Creative Zen Stone guns after iPod shuffle
updated 08:45 am EDT, Thu May 3, 2007
Creative Zen Stone
Creative today made clear its ambitions by introducing the Zen Stone, its first completely screenless music player and the first aimed at beating the second-generation iPod shuffle. Claiming to be even simpler than the Apple device, the Stone is loaded through drag-and-drop file transfers. It's also more intelligent, Creative says: the device can recognize folders and will let the owner skip between them to limit in-order or random play to a particular album or playlist. Music is supported in MP3, WMA, and WAV as well as Audible audiobooks.
The Stone comes with 1GB of storage and will ship in six different colors by May 14th at a price of $40; it should be followed in July by the TravelSound Zen Stone (also $40), a black- or white-colored portable speaker system which provides stereo music for 20 hours on a pair of AAA batteries. Accessories will include a silicone skin with a built-in clip to match the portability of its iPod rival, a keychain case attachment, and an armband.
Playlist select-shuffle
05/03, 09:04am reply
...is such an obvious option I sent that suggestion to Apple over 2 years ago... It is about time...
bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002
Lossless support...
05/03, 09:06am reply
...would be another helpful & easy shuffle upgrade...
bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002
hmmm...
05/03, 09:06am reply
...I wonder if Apple will take issue with the controls, seeing how they're identical to the shuffle and the Apple remote.
Don't know if they have any patents on that design, though, or if Creative is safe from Apple suits after the whole menu/navigation settlement.
lockhartt
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2000
Audible
05/03, 09:41am reply
Without support for audible books, I wouldn't consider. Needs to sync seemlessly too. I don't want to drag files to a device. Not sure how the Creative devices work though so I'm not sure if it's as smooth as iPods and iTunes.
simdude
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Joined: Jun 2004
Inaccurate
05/03, 09:42am reply
Creative had screenless MP3 players a LONG time ago, aka MuVo.
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
inconsequential
05/03, 10:15am reply
There is no new ground broken here. No paradigm shifted. No earth shattered. This little player is no more than (arguably) incrementally better than Shuffle.
In order to present a valid challenge to the iPod juggernaut, competitors must create a device that is so many leaps and bound ahead of iPod in every respect (and especially in design and ease of use) that it blows it out of the water. As long as every teen talks about iPods and ONLY iPods, no challenger will be of any consequence.
Nice try, though, Creative and good luck with your little device!
vasic
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005
what a lazy comment
05/03, 10:33am reply
'i don't want to have to drag files to the device'
then turn in your mouse and go back to the command line. i'd rather have a device that works in a DnD process than required a Windows or Mac OS program to interface with it (iPod or iRiver). Some of us DO use Linux machines.
ibugv4
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2003
i agree
05/03, 11:01am reply
it's inconsequential. copying apple will not generate sales like apple has. clearly adding a few new features isn't doing it either. however that $40 price tag may make an impact.
nat
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
The price is right
05/03, 11:45am reply
Only $40 and "drag-and-drop file transfers!" Nice. At that price and ease of use, they will sell a good number of them... at least until Microsoft releases a Zune shuffle.
ianaberle
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Joined: Dec 2005
Environmental waste
05/03, 11:46am reply
Talk about being anti-environmental. All those disposable AAA batteries being used to power this device, whereas Apple's devices have built-in rechargeable batteries.
scotty321
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Joined: Nov 1999