Creative ZEN

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The Creative ZEN (formerly known as Creative NOMAD Jukebox Zen) is a range of digital audio players (DAPs) and portable media players (PMPs) made by Creative Technology. The players evolved from the now-defunct NOMAD brand through the NOMAD Jukebox series. Three of its players won the Best of CES award^[1][2][3] from 2004 to 2006 in their respective categories, with one winning the overall award.^[3] The ZEN series has a strong foothold in Asian markets, especially in Singapore, the company's headquarters.

All players are compatible with MP3 and WMA, while various models support WAV and Audible files. They are bundled with device drivers and Creative MediaSource, a media player that includes transferring and syncing abilities exclusively for the players. Some models are PlaysForSure-certified for being compatible with Windows Media Player via Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) and supporting the Janus DRM. They are natively compatible with Windows, while the current players exclusively support Windows XP and Vista, however many users have reported compatibility problems with the last one, since the device is not recognized.

Contents 1 Current players 1.1 ZEN 1.2 ZEN Stone Plus 1.3 ZEN Stone 1.4 ZEN Wav 1.5 ZEN Vision W 1.6 ZEN Neeon 2 1.7 ZEN V / ZEN V Plus 2 Discontinued players 2.1 NOMAD Jukebox Zen series 2.1.1 NOMAD Jukebox Zen 2.1.2 NOMAD Jukebox Zen NX 2.1.3 NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra 2.2 Zen Touch 2.3 Zen Portable Media Center 2.4 ZEN Micro 2.5 ZEN (Micro-based hard drive player) 2.6 ZEN Neeon 2.7 ZEN MicroPhoto 2.8 ZEN Sleek 2.9 ZEN Vision 2.10 ZEN Sleek Photo 2.11 ZEN Vision:M 2.11.1 Appearances in media 2.12 ZEN Nano/Nano Plus 3 Hardware 4 Marketing campaign 5 Legal issues 6 Software 6.1 Official Software 6.2 Alternative Software 7 See also 8 External links 9 Notes and references

[edit] Current players

[edit] ZEN

Main article: ZEN (portable media player)

The flash-based player was released on September 14, 2007,^[4] in capacities of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 GB. A 32 GB model was announced on December 4, 2007, setting a record for storage capacity among flash-based players. The 32GB model is now available for purchase. ^[5] The player is 0.44-inch thick,^[6] making it the slimmest ZEN player so far. It is the first ZEN to have an SD card slot, support for unprotected AAC, and a 24-bit screen. The ZEN is not to be confused with the ZEN Micro-based player of the same name.

[edit] ZEN Stone Plus

Although it is slightly larger than the ZEN Stone, the ZEN Stone Plus is identical in design. However, the ZEN Stone Plus has a monochromic OLED screen, a built-in FM tuner, a stopwatch - the first ZEN player to have this ability - and a built-in microphone. The ZEN Stone Plus plays approximately 9.5 hours of continuous audio playback, and comes with the same colors as the ZEN Stone in a 2 GB capacity. It was released domestically on June 29, 2007^[7], and internationally on July 26, 2007.^[8]

[edit] ZEN Stone

The ZEN Stone, released on May 3, 2007^[9], is a small and screenless 1 or 2 GB player (similar to the second-generation iPod shuffle). Coated in glossy plastic, the player is available in black, white, blue, pink, green, and red and usually sells for around 40 to 50 US dollars. The ZEN Stone is compatible with the MP3, WMA, and Audible formats, is UMS compliant, and the battery lasts up to 11 hours.

[edit] ZEN Wav

The ZEN Wav was released in Singapore on May 25, 2007.^[10] The flash-based player has built-in stereo speakers and supports the MP3, WMA, and WAV formats. It is the first player in the ZEN line to have the following features: a 16-bit color screen, unlike other ZEN players, which are 18-bit; a battery life of 30 hours (20 with the speakers), which is the longest for any ZEN player so far; the ability to read e-books; and the ability to show 3 different time zones "at a glance". The ZEN Wav comes in capacities of 2 and 4 GB.

