ZEN (portable media player)
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| Manufacturer | Creative Technology |
|---|---|
| Type | Portable media player |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 |
| Retail availability | 2007–present |
| Operating system | ZEN UI 1.21.01 |
| Input | 4-way directional pad, 9 buttons, Power/Hold slider |
| Storage capacity | Available in 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 GB flash memory |
| Display | 2.5" backlit TFT LCD Screen 320 × 240 resolution 24-bit color depth (16.7 million colors) |
The ZEN is a portable media player designed and manufactured by Creative Technology. The flash memory-based player is the de facto successor[1] of the ZEN Vision:M and was announced on August 29, 2007, to be available in capacities of 4, 8, and 16 GB, as of September 14.[2] A 32 GB model was announced on December 4, 2007, setting a record for storage capacity among flash players.[3]
The player has a width of 3.26 inches, a height of 2.16 inches and is 0.44 inches thick - making it the slimmest ZEN player and the second slimmest Creative player (other than the MuVo Slim[4]) so far. Because of its dimensions, the ZEN is advertised to be the "size of a credit card".[5] This is the first Creative player to have an SD card slot (enabling the support of SD and SDHC cards - an optional adapter is needed for microSD and miniSD cards), support for unprotected AAC (in a ".m4a" extension), as well as a truecolor TFT LCD display.
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[edit] Specifications
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2 / 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 GB |
| Memory type | Flash-based |
| Dimensions | 8.2 × 5.4 × 1.1 cm / 3.26 × 2.16 × 0.44 in. |
| Weight | 65 g / 2.3 oz. |
| Screen | 2.5" TFT LCD |
| Screen resolution | 320 × 240 pixels (QVGA) |
| Color depth | 24-bit (16.7 million colors) |
| Battery life | Audio playback > 25hrs Video playback > 5hrs |
| Video formats | MJPEG, WMV, and AVI (MPEG-4 SP, DivX, Xvid), while MPEG-1, and MPEG-2 are supported through transcoding |
| Audio formats | MP3, AAC (unprotected ".m4a"), WMA (including protected and lossless), WAV, and Audible 2, 3, and 4 formats |
| Photo formats | JPEG (Other formats would be transcoded) |
| Battery | Non-removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | Up to 97 dB |
| EQ types | Pop, Jazz, Rock, Disco, Vocal, New Age, Classical, Acoustic & 5-band custom setting |
| Album art source | Folder.jpg or from ID3 tag |
| Microphone input quota | 10hrs |
| FM radio presets | 32 |
| Connection type | USB1.1 / 2.0, SD Memory Card |
| PIM | Syncs with Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar & Tasks |
| System requirements | Windows Vista or XP (Compatible with Windows 2000, Me, and 98SE when this driver is installed. For Linux, see libmtp.) |
[edit] Firmware releases
A number of firmware updates has been released since the player's launch. The earlier ones have reportedly caused players to occasionally result in a white screen of death.[6][7]
Version 1.10.05 was released on October 23, 2007. Thai language support was added, while video playback was improved. Adapter charging and startup time were quickened.[8]
The prior version,[9] 1.20.02, was released on December 19, 2007. Transferring content via the SD card slot is enabled, though only image files are viewable.[7]
The latest version, 1.21.01, was released on February 28, 2008. It improves the player's playback performance of WMA (.wma) files.[10]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official product page (Singapore)
- Official product page (US)
- Official specifications (Singapore)
- Official specifications (US)
[edit] References
- ^ France, Jasmine (2007-08-28). Sweet new Creative Zen coming soon. CNET.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
- ^ Creative ZEN Reviews and Specs. MP3.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
- ^ Creative (2007-12-03). "Creative Introduces the World's First 32GB Flash Memory-based Portable Media Player with the Latest Credit-Card sized ZEN". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ MuVo Slim Product Page. Creative. Retrieved on 2007-12-25.
- ^ Creative Technology (2007-08-29). "Creative Introduces the Credit Card-sized ZEN with a Stunning 2.5-inch Colour Screen for Music, Video and Photos". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Lemon (2007-12-14). ZEN owners experiencing the White Screen of Death, Here's how to Fix it.. epiZENter. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ a b dreimanis. "New ZEN Firmware (1.20.02) adds limited SD-card Importing", epiZENter, 2007-12-22. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ RJZen; ramakandra. "Creative ZEN Firmware 1.10.05 Now Available", epiZENter, 2007-10-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ ZEN Firmware download. Creative. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
- ^ ZEN Firmware 1.21.01 download and info.. Creative. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
