Strictly Thumb Dancing (Creative Zen X-Fi 32 GB)

Member Name: 1st2thebar

Product:	Creative Zen X-Fi 32 GB
Date:	22/09/09 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 32GB of huge data storage

Disadvantages: Design proto - type and navigation

CREATIVE ZEN X-Fi

Storage -32GB
Available - September 2008
RRP - 209.99 GBP
---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Strictly Thumb Dancing
================

In today's market the Creative portable hand media players evolve off the press quickly and with a technological edge that comes under the heading Xtreme Fidelity. I believe it is another bit of gravy mince that Creative has cooked up for yet another launch with the X-Fi2 out this month. - It is fair to say the lab team have been tinkering with the piece of technology since the 8GB hit the masses. The 32 GB seems to be a bit more enhanced with sound, but this could be a figment of my imagination; but for now I'm hedging on the fact the lab team do endure in tinkering even when it been 2 month longer in the labs dormitories than the 8GB which I reviewed earlier. On a good inspection Xtreme Fidelity sound quality differs marginally better on the 32GB.

While I've toiled over many Creative portable media players, I'm not aware of any noticeable changes design-wise with the squared-off blue-print. It must really be exasperating while looking through a Creative catalogue as quite frankly if your like me, quite into the outer body casing design and navigation, their isn't a lot too go on. Creatives blue-chip design team seem totally unaware of what reaches the public imagination, and it isn't a load of odd squares on the design interface like what was manufactured with the Zen Mozaic. At least the Xtreme Fidelity looks like it may belong to a male who deems on the side of simplicity for portable media player choice, even if Creative has consistently enraged me about the awkward small button navigation design has is so Creatives corporate brand awareness thing that I wonder if they themselves are fed up with the numerous of buttons that systematically appear like there are no other navigational options. I take it once the design navigation patent law takes hold, I guess Creative feel as if they should have their monies worth by milking the product blue-print till they start looking like milk maids.

Built like Michael Mann doing Strictly Come Dancing the portable media player looks ungainly heavy and reminds me of a mid 1970's indoor torch; with a slightly more bit of technology thrown in. If you are unaware of any of my other write-ups the X-FI is exactly one year old with high fidelity sound enhancement technology that brings you closer to the MP3 sound and enables a synthesiser collective bands as your choice of audio options. The audio software in-built within the MP3 Player allows the raw music material shrunken through to a small file for it to be read back out to the audio out-let in turn would be a much bigger improvement. This is what Xtreme Fidelity technology does. The crystal audio out-let is not necessary ground bursting but certainly with the 32GB the X-FI is worth an audio test. The hardened portable media savvy will not see too much here to get excited about, the terminology Xtreme Fidelity sounds like a mixed cultured pop craze that we all endured in the early 1990's, that brought out DVD's step moves with options of a sing-a-long karaoke.

It just so determines on the environment you're in whether audio quality can be quenched properly. The iPod has many better enhancements that make it a better saleable product than the Zen series X-Fi 32GB. The body mass of the X-Fi is notably larger than any iPod but weight wise not a lot in it. The use of the product space is not well thought of when Creative went to the drawing board, too much area not being useful, surrounding the 2 inch LCD monitor. If it is the weight, it is the awkward size of it that will put you off from deferring your thoughts of purchasing another iPod Nano.

The storage for me is the ultimate prize giveaway on this player. A fabulous 32GB of digital data that is able to store at least 8,000 media files, so it looks like you don't have to chop and change tracks wondering what to clear from your media library. Downloads are directly available via your USB connector that comes with the device, connecting you up with your PC and of course the internet. What I've found myself to be a talking point is that many ordinary folk will ask what type of device you're listening with as it is just so not like a iPod; a fascinating talking point especially to tech geeks who want to get out more and actually meet new people; you could look at this device as your key to the non virtual world; that is if your not embarrassed at the awkward design and keen to stimulate an interest while your head isn't in the Kings of Leon latest track.

There are several more features that could swing it for you as a consumer and that is you can listen to FM radio. - There is also an extra memory slot if you require yet more memory for your ever increasing digital data library. The music library enables you to also store JPEGS or BMP's onto your device direct from your PC from a digital camera. The same for Videos in MP4 formats MP3 and WMV formats the portable media player will have a read only option to view the media, not to make the media or swap in conversions. The transfer rates are quick at 6.5MB per second, while transferring digital data. The 32GB is versatile in types of media stored so there are options within the libraries available

---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Overall statistics for the Zen X-Fi Portable Media Player 32GB
---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Sound and Graphics - 19.37 out of 20.00
Storage - 19.80 out of 20.00
Features - 15.10 out of 20.00
Design and Navigation - 16.28 out of 20.00
Originality - 13.75 out of 20.00
OVERALL SCORE - 84.30 out of 100
---------------------------------------------

I hope all the information provided has helped.
© 1st2thebar - 09 - 2009

Summary: CREATIVE X-Fi - 32GB -

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Features:
Sound quality:
Download speed: