Rating: 
Summary: A small but great mp3-player
Review: I haven't tried iPod, but to me Jukebox Zen is the mp3-player on the market. I haven't encountered any problems and it has worked like a dream. The 20GB storage capacity is more than enough to store your mp3 collection (well, at least mine :). The default software for communicating between the computer and Zen - Creative PlayCenter 3 - isn't that bad, but it could be better. The audio quality is great (for my untrained ears). Compared to iPod I must say that even though iPod might be better, it hasn't got a USB possibility and I don't have FireWire, so no iPod for me. But enough of this, test it for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow!!!
Review: Man....I was skeptical at first when I purchased the Zen. Some people were saying that the USB transfer was slow. Others, the Playcenter software was 'buggy'. Man, were they wrong. All I did was load the CD, keep clicking next everytime I was prompted, and BAM, it's ready to go. And, about the slow USB. I don't know how much faster it can really go, honestly. I transferred 296 songs in under 5 minutes. I don't care what anyone says; that's plenty fast for any normal computer user. How about sound quality you may ask? Sounds like the frickin' CD to me man! I don't know how it could get any better. Personally, I think that the menu system is pretty easy to use, and will definitly take a little time to get used to. Hopefully, I'll be able to buy that FM remote later. 5 stars, without question. Great job Creative!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Brand New Out of the Box and It Doesn't Work!
Review: I bought this for myself for Christmas in preparation for a long trip. I was very interested in the Zen because my music is all in WMA format and because of the memory. I was so excited when it arrived and quickly started charging it and installing the PlayCenter software on my office PC. It was a snap to transfer my WMA files to PlayCenter and I expected the same when I tried to transfer the files to the Zen. Unfortunately, when I tried to transfer my music, it kept telling me the USB port I was trying to use didn't have a driver. After multiple uninstalls and reinstalls, it finally connected. Then the Zen kept telling me it was either not connected or was busy, so I couldn't transfer any music files. When it finally connected, it transferred one album then said it was disconnected or busy again. The IT guy at our office worked with Creative's tech support all morning and they finally gave up and asked my to send it back to them. So much for easy operation! So much for my upcoming trip! I just hope they send me a new one that works this time. I the good side, it sound like their tech support is better now than it was a few months ago.
1/16/03 Update: I overnighted my player to Creative with my RMA number. They denied ever receiving it. When I gave them the tracking number and name of the person who signed for it, they admitted they had it, but had not opened it yet. 2 weeks later, they said they still hadn't tested it yet. When I went ballistic, they said they'd fixed it and mailed it to me. When I received it, it didn't have the USB cable which they insisted I send to them with the player. Great! So I have the player, but no way to test it or use it. So much for a great Christmas present.
Rating:
Summary: A pretty good product!
Review: I have had the Zen for about 1 week. The first day I got it, I charged it up (2 hours) and moved about 20 albums onto the player. The software loaded without a problem, the device connected and the interface worked perfectly. The sound is great and overall I am really pleased with the Zen. There are a couple of things that could use improvement:1) The LCD display is very difficult to read.
2) The unit is a bit on the large side. But compared to the price of an iPod (my brother has one) those are minor complaints. All in all I am very happy with the Zen!
Rating:
Summary: The best little jukebox in the West...or East
Review: There has not yet been an adult toy like this for audiophiles. Bravo Creative! Amazing sounds and a wide range of processing alternatives give the Zen 10 steps up on all other MP3 players. Any complaints...yes...the power on button is difficult to use and sometimes unreponsive. Does anyone else have this problem? I have been touting this beautiful baby to all family and friends!
Rating:
Summary: How great is this?
