Overview

This most humble of music devices has been in my use for four years. It is my gym buddy and represents the best £25 I have ever spent.

Design 8/10

This device is tiny and it is light. But it is not fragile, it's been tossed with impunity. I wouldn't want to throw it at the wall, but I know if it falls out of my pocket, it will grip onto the headphone jack like grim death without damaging itself or the wires. I can't say the same for my iPod touch.

There's no screen. Just a wheel around a select button and a slide. It is incredibly easy and intuitive. The wheel controls volume, and track skipping. You can also fast forward and rewind by keeping your thumb down on skip forward or back.

The select button will pause or power on and off. On the top is a slide which can jump between playlists or randomise. There is an adapter socket between it and any PC with a USB slot for recharging and access to the creative software.

Battery life is around ten hours. My humble 1GB device holds about 80 songs at highest quality. This does mean a limit, but nowhere near my average gym session. You could literally run a marathon on a single play through.

Music quality 8/10

I've no idea how creative have managed it, but even through a cheap pair of headphones music sounds absolutely great. Bass comes through without the tininess you might be expecting. Volume is absolutely no problem, though a pair of inner earphones is advisable to avoid sharing your music with people close by.

Software 7/10

The creative labs software is as simple and easy to use as the device itself. The libraries are simply folders. Nothing fancy, can rip CDs faster than a speeding bullet. Copying songs from an Amazon MP3 download library is an exercise in utter simplicity. It handles principally MP3s and WMA formats. Creative labs claim up to 500 songs on a 1GB device, but if you're anything like me, you will want quality over quantity.

Tech specs

I've cut the specs from Amazon for those that may be interested. Amazon typically sells the Zen stone plus which has twice the storage and a very small display for the price I paid for this one. When (and if!) this one dies, I would have no hesitation in buying one.

Size: 53.7 x 35.3 x 12.8mm (WxHxD)
Capacity: 1GB
Weight: 18.3g
Battery: 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Ion
Supported formats:MP3 (Up to 320Kbps)WMA (Up To 320Kbps)WMA with DRM 9
MP3 Playback Performance:Signal To Noise Ratio: Up to 90dBChannel Seperation: Up to 65dBFrequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHzHarmonic Distortion Output: <0.1%
Connectors:Headphone Jack: 3.5mmUSB 2 port: Standard USB mini-B
Earphone specifications:Frequency Range: 20Hz to 20kHzImpedance: 32 Ohm +/- 15%Plug: 3.5mm stereo minijack