Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black)

Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black)
Manufacturer: Creative Labs
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Smaller and better than ever before. The ZEN VISION:M does more than play your videos, photos and music. It displays them in their true glory on a vibrant, large full-color screen. Perfect for road trips long or short, carry your entertainment in the palm of your hand.
Amazon.com Review
In its own right, the Creative Zen Vision:M is a very capable digital audio player, video player, photo viewer, FM radio, and more. Indeed, one could go on and on about how it has the right specifications to make it a constant companion for entertainment on the go. The really big news about this device, though, is that it's the first device to boast complete compatibility with Amazon Unbox, the new digital video and music download service from Amazon.com.

The Zen Vision:M has the features, ease-of-use, and power to become your constant media companion. See the Vison:M interactive demo.

Design
Let's get things out in the open. The Apple iPod is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to the digital media player business and, unavoidably, every other device is measured against it. In most respects, the Vision:M matches up pretty well, and there are few things you may even like better. Length and width dimensions are exactly the same at 4.1 and 2.4 inches respectively. When it comes to girth, though, the iPod has the Vision:M beat; the Vision:M is .7 inches thick, while the iPod measures .4 inches. The Vision:M is slightly heavier, too. These details aside, the Vision:M feels comfortable, yet sturdy, in the hand, with curved surfaces in all the right places.

Creative takes a somewhat different approach with the Vision:M's controls, answering the iPod's Click Wheel with a vertical touch pad--which allows you to scroll up and down menus and control volume--plus four buttons that offer navigation through the user interface. The contextual menu button on the bottom right is a welcome addition, allowing you to make quick settings changes and view information about media files on the fly--functions that are more cumbersome on an iPod. Creative could have made the buttons a bit more sensitive--they require a firm press that gives an overall feeling of clunkiness to an otherwise well-designed user interface. Another annoyance is the touch pad's over-sensitivity; it's easy to make selections unintentionally, sending you on a wild ride through the user interface.

The Vision:M's screen, which measures 2.5 inches diagonally, offers sharp details, vibrant color, and excellent response with little or no video ghosting during high-action sequences. The 320 x 240 resolution is to be expected from a device this size, and although it's small, you'll likely have no trouble enjoying video while you're sitting on the subway or a flight, or in the back-seat of a car. Our only nitpick was the screen's less than stellar viewing angle, especially when compared side-by-side with a video iPod. While this can be good for maintaining privacy, the narrow viewing angle also means that friends beside you will struggle to see anything other than a black screen.

Music, Videos, Photos, and More
The Vision:M's music organization scheme is standard fare; you can browse playlists, artists, tracks, albums, and genres. Equalizer settings are robust, with a nice range of automatic settings, plus a custom equalizer that's easy to control. The music library's "DJ" function is a nice touch, allowing you to listen to your most popular tracks. It can also pull up the tunes you listen to least frequently--in case you've got some forgotten tunes lying around on the Vision:M's 30 GB hard drive. Sound quality is everything you'd expect from a top shelf digital audio player, and DRM'd Windows Media files played without a hitch. The device fully supports a whole range of "PlaysForSure" download and subscription services, such as Napster and Yahoo Music. Creative also ships a CD-ripping and music transfer application called MediaSource with the Vision:M.

Playback of Windows Media DRM'd video files (WMV9) was also hassle-free. Purchased videos delivered crisp colors and detail, with no frame drops. Video playback consumes a lot of power, bringing Creative's claim of four hours of video playback into serious doubt. Expect under three hours when watching videos continuously. Thankfully, if you need to come back to your video later the Vision:M's software remembers the timecode of where you left off--unless you power the device down between viewing sessions. In addition to protected and unprotected WMV files, the Vision:M can play MPEG 1/2/4, Motion-JPEG, DivX 4 and 5, and XviD formats, making it a very flexible device with respect to encoding options.

The Vision:M can also store thousands of photos, letting you browse through them or set up a slideshow. The device's TV-out option comes in handy here, as you can present slideshows on a TV or projector. Videos can be displayed this way, too. An FM radio with easy preset tuning functions and great signal reception, plus a voice recorder feature, round out the extra media features. There's also a handy application on the Vision:M that formats a portion of the drive for use as USB 2.0 mass storage, letting you set aside up to 16 GB for data storage.

Connectivity and Synchronization
A Creative Sync Adapter ships in the box with the Vision:M, making it a snap to connect the device to a USB 2.0-capable PC. With the connection made, Windows XP recognized the device right off the bat and Windows Media Player immediately asked us if we wanted to load the PC's music onto the Vision:M. Music management and synchronization has come a long way on the PC, and the experience of organizing and transferring music to and from the Vision:M was, barring a few curious click-through boxes, pretty seamless. The Vision:M also supports synchronization of your Outlook contacts, calendar, and tasks, in case you want to use it as a personal organizer of sorts.