On August 8, 2007, the player was reported to be available in the US.^[11]

[edit] ZEN Vision W

Main article: ZEN Vision W

The ZEN Vision W was released on September 17, 2006.^[12] A variant of the ZEN Vision, the portable media player has a 4.3-inch, widescreen (16:9) TFT-LCD display. The player comes in black and is available in 30 and 60 GB. Like the ZEN Vision:M, a built-in microphone and an FM tuner are included, as well as the same media formats, a similar graphical interface and abilities to sync organizer data from Microsoft Outlook. It also includes a CompactFlash reader for extra capacity and the direct upload of images.This player in no longer available.

[edit] ZEN Neeon 2

The ZEN Neeon 2, a successor to the Neeon, was announced on August 2, 2006.^[13] The player has a 1.5-inch CSTN-LCD display in a resolution of 128x128. The 1 and 2 GB models are available in a black, silver, blue, pink or orange backplate, accompanied with a piano black front, while the 4 GB model comes only in black and silver. The Neeon 2 supports MP3, WMA, and WAV, display JPEG images and plays AVI videos which are transcoded upon transfer. Also, the player has an FM tuner, built-in microphone, and line-in recording in WMA. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery plays up to 20 hours of continuous audio playback and up to 8 hours of video playback, the highest for any Creative digital audio player.

Like its predecessor, decal stickers called "Stik-Ons" are sold separately to customize the look of the Neeon 2's frontplate, though they cannot be interchanged. The players and their "Stik-Ons" are only available in Singapore and several other Asian countries.

[edit] ZEN V / ZEN V Plus

Main article: ZEN V

Creative's first flash-based portable media player was released on June 20, 2006.^[14] The scratch-resistant models have a 1.5-inch OLED display with a resolution of 128x128. They come in white and black with orange trim for the 1 GB version, green trim for 2 GB, and black with blue trim for the 4 GB version. The ZEN V Plus plays video and has an FM tuner, while the ZEN V does not. The players support the same formats as the Vision:M, while the videos will be transcoded upon transfer. There are also built-in microphones for voice recording, as well as wires for line-in recording. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery has a life span of up to 15 hours of continuous audio playback.

The ZEN V Plus won the CNET Editor's Choice award during that month.

On September 29, 2006, Creative announced that the blue-and-black ZEN V Plus had been upgraded to 8 GB. Four days later, the company joined forces with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to release a pink version of the 2 GB model, now available in most areas.^[15] In Europe and Japan, the 8 GB version is now available in a red-and-black color. ^[16]

On August 8, 2007, Creative released a 16 GB model of the ZEN V Plus,^[17] making it the highest capacity flash-based player until the ZEN beat its own record with the release of its 32 GB model.^[5]

[edit] Discontinued players

[edit] NOMAD Jukebox Zen series

Main article: Creative NOMAD

The first models branded as a "Zen" were then released under the now-defunct NOMAD line, and have an anodized aluminium case. The 2.5-inch Fujitsu hard drives range from a 20 (NOMAD Jukebox Zen), 30 (Zen NX, Zen Xtra), 40 and 60 GB (Xtra). Unlike the earlier NOMAD Jukebox players, which looked like CD players, these ones have the appearance of a cassette player.

[edit] NOMAD Jukebox Zen

Announced on October 14, 2002, the NOMAD Jukebox Zen was the first player to include the "Zen" branding. It had the distinct ability to connect via USB 1.1 or FireWire, while subsequent releases had connectivity to USB 2.0. Up to 14 hours of continuous audio playback is achieved by the rechargeable battery, and an optional wired remote gives the player an FM tuner and microphone.

[edit] NOMAD Jukebox Zen NX

The Zen NX, as it was later called, was released on August 20, 2003,^[18] is an upgrade to the old NOMAD Jukebox Zen, with a removable battery and a slightly smaller size. Included with the player was MediaSource, the music management software that would be used with subsequent Zen players.

[edit] NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra

The NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra, or the Zen Xtra (renamed by Creative for commercial reasons) was released simultaneously with the Zen NX.^[19] The player was presumably named Xtra, thanks to the larger screen. The package includes the player, a leather case with belt-clip, a lithium ion battery, a USB cable, and a pair of standard earbuds.

The Xtra is notable for being the first DAP to support Real Networks's Helix DRM, but through a tailored firmware. The SanDisk Sansa e200R would later be the only other player to have this feature.

