Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player

Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player

Product Description
Amazon Product Description
Palm-size and pocket-friendly, the Creative Zen Touch digital music player is a treat for your eyes as well as your ears. And--with features like touch-sensitive navigation, 24-hour battery life, light weight (under half a pound with battery), and a staggering 40 GB, 10,000 song capacity (64 kbps WMA)--the tiny unit leaves little room for wondering if it's right for you.

Features

Touch pad control for fast scrolling
Up to 24 hours continuous playback
Up to 97 dB signal-to-noise ratio--as good as expensive hi-fi systems
40 GB hard drive holds up to 16,000 WMA or 10,000 MP3 songs
Create and customize playlists on the go
Unique search function locates any song, album, or artist
USB 2.0 for faster transfer
4-band custom equalizer and advanced EQ presets let you customize your music playback
AudioSync lets you seamlessly update your Creative Zen Touch with your latest music on your PC at the touch of a button
FM radio, voice, and FM recording via optional wired remote control (available separately)

The Zen Touch model HD0014 is compatible with both MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) music files, and its super-fast USB 2.0 PC interface loads your music in record time. Use the player's search function to locate music by song, album, or artist, scrolling quickly and easily through your library with the handy touch pad while viewing your playlists and song selections on the Zen Touch's 160 x 104 blue EL (electroluminescent) backlit LCD. You can create and customize your playlists on the fly, or listen in random order at the touch of a top-panel button.

The unit's four-band custom equalizer and preset EQ curves help you tailor the sound to your preference or environment. If you're delving into the world of digital music for the first time, supplied Creative MediaSource software readily converts your CDs to MP3s or WMAs, while Creative AudioSync seamlessly updates the Zen Touch with your latest music on your PC at the touch of a button. Creative Explorer (also included) permits drag-and-drop transfers for data and music files to and from the Zen Touch.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen Touch Player, a pair of stereo earphones, an AC power adapter, a travel pouch, a USB 2.0 cable, an installation CD-ROM, and a quick-start guide.

Product Description:
The Zen Touch music player from Creative makes a dazzling first impression. The revolutionary linear touch-sensitive pad controller lets you navigate your music collection with astonishing ease and speed. Jam all day and all night—nonstop—with incredible 24-hr. battery life. Combine that with 40GB capacity to hold up to 16,000 songs and it's close to love at first sight. AudioSync lets you seamlessly update your player with new music from your PC at the touch of a button and the 4-band custom equalizer and advanced EQ presets let you customize playback. Now it's love at first listen. Available storage capacity may vary. 1Hx2-7/10Wx4-1/10D".

Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player
Average customer rating:

Difficult to use

Really excellent hardware; very troublesome software

Waste of Money

A perfect fit for what I was looking for

Pretty cool, but shamefully abominable software

Creative Zen Touch 40 GB Audio Player

Manufacturer: Creative Labs
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players & Accessories | Creative Labs | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
MP3 Players | Portable Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
40 GB | Hard Drive-Based | MP3 Players | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
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Product Features:

Touch pad control for fast scrolling

40 GB Holds 16,000 WMA / 10,000 MP3 Songs

24-hour battery life

USB 2.0 for faster transfer speed

Compatible with Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP

ASIN: B0006VYGRG

Amazon Product Description

Palm-size and pocket-friendly, the Creative Zen Touch digital music player is a treat for your eyes as well as your ears. And--with features like touch-sensitive navigation, 24-hour battery life, light weight (under half a pound with battery), and a staggering 40 GB, 10,000 song capacity (64 kbps WMA)--the tiny unit leaves little room for wondering if it's right for you.

Features

Touch pad control for fast scrolling
Up to 24 hours continuous playback
Up to 97 dB signal-to-noise ratio--as good as expensive hi-fi systems
40 GB hard drive holds up to 16,000 WMA or 10,000 MP3 songs
Create and customize playlists on the go
Unique search function locates any song, album, or artist
USB 2.0 for faster transfer
4-band custom equalizer and advanced EQ presets let you customize your music playback
AudioSync lets you seamlessly update your Creative Zen Touch with your latest music on your PC at the touch of a button
FM radio, voice, and FM recording via optional wired remote control (available separately)

The Zen Touch model HD0014 is compatible with both MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) music files, and its super-fast USB 2.0 PC interface loads your music in record time. Use the player's search function to locate music by song, album, or artist, scrolling quickly and easily through your library with the handy touch pad while viewing your playlists and song selections on the Zen Touch's 160 x 104 blue EL (electroluminescent) backlit LCD. You can create and customize your playlists on the fly, or listen in random order at the touch of a top-panel button.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen Touch Player, a pair of stereo earphones, an AC power adapter, a travel pouch, a USB 2.0 cable, an installation CD-ROM, and a quick-start guide.

Product Description

Playing music is easy and fun with the Zen Touch navigation. However long your trip, with 24 hours of battery life and up to 16,000 songs to carry, your music filled journey will never be cut short, all in the palm of your hand. 4-Band Equalizer Display - 160 x 104 pixel resolution, blue EL backlit LCD Signal Noise Ratio - 97dB Compatible with Microsoft Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP / USB 2.0 Creative USA Warranty - 1 year Hardware/90 days service

Customer Reviews:

Difficult to use.......2007-04-11

As others have said, the sound is great and battery life is excellent. That's about it. If you (God forbid) hit the "shuffle" button (why do we need a "shuffle" button on the outside where you'll hit it often?) you will "shuffle" until you magically hit the button(s) to correct it - or the Zen gods shine down on you. I've had this player for several years and still can't figure it out. Instruction manual? Forget it.

