Creative Technology Zen Nano Plus (512 MB) MP3 Player

Pros: Extremely small; more-than-adequate capacity; uses standard rechargeable batteries; elegant functionality
Cons: Included applications are unnecessary; earbuds are only passable; no case included

For a couple months in 2005, my wife and I spent a bit of time researching Mp3 players. On one end, we found Apple iPods and other high-end monsters that cost around 200 big ones to buy; but, on the other end, we found cheap-o players from no-namers. ...

Pros: A compact flash drive/MP3 player/voice recorder/FM tuner
Cons: Does not have the hugh storage capacity of other players

What Is It? I read an article a while back that talked about how the modern generation has never owned a vinyl record or an 8 track tape. We are rapidly heading to a time when portable cassette players and now portable CD players have become the ...

Pros: Extremely easy to use. Amazing sound quality. Very portable and well-designed.
Cons: Stock earbuds aren't too great. USB cord could be longer.

May 26, 2006 Addition: I was recently asked by a very nice woman if this MP3 player has an auto-resume feature. That is, if you shut off the MP3 player in the middle of a song and turn it on again - it'll keep playing at the exact position that you ...

Pros: small; durable; holds many songs; FM radio; low price
Cons: scroll wheel is not entirely user friendly; slow ripping program

If you're looking for a basic but high quality MP3 player for a much lower price than most iPods, the Creative Technology Zen Nano Plus is a good buy. I got one for Christmas over a year ago, and it has been working great for me. Since I spend ...

Pros: Records voice, radio, line-in. Plays MP3 or WMA like much more expensive machines.
Cons: Some reliability issues with buttons, but mostly this is past. Color availability.

I bought this MP3 player for a friend and it is the third Creative MUVO/NANO model... I highly recommend this to anyone. There is no special software to use, unless you choose to; I have a library of Mp3s I ripped from my CD collection and I can drag and ...

Pros: Great sound, very portable, easy to use, nice readout.
Cons: Haven't found any yet. Maybe you want 1 gb version (read review)

I am listening to the Nano as I write this and it just plain sounds fantastic. I have the equalizer on rock and am listening to Brownstone and the bass is there alright. Only thing missing is the thumping on my chest. I bought this because someone ...

Pros: Small and compact, Low price, Ease of use
Cons: Smaller memory

My husband got me this mp3 player to use at work. He got a good deal on it and so far it is great! I love the small size, which is perfect for slipping into my pocket. I haven't used it while running, but I imagine it would work well for that also. ...

Pros: Size, price, battery life, ease of use
Cons: Sound quality not perfect, for for the size and price I'm not complaining.

I got notice of this during the pre-Christmas 5-hour sales that Circuit City was running. Although I wasn't planning to get anything like this, I had to snag one for my 13-year-old son. It was $30 off the normal price, which brought it to $70. It ...

Pros: Inexpensive, great sound, small size
Cons: Single display

I own the Creative Zen Nano 512GB MP3 Player, which contains a built in FM radio. My wife liked it, too, but didn't want the radio, so I bought the Zen Nano for her. She listens to music and audio books at home and in her car. In the car, she plays ...

Pros: small, light, 1 AAA lasts 7-8 hours, has build in radio, VERY simple PC interface
Cons: small display.

I have this player, but in a 1GB. I was really set against getting an IPOD (i will not conform! hehe) so I got this one instead.
Its very compact, light and not easily breakable. And, right away, it comes with a little protector case with a belt clip-on and an arm wrap, so you can put it on your sholder when you jog.
It uses one AAA battery which lasts a considerable amount of time. I like that, since with IPods for example, if you go to another country, you have to figure out how you'll charge it, or you will have at most 9 hours of play. Here, you put one battery in, you take another one with you and you're done. And its all small, so it doesn't take up too much room.
Also, it has a build in radio, which is nice to listen to morning radio shows, while walking.
And, its a very easy interface to the PC, just like any other USB drive. You just see a folder and move your music files in there. Plus, of course, then you can use it as a regular thumb drive as well, if needed.

Pros: Practically weightless, neck strap included, great sound for it's size
Cons: Ear buds have decent sound but keep falling out

I reviewed MP3 players for several months before I finally decided upon this one. If you can't afford an iPod (or don't need that much storage space for your MP3s), this is a great alternative. It's affordable, works well, feels and plays like a quality piece of electronics, it's easy to operate, and best of all, it's virtually weightless so when you're walking, running, or working out, you'll almost forget it's strapped around your neck. I was actually surprised that the sound was as good as it is. Creative Labs makes a quality product! I also love that the song title and artist name scrolls at the bottom of the tiny screen. The only issue I have with this player is with the ear buds. I hate ear buds as a general rule, and these are no exception. While they sound decent and are great for working out, I find they don't stay in my ears well, prompting me to fuss with them every 100 yards or so.

Pros: Small, many features.
Cons: Memory only gets as high as 1G

This Mp3 player has to be one of the best out there.
Although maybe not as popular as the ipod, i would rather have the Creative Zen nano than the Ipod nano. Simply, the zen is more compact and has more features. This player comes with everything you need to get started. I see it priced at WalMart now at $70 and at that low price, it is a superior buy.

Pros: Light-weight, Great sound quality, easy to use.
Cons: None yet.

This is an amazing, light-weight player that has very good sound quality. I got it for $120 Canadian, and it's well worth the price. It also comes with a nice media player.

Pros: This is a great MP3 player. I recommend it to anyone.
Cons: Did not come with a clip for when I work out.

I love the sleek black color. Doesn’t feel cheap like other competitors. The screen is perfect; it’s very easy to read and maneuver between songs and other settings. The volume gets really loud without distorting the sound (important so I can hear over the exercise machines at the gym). The sound is fabulous, like listening to a CD. You don’t need the software that comes with it. Once you install the driver you can just drag the songs into your USB drive. You can also shuffle songs within individual folders. I can go on and on, but I think you get the idea how great this thing is!

Pros: Size, cost, sound, usability....all great!
Cons: Proprietary driver for "data" feature.

I purchased the Zen nano plus after my almost 5 year old Nomad gave up on life. Before the Nomad, I had the original Diamond Rio player, which I purchased back in 96. I have to say I am very pleased with Creative products and in particular, the Zen Nano. Its the perfect size, comes with the perfect amount of accessories, the included software is great and the sound quality is great as well. I really have no complaints. The only negative thing I can think of is that, in order to use the data portion of the unit, the Nano software needs to be installed on the computer. That is, Windows XP will not recognize the drive as a "Removable drive" without the software. Other than that, unlike another opinion on this list, I like the software that comes with the unit. You get the driver and a Media Player, which in my opinion, is better than the Windows Media player, which I've often found to be a bit confusing.