Amazon Unbox Integration
To be truly successful, the Vision:M has to be more than a great media device, it has to integrate with Amazon Unbox and make the process feel like second nature. Although the Vision:M was tested using a beta version of Amazon Unbox, things are looking good already. Amazon Unbox and the Vision:M go together like peas in a pod, making the process of purchasing, downloading, and enjoying content on the go a real cinch. The Amazon Unbox Video Player, which queues, downloads, organizes, and plays your purchased movies and TV shows, recognized the Vision:M right off the bat. An icon for the Vision:M appears in the devices panel of the application, and you can immediately begin transferring downloaded content to the device. Once you're all loaded up, the Vision:M offers a great way to bring Amazon Unbox entertainment along for the ride.

Pros

Crisp, vibrant color screen is great for video
Generous video format compatibility
Excellent sound quality and music management functions

Cons

Narrow screen viewing angle may be a problem for some
Finicky controls for some functions
Slightly more bulky than other competitors

What's in the Box
Creative ZEN Vision:M, earphones, Sync Adapter, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, user's guide, and installation CD that includes Creative MediaSource and Creative Media Explorer software. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter.
Amazon.com Product Description
The Zen Vision:M MP3 and Video Player lets you take all your movies, music and photos in a light, pocket-sized device that is loaded with 30 GB of memory. At this capacity you can carry tens of thousands of photos, 120 hours of movies (500 Kbps MPEG4-SP), or up to 15,000 songs (WMA encoded at 64 Kbps), all in the palm of your hand. You can also tune in the radio (32 station presets), record your favorite talk show, or make personal voice memos with the built-in microphone.

The Zen Vision:M can hold thousands of songs, photos, and movies in its 30 GB memory. View larger.

See the Zen Vision:M in 3D.

Today's big screen blockbuster, yesterday's picnic home video, and even your favorite TV shows--they all now fit in your pocket and are ready to be shared. Zen Vision:M supports many video formats, such as AVI, DivX 4 and 53, XviD4, MPEG-1, -2, -SP, WMV9, and Motion-JPEG, which simply means you have more choices and less restrictions. Instead of busting out your wallet to show snapshots of your kids, you can enlist the Zen Vision:M to give viewers a glimpse of your precious memories--tens of thousands of them. In 262,144 vivid colors and 320x240 resolution, complete with a thumbnail gallery, this device makes it easy to scroll through your entire photo collection. Of course, music files are a big portion of anyone's digital canvas. Perfect for taking with you on the road or just around the house, this device makes all your music sound as good as the Zen Vision:M looks. And with eight preset EQ settings and 97 dB signal-to-noise ratio, you can fine-tune your listening experience for any musical genre.

You can also connect the Zen Vision:M to a projector or TV with the included AV cable, and put on a big show from this little device. Synchronize music files with photo or video montages for a taste of spectacular, personalized big screen magic. Viewing images on this device is a pleasant experience. The 2.5-inch, high definition LCD screen features a 320x240 resolution and hundreds of thousands of colors. What this means is you see crisp, clear detail in every movie and photo, even under bright light.

Creative didn't scrimp on design, either. The Zen Vision:M features an ergonomic design with an innovative touch pad control that enables quick, comfortable access to menus and settings. And you'll get loads more playback time with the built-in rechargeable, battery. Enjoy up to 13 hours of music or 4.5 hours of movies on a single charge. The optional extended-life battery pack lets you double playback time, so you can enjoy days of uninterrupted entertainment. Other features include a personal organizer that you sync with Microsoft Outlook, and an integrated voice recorder that can store hundreds of hours worth of recordings. Take a closer look at all the Zen Vision:M features.

The Zen Vision:M MP3 and Video Player uses PlaysForSure technology. Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you're shopping for a portable music or video device and you want to make sure the digital music and video you purchase will play back on it every time. Match the PlaysForSure logo on a large selection of leading devices and online music stores. If you see the logo, you'll know your digital music will play for sure. Choose from a large number of digital music and video stores, including MTV's Urge, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, Napster, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, and many more.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen Vision:M, earphones, sync adapter, USB 2.0 adapter, pouch, user's guide, and installation CD. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter.

