Creative Labs Nomad 64 MB MP3 Player

Creative Labs Nomad 64 MB MP3 Player

Product Description
Amazon.com Review
It's hard to believe that so many features could be packed into such a tiny package, but the Creative Labs Nomad MP3 player is one little dynamo. With 64 MB combined memory (32 MB onboard and an included 32 MB SmartMedia card), an FM tuner, voice recording capabilities, and a bevy of extras, the Nomad is a terrific deal in a digital music player.

We loved how ultratiny the Nomad is--it truly deserves to be called pocket-sized. The case is made of a solid silver-colored plastic, and the buttons run down the sides of the player instead of being on the player's face. We appreciated this design, since it's easy to accidentally bump buttons on the front of a player. The Nomad also has a hold button, which stops buttons from activating if you accidentally bump them.

Setup of the Nomad is relatively straightforward. We installed the software, connected the docking cradle to our PC's parallel port, and we were ready to go. Be sure to check your BIOS settings to make sure your parallel port is configured to ECP mode, or the player won't work at all. If you're unfamiliar with how to do this, check your computer's manual and the Nomad's documentation, as this process can be tricky.

The software that comes with the player is somewhat unintuitive. Most MP3 players let you drag tracks directly from your software MP3 player to the hardware, but the Nomad adds an extra step. It ships with MusicMatch, a terrific MP3 utility. You can use either it or another program that you favor as your default player. You can record all your MP3s to MusicMatch from CDs or the Internet, but you can't move them directly to the Nomad from this interface. You must use the Creative Nomad Manager software that comes with the player to transfer files. This makes the process somewhat longer and more tedious. We hope that Creative Labs remedies this problem in the next incarnation of the Nomad.

The earbuds that ship with the Nomad are not the best quality, but music still sounds decent through them. We do recommend that you get a more expensive pair, as it will greatly improve the sound quality.

Skipping from track to track on the Nomad is simple, and you can use the equalizer to select one of four presets--normal, classic, jazz, or rock. The player has repeat, all, and shuffle functions; however, the shuffle function doesn't remember which tracks it's already played, and at one point we got stuck listening to the same track three times in a six-track stretch.

The circular display, while clever, is somewhat difficult to read. There is no backlight, so you can't see the display in low-light situations. Another complaint is that the display scrolls through the track name and artist at the beginning of each song, but stops after the first scroll-through and shows only the elapsed time until the next track starts. The display does show helpful information on mode, battery life, whether or not the memory card is in, and which track number you're currently listening to.

The voice recorder is a great feature that lets you record up to four hours on the player. We also appreciated the addition of an FM tuner. While it's not perfect--it uses the headphone cord as an antenna, which can cause stations to fade in and out--it's a great bonus for those times when you're tired of your current selection. We quickly programmed in 10 presets that are easily selectable in the FM tuner mode.

Despite the shortcomings with the software and display, we were thoroughly impressed with the Nomad. Its tiny size, 64 MB of included memory, FM tuner, and voice recording capabilities make it representative of everything fun and exciting about MP3 players and digital music. Be warned, though: the Nomad is not upgradable to support any future compression formats, so it's possible that the player may become outdated. --Ara Jane Olufson

Pros:

64 MB combined memory

Nice quality FM tuner

Voice recording capabilities

Durable

Cons:

Unintuitive software

Difficult-to-read display

Not upgradable

Product Description:
Creative NOMAD allows you to customize your own digital music and audio content and take it anywhere you want. Mix your favorite selections by recording from your personal CD collection or downloading MP3 files from the Internet, and transfer them directly to your player. You can even add Environmental Effects to your recordings with a Sound Blaster card. Creative NOMAD is also a digital voice recorder. You can use it as a Dictaphone to take notes, record a message to a friend or colleague, and upload it directly to your PC. With 64MB RAM (32 onboard / 32 removable media upgrade card), Creative NOMAD provides one hour of CD-quality audio (or more with adjustable bit-rate encoding) or 4 hours of voice recording. Removable flash card support enables you to upgrade your player in one-step, so you can take your favorite content with you without carrying around multiple CDs or MiniDiscs. That means your NOMAD will function as a complete digital storage device to store and transfer data files between home, work, or school. The CD installation disc and MP3 contents discs are included.

Creative Labs Nomad 64 MB MP3 Player

Creative Labs NOMAD MuVo 64 MB MP3 Player

Average customer rating:

If you want simple - buy this one.
Was great, but is now very much out of date
Worked OK for first year or so
Great for Third World Travel
Very nice MP3 Player

Creative Labs NOMAD MuVo 64 MB MP3 Player

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

COBY MP-C827 MP3 Player w/128 MB Flash Memory & USB Drive
Creative Muvo Mix 512 MB MP3 Player
Creative Muvo V100 1GB MP3 Player (White)
COBY MP-C841 MP3 Player w/256 MB Flash Memory & USB Drive
Creative Muvo Mix 256 MB MP3 Player Blue

Accessories:

Memorex High Performance AAA Alkaline Batteries, 12 Pack
NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player
Targus PAUH212U 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub
Memorex High Performance AAA Alkaline Battery 4 Pack
Memorex High Performance AAA Alkaline Battery 8 Pack

Product Features:

Ultra-compact, 2-piece hybrid player
12 hours of continuous play
Easy connectivity via USB
Ideal for dynamic environments, like jogging or fitness training
Includes earbuds, neck cord, AAA battery, installation CD, and quick-start guide

ASIN: B00006HYWR

Product Description

Creative MuVo is a unique, ultra-compact MP3 player offering fantastic audio quality and data storage capability. It is based on a finger-sized 64MB MuVo Memory module, which can store data files or around 15 MP3 tracks and has a built-in USB plug for direct connection without cables. The memory module fits into a custom battery pack to form the Creative MuVo player, which is about the size of a cigarette lighter and gives up to 12 hours of continuous play on just one battery. It also features a socket for stereo earbuds.