The touch pad is irritating as you will overshoot your mark often no matter how often you adjust it. There is nothing intuitive about the software.

Here's the best thing. Sometimes it...just...quits. You have to get a paperclip, stick it into a little hole and it revives itself. No idea why it does this. But rest assured, it will do it at the worst possible moment when there is no paperclip or other similar object in sight.

I bought the Zen because I hate anything Apple. My next MP3, unfortunately, will be an Ipod. And the way the Zen has been acting up lately - it might be sooner rather than later.

Really excellent hardware; very troublesome software.......2007-02-21

The Zen Touch is not quite as easy to use as an ipod, but you get used to the controls in a little while. Its MUCH LONGER battery life is a real plus, and its sound quality is as good and perhaps a little better than the ipod. And it is significantly cheaper, measured gig to gig.
There are far fewer bells and whistles available to buy for those who want them. If, for instance, I had wanted to spend $300 on a bose sounddock, I would have found nothing of that quality (or price) even remotely available for anything but an ipod. They really have the market cornered. But a standard mp3 player jack goes nicely into the computer, the receiver, etc., and that works just fine.
The zen software, however, is a real drawback. It seems to conflict with many computer-resident programs and crashes far too often. Creative has also been singularly unhelpful in supporting the software. A simple question about use of the software elicited a template email response that no free help of any kind would be available past the warranty date. And there is no direct phone numbers available to most users.
I am investigating third party software which is said to be more user-friendly and reliable.

Waste of Money.......2007-01-30

I bought a zen touch for my sons birthday. he hasnt used it very much, but the buttons on the front have stopped working. it is just within the warranty.

There is NO 1-800 customer support line. They charge you for technical support $15 for 30 minutes. We have been trying to get an RMA number to return the player for about a month now. Everything is by email and we have heard nothing from them. It is extremely frustrating not being able to talk to anyone at creative about this.

I was dismayed to read about the problems everyone else is having with this product.

A perfect fit for what I was looking for.......2007-01-28

I have had my Zen Touch for nearly a year now, and it has been a great purchase. I was looking for specific features when I was selecting a player. While I don't think the Touch is perfect for everyone, it was an exact fit for my needs.

I recommend the Zen Touch if you:

-Have a lot of CDs. I'm not a big music downloader; I prefer to buy used CDs and I own a few hundred. I also don't like keeping lots of files on my computer. With the Zen Touch, I don't keep a single note of music on my computer. I simply drag and drop the files from the CD to the Zen and the software rips and writes, no extra work on my part. I have heard from my iPod-owning friends that if they delete songs from their computer, they will also be deleted from the player when they plug it in again. Not so with the Zen Touch.

-Want a long battery life. I took it to London and I wasn't sure if I could charge it without buying an adapter (I later found out that it wasn't a problem) so I went an entire week, with normal use (about 3-4 hours a day, high volume because the trains were so loud) and it did not run out of power!

-Enjoy simplicity. This is a music player, not much else. No videos or photos or anything complicated. Just a music player. That was all I wanted. If having a lot of features in the palm of your hand is important, then the Zen Touch is not for you.

-Want something that looks and feels sturdy. This is not a light little iPod Nano. This is a 40g hardcore piece of machine. It's not especially light. But it doesn't feel breakable like Apple products.

-Are willing to buy a new pair of headphones. You should probably do this with any player, though.

Do NOT buy the Zen Touch if you:

-Are really into accessories. Creative doesn't have very many to begin with, and the offerings for the 40g Touch are sparse. It doesn't stand up to the massive amounts of holders, docking stations, and other stuff available for the iPod.

-Don't think you'll use all the space. I have every single CD I own and it's only half full. This is great for me, because I expect to buy much, much more. I wanted something that would hold everything and let me hit "random" (another great feature of the Zen Touch! The random button right on the front! I use it constantly), like having my own radio station. If you don't own a TON of music, or expect to get lots more, save your money and get something smaller.

-Jog with your player. It's fine for working out on a machine, because it can sit still, but the hard drive is too delicate to bounce around excessively. That's not to say it isn't pretty hardy, for it is, but it's not designed for exercise. Get one of those adorable mini-players for that. Creative makes a nice one.

All in all, I am extremely pleased with my Zen Touch. The software isn't perfect, but has suited my needs, and i would like an accessory or two, but I can live without. If you're looking for a sturdy, simple player with a huge capacity for the price and excellent battery life, this is a very good choice.

Pretty cool, but shamefully abominable software.......2007-01-16

I bought one despite horror stories in reviews, because, in my research, all MP3 players had similar faults. Such devices aren't built to last, it seems. I haven't had the Zen long, but it's great for the capacity, long battery life, sound quality is very good, doesn't lock you into one computer or music service, has A/C adapter, excellent for the car, etc. The output level is lower than expected and there are annoying quirks to using it, but none really bug me that much. However, the client software for the computer, "Organizer," is execrable. The developers apparently did not understand and did not implement MS user-interface standards, which are severly lacking, especially if you prefer keyboard to the mouse. The design is confusing for usability, the error-handling has enormous gaps, user-feedback is weak or nonexistent, and it's dreadfully sensitive to interruptions of physical connection or threat from low battery. I could've written several show-stopper bugs and dozens of others in the first hour or two, so I suspect that no professional quality assurance was employed at all. I won't detail the design flaws, but I lost work on multiple occasions, and it took far longer than it should've to edit my tags and arrange the tracks as I wanted. I did a "what the?" double-take several times. You will, in the end, make it do what it must, but, oh, this software is a unmitigated disgrace to any "technology" company.

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