Average customer rating:

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Sony VAIO VGN-N150P/B 15.4" Notebook PC (Intel Core Duo Processor T2050, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-R Dbl Layer Drive)

Manufacturer: Sony IT
Product Group: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers
ASIN: B000IG96RO

Related Categories:

Notebooks

Notebooks

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Product Description

The Sony VAIO(R) VGN-N150P/B Notebook Computer is the perfect blend of mobility, style, and performance. This notebook PC will become the center of your digital entertainment universe, whether you're home, at school, working, or on the road. The system is powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor T2050 CPU and boasts 1 GB of RAM, a 100 GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, a dual layer DVD burner, wireless Ethernet and a 15.4-inch Widescreen display powered by Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 graphics. The laptop has a 15.4-inch high-definition widescreen display that brings your movies and photos to life with amazing color and clarity due to its X-Brite technology. The integrated FireWire port allows you to directly capture video from a digital camcorder to your PC. Graphics Display Card Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 128 MB Shared Memory 100 GB SATA 5400 rpm Hard Drive Optical Drive Installed - Dual Layer DVD Burner Write Speeds - Up to 8x DVD-R, 6x DVD-RW, 4x DVD-R DL, 8x DVD+R, 8x DVD+RW, 4x DVD+R DL, 24x CD-R and 16x CD-RW Read Speeds - Up to 8x DVD, 5x DVD-RAM and 24x CD PCIMCIA Expansion 1x ExpressCard/34 Slot 1x Video Digital 4-Pin FireWire-400, 2x USB 2.0 Ports 1x VGA Display Output Integrated Speakers 1x Headphone, 1x Microphone input Flash Media Slot - Secure Digital, Memory Stick(R) PRO, Memory Stick(R) PRO Duo 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet Connector (RJ-45) V.92/V.90 56k Modem (RJ-11) Modem Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG - 802.11a/b/g Up to 5.5 hours of Lithium-Ion Battery Operating System - Windows XP Professional Edition SP2 Dimensions - Width 14.4 x Depth 10.5 x Height 1.2-1.6 inch (36.6 x 26.7 x 3-4.1 cm) Weight - 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg)

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed to complement your modern design aesthetic, the Sony VAIO VGN-N150P/B balances beautiful form with highly functional computing features. The N150P/B features a black-and-silver case for a cool, contemporary accent. Beyond its eye-catching good looks, this laptop offers a bright 15.4-inch XBRITE-ECO LCD screen that provides brilliant colors from photos and videos while helping to save drain on the battery. This affordable notebook PC is powered by Intel's powerful Core Duo T2050, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance and a more efficient power consumption. The dual execution core T2050 has a 1.6 GHz processor speed, fast 533 MHz system bus, and generous 2 MB L2 cache.

It features an 100 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (2 GB maximum), dual-layer multi-format DVD drive that also burns CDs, tri-mode 802.11a/b/g wireless connectivity, Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 128 MB of shared video memory, an ExpressCard slot, Memory Stick slot, and Windows XP Professional operating system. This is a Windows Vista capable PC, and it's also Windows Vista Premium ready.

The Basics
<ul>

Hard Drive: The 100 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) is a bit above average in size for notebook PCs. It offers more than enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors. You'll also be able to store a good-sized digital audio library. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.

Processor: The Intel Core Duo T2050 processor is built with the Mobile Intel 945PM Express chipset, and it has a 1.60 GHz processor speed, fast 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and large 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

The Intel Core Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the next version of Microsoft Windows, code-named Vista. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. It's more efficient, thanks to Intel's Power Coordination and Deeper Sleep, which help to transfer power only to those areas of the processor that need it. It also features Intel's Digital Media Boost, which delivers enhanced performance on floating point-intensive applications such as CAD tools, 3-D and 2-D modeling, video editing, digital music, digital photography and gaming.

Memory: The 1 GB of built-in memory (PC4200, 533 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM, 2 x 512 MB) is a good start out of the box, but you'll want to maximize the 2 GB capacity of this machine to make your multimedia hum along.

CD/DVD Drive: The double-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, and 24x/24x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard (2.5mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad. </ul> Screen, Graphics and Sound
The 15.4-inch WXGA LCD offers Sony's XBRITE-ECO display technology and has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The widescreen display gives increases the width of the notebook's display while giving the computer the form factor of a smaller computer, so it takes up less space on your desk or in your briefcase. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 128 MB of shared video memory. It also has an integrated audio card with Microsoft Windows sound system compatibility.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This notebook features an integrated PRO/Wireless 3915ABG wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). It includes a next-generation ExpressCard/34 card slot (though no PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connection options: <ul>

2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players

1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals

1 ExpressCard/34 slot

1 VGA monitor out

1 S-Video out

Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out

Microphone/line-in

Memory Stick reader (compatible with Memory Stick PRO and PRO DUO with MagicGate functionality) </ul>

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Professional Edition (which adds Microsoft's IIS Web server, back-up and recovery utilities, Remote Desktop, and other enhanced business features) with Service Pack 2 featuring Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Click to DVD (DVD creation) and DVgate Plus (digital video). Other pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works 8.5 (with word processing, spreadsheet, and calendar), Norton Internet Security (with 60-day subscription), and TrendMicro Anti-Spyware (30-day trial).

Dimensions and Weight
This notebook measures 14.4 x 10.5 x 1.6 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.8 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS2A/S rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 3.5 and 5.5 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-N150P/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

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