Amazon.co.uk Review

Combining a high-quality 64 MB MP3 player with a compact USB hard drive, Creative Labs has created MuVo, a logical step in hybrid portable devices.

MuVo is compact (about the size of a cigarette lighter) and lightweight, and it stores images, Web pages, and other documents, in addition to your MP3 files.

Installation is a breeze. Simply plug the MuVo into a spare USB port and your PC recognizes it as a mass storage device. No drivers are needed, although the unit does ship with some drivers and a special formatting tool. Transferring files to the unit is as easy as the installation: Just drag and drop files into the player and you're set to go. Once you've transferred data or MP3 files, remove the MuVo from your computer and slide it onto the battery pack. One AAA battery will net you up to 12 hours of power.

One problem we found was that because the unit doesn't ship with a cradle or USB port extension cable, we had to go around to the back of our computer every time we wanted to insert or remove the device. This isn't a problem if you have a USB hub or are using the MuVo on a laptop.

Although slightly more expensive than a mass storage device of comparable size, the MuVo is ideal for those wanting a compact, versatile MP3 player. --Martin Snelling, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews:

If you want simple - buy this one........2007-05-23

I purchased this for my little neffew. This is his first MP3 player. This player is very simple, and non-frustrating for a first-timer. It does what it does quite well, and it is about the size of a pack of gum. However, if you can still find this one (it has been discontinued by the manufacturer), and you want simple, buy it!

Was great, but is now very much out of date.......2007-01-04

This player is too old and not worth the money. Spend a few more bucks and get a player with Gb's of storage space and way better audio output.

Worked OK for first year or so.......2006-03-22

When this device worked, it was great. Small, could go running with it, and I remember excellent audio clarity. But every once in a while it wouldn't work. And I could never figure out why. 80% of the time worked great. 20% of time it really pissed me off. A year later it seems to have completely stopped working. Would probably have given a 5 if the player was more solid and tech difficulties/bugs had been worked out.

Great for Third World Travel.......2005-12-08

I love this simple little player for third world travel. Without having any bells and whistles, the batteries last a long time, which is important when traveling in areas where these might be hard to come by. The simplicity of the controls makes it easy to use at night. Its small size and its simple exterior allowed me to travel confidently without the fear that strangers in the bus stand thought I was holding something valuable. I would recommend this player as an alternative to your Ipod for rugged travels.

Very nice MP3 Player.......2005-07-11

This is my very first MP3 player I purchased few years ago. In two words, I just love this little thing. I visited my country taking it with me, droped it several times and nothing happened to this little machine. I had only one trouble in Athens (Greece), when I could not turn it on, but after Creative sent me an e-mail telling me what to do, voila, my Muvo is back working again. It needed a firmware ...

Yesterday, I ordered from Amazon, another MP player, this time I got me a bigger one. I am getting the Creative MuVo N200 512MB, plenty of music for me since my other one (64MB) is holding only 10 to 12 songs.

Now, if you wish to get a very small gadget that plays good music, I strongly suggest you get a Creative product, I do like them.

Creative Labs NOMAD II MG 64 MB MP3 Player Silver with Docking Station

Average customer rating:

This little thing works GREAT for me!!!
Still working after 2 years
The other reviewers aren't lying. It stinks.
Get To Know Nomad Warranty Service
Read the reviews: This thing [...stinks]

Creative Labs NOMAD II MG 64 MB MP3 Player Silver with Docking Station

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players & Accessories | Creative Labs | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player
Koss KTX-Pro Portable Stereophone
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
Viking 32 MB SmartMedia Card (SSFDC3/32)
Sennheiser HD570 Traditional Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones (Black)

Product Features:

64 MB of internal memory with one SmartMedia card slot
Record from your personal CDs or download from the Internet; can also record voice
FM tuner with 20 programmable stations
Comes with folding headphones, a USB docking station, rechargeable batteries, and an AC adapter
Compatible with PCs and Macs

ASIN: B00004XOYF

Product Description

Sleek, compact and cool, NOMAD II MG doesn't just look good but is built to enhance your digital lifestyle. Dance to crystal clear, CD quality audio for hours without missing a beat. Make real-time FM radio and voice recordings. With the EL backlit LCD, you'll have no hassles operating your NOMAD II MG even on your late nights out. Keep up-to-date with the latest audio technology. Play your favorite MP3 music now but NOMAD II MG is versatile enough to support future audio compression standards and also WMA (Windows Media Audio) management technology.The USB docking station is included. The EAX Time-Scaling supports up to 1.5x faster or 0.5x slower playback speed for voice. It also supports real-time recording from any FM station. The NOMAD II Manager software allows you to manage, access, upload, and download content to your player in seconds. The Creative Digital Audio Center by MusicMatch allows users to encode, decode and archive high quality MP3 files and Windows Media files. It also allows users to convert an unlimited number of CD tracks and compile them according to preferences. The SSFDC (Solid State Floppy Disk Card) compliant SmartMedia flash memory card allows audio content to be swapped with other SSFDC compliant devices without the need for reformatting. The SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) ready device ensures listeners play digital music in secure formats.