[edit] Zen Touch

The Zen Touch was released on June 7, 2004^[20]. The model incorporated major changes in design, functionality and technology.

The Zen Touch has a smaller form factor and larger backlit blue display in a curved industrial design. In addition, the device uses a touch-sensitive vertical strip on the front of the unit for easier file navigation. These changes were enabled by the use of Hitachi's smaller 1.8-inch hard drives. The Touch is available in capacities of 20 and 40 GB. Unlike the previous two generations, the Zen Touch does not have a removable battery, and plays audio for approximately 24 hours.

The Zen Touch has a brief uncredited appearance in Pepsi's new commercial which aired during Super Bowl XL ^[21].

[edit] Zen Portable Media Center

The Zen Portable Media Center, announced on January 8, 2004 and released eight months later^[22], is based on Microsoft's Portable Media Center interface, runs Windows Mobile and supports WMV, WMA, and MP3, and can display JPEG images; other video formats are supported through transcoding. This device was the first to exclusively support Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol, and was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2004, winning the TechTV Best of CES Award in the Portable Audio and Video category.^[1] The player uses a 1.8-inch 20 or 40 GB hard drive from Hitachi. The Zen Portable Media Center has been replaced by the ZEN Vision and the ZEN Vision W.

[edit] ZEN Micro

The ZEN Micro was released on November 12, 2004^[23], and is a microdrive player available in 10 colors. It is also the first ZEN release that sports the new branding, including capitals for all letters in Zen.

The ZEN Micro is much smaller than the Touch and shares a similar interface and controls (including the touchpad, without the 'OK' button. Making a selection would be done by tapping the touchpad). The Micro has a removable battery rated to last for up to 12 hours of continuous playback. In addition, the player has an LED-backlit LCD, a glowing case, and offers hard disk capacities of 4, 5 and 6 GB.

The Micro also features a built-in FM tuner/recorder, voice recorder and microphone, partitioning for data storage (i.e. acting as a removable hard drive for PCs), and the ability to synchronize contacts, tasks and calendars with Microsoft Outlook. Accessories for the ZEN Micro include matching color speakers, wireless headsets and a wired remote control.

The first 35,000 units shipped worldwide were packaged as a "Limited Edition" package that came with an additional rechargeable battery. Asian models of the Limited Edition included the extra battery and a wired remote control.

At CES 2005, it was announced that the ZEN Micro line would be expanded to include 4 and 6 GB models.

The ZEN Micro optionally supports the Microsoft Media Transfer Protocol and the PlaysForSure certification with updated firmware.

[edit] ZEN (Micro-based hard drive player)

The ZEN was released on April 6, 2005^[24], and is slightly larger than the ZEN Micro with a 20 GB hard drive capacity. The ZEN, however, has a magnesium back-casing and the battery is unremovable. This model was initially available in the Asia-Pacific region, but soon became available in the US through Cambridge SoundWorks, a subsidiary of Creative.

[edit] ZEN Neeon

The ZEN Neeon was released on May 17, 2005.^[25] It is a throwback to the old Zen Xtra, but in a much smaller size. The 5 GB model has an SNR of 98 dB and a battery life of 16 hours (19 hours with new firmware version). The front has a piano black finish, and the back is anodized aluminium that comes in ten colors. and the LCD screen has a 7 color backlight.

The Creative ZEN Neeon was criticized highly at the time of release for having a slow interface, more specifically slow start-up, menus and song switch. As well, the first released models came with a virus that could infect your computer.^[26] This affected the popularity of the product and though the hardware and style of the ZEN Neeon was very good, the software seemed to let the product down. The firmware update released latter provided a much quicker start-up time and interface. If released with the player, it might have been more popular on the market.

Like its Micro brother, this unit also has an FM tuner and a microphone, but also has a line in record function. This model does not use Creative specialized USB drivers; it is a standard USB mass storage device.

On November 17, 2005, the microdrive player was updated to 6 GB and a new flash range was launched in capacities of 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB.^[27] The device is now equipped with a dual-tone OLED screen. The device is also accompanied by a new marketing campaign, Put a Face to Your Music, with emphasis on a whole new range of customizable "Stik-Ons", which are decal stickers that can be placed and removed from the face of the unit.

