#2
So, when my Creative Zen Touch crapped out on me, I decided instantly- no matter how bankrupt I was- that I needed a new music player. There are literally hundreds out there, but for me, there were only really two choices. The Creative Zen Vision:M and the ubiquitous Apple iPod.
So you know what? I bought an iPod on a whim, just so I could see what everyone thought was so great.
And, to be perfectly honest, I've been pleasantly surprised with the little bugger.
Not only is it thinner and lighter than the Vision:M, it packs the same 30GB capacity. The screen isn't exactly on the same page, with a paltry 56k colours as opposed to the Zen's whopping 232k, but to be honest, the screen is gorgeous anyway. I can only imagine how lovely video on the Zen looks. But I have yet to watch a whole video on my iPod, so that doesn't really bother me- I bought it as a music player.
The interface is top notch. I have to say, the iPod is by far the easiest-to-use device I've ever laid my grubby mitts on. The wheel is awesome, and if I ever rule the world, every device ever will have one installed.
Gripes? Battery life. My 20GB Zen Touch, a monster though it was, packed an incredible 24 hour battery life. My iPod struggles to pass 12 (I usually have the volume up high). Not much a problem for me, really, since I'm rarely away from home or without a charging source for more than 12 hours, but still. That brings me to the second gripe- the proprietary Apple charging/transfer port. The Zen could charge from either mains or USB2, but because Apple had to create their own port for both charging and transfer (to keep the size of the device down), the user MUST use a mains dock (money money money) or the cable supplied- which means you need a computer. Bit of a bind if you're away from home or travelling.
Oh, and I'd like to be able to scroll through my "shuffle" playlist to see whats coming up, like the Zen let you do. But to counter this, the iPod lets you create your own playlist on the fly.
Overall, I have to say I'm quite happy with the iPod. It has been a little tempremental, requiring a kick in the arse from iTunes via my laptop, but it hasn't died yet, and with my Sony in-ears and my Sennheiser cans, it sounds awesome. Plus, it does look rather pretty, doesn't it?