Review: I can't really say enough about the Nomad Jukebox Zen. I've read a couple other complaints on here, and I think the people just didn't stick the device out long enough. First off, mine came with all necessary cables, and unlike an iPod, it also came with a case to protect it. The guy that didn't get all his cables should have promptly returned to the store for a different Zen. Let me first say...is the iPod cool? Of course it is. It looks neat. It's very small. It has a very intuitive menu system and a nice sized screen. Along with all that, however, it's got a $500 price tag for the 20gb model. Well I got my Zen from Amazon.com for about $330 shipped. Add in my $50 rebate that they've got going right now, and the $25 gift certificate I had, and this thing stepped in at roughly half the price of the iPod. I hate to compare for a review, but so many people say the iPod is so much better. So I'll comment on a couple things. Size: This thing is really pretty small. It's certainly smaller than any portable cd player or walkman I've owned. Capacity: 20gb didn't seem like to much to me initially, but I've probably got 125 albums in it at Lame VBR2 (about 192kb) and it's only about half full. Functionality: It functions great. The menus are easy to move around in if you tag your .mp3s well. If you're just going to download songs off kazaa and put them right in, you're proably not going to me happy with any .mp3 player. Taggin in a way that makes functionality to you is key with any .mp3 player. I actually like the menu system of the Zen. It's maybe a touch small, but overall, it doesn't seem to bother me. The screen is incredibly easy to see in the dark as well. It's basically indiglo. Sound: It sounds fantastic. I was skeptical at first, but the amp is pretty powerful for a portable device and Powers some of my higher end headphones wonderfully (Grado SR60s, Sony MDR-7506) Bill's last word: People complain about Nomad software. Well since the Zen is a PC device, a number of people have already designed third party applications for the Nomad's. Something you don't often see for Apple products. Notmad explorer is one fantastic app, and JBHTTP is another. JBHTTP makes your nomad a web server and you can stream music through Internet Explorer. As I type this, three people I work with are all listening to my music along with me. I bet you can't do that with an iPod. Bottom line: Save some money and buy some great headphones so you can enjoy your .mp3 player.
Rating:
Summary: Small and mighty!
Review: We (my husband and myself) both had creative labs jukeboxes prior to purchasing 2 new ZENs. It's an absolutely awesome machine! It charges quickly and has a 12 hour playtime (the old ones played 2-4 hours max). It's small, easy to load and use. We thought about purchasing the iPod but since we were familiar with the previous models, it seemed natural to upgrade. We are thrilled with the product and highly recommend it. [money] well spent. Thanks for the early chrimbo gift, santa!
Rating: 
Summary: Not ready for prime time
Review: This unit has no stop button, so it constantly tries to pickup from where it left off. For some reason, this creates all sorts of problems. At least, that is what Creative's tech support told me. They suggested that I wait till the next firmware release and see if that fixes the problems or buy the ... remote, which provides a stop button. Unfortunately, the remote is not available anywhere. I was disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Too many bugs... second rate to the iPod.
Review: I've been wanting to get an MP3 player for some time, and thought that the Zen looked to be a good product so I bought one at the local CompUSA. I didn't have too much of a problem synching it, but when I took it jogging, I found it a little uncomfortable to hold, especially if I tried to change songs. The real bummer was that it wouldn't change songs while I was jogging... I would have to stop and let it catch up, or reset it entirely. Needless to say, I was non-plussed, so I took it back. CompUSA hassled me a bit about the 10% restocking, but I decided to try an iPod instead so they gave me full credit. WOW! What a difference. I don't know much about the reviewers of the Zen that are giving it good reviews, but I do know one thing: they haven't tried the iPod. The software is better on the unit (the MusicMatch could use a little bit of help), the screen is much better, and it just works, whether jogging or just sitting working at my desk. Further, the random mode is AWESOME. I'll just be listening to the random programming the iPod picks out and find myself listening to the latest imports intermixed with surprises that I haven't heard for years. My advice, don't kid yourself... if you want a great music player to store all your music on, get the real deal -- iPods are where it's at. Side note: I'm now contemplating a Macintosh for home use based on how well this thing works and the reviews I've seen of the iMac. We shall see...
Rating:
Summary: Music anywhere but no cds
Review: Fantastic product by creative. I got it just 4 days ago and its one of the best things i ever bought. For a music lover this device is "your music collection anywhere". I had some experience from my brother's Jukebox (6 GB) and i was amazed even then but my objections were the capacity and the duration of the batteries something that is solved now. Last but not least, I listen to Opera and some rock albums that between the tracks dont have gaps and that was a major problem with all the mp3 players including pc players. They use to produce gaps of 2 secs and that was very annoying. But for my surprise this doesnt happen with zen. Flowless play and amazing sound. Right now I carry it anywhere.
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