ipod video vs. creative zen vision W

skaliwag66 · #1 01-24-2008, 09:21 PM

Which one has better...

-battery life
-user interface (fast, easy to get to songs, easy to change settings)
-faster processor

Sonic_Death · #2 01-24-2008, 09:24 PM

Do you use a Mac or PC?

What do you plan on using the device for (as far as music, videos, photos, fm radio)?

How much money do you plan on spending?

Answer these and I will provide you with a good answer.

skaliwag66 · #3 01-24-2008, 09:32 PM

-Proud PC user

-I plan to use it for music mostly (which reminds me, which of the two has better sound and equalization?)
-I plan to spend up to 250 bucks (i will be looking at craigslist first)

the ipod im looking at is either a 30 gb 5th generation or an 80GB ipod 'classic'

Sonic_Death · #4 01-24-2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skaliwag66

-Proud PC user

-I plan to use it for music mostly (which reminds me, which of the two has better sound and equalization?)
-I plan to spend up to 250 bucks (i will be looking at craigslist first)

the ipod im looking at is either a 30 gb 5th generation or an 80GB ipod 'classic'

Granted, I am completely biased against Apple products, I will say that most signs point to a Creative being the better choice.

The thing is, is that why the Zen Vision W? That is a widescreen version, and if you plan on using it for mostly music, I recommend just getting the Vision M (which looks more like a standard iPod type device). Both the Vision M and Vision W have great video quality, but the W's widescreen format makes it ideal for video, so if you plan on mostly using it for music, then the Vision M would seem to be the better choice.

The Zen Vision M has great battery life, I believe on full charge can last up to 14 hours if being used just for music, and 6 hours if being used just for video.

As far as being a PC user, I have always thought the Creative setup was a lot simpler to load music on. You don't need a iTunes like with iPods, you literally just plug in any Creative product and can drag and drop if you please. You can use the Creative software to transfer music. You can use Windows Explorer, Winamp, Windows Media Player, etc.... There's many methods and they are all fairly simple.

Also, Creative products are typically cheaper at many locations than iPods are, the only downfall is that accessories for Creative products are harder to come by. If you shop online though, this would not be a problem anyways.

Another benefit of the Creative Zen Vision M in comparison, is that it contains many features that iPods do not. This includes but is not limited to: FM Radio, a built in microphone, the ability to record directly off of the radio onto the device, a removable hard drive partition built into the space on the mp3 player, etc...

As far as I know, the Creative Zen Vision M is available in many colors, and in 30GB and 60GB versions. I would suggest you looking into it as a strong alternative to both the Vision W and to iPods.

Let me know your thoughts.

skaliwag66 · #5 01-24-2008, 10:34 PM

Hey thanks for the reply.

I dont trust anything apple either

I only picked the visoon w for the cool factor, but if its got the same video quality (for the rare times ill play video) i guess it would make more sense to go with the m. probably less drain on the battery.

i think ill probably go with the creative player. does the M have the detachable battery pack too?

ahkiatt · #6 01-24-2008, 10:42 PM

In my school, there's an almost fair share of Apple and Creative users.

Apple wins. Creative zen vision has a tendency of breaking down real easy. I've been using my 5th Generation for a year now, it's still going strong, no problems at all.

Sonic_Death · #7 01-24-2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skaliwag66

Hey thanks for the reply.

I dont trust anything apple either

I only picked the visoon w for the cool factor, but if its got the same video quality (for the rare times ill play video) i guess it would make more sense to go with the m. probably less drain on the battery.

i think ill probably go with the creative player. does the M have the detachable battery pack too?

No, the M does not have a detachable battery pack. It does not come with a power adapter either. It comes with a USB cable which you can use to charge it, and it takes approx 6 hours to get from 0-100%. You can also buy a power adapter for it (which I did) and it takes 2 hours to fully charge. The battery life on it is pretty great though, and after owning my Vision M for over a year, the battery still performs as well as new.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahkiatt

In my school, there's an almost fair share of Apple and Creative users.

Apple wins. Creative zen vision has a tendency of breaking down real easy. I've been using my 5th Generation for a year now, it's still going strong, no problems at all.

I guess if that is the case in your school, then that's fair. Personally I have never had an issue with my Creative products breaking. Freezing? Yes, but that is because I had dropped it numerous times, and I am more careful with my mp3 players nowadays.

Valerus · #8 01-24-2008, 10:46 PM

I have an iPod but I hate Apple.
Weird huh?

It's simple for music...lame for movies.

If you want one for mainly music, get the iPod.

