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Salka

I just got a Creative Zen Micro

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Apple iPod can go burn in hell, 'cause the Zen Micro is where it's at.

It's so fucking gorgeous, I think I'm going to explode.

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I got something less sexy looking but more sexy on the inside :) Cause my Xclef can play and record MP3 files, can be used as an external hdd (20 GB) (and I can upgrade that to 137GB if I ever wanted to), can be used to record and listen to radio, is firmware upgradeable and can play ogg, mp3, wav and you can read text files with it! :)

hd500_p.gif

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I got something less sexy looking but more sexy on the inside :) Cause my Xclef can play and record MP3 files, can be used as an external hdd (20 GB) (and I can upgrade that to 137GB if I ever wanted to), can be used to record and listen to radio, is firmware upgradeable and can play ogg, mp3, wav and you can read text files with it! :)

The iPod can be used as an external drive also. That's the only thing on that list that appeals to me. I guess you could use it to record MP3s with the belkin add-on, but why would I want to? As for OGG, MP3 and WAV, you can use the latter two with an iPod, just not OGG. And I don't care how good the files sound, Ogg Vorbis is the dumbest name for a file format ever.

The iPod is a hit because it's compact, sexy and doesn't suffer from feature creep like some of these other swiss army players.

As it is, I don't expect to use the photo viewing functionality on my iPod much, if ever. But the color screen sure is gorgeous, and I love displaying the album art when playing music.

Plus it was free. But this is my third iPod, following a 5 GB first generation, and a 15 GB third generation.

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oh I forgot to mention that you don't need any kind of software to connect the player to your machine. win PX simply recognizes it as an external hdd drive and mounts it. youc an even defrag and scandisk the thing :)

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oh I forgot to mention that you don't need any kind of software to connect the player to your machine. win PX simply recognizes it as an external hdd drive and mounts it. youc an even defrag and scandisk the thing :)

Again, ditto with the iPod.

My PC and Mac both recognize it as a HD without having to install anything (well, in the case of the Mac it's cheating, since it already has that installed anyway).

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There was a very nice iRiver MP3 player but I can't seem to find it.

-This- might be it but I'm sure the one I saw before looked different. :shifty:

Anyway plays ogg, has optical in and out, a tuner, voice recorder and all that malarky.

I like the idea of something that has a mic and can be used to note down any ideas that pop into my head, or perhaps just the drunken chatter of friends to listen back on and chortle and guffaw as I sit in my arm chair by the fire in my smoking jacket with my pipe and news paper.

:shifty:

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Zen Micro also has portable storage facility, microphone, FM radio (you can record radio stuff too). It can only play MP3's, WAV's and WMA's, but I never listen to Midi or OGG files anyway. It's also a gorgeous, compact design, has a date & time fuction, and an organizer. I got the car kit for it and it's deadly; nothing like cranking up Nine Inch Nails at 7:30 in the morning as my Mom drives me in to school. Beats listening to crackly long-wave radio.

To be honest, I'm not bothered about functions like date & time... I'm delighted with the microphone and the fact I can record from the radio. It's totally sexy. It has character.

Compared to the iPod Mini, the obvious direct competitor, it definitely beats it. I'm not sure how the Zen compares to the iPod (full size versions) though.

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I have a Zen Xtra, and I like it. It's larger than the iPod, and I do wish it had the touch thingy, but for the price difference I really don't care that much. I hate Creative's software, though. For that matter, I really don't like iTunes much, either. I use third-party stuff from http://www.redchairsoftware.com/

They make software for the Micro and the iPod as well, if anyone's interested :)

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For that matter, I really don't like iTunes much, either. I use third-party stuff from http://www.redchairsoftware.com/

I have an iPod mini which I got for free so I'm not terribly concerned about any lacking features. I'm looking at the Red Chair Anapod thing right now, which actually looks pretty nice. Is there anything actually wrong with iTunes apart from the fact that it can't do that much?

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I have an iPod mini which I got for free so I'm not terribly concerned about any lacking features. I'm looking at the Red Chair Anapod thing right now, which actually looks pretty nice. Is there anything actually wrong with iTunes apart from the fact that it can't do that much?

I dunno, I haven't actually used it under Windows, but the fact that on MacOS it moves all the mp3s you add to it to its own filesystem kinda bugs me.

The biggest killer app of red chair's program, though, is xtreamer. I can hook my zen up to one pc via usb and then stream music over the network to winamp on any computer in the office I happen to be on. I'm pretty sure Anapod Explorer includes Xtreamer now too.

I think they have a demo, if you want to give it a shot.

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Yeah, I just downloaded the trial version and xtreamer is pretty cool indeed. I'm still playing around with it but so far it definitely looks to be better than iTunes.

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'Baccy, maybe you can help, since you have a Zen too. It would be real nice if mine let me upload WAV files on to it without putting them in to slow goddamn motion.

What's with that? I have a lot of movie quotes and Bushisms and Bill Hicks stuff and things like that, that I like to keep on my Zen to share with people, because that's the kind of thing I do. While the Bushisms seem fine, and the Bill Hicks stuff, a lot of the stuff seems to play back in slow motion.

What. Happen. There isn't even a slow motion feature on them. And for good reason. It's really fucking irritating.

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I dunno, I haven't actually used it under Windows, but the fact that on MacOS it moves all the mp3s you add to it to its own filesystem kinda bugs me.

You've been able to turn that off on Mac and PC for the last few versions.

I hated that at first, but the fact that iTunes does a very good job of organizing your music made me not hate it anymore and now I just trust iTunes to do it for me.

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nah, it's the other way around, really. the iPod photo still sucks in sound quality when it comes to the Zen line. we're talking DAPs and that's what really matters after all, sound quality.

Seconded.

My 40 GB iPod Photo eats Zen Micros for breakfast.

And it drinks beer.

photopod.jpg

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Hey, im wondering if anyone can help me? i dropped my Zen Micro and now its not working i want to cry :frown: please please help if you can

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Hey, im wondering if anyone can help me? i dropped my Zen Micro and now its not working i want to cry :frown: please please help if you can
Dip it in linseed oil, then mortar'n'pestle it into a fine pulp. Apply liberally on bread and enjoy!

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I had a look at my sister's new Zen Micro last week. It seemed nifty, but my clumsy fingers kept triggering new tracks when I was just browsing the albums in there. You have to get used to that touch pad thingy. Also I couldn't work out if you could queue individual tracks up to 'play next' by browsing the albums. I'd like to be able to do that. It looks nice, though.

I'm not really excited by portable music enough to buy anything like that though. I make mixes for my car and that's enough excitement for me.

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