Amazon.com Product Description

If you've been waiting for the cost of digital music technology to come down and the amount of memory to come up, now is the time to take a look at the Creative Labs Nomad II MG. This player features 64 MB of built-in memory plus a SmartMedia slot for an additional 128 MB. That means you'll get hours of playing time, plus lots of features and an FM radio tuner to boot.

With digital music players, memory is the key to a long-lasting and hassle-free relationship. The players store music on flash memory chips, so you won't have to worry about skipping or your music degrading over time. Flash memory means you can also record over and over again with no loss of sound quality. But building memory into these chips costs money, and up until recently you were lucky to get an hour of music in an affordable player.

The Nomad II MG's built-in 64 MB memory means you won't have to invest in additional memory immediately. If you do decide you need more playing time, you can choose from SmartMedia cards in a range of sizes and prices. The tiny cards easily slide into the back of the player and require no configuration or extra power to use (check out our selection of SmartMedia cards).

With the rapid pace of technological developments, Creative Labs has also made the Nomad II MG upgradeable using software that can be downloaded from their Web site. Creative Labs also complies with Digital Rights Management, which means that, to prevent copyright violations, you cannot upload certain files from your player to another device.

Linking your Nomad II MG to your computer is easy using the included docking station. The USB interface means you'll spend only seconds downloading files, using either MP3 or Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats. Turning your CDs into digital audio files is simple with the included Creative Digital Audio Center software.

If you do get tired of your playlist, the Nomad II MG allows you to switch at the touch of a button to FM radio. The player's 32 station presets save time fiddling with the tuner and you can even record from the radio with the player's built-in microphone. The microphone can also be used to record memos or conversations at one of two speeds. A 64 MB SmartMedia card will hold up to four hours of voice recording.

You can view track information on the LCD display, which is backlit for easy viewing in dim light. The Nomad II MG runs for up to 10 hours on two AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, and comes with a case.

For an affordable and versatile introduction to the world of digital music, you can't beat the Nomad II MG.

Customer Reviews:

This little thing works GREAT for me!!!.......2002-09-05

I've been using the Nomad 2 MG for over a year, now. When I first tried to install the software, I had some problems with the docking cradle not seeing the player. I was suspicious that it had problems with my computer hardware (motherboard, etc.). When I tried the installation on another computer, everything worked great! Shortly afterwards, I replaced that original system with a faster one and the software works fine, now, as a matter of fact, the files just FLY to the player!

I take that MP3 player with me on rough mountain bike rides, snowboarding, running, commutes to work, and (sometimes) while I'm at work. I've dropped it numerous times, but still I have had NOT ONE SINGLE PROBLEM with it, yet. My cradle has not broken- maybe I'm just lucky. For those who have none functioning cradles, there are updated drivers online for free- that could solve some of your problems. Admittedly, I have deleted a song or two, because of poor button placement, but if you're capable of learning, you're not going to do that more than a few times, at best.

For the price and the performance, this unit ROCKS! With its capabilities to expand to the 128MB card, that's a lot of songs! Get this MP3 player! It's totally worth it!

Still working after 2 years.......2002-08-08

Felt I had to add this after reading all these reviews. I got my II MG over 2 years ago and it still works fine. Only problem is the display sometimes flickers on and off, but if you tap it it comes back. I use this for the gym, travel and in my car. I've dropped it numerous times and gotten it wet and it still works fine. I have deleted songs accidently as others seem prone to as well, and agree button placement was poor. Overall this player has been great, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Creative product.

The other reviewers aren't lying. It stinks........2002-07-03

I owned this player for about 5 months before its cradle stopped functioning. There are two main faults with it that lead me to advise against this MP3 player.

The first is its poor design. All of the function buttons are located along its sides. In order to hold the thing in any natural and comfortable way, your fingers have no other place to go except over the ultra-sensitive function buttons. The slightest change in pressure will activate any button you are touching. You'll find yourself accidently pausing, stopping or (worst of all) DELETING a song as it is playing very often unless you adopt the incredibly annoying practice of locking the buttons whenever you aren't using them. But unlike some other players, this also locks the volume button- which means you'll spend lots of time unlocking-changing volume-locking-unlocking-skipping a song-locking. Ugh.

And why any designer would put a one-touch delete button right near your general function buttons is beyond me. Make sure you memorize the layout of the buttons, because it absolutely stinks to delete a song when you just wanted to pause it and there is no second chances once you hit the extremely innocuous and sensitive delete button.

The second drawback of this player is how often it seems to break inexplicably. My player is fine, but if I want to use it anymore I'll have to get a new cradle. My cradle just decided to stop functioning one day. It wasn't jostled or banged around, it wasn't dusty or submerged in soda- nothing. I'd chock it up to bad luck if I hadn't gone on the web the next day and found dozens of unsolved breakages involving this player and its cradle.

This unit is slick looking and tiny, but not worth the trouble. Look elsewhere for your MP3 player needs. You can do much better.

Get To Know Nomad Warranty Service.......2002-06-26

I formerly owned a Nomad II, which broke after about a year. I then purchased a Nomad II MG, which I had to return because the charging cradle didn't function. I purchased another one, and that one stopped working after about thirty days. I would steer clear of this frail product.

(P.S. Why would anyone with an IQ higher than a chimp buy three of these things? I couldn't find another one with expandable memory and an FM tuner).

Read the reviews: This thing [...stinks].......2002-06-16

Even if it didn't have chronic defects, the Nomad II MG is poorly designed. It comes with a protective leather carrying case that (1) can't be clipped or attached to anything and (2) doesn't provide an easy way to access any of the buttons on the unit. I ended up taking scissors to my leather case to make it slightly usable.