[edit] ZEN MicroPhoto

The ZEN MicroPhoto, released on July 28, 2005^[28], shares the same features of the ZEN Micro except Audible.com support (reinstated in firmware versions 1.31.01 and above), and adds an upgraded 262,144-color (18 bpp) OLED screen for displaying photos. To fix the lack of bass with the ZEN Micro, Creative also implemented a Bass Boost feature, now available in most subsequent players. The 8 GB player is available in the same colors of the Micro and is advertised to store "thousands of JPEGs" or "4,000 songs". Due to its larger battery, the player can play up to 15 hours of continuous playback, 3 hours longer than its predecessor.^[29] Unlike the Micro, it does not have any problems with the headphone jack. The MicroPhoto is the first of many subsequent players with expanded customization, with the ability to use a picture as a custom wallpaper, with color themes to change the tones of it, and six color schemes.

The player was first announced at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, where it won the G4TV Best of CES award in the Audio To Go category.^[2] On November 2005, the player was the CNET Editor's Choice award on CNET.com.

[edit] ZEN Sleek

The ZEN Sleek was first available on August 30, 2005^[30], and is an upgrade of the ZEN with a 20 GB hard drive, FM radio, built-in microphone, and sports an aluminium casing. Like its predecessors, it can synchronize with Microsoft Outlook's calendar, address book, and memo functions. The player's battery life lasts up to 20 hours.

[edit] ZEN Vision

The ZEN Vision was released on October 1, 2005.^[31] Since its launch, it is the winner of several awards, including Best of Digital Life 2005 and the Red Dot Design award. Unlike its predecessor, the ZEN Vision does not have Microsoft's Portable Media Center interface but supports Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol. It supports audio (WMA-DRM, WMA, MP3, WAV), video (WMV, Motion JPEG, MPEG 1/2/4, DivX 4/5, xvid) and picture (JPEG) playback. The ZEN Vision utilizes a 30 GB hard drive and can partition a part of its hard drive to work as a removable disk (up to 16 GB) for any operating system. There are some features of the ZEN Vision which require compatibility with certain operating systems, e.g require users to have access to Microsoft Windows XP (SP1 or higher).

Like past models, the ZEN Vision comes with an FM tuner, a voice and FM recorder, and a calendar and organizer that can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook.

The ZEN Vision has a 3.7-inch, trans-reflective TFT-LCD display that has a resolution of 640x480 (VGA) pixels. It has a video output (PAL or NTSC) port and a CompactFlash slot which can be used to transfer the contents to the player. An adapter for other memory card types is also available as an accessory. The ZEN Vision also supports an optional infrared remote.

[edit] ZEN Sleek Photo

The ZEN Sleek Photo was released on October 6, 2005. It is the color-screen equivalent of the Sleek, with the extra ability to view JPEG photos on an OLED screen.

[edit] ZEN Vision:M

Main article: ZEN Vision:M

The ZEN Vision:M, launched on December 8, 2005^[32], is adapted from the earlier released ZEN Vision. The 2.5-inch, TFT LCD display has a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels (QVGA). The player has an estimated battery life of 16 hours for audio, and five hours for videos (tested under continuous playback). Album art is shown during playback, and image-viewing is enhanced with pan, zoom and rotation abilities. The 30 GB model is available in white, black, green, blue and pink. Like the other players in the Vision and Micro lines, this model is known for its glowing button symbols.

The ZEN Vision:M has won a number of accolades, including the "Best of Show" and "Best Portable Audio & Video Device" awards at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show^[3], as well as the Red Dot Design Award^[33].

On August 31, 2006, Creative announced that the player will be available in a 60 GB capacity. Also, this version has a USB host adapter cable, which enables users to transfer photos from a digital camera directly to the player. It is only available in black and white, and is a little thicker than the 30 GB model. However, on March 11, 2007, the 60 GB model was upgraded with the same thickness as the 30 GB version.

[edit] Appearances in media

The ZEN Vision:M has made an appearance in an Orville Redenbacher's commercial, first broadcast during the 2007 Golden Globe Awards.^[34] The familiar blue interface and black color of the model are indicators.

