Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen (10GB)
Since the Nomad Jukebox first appeared in late 2000, its basic shape has not changed much, and now, in late 2002, it's long overdue for a revamp. Enter the Zen: A Jukebox put on a slimming program. Shedding the centimeters has given the Jukebox a modern new look that should appeal to those who also find the Apple iPod MP3-player attractive. The Zen is clad in sleek aluminum and about the size of a Palm V, though about twice as thick as the PDA. However, in features, it still loses out to the more expensive Jukebox 3, which is still the flagship of the line. For the price, the Zen should have been endowed with more.
Costs Less Than The iPod
The 10GB Zen costs AU$799, making it AU$200 cheaper than the Jukebox 3 and AU$45 cheaper than the 10GB Apple iPod.
However, it lacks some features found in the high-priced players. For example, there's no second battery bay, or line-in and line-out port; nor can it record without Creative's proprietary powered FM wired remote, which has a powered mike. All these features are native to the Jukebox 3.
In the box, the Zen comes with a charger, USB and IEEE1394 (FireWire) cables, software, and a pouch. Compared with the iPod, the Zen is about a cm larger in length and width and half a cm thicker. It's also 100 gm heavier. It lacks the iPod's large LCD display and touch-sensitive scroll wheel; nor does it come with an on-cord remote, like the iPod. Neither can it recharge through its IEEE1394 interface while the iPod can. The Zen, however, can recharge through its USB 1.1 port, but most will find the included charger works faster.
In short, the Zen has roughly the same cut-down features and storage capacity as its sibling, the Jukebox 2, but in a smaller and lighter body.
What it does have is sound that does not lack for clarity and volume. But the included headphone are a disappointment; they don't sound very good and hug the ears too tightly.
Button Bugbears
Another niggle are the buttons. By placing the playback, menu and power controls along the edges, Creative intends them to be used with one hand. This also makes them far too easy to accidentally activate just by holding on to the unit. To activate button lock, users need to press one button then activate it by rolling and clicking the scroll wheel; doing the reverse unlocks it. A slide switch would have been much simpler.
The scroll wheel is another bugbear. Menu items need to be scrolled to and activated by pressing down the wheel; but it takes care and attention not to click the wheel by mistake when rolling it.
The Zen uses the same software for ripping and file transfer as the earlier Jukeboxes: Creative PlayCenter and File Manager. PlayCenter is used to rip audio CDs into MP3s and to transfer music to the Zen. File Manager is used to transfer data files in and out of the Zen, so that it can be used as portable file storage. As many users have said before, the interface for both these utilities are needlessly complicated. Users may wish to consider NotMad Explorer instead, a third-party app that makes the Jukebox accessible through Windows Explorer for drag-and-drop access, the way it should have been in the first place.
Overall, the Zen seems to be aimed at those who like the Jukebox line, but in a smaller, sleeker body. It doesn't compete well with the Windows iPod in terms of features, although the inclusion of USB1.1 and Firewire connectivity does raise the bar in terms of where you could take it to transfer music.
Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen (10GB)
Company: Creative Asia Pacific
Price: AU$799
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: (02) 9666 6100