The buttons are located on the sides of the unit, where most people usually grab the unit. This results in frequent accidental button presses.

A couple of months after I got mine, I had the battery-clip problem that others have described. It was easily fixed with aluminum foil, but honestly, battery clips have been manucatured for decades without much problem; why is it such a recurring problem here?

Finally, after a little over a year of use, my docking station isn't acknowledging that the unit is docked. Therefore I can neither recharge the unit nor change the songs. The player is now useless to me.

Product Description

With the versatility of removable flash memory, you can enjoy your favorite MP3 and WMA digital audio anytime, anywhere with NOMAD IIc compact digital audio player. NOMAD IIc offers voice recording, upgradeable technology, and plenty of features designed specifically for your active lifestyle. NOMAD IIc supports standard MP3, WMA, and WAV digital audio formats and it is geared for access to future audio formats, too. SDMI-compliance offers standards support and potential access to label-released content. Upgradeable technology allows new features and enhancements to be downloaded to it when available. With NOMAD IIc, you can keep up with the ever-evolving world of digital music and be on the cutting edge of digital audio technology.

Customer Reviews:

Great Little MP3.......2007-02-28

This was the first MP3 player I ever had gotten. I got it at a bargin price, so I figured, "let's just see how good can it be?" It turned out to be wonderful for the price, and size, and ease of use! Yes, as is it only holds a small amount or songs. BUT, you do have the ability to upgrade to double or triple the amount with a Smart Card. Why not, for this low price. The sound is wonderful also. For this price, buy it, it's worth it. I do slao now own a Creative Zen Micro. I still use the Nomad for hard trail stuff, it is worth it!

Only get this if you want one album of songs on here!.......2006-06-13

I wish I made a better choice when I gave my father my christmas list with this on here. I should of known that 64MB only holds about 25 songs. I have 42 CD which is 566 songs on them. That 13.5 songs per album.The headphones don't last over six months, you're always buying batteries like crazy and sometimes the little thing lock up on you. I have drop this thing like crazy so many time that I have to give it some time to play again. The next on I'm getting will be between 1-4GB which is 250-1000 on mp3 fomat!

This is ridiculous.......2005-12-05

I live in the mountains of North Carolina and engage in many fun wilderness activities, and I was thinking that I would need a nice, simple mp3 player to suit my needs.

This mp3 player has 64 megabytes of space. It is horrible.

512 mb = 120 songs
256mb = 60 songs
128 mb = 30 songs
64 mb = 15 songs

That's ABOUT what the sizes are. I can't even fit a whole King Crimson CD on it. Hell, I can't even fit a whole King Crimson SONG on it. How bad is that?

Either way, no matter who you are, you don't need this thing. Hell, it's 100 dollars anyway. Buy some other mp3 player that has more space and get happy. Go for a Creative Zen or something.

Jesus.

And don't talk to me about "upgrade cards" because those are even more retarded.

1/5 stars

Great Design/Sound/Durability.......2005-08-04

I bought my Nomad IIC when it first came out years ago. It is now beaten up from bouncing down the Mt Bike trails or flipping off the elastic band of my running shorts and hitting the street. That it still works is amazing! I have really used this player nonstop...and now enjoy podcasts with it!

It is so easy to change volume...FF...RW...skip, etc. All buttons you need...right there and easy to access.

I have sampled the newer Creative sports type version and it's sound did not compare. Tried Rio's newer players too. The ipod is the only one that may have a slight edge.

This unit should go into the Flash MP3 Hall of Fame!!!

Terrific Player-Great Quality.......2004-08-06

I received this player Christmas 2002 and was skeptical before opening it, as I had been previously searching for an mp3 player and had one in mind. Finally, after much thought, I decided to open the package and use the player. It was incredibly easy to use the player, considering I had no prior training. I could store a decent amount of music in the player(about 20-25 songs, depending on length), but still decided to buy a 128mb Smartmedia card(Good Investment). The memory card then allowed me to store approximately 45-50 songs. The player was also incredibly durable, considering i carried it in my pocket most of the time, and it survived a few light drops.
Now, if you are observant, you've probably noticed i've written this in past tense. The player was stolen from me by my brother's friend right off my kitchen table! I, as anyone would be, was very angry, and to add insult to injury she moved the next week!
I would, however, highly recommend this player to anyone looking for a decently priced, highly upgradeable mp3/digital music player.

Average customer rating:

Limitations
Great Deal
Hot and Cold...
great value, poor reliability
Extremely Satisfied for the money

Creative Labs Nomad 64 MB MP3 Player

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players & Accessories | Creative Labs | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player
Koss KTX-Pro Portable Stereophone
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
SanDisk 16 MB SmartMedia Card (SDSM-16-490)
Viking 32 MB SmartMedia Card (SSFDC3/32)

Product Features:

Record your favorite songs from your personal CD collection or the Internet
Nonmechanical operation for skip-free, continuous playback
Combined 64 MB RAM (32 MB onboard, 32 MB on removable media)
Includes FM tuner and voice-recording capabilities
LCD song title readout

ASIN: B00004NL3A

Amazon.com Review

It's hard to believe that so many features could be packed into such a tiny package, but the Creative Labs Nomad MP3 player is one little dynamo. With 64 MB combined memory (32 MB onboard and an included 32 MB SmartMedia card), an FM tuner, voice recording capabilities, and a bevy of extras, the Nomad is a terrific deal in a digital music player.

