Ipod vs. Creative Zen
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- mg33
Had my ipod for a few days, had a Creative Zen Xtra 30GB for 3-4 months earlier this year before the headphone jack broke, and it became a paper weight.
Please correct me if I'm wrong about ipods, but here are a few things I like better about the creative player:
1. there is a button on the side to get to what you're listening to instantly without going through a few screens or just waiting until the song screen comes up on ipod.
2. Creative has a volume button on the side, you can change volume even if you're not in your current song screen.
3. The sound, honestly, is better on Creative players. I had not listened to my creative zen in months, but I distinctly remember the sound being better and more realistic. The ipod eq's sound too metallic and tinny. (I have sony behind the ear headphones AND really nice Sennheiser recording headphones.)
4. the creative player had a sound feature that kept every song at a consistent volume from song to song AND within the song. I've listened to songs on the ipod and have to turn them up because they're quiet, then a big part kicks in and my ears are nearly bleeding.
Like I said, please tell me if there's something I'm doing wrong with the ipod. I'm keeping it (even though I can't even use itunes and my pc can only recognize it if I restart it)
But honestly, as great as Apple are supposed to be, I wonder why they charge so much, yet the sound quality is sub-par to a cheaper competitor product. I have seen several people, and some here on NT say that the creative players sound better than ipods.
But I like it, I'm cooool like all the other subway riders now! :D
- toe-knee0
you are right for all of the above except for the jump in sound. that doesnt sound good. Also, on the main screen there is a 'now playing' link to take you to the screen where you can change volume, or you can use the volume on the remote...but i have never used the remote.
- ants0
use the circle thingy when the music is playing to make the volume go up or down.
you just rub your finger clockwise or anti. :)
- spongebob0
i was given an ipod and it's becoming a white elephant cos it ain't user friendly/flexible and iTunes software sucks.
- nachkebia0
iPod is the best you can get
- Beech0
geez spongebob, hate to know what someone needs to make for you to think its user friendly.
- jevad0
"i was given an ipod and it's becoming a white elephant cos it ain't user friendly/flexible and iTunes software sucks."
uh...riiiight...sure it does....
- sparx0
im happy with my ipod, but i agree that it could have been made a little better functionality wise.
- jevad0
how so - I'm sure apple's design dept would love to hear it....
- abizzyman0
love 'em both...
... my pals all have ipods... and I decided to go the other route and score a 60 gig creative labs zen...
... and I love it too. The ipod boys saw and dug it also. Both have great features - but the ipod just feels more solid of a unit.
But I gotta say that 60 gig for less the price of a 20 gig ipod is a nice deal. Creative has it's own management software which makes it as easy as using the itunes software.
- twooh0
ipod not user friendly??
what the hell?
i've changed songs with my eyes closed while trying to sleep!
but now that my ipod is broken and the computer charges the ipod rather than reads it as a hard drive, it's now used as a paper weight.
apple hardware breaks easily and their warranty policy sucks too.
i bought my brother a Zen, and it works great according to him. he has had it as long as i have had my ipod.
think im going to buy a Zen next.
- toe-knee0
ipod is far from perfect, but it play me music alright
- kezza_20
fuck that...It looks great, fits in my jeans pocket and girls give me a smile when I walk to work (and it aint because i'm good looking). I've had mine a month and I'm more than happy.
I love it all. fact is I can find a song out of 4000 in about 5 seconds. Now thats user interface design at its best, and whats more it evolved to be even better. Granted the volume access could be 'global' but you get used to it. The Only critism is the volume adjusting. I have it set to normalise songs when I import them but there is no consistancy. But I suppose if I bought my songs, they'd all be one level but alas im a pirate and must take the rough with the smooth.
btw is there soulseek for macOSX?
- spongebob0
well if you'd be hearing me out before dissing me, here you go:
-iPod's mp3s doesn't appear as a logical drive. I can't just drag and drop the songs on a PC but have to launch the iTunes software instead
-to create 'folders' I have to name them into albums or playlists (the latter of which I'd never use)
for me user friendly would be to drag and drop entire directories of songs and they'd sit nicely verbatim as they were on my computer, but iTunes messes them up by throwing them into different albums or unknown
-I can't shuffle selective album folder, (I used to do it on my iRiver mp3 player) only able to shuffle the whole lot
-music stops after one album is played... I want it to go on and on without my intervention.
-scroll wheel isn't very sensitive --- maybe i bumped it too often
-cover isn't scratch resistant --- heartbroke when minute scratches appear. buying casings would hide the beautiful design anyway
-battery life is less than the touted 12 hours
-volume change ONLY allowed when you are looking at the Now Playing screen
-doesn't display a certain mode of Chinese text (I know most of you don't give a shit about this one)
Enough reasons?
- Peter0
I have an ipod.
The buttons are a bit too sensitive in my opinion. If I have the pod in my pocket it will forward/rewind randomly.
Of course there's the "hold" button, but then I can't reach in my pocket to switch songs fast when I want to. I have to unlock, forward, lock, change my mind, unlock again, forward, forward, lock.Oh, and that thing previously mentioned about that it creates a bunch of random folders. That's just not good.
But other then that I like it. Or, at least I wouldn't argue anymore when Jevad is around because he even has a photo album online of him opening his ipod box.
:D
- kezza_20
I have to say I rather quite like reorganising my music into correct folders and genres and deciding wether something is 'electronic' or 'dance'.
I used to do it on my pc players too. And i'm not even a coder
- nevermind0
Rio Carbon ( http://www.digitalnetworksna.com… ) an alternative to iPod mini?
- contra0
'4. the creative player had a sound feature that kept every song at a consistent volume from song to song AND within the song. I've listened to songs on the ipod and have to turn them up because they're quiet, then a big part kicks in and my ears are nearly bleeding.'
blame the artist not the player. do you really want your mp3 player to start fucking with the volume during tracks? I certainly don't.
Agree with some of the iPod issues but not the iTunes 'problems' that Spongebob has. Just get used to managing your music with iTunes and your life will be a lot easier.
- kezza_20
See that Rio player looks like a tellytubby designed it. I need to be inspired everyday. My 15inch G4 laptop and my ipod and my emac feel like someone gave a shit about me using and viewing them.
Fact is all that creative shit looks like they have been designed by people who lie Nissan Skylines and Subaru's and vulgar mobile phones. I prefer Aston Martins, and leather bound diaries and iPods.
Fact is, as Vince Frost said, designers need to surround themselves with beautiful things, and that is why most decent designer use them. It's what differentiates me from a coder monkey
- ********0
iRiver
- ********0
Spongebob-
- songs don't appear as local drive because it's suppose to deter thief. The music industry would not have made deals with APPLE otherwise. If you haven't figured out how to grab those tunes yet...well...
-to create 'folders' I have to name them into albums or playlists (the latter of which I'd never use)
What else would you name them as?? Nothing like organizing your music by naming your folders of thousands of songs other things rather than what those songs are.
itunes attempts to organize your collection. This is a GREAT feature when you have 12,870 songs (like me). Personally I rather have them all organized than in different folders all over my drive named "43590_musicshat" or whatever.By the way you can turn this feature off.
--To shuffle a selected album... in itunes type the albums name in the search bar- have shuffle on- then press play... easy as pie.
On the ipod...
select artist/album/play--Music stops after one album is played? Huh?
--funny some complain the scroll wheel is TOO sensitive.