Creative goes micro with two new MP3 players

By Ed Oswald | Published January 7, 2008, 5:47 PM

Creative used CES to debut two new low-cost music players with built in speakers on Monday. Added to the company's existing Zen Stone and Zen Stone Plus product lines, both feature 2 GB of capacity at prices of $49.99 and $59.99 respectively.

While the Stone will just include the built-in speaker, the Stone Plus adds quite a few additional features, including a screen, FM radio, voice recording, clock with stopwatch and customizable equalizer settings.

Creative's Zen Stone Plus MP3 player

Like all of its recent players, the devices will be able to play back iTunes Plus files, which are AAC files with no DRM restrictions. Four colors will be made available including metallic black, dark blue, pink, and champagne.

In a departure from previous players. the Zen Stones would come with no software for transferring files to the device. Instead, Creative is telling users to simply drag the files from their hard drive onto the device, much like people currently do with flash drives.

Comments

View comments by with a score of at least

They look better than the shuffle and have plenty more features. But I might not call it a "stone". That's a bit like calling your cd blanks "zen coasters"!

Score: 0

|

So what do we have that my years old muvo tx doesn't have?

Well it is 2GB instead of 512MB and costs a third as much.

....and that's about it. Hmm and now it comes in a weird and annoying looking form factor.

Does anyone buy these zen stone things?

Score: 0

|

"In a departure from previous players. the Zen Stones would come with no software in order to transfer files to the device. Instead, Creative is telling users to simply drag the files from their hard drive onto the device, much like people currently do with flash drives."

And it took how long for this amazing idea to arrive ?
Its no wonder apple have run away with the market when the blindingly obvious has been overlooked for so long.

Score: 0

|

Report: Microsoft to randomize Europe's browser screen choices

The fact that "A" is for "Apple" was apparently at the heart of browser vendor objections to Microsoft's alternative to listing IE first.

Acer eclipses Dell for #2 spot in global PC shipments, says iSuppli data

It literally does look like a 360-degree turnaround in Dell's fortunes, as the bells of bad tidings now toll solely for Dell.

Microsoft, don't hang up on Windows Mobile, but do call for help

Only a Manhattan Project can save Microsoft's phone strategy now.

See ya later, WinMo: Microsoft's mobile strategy needs a reboot

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: Hands up if you're considering upgrading to a Windows phone for the holidays...Anybody?

Playing catch-up in 2010: Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian

Microsoft, RIM, and Nokia are each working on improved mobile operating systems. But could these efforts add up to too little, too late?

Will Nokia's plans further alienate American consumers?

A look at Nokia's plans for the coming years does little to shine up the company's increasingly dull image.

Bing bonked by service outage Thursday, Microsoft configured the wrong server

It's always nice to have a backup, but it's even nicer to remember which one is the backup. That's the lesson Bing's admins learned yesterday evening.

Survey reveals there are more women then men, including on social networks

If you think you can market your products and services online as though you're selling car batteries in the middle of halftime, think again. And again.

Android team updates 'Donut' and 'Eclair' SDKs

The Android SDK includes components which optimize app development for each version of the mobile operating system. Today, the 1.6 and 2.0 components got updates.

The Black Screen Syndrome, or, Tech news in search of the apocalypse

Scott Fulton On Point: This is a story about something that should not have been a story, about something that at one time was a story.

Online advertising evolves away from display, toward interactive software

Marketing departments and agencies are increasingly establishing positions for "creative technologists" who can steer designers and developers toward platforms that enable direct connections with consumers.