Pros:

64 MB combined memory
Nice quality FM tuner
Voice recording capabilities
Durable

Cons:

Unintuitive software
Difficult-to-read display
Not upgradable

Amazon.com Product Description

Creative Nomad allows you to customize your own content and take it along with you for travel or workout. Mix your favorite selections by recording from your personal CD collection or downloading MP3 files from the Internet--and transfer them directly to your player.

Creative Nomad is also a digital voice recorder. You can use it to take notes or to record a message to a friend or colleague and upload it directly to your PC. The Creative Nomad 64 MB version comes with a fully functional digital FM tuner for live music, news, or sports from your favorite radio channels.

With 64 MB RAM (32 MB onboard and 32 MB in a removable media upgrade card), Creative Nomad provides one hour of CD-quality audio (or more with adjustable bit-rate encoding) or four hours of voice recording. Removable flash card support enables you to upgrade your player in one step so you can take your favorite content with you without carrying around multiple CDs or minidiscs. Digital storage means your Nomad will function as a complete digital storage device; store data files to take to home, work, or school.

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

Limitations.......2002-11-04

I recently got a Creative Nomad MP3 player, and after installing the Nomad Manager Software, I get an error message ¨Docking Station not conected¨.
The parallel cable is properly connected.
I actually have Windows 2000 and the software that comes with the mp3 player, says that it is for Windows 95 98.
I have looked in Creative's Web page and there are no drivers for windows 2000, I also change the Bios settings as the setup instructions manual refers. With no results .

Great Deal.......2001-04-04

I have spent about 2 weeks researching all MP3 players on the market, and I have come to the conclusion that this one is the best for the price at this time. It is made by an extremely reliable company, and comes with a flury of features.

Total included memory: 64 MB Approximate playback time: 60 minutes Onboard memory: 32 MB Included memory cards: 1 32 MB SmartMedia Compatible memory type: SmartMedia Number of expansion slots: 1 MP3 playback: Yes WMA playback: Yes LCD Display FM tuner Voice recording Battery status display Random play Repeat: One track, all tracks Forward/reverse: Yes Hold: Yes Preset EQ curves: Normal, classic, jazz, and rock Bass boost: Yes AC adapter: Yes Car adapter: No Carrying case: Included Batteries: 2 AAA (rechargeable NiMH, included) Headphones: Yes Bundled software: Creative Nomad Manager, MusicMatch Interface: Parallel (supporting ECP mode) Battery life: 9 hours Weight: 2.26 ounces

At this price who can pass it up!

Hot and Cold..........2000-06-27

I received this mp3 player with high regard. I had read all the reviews and this player really looked like the best all other available models for the price. It comes with rechargeable batteries and a charger as well as 64 total MB of storage. These are both great features. However, the data is transferred from the computer to the mp3 player via a serial or printer port. I could never get the Nomad configured to work properly with my brand new system. After calling Tech Support (Long Distance) they still could not fix my problem. Luckily, I had a laptop which happened to work perfectly with the Nomad. Using this I was able to transfer songs and actually use the mp3 player, for which the sound quality was great and the features were exceptional. Yet, I noticed another 'problem.' The songs I had placed on the SmartMedia section of memory were not properly being erased. Everytime I tried to format it, it would still have the reminants of two older songs left on the card, in plain terms my SmartMedia card was corrupt. I had to send my Nomad back but I do miss my portable Mp3 ability. The player is lightweight, easily stored and sounds awesome. Sadly, the portable mp3 market is limited right now and I believe I'll wait a while before I invest in this technology again.

great value, poor reliability.......2000-06-26

On the surface, this looks like a great player at a great price---and it is. However, soon after I bought mine the flash card started causing me problems. Within a few days the flash card failed to work anymore, thus leaving me with only 32MB to work with. When I called Creative Labs they didn't seem to care at all about my difficulties, and actually tried to blame Amazon for the problem. To the contrary Amazon helped me greatly and I ended up exchanging the Nomad for a Rio player, which I'm very happy with. Also, if you plan on using your player while exercising/working out, be forewarned that this product DOES NOT have a belt clip, thus making it almost impossible to use while exercising. Of course, Creative labs does offer a leather carrying case/belt clip for $30---a rip off if you ask me. Overall, I would stay away from this product. If you do choose to buy it, remember to add $30, the cost of a belt clip, to the total price. The player is no good without it. I mainly give this product such a poor rating becuase of the terrible customer service I recieved from Creative Labs. However, I thank Amazon for helping to remedy the situation.

Extremely Satisfied for the money.......2000-06-15

I was very apprehensive about buying a MP3 player for a long time and finally bit the bullet 3 weeks ago and bought this one. I am so disappointed I did not buy one earlier. This little machine is great. It has a decent FM receiver and a voice recorder that can be very useful when you need to remember something and can't write it down(I have used this a few times already). But, the reason you buy this is for the MP3 files it plays. The sound is terrific and the machine gives you a choice of 4 different equalizer settings. I have found that for my musical tastes, the Classical setting work best, but then again, you may find differently. I was suprised by the durability of this little unit. I am not saying to throw it all over the place, but I am not easy on anything and this machine is doing just fine. For the amount of money I paid for this($150), it is a very solid machine to own. Especially when I check out some of my friends more expensive MP3 players, I feel I got a real bargain in the deal. I definitely endorse this product. It's positives definitely outweigh those negatives(no backlight, no AM band, etc..)

Creative Labs NOMAD II 64 MB MP3 Player Pearl

Average customer rating:

Poor Quality
Not worth it
BADBADBAD
Stay away from this Company products, no customer support.
Terrible Customer support when things go bad...