[edit] ZEN Nano/Nano Plus

The ZEN Nano and the ZEN Nano Plus was released internationally on June 1, 2006. The player is a rebranded MuVo N200 and unlike other ZENs, the music is transferred and stored in the player as a USB mass storage device, without requiring any specific software. It lasts up to 18 hours on an AAA battery. Like the Micro and the MicroPhoto, the Nano is available in ten colors: black, pink, red, orange, green, light blue, blue, purple, gray, and white.

The ZEN Nano Plus is a Nano with an FM tuner with 30 custom presets, plus voice, radio, and line-in recording. All recorded audio will be encoded in WAV (ADPCM), except for line-in, which encodes to MP3.

[edit] Hardware

Most models are built with Texas Instruments's TMS320DA25x ARM architecture and digital signal processor that makes up the CPU, while the operating system used is Texas Instruments DSP/BIOS.^[35] The peripheral circuits take care of all media decoding without any accelerator chips. The touchpads are managed by Synaptics controllers.

The newer ZEN players uses SigmaTel's STMP3700 ARM, described to be "designed specifically for portable devices".^[36] Nucleus RTOS makes up the base of their OSes.^[37]

[edit] Marketing campaign

In November 2004, Creative Labs announced a $100 million marketing campaign to promote their digital audio products, including the ZEN range of MP3 players. In particular, the company was heavily publicizing the Zen Touch and ZEN Micro. These two products had been featured in an increasing number of television commercials, print ads, and urban billboards.

Many celebrities were seen with the ZEN Micro, including Paris Hilton, pop group Maroon 5 and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

[edit] Legal issues

Creative Labs, the American subsidiary of Creative Technology, was awarded a patent on a music management interface (now commonly seen on audio players, including the Apple iPod) by the US Patent and Trademark Office on August 25, 2005^[38], after applying for it on January 5, 2001.^[39] Apple filed for a similar patent on October 22, 2002 but was rejected.^[40] Along with the launch of the Vision:M, Creative announced that it will "aggressively pursue" respect of its patents, addressing "all manufacturers that use the same navigation system."^[41] So far, Creative has only addressed Apple's infringement of its patent. Creative announced on May 15, 2006, that it has launched a lawsuit against Apple for the infringement of the ZEN patent^[42] (Creative also asked the US Trade Commission to investigate whether Apple was breaching trade laws by importing iPods into the US.^[43]), which was then counter-sued by Apple on the same day, filing two lawsuits for infringing their patents.^[44] Since then, Apple and Creative have reached a settlement, with Apple paying $100 million, and Creative joining the "Made for iPod" accessory program.^[45]

[edit] Software

[edit] Official Software

Creative distributes official software with many of their players to help users manage their player.

• Creative MediaSource
• Creative Media Explorer - Each player has their own version of Media Explorer to comply with format compatibility.
• ZENcast Organizer
• Creative Video Converter

[edit] Alternative Software

Third-party alternatives have been developed to enable legacy OS compatibility as well as compatibility with other operating systems.

• Free software:
  • Amarok, a Linux and Windows media player‌
  • Banshee, another media player for Linux‌
  • Gnomad2, which can transfer files to ZEN players with an FTP-like interface‌
  • KZenExplorer, a synchronization tool for KDE‌
  • XNJB, a synchronization tool for Mac OS X ‌
  • A generic USB mass storage device driver allows hassle-free transfer of music on older OSes
  • ZenRecover, a file recovery tool built for the Creative Zen proprietary filesystem, complete with a technical analysis of the filesystem itself ‌
• Proprietary software:
  • Legacy OS Driver, a Creative driver that gives compatibility to PlaysForSure-certified ZENs for Windows 98 SE, Me, and 2000. ‌
  • MediaMonkey, a media player that syncs with ZEN players. While it is freeware, the Gold version has the ability to automatically convert media formats. ‌

[edit] See also

• Digital audio player
• Portable media player
• Creative MuVo
• Creative NOMAD
• Creative Technology
• Comparison of portable media players

[edit] External links

• Creative ZEN product line (Singapore)
• Creative ZEN product line (US)
• "Find Your ZEN" advertising campaign (US)

[edit] Notes and references