I was going to get the Creative Zen Vision:M but opted for the iPod.

skaliwag66 · #9 01-24-2008, 10:58 PM

Looks like there are not many creative vision m's available up here.

jkritchey · #10 01-25-2008, 06:59 AM

I was very anti iPod until I was ready to upgrade my tiny mp3 players. I found the the 80gb iPod classic to be the best available deal right now. $237 from Amazon with free shipping in the US.

I also found a real leather fitted case for it for $4.99 with free shipping. There are a huge number of iPod accessories out there, making it more flexible to fit your needs.

I use it exclusively with Winamp. I do not like iTunes. (I have used iTunes with it twice: to upgrade the firmware, and to load a video on it.)

I couldn't a find another high capacity player with full features at that price.

DigMe · #11 01-25-2008, 07:19 AM

If it were me I'd be considering the 2nd gen. Zune as well. It's been a real hit on PC/Tech forums that I peruse and it has some really cool features. It may or may not be the best choice for you but it should at least be in the conversation.

bc

skaliwag66 · #12 01-25-2008, 08:52 AM

I was seriously considering the zune but its too 'Microsoft Windows' for me.

I've had enough headaches with their 'play for sure' products.

jkritchey · #13 01-25-2008, 09:08 AM

Actually, I think I've read the Zune doesn't support "Plays for Sure", believe it or not. I eliminated the Zune because of it's ties to Windows Media Player, and lack of full Winamp support. If you're cool with WMP 11, the Zune is a good deal.

skaliwag66 · #14 01-25-2008, 09:15 AM

I hpe to never use WMP ever again.

Valerus · #15 01-25-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skaliwag66

I hpe to never use WMP ever again.

Windows Media Player is the spawn of Satan.

jazzbo · #16 01-25-2008, 09:32 AM

I'm excited to hear about a iPod alternative. My family and friends have had a lot of problems with their Apple products, (computers and iPods). I know that my first Mini busted within the warranty, so they replaced it. It didn't last either. It won't hold the music. The hard drive erases all the time. I don't think it has ever been dropped or mishandled either. Then, my friends seem to have their iPods last about a year before some major problem. If an iPod cost $100 and lasted a year, I would be morally bothered, but not entirely upset. But for the price they charge on these things, one should be able to get 3-5 years if the device is handled well. The fact that they don't is marketing greed, in my humble opinion.

But this leaves me with a question. Because I was an iPod user previously, I downloaded my entire music collection to iTunes. I am not ripping 500 CDs another time. Is there a way to convert my music from the iTunes library so that I can use another mp3 device?

jkritchey · #17 01-25-2008, 09:47 AM

The songs should be on your hard drive in the My Document \My Music \ iTunes\iTunes Music Directory in whatever format you asked iTunes to manage them in.

Any media player can easily be aimed at that directory and build it's own library. Keep in mind the "Library" is nothing but a database catalog of the digital songs on your PC.

The good news is that iTunes does a very nice job of organizing your music on your PC by Artist and Album.

The bad news is that unless you specified otherwise, they may be in AAC format, which is not all that friendly with every other player.

Remember, your music doesn't exist in iTunes, it exists on your hard drive, and iTunes is an application that can show them, play them and organize them.

Good luck!

IanStephenson · #18 01-25-2008, 09:51 AM

Most mp3 players can play aac too. Contrary to popular belief aac is not apple only, and mp3 is not "free" or "open". In fact the licensing costs to use the aac patents are LESS than the cost of mp3 licenses. You should be able to load your iTunes onto most mp3 players - just check they support aac before you buy.

DigMe: I don't know what forums you read, but every article on Zune I've ever read has been pretty negative. It doesn't do "play for sure!"... Whats with that? Would apple bring out an iPod that couldn't play iTunes store? Or announce that all new music would only be sold in their new format that couldn't play on old iPods? In practise "play for sure" MAY work on Zune - it's not a supported feature.

I've got a few iPods - all good, no problems. Other systems can match on spec/features, but don't work as well doing the things you actually want. The whole iTunes/iPod/Store synergy is what makes them special, rather than the sort of things you can actually measure (battery life, screen res, capacity etc).

Check the Apple store, and look for the "refurb" section burried down at the bottom. I got an iPod photo for about half price a few days after it was replaced by the video model. They're "as new", wih full waranty, making them great value.

Ian

skaliwag66 · #19 01-25-2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valerus

Windows Media Player is the spawn of Satan (Bill Gates).

skaliwag66 · #20 01-25-2008, 09:56 AM

I absolutely do not want to deal with that iTunes folder. I hope its not required to sync the player. I've got my music organized. And the iTunes store, more than likely, has none of the music i listen to and music in the formats i don't use (I use flac and V0 mp3's)

Can you sync the iPod by using an m3u playlist?