Creative Labs NOMAD II 64 MB MP3 Player Pearl

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players & Accessories | Creative Labs | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Koss KTX-Pro Portable Stereophone
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
SanDisk 16 MB SmartMedia Card (SDSM-16-490)
Viking 32 MB SmartMedia Card (SSFDC3/32)
SanDisk 32 MB SmartMedia Card

Product Features:

USB connection offers faster transfer rates and ease of connectivity
64 MB SmartMedia card allows hours of CD-quality audio or voice recordings
Built-in FM tuner stores up to 32 preset stations
Large icon-based LCD screen with backlight for easy viewing in any environment
Upgradable to support multiple digital-audio formats and future software extensions

ASIN: B00004WHW2
Release Date: 2000-08-14

Product Description

Creative NOMAD allows you to customize your own digital music and audio content and take it anywhere you want. Mix your favorite selections by recording from your personal CD collection or downloading MP3 files from the Internet, and transfer them directly to your player. You can even add Environmental Effects to your recordings with a Sound Blaster card. Creative NOMAD is also a digital voice recorder. You can use it as a Dictaphone to take notes, record a message to a friend or colleague, and upload it directly to your PC. The NOMAD II is upgradeable. Its reprogrammable firmware is designed to support multiple digital audio formats and software extensions. NOMAD II is flexible enough to support future audio compression standards and also WMA (Windows Media Audio) management technology. It incorporates large, icon-based LCD screen with backlight for easy viewing in any environment. Wired remote control gives quick access to playback controls during extreme activity. NOMAD II Manager Software allows you to manage, access, upload, and download content to your NOMAD II player in seconds. The famed Creative Digital Audio Center by MusicMatch allows users to encode, decode and archive high quality MP3 files and Windows Media files. It also allows users to convert an unlimited number of CD tracks and compile them according to preferences. SSFDC (Solid State Floppy Disk Card) compliant SmartMedia flash memory card allows audio content to be swapped with other SSFDC compliant devices without the need for reformatting. The NOMAD II is an SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) ready device and ensures listeners play digital music in secure formats.This bundle also includes 64 MB of off-board memory (SmartMedia Card).

Customer Reviews:

Poor Quality.......2003-02-08

This item was dead out of the box for me. Look elsewhere. Normally, Creative Labs has great quality. Not this time.

Not worth it.......2003-02-06

This MP3 player did not live up to my expectations. It constantly jammed; meaning that I had to take the battery out to change a radio station or even move on to the next song. Also, setting radio pre-sets was complicated. Mine actually died only 9 months after purchase. Not exactly the longest living MP3 player.

BADBADBAD.......2002-12-10

I bought this mp3 player and really didn't like it. I don't waqnt anyone else to be tricked into buying it.

Stay away from this Company products, no customer support........2002-11-25

Stay away from this Company products, no support no real solution to customer when you need it. After 6 months of playing their NOMAD II device suddenly stopped working. Problem? The products Software simply will not transfer any song file to its device (Can't talk to the device PERIOD). After nine months of sending support enquiries back and forth trying all of their excruciatingly time-consuming steps, support concluded the NOMAD II device itself is bad (DUH!)and asked for repair charges so they can repair it. I sent the item for repair with their fees, and a month later it came back exactly as it was before. It appears their RMA/Repair department made no changes what so ever to fix the problem. Their note says "This device may have been repaired". I spent another crazy weekend trying to Unload an reload all of their Softwares and Firmare following all their web support instructions and manuals to reset the device and reload all in vain. (How can a device work if the USB connection or firmware has a communication problem in itself?).
Being a EE pro myself, my conclusion- there is apparently a bug/flaw in Creative Play Center Software which may require fix in either in the PlayCenter or in their device firmware for NOMAD II but eitherway the suport won't relay that to engineering nor they will fix it nor they will replace the product. The NOMAD II is in trash now.
A complete waste of time for the past nine months trying to figure out a hardware/USB connection problem with their Creative Software and Firmare. The device can format which means it can delete all songs that means USB connection is working but the Playcenter software (Any version from v1.x to the recent one v.3.52.x, simply can't communicate with the device any longer.

Do yourself a favor and save your time and money.

Terrible Customer support when things go bad..........2002-06-15

I bought this less than 2 years ago off of Amazon. Everything worked well for the first few months but then in january (4 months after i bought it....one month after warranty)...the sound started to break up and I could only hear out of one ear of the headphone. I decided to call to find out what to do. First off, there is NO toll free number to call so you have to pay for the call which I had to wait 45 mins to finally get someone:-/ Next, I found out that since it was after the warranty I had to pay for both ways of shipping as well as an excess fee for them to "fix it". Deciding I needed it fixed, I sent it back...and was told that I "may" have to pay an extra 77 dollars to replace the unit. At this point, I was pretty angry. So finally I get it back...4 weeks after the whole process began. They never did fix the problem...and now it's always crackly when listening to music. I would not recommend this to anyone...terrible product, terrible customer support! I will not go Creative Labs next time!

Creative Labs NOMAD II MG 64 MB MP3 Player Blue with Docking Station

Average customer rating:

Blaster Disaster
Item listed was not available (substitute was suggested)
A Rocky Start, But An Awesome Player
Cheap components make a cheap finished product
Great unit, if it doesn't break on you!

