even more storage. On the other hand, the Nano is way slimmer and sexier, and iTunes offers a much broader selection of TV, movies, audiobooks, etc., than Amazon Unbox (the main place to get such content for the Zen).
Still can't decide? Check out CNET's reviews: The Zen scored an 8.3 out of 10, while the Nano came close with an 8.0. So they're both winners, but you obviously get a lot more bang for the buck from the Zen. Think Apple will respond with its own price reduction?
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Newegg)
Sheesh, how cheap can MP3 players get?! Granted, the Creative Zen Stone holds only about 250 MP3s or unprotected WMAs (and that's assuming they're encoded at a relatively low bit rate), but for $29.99 shipped from Newegg.com, so what? Toss it in your gym bag, coat pocket, pants pocket, Altoids tin (seriously, it's really tiny), or wherever and listen to your top tunes anytime, anywhere.
The $29.99 price is for a new player, black only, and it includes free 3-day shipping. The Stone itself knocks off the $79 iPod Shuffle, which does have one clear advantage: It's designed to clip onto your shirt, sleeve, belt, or whatever, while the Stone just sits there like, well, a stone. You'll have to pocket it, hold it, or slip it in a case.
Good news on that front: Newegg's offering a free universal MP3 case with the Stone. Alas, it looks like a wool sock, but at least you can wear it around your neck or clip it to belt loops and stuff. Make sure to scroll down to the Combo section of the ordering page to add the free case.
Here's the fairly positive CNET review, just in case you're still on the fence. Readers liked it even better than the reviewer.
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Creative)
Here's a simple math exercise: should you spend $199 on an 8GB iPod nano or $119.99 on an 8GB Creative Zen V Plus? Answer: a big fat "that depends."
The nano has a slightly larger screen (2 inches, versus 1.5 on the Zen), a way sexier design, and vastly superior software for managing music, podcasts, and the like. But for $80 less, the Zen nets you an FM radio, a voice recorder, compatibility with subscription-music services like Napster and Rhapsody, and even line-in recording.
So it boils down to style over substance. If you're in the market for a flash player and want a sexy status symbol, pony up for the nano. If you want more features and a bargain price (Buy.com has the Zen V Plus for $119.99 shipped after a mail-in rebate), get Zen.
It's worth noting that Creative actually has the same model on sale for $129.99, no rebate required, but it's out of stock at the moment. I can understand why: that's a pretty sweet player for the money.
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Creative)
Too late, you missed 'em. The supply of $99 original Zunes dried up over Long Black Weekend, probably for good. But all is not lost: You can still score a 30GB media player without spending triple digits. I'm talking about the Creative Zen Vision:M, which looks like a chunky iPod Video but has a few aces up its reconditioned sleeve.
The player sports a 2.5-inch screen, FM radio tuner, and voice recorder (even the Zune doesn't have that). It supports podcasts and can sync with Outlook. It's also compatible with music-subscription services like Napster and Rhapsody, so you can fill it to the brim with tunes for $15 monthly.
Here's where you really get to score bragging rights over your Zune-toting brethren: The Zen can play movies and TV shows purchased from Amazon Unbox and Walmart. The Zune's pretty much music-only at this point.
The Zen Vision:M will run you $99.99; shipping's free!
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