05/22/2007, 1:05pm, EDT
Tuesday, May 22ndCreative rolls out speaker-equipped Zen Wav
Creative today removed the covers from the Zen Wav, a new media jukebox for those who would prefer listening to or watching their content without headphones. Confirmed in a store leak, the metallic player resembles the iPod nano but places two speakers on the front without adding significantly to the bulk of the player. The Wav also ships with a custom-tailored Acoustic Stand that Creative claims will not only cradle the player but also passively enhances the speakers' sound compared to open-air use. The dock is perfect for barbecues and using the player as an alarm clock on vacations, Creative says.
The new Zen also delivers a number of rare audio features in the class, including a pair of additions new to any of Creative's players. A volume limiter setting lets owners artificially limit the maximum output to prevent hearing loss for children or accidental settings changes; it also includes an eBook reader for browsing large tests even while music playe in the background. Beyond standard MP3/WAV/WMA music, JPEG photos, and transcoded AVI videos, users can also tune into FM radio. Recording is possible through a line-in jack, bypassing the need for importing some CDs, as well as voice recording through an integrated microphone. Battery life is long at either 30 hours for playback through the standard headphone port or 20 hours when using speakers.
Creative expects a single, silver model to ship with 2GB of flash storage on May 25th in Singapore, when it will sell for the equivalent of $117. A US version of the player is possible, but hasn't been included as part of today's official debut.
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Gee, so one second you say it could have been done automatically, then do a complete u-turn and say it suggests that AT&T has reconsidered their stance? Its like saying "Hey, my new Mac came with an Apple 'proof of purchase' card that says it will get me mac OS updates. That means there's going to be update pricing for the next version of OS X!" Does anyone actually ever recall using one of these coupons? (BTW, someone on ebay is selling theirs from 10.1 for just $25! Make an offer today!)
And maybe it just means that someone down in the trenches was told to get them product codes for the iphone, and they did (like they do for all phones), and stuck them into the system. Do you really think the peons who enter this information into the system were placed in confidence with the president/CEO deliberations on how they're planning on offering up this device? Hell, its been in the system for a month, for goodness sakes. I'd have a hard time believing the head honchos know even now what they want to do with this thing.
And this may sound silly, but could we just possibly wait the month or two for the iphone to be released to find out about pricing/availability, rather then just keep speculating based on the fact there's a product code in an internal database?