Creative Labs NOMAD II MG 64 MB MP3 Player Blue with Docking Station

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players & Accessories | Creative Labs | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player
Koss KTX-Pro Portable Stereophone
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
Viking 32 MB SmartMedia Card (SSFDC3/32)
Sennheiser HD570 Traditional Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones (Black)

Product Features:

64 MB of internal memory with 1 SmarkMedia card slot
Record from your personal CDs or download from the Internet; can also record voice
FM tuner with 20 programmable stations
Comes with folding headphones, a USB docking station, rechargeable batteries, and an AC adapter
Compatible with PCs and Macs

ASIN: B00004XOYC

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

With the rapid pace of technological developments, Creative Labs has also made the Nomad II MG upgradeable using software that can be downloaded from their Web site. Creative Labs also complies with Digital Rights Management, which means that, to prevent copyright violations, you can't upload certain files from your player to another device.

Linking your Nomad II MG up to your computer is easy using the included docking station. The USB interface means you'll spend only seconds downloading files, using either MP3 or Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats. Turning your CDs into digital audio files is simple with the included Creative Digital Audio Center software.

For an affordable and versatile introduction into the world of digital music, you can't beat the Nomad II MG.

Customer Reviews:

Blaster Disaster.......2003-06-22

Once upon a time, a boy bought a Nomad II MG player and he was rightly happy. He had just obtained a piece of technology that would hopefully give him countless hours of crystal clear music and many excellent features.

Then one day things started to go wrong...

After purchasing the docking station to accompany this cool MP3 player (which took several weeks to order in as the boy lived in the Middle East where it wasn't in stock) he quickly took it home to try it out. It didn't work. So he took it back to the shop where, thus was the staff's confidence in the product, they proceeded to plug it into every power outlet available (into which their own devices were plugged and working perfectly) to ensure that it wasn't the fault of the socket - alas to no avail.

Finally they conceded there was a problem so the docking station COMPLETE WITH THE PLAYER had to be sent to Singapore for a 3 month warranty draining vacation during which the boy had no use of the player.
It came back apparently working fine.
A while later the unfortunate boy noticed some annoying background noise during operation and so the player had to be handed in for repair again. This time they managed to fix it without sending it to Singapore and for that the boy was grateful.

HOWEVER

Not long after THAT the docking station again stopped functioning correctly and the boy was informed that it would again have to be sent to Singapore this time at his own expense!

---

I have written to Creative America, Asia and Europe and the management here in Dubai. NOTHING positive or helpful has been done. During the player's globetrotting I had no use of it and whilst it was working I NEVER used it in any strenuous situation. It was never mistreated and yet it still broke. How can this be called, "Music on the Go"? I propose a change to the more honest, "Fuzzy noise on the Go" as anything else is basically false advertising.

Yes the warranty has expired but only because it spent three months of its warranty period in Singapore. I have not been shown any kind of empathy and I recommend that people rethink before purchasing. Companies like IRiver offer SUPERB MP3 players (Several of my friends have purchased them).
I do not expect to pay the kind of money I paid and be told that I'll have to dish out more money in order to get it fixed. If Creative had their way, my MP3 player would soon rack up more air miles than I have.
On principle I'd rather throw it away and buy a new device from another company even if it cost more than the proposed repairs.

Though this is only one person's tale of woe, my point is this:

With a big company like Creative, some products will inevitably have problems. Some customers such as myself may even be unfortunate enough to experience several problems. I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is the complete lack of customer care and the non-existent technical support I have been offered. Creative America and Europe wrote back immediately saying I was not under their jurisdiction. Creative Asia have not written back 3 weeks down the line.

They like to waste your time at Creative.

HIT THE BACK BUTTON AND BUY SOMETHING ELSE!

Item listed was not available (substitute was suggested).......2002-05-08

I was looking forward to the blue product and paid for expedited shipping, but was informed by the seller that only silver was available until the middle of next week. I would be cautious about this seller because inventory needs to be more accurate.

A Rocky Start, But An Awesome Player.......2002-01-02

I received my Nomad as a christmas gift, though it didn't work right out of the box. After calling Creative a few times, I finally got through(If you have to call them make sure to call about 15 mins before they close because you have to answer a bunch of questions). They told me that the rechargeable batteries that came with the player might have been totally dead. So I tried putting some normal alkaline batteries in, it finally worked!! By the way, if you have to do this be careful not to leave the alkaline batteries in too long or else the dock will start to charge them. But, I still can't get the rechargeables to work(Creative said by putting them in the player and taking in and out of the dock they will get charged enough to be recognized by the dock and computer), so you can buy a charger for them or just buy some rechargeable batteries. Besides the batteries not working(that's why I took off a star, actually A 1/2) this is a great player. It displays the song title, lights up, has an equalizer, and just looks cool and is smaller than I thought. But, make sure you read the instructions to figure out all the cool features.

Cheap components make a cheap finished product.......2001-12-06

I've had this player out of the box for about three hours and the battery contacts already broke off. I had a really hard time getting it to work in general, the docking station appeared dead because of the loose battery connection in the player (the station is not USB powered, it requires the batteries in the player to work). The documentation on the Nomad site leaves much to be desired, as does the troubleshooting in the back of the paper manual. I got it to work by putting regular AAA batteries in as they're a fraction of a mm bigger than the rechargables included with the product. I transfered one file to the player and it was really fast, about 5 seconds for a 7MB file. The play back sounded great too. But unfortunately I wasn't satified with having it work using my TV remote batteries, I wanted it to work using the rechargables it came with. I decided to bend the prong out a bit to improve the connection, but everytime I stuck the battery in it just went back to it's original position no matter how careful I was. After the fourth time the prong just snapped off. Not wanting to wait until the product is back in stock for a replacement and definitely not wanting Creative to replace it with a refurbished one (it's 3 hours old, if I wanted a refurbished one that's what I would have purchased to begin with), I decided to put my electrical engineering training to use and took it apart to see if anything could be rigged short of soldering the contact prong back on. I can't believe how cheaply this thing is made, it's components belong in a $10 toy, not a $200 gadget. No dice with the repair either, but it was really easy to take apart which was a bonus. If you take one apart be sure to remove the flash card if you have one in, otherwise it will be difficult to put back together.

