Creative Zen Micro 6 GB MP3 Player Black

The Zen micro is very disappointing to me. I have an audible account and I need an MP3 player that is compatible with audible using windows ten. I have had Zen's before and they wee comatible with Audible so I thought there was no problem. Wrong. I am unable to download my audible books to this Zen because I have windows ten on my computer and I cannot go back to my original windows version because I have had windows ten for too long so I am damned if I do and damned if I don't.I am on social security therefore I cannot afford a more expensive MP3 player...one of them at $100+...is completely out of my spending allowance. One would think that with Amazon being the owners of Audible now they would say in their packaging if the product is compatible. Well I guess that is unreal too. They are only selling the device not making it. I wish the devices would list if they are compatible with the windows ten format for downloading.

I've been using the Zen Micro 6GB for about 3 weeks now. I spent some time before the purchase with a ZM and an equivalent iPOD. I chose the ZM for a number of reasons. Both are fine players, but here is what sent me to the ZM.DesignZM is sturdy, with an easy to read screen. Similar case volume to IP but thicker and shorter so feels more compact. I can nearly hide ZM inside my fist. (I have big hands). Case is very smooth. Replaceable battery is a huge advantage over IP. But, design is not as MOMA artsy as IP.Battery LifeThe first few charge/discharge cycles with the ZM were short, about 4-6 hours. But after that I started getting 10 hours at full volume, 12 at normal human volumes. Seems the battery likes to be conditioned a little. Do a couple of full charge and then fully discharge before recharging cycles.Audio QualityPlaying compressed music on audiophile systems is a waste. So I used Sennhesier PX100s (which I think sound much better than the Senn PX200's - but that's another review), OEM Toyota Car Audio and Tivoli Model One Radio. Although I restricted the ZM to only 128kbps WMA, to my ears, the ZM was noticeably better, with greater presence, better dynamic range and more accurate transients. This was true whether direct link via miniplug, cassette adaptor (SONY adaptor -lower noise) or FM broadcast (Belkin Tunecast II - lower noise better signal more options). Some of the quality difference may have been the different encoding schemes used by IP and ZM rather than the players themselves.CapacityVirtually identical. I have nearly 50 hours of 128kbps WMA music and the ZM is only half full. ADVICE - Like all hard drives, both IP and ZM minidrives need some free space to perform housekeeping and other duties. I don't recommend filling either an IP or ZM drive to 100% capacity.Accessories.IP wins hands down in number and variety of accessories. Colored covers, bags, pouches, plastic overlays, lights and more. For me, if it doesn't improve the playing experience, I'm not interested. Anything beyond that is a fashion issue. (Think $2000 car with $5,000 worth of trim, wheels and chrome.) You may have other priorities. At a minimum, get a good car charger, wall charger and remote. Both IP and ZM have excellent products available. However, I prefer the standard USB power/PC interface of ZM over the unique IP connections because I've been trapped in proprietary connectors and formats too many times before.Music DownloadAlthough the iTunes site had a great selection of music, I didn't like iTunes for Windows client or being essentially locked into the iTunes site. I liked the ability to use lots of places to download music for ZM. Creative Organizer software was usable for me without reading the instructions.ControlsHad no problem with the touchpad controls on ZM even at medium sensitivity. But my notebook PC uses a touchpad and I'm very comfortable with a control interface that does not provide tactile feedback. IP wheel gives you that feedback. ZM alternative response is their wired remote which provides tactile feedback in a more traditional way.Suggested ZM Product Improvements (Are you listening Creative?)1) Silicone Cases - I use BoxWave Flexiskin because it makes the case less slippery and allows me to cover the white back of the case with a color. (My ZM is Black on Black).2) Hard Cases - Look at the sweet Altoids hacks people have created. The demand is there.3) Wireless remote - Who needs more wires in their life?4) A Dock - The interfaces are all on the top, so invert the unit in the dock. A simple firmware mod would allow the screen to invert when docked. Dock is much better than loose wires on the counter.5) Electronic Manuals as Adobe documents are okay, but format them for 8.5x11 paper so we can print them out if we wish. Leaving them formatted as 7x4 because the summary instructions are like that is wasteful.I'm very happy with the product and feel I made the right choice for me. Your experience and opinion may vary. Enjoy!!

Let's begin with what I did like about the Zen .... NOTHING! Here's what's left over.The problems are plenty so let's begin. The biggest problem is the confusing Creative management menu. It's a bit clumsy and hard to navigate. I was able to create a list and when I tried to burn the files to disk it kept failing. Next the actual sound quality is far from perfect. Certain frequencies played back were crackling and mushy. When played from the Menu the songs were just fine but when played on Zen many of the songs just weren't very clear. The belt clip, costing $20, bucks didn't seem to work right with the player. It's a large cradle like contraption that you fit around the player which hinders the access to the on/off/lock button. The provided USB cable is only about 18" long. Unless your PC is easily accessible and the USB port is in front of the PC you're going to have to go out and buy a longer cord. Oh, and like the Ipod if you want to charge your new Zen from a wall outlet they get ready to spend another $30-40 bucks. The Zen doesn't come with one. You charge the unit through the USB. With all these problems it's no wonder Apple owns 80% of the portable music player market.

The product is not as described, shipping was fast however the product does not work and does not hold a charge, I had to put additional money into this product.