The outside is really sweet looking, and it works great if you can get it to work, but over all it's just cheaply made and doesn't have what it takes. I'm sad that i've wasted my time and money. Too bad I'm not quite girly enough to be pleased with just the pretty casing.

Great unit, if it doesn't break on you!.......2001-11-14

We bought two. One for the Best Man and one for the Maid of Honor at our wedding. The units were getting rave reviews until one broke. It didn't even last a month, and now Creative refuses to replace or repair it. This has been going on for over a month now and no action on has been taken Creative's part, except to refuse to provide any support. Given the opportunity I would buy, and recommend to you, someone else's product based upon the support we have recieved.

Creative Labs NOMAD II 64 MB MP3 Player Blue

Average customer rating:

Poor Quality
Not worth it
BADBADBAD
Stay away from this Company products, no customer support.
Terrible Customer support when things go bad...

Creative Labs NOMAD II 64 MB MP3 Player Blue

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players & Accessories | Creative Labs | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Koss KTX-Pro Portable Stereophone
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
SanDisk 16 MB SmartMedia Card (SDSM-16-490)
Viking 32 MB SmartMedia Card (SSFDC3/32)
SanDisk 32 MB SmartMedia Card

Product Features:

USB connection offers faster transfer rates and ease of connectivity
64 MB SmartMedia card allows hours of CD-quality audio or voice recordings
Built-in FM tuner stores up to 32 preset stations
Large icon-based LCD screen with backlight for easy viewing in any environment
Upgradable to support multiple digital-audio formats and future software extensions

ASIN: B00004WHW1
Release Date: 2000-08-14

Product Description

Creative NOMAD allows you to customize your own digital music and audio content and take it anywhere you want. Mix your favorite selections by recording from your personal CD collections or MP3 files and transfer them directly to your player.With the versatility of removable flash memory, you can enjoy your favorite digital audio anytime, anywhere with the NOMAD II family of compact digital audio players. NOMAD II offers a built-in FM tuner, voice recording, upgradeable technology, and plenty of features designed specifically for your active lifestyle. Plus, Creative offers different models so that you can choose the NOMAD II digital audio player with the memory configuration that best suits your needs.

Amazon.com Review

Dubbed a Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) device by Creative Labs, the Nomad II is one of those gadgets that's so fun to play with you'll find yourself forgetting it's useful, too.

When portable MP3 players first hit the market a year or so ago, they were relatively simple devices good for one thing: playing MP3 files. Now it seems, as companies have learned consumers want more than just that, today's devices can no longer be described as just MP3 players.

This version ships with a 64 MB removable SmartMedia card, but we had mixed feelings about Creative's decision to rely solely on removable media. While it has its advantages, in the form of being able to swap out the kind of music you're listening to, we would have preferred 64 MB of onboard memory, with a SmartMedia expansion slot so we could increase the capacity even more if needed.

The Nomad II ships with software called the Creative Digital Audio Center, which is basically a full version of MusicMatch Jukebox Deluxe 5.0 with a Creative Labs skin on it. We liked this addition simply for the fact that MusicMatch Jukebox is simple software to use for creating MP3s from CDs and other audio files. Likewise, while we found the Nomad II Manager software easy to navigate and use, we were left with the feeling that some options were sacrificed in the name of ease-of-use. For instance, the ability to change the order of songs in memory would have been welcome.

From an audio perspective, the Nomad II couldn't have performed any better. The equalizer had good settings, and the ability to program user-defined settings was awesome. Furthermore, a wired remote control and bass-enhanced, behind-the-head style headphones completed the package.

As additional memory is still relatively expensive, and most of us don't have extra cards lying around the house, there will come a time when you'll tire of the songs on the device. And without the presence of your PC--and no additional SmartMedia cards--you're at a loss. This is when the Nomad II's FM tuner came in handy. During morning commutes, it was easy to toggle between The Howard Stern Show and NPR, as the player holds up to 32 FM station presets.

The Nomad II's third--and most overlooked--feature is that of a digital voice recorder. As voice recordings aren't the memory hogs that music files are, the Nomad II can record up to four hours' worth. This feature is perfect for dictating messages to yourself or for the fledging journalist recording interviews. The Nomad II Manager software even allows users to upload voice files from the Nomad II to your PC.

MP3 players are great for music lovers on the go. Because they have no moving parts, they're well known for skip-free music. To test the Nomad II, we loaded it up with some hip-hop and headed down to the local BMX spot in San Francisco. With the player clipped on to a belt, we put it through its paces over a multitude of jumps and with more than enough crashes. We did our best to make it skip, but it performed perfectly (though beware--the Nomad II isn't scratchproof). Only after the battery started to get low (the Nomad II offers anywhere from eight to 10 hours of playback time) did performance degrade. But this was easily remedied by dropping in a new AA battery.

MP3 music--like everything else technology related--is in a constant state of flux. To that end, the Nomad II ships with reprogrammable firmware that should enable it to support future digital-audio formats and software extensions as they emerge. So, hopefully, you'll be enjoying your Nomad II for years to come. --William O'Neal

Pros: