Strengths: The size and price

Weaknesses: No screen, but I knew that going into it

Summary: I really like this MP3 player. I had an IPOD that broke when I removed it from the wall unit after it had finished charging. I also don't like how IPOD is taking over the world of MP3 players. I have a bigger Creative Zen with a screen, but I wanted a smaller one that I could hold in my hand when running or strap to my arm. I really like the price of this product and the fact that my larger one has been fantastic with no problems.

Strengths: great sound, lightweight

Weaknesses: no lcd, avg battery life

Summary: Its a great sounding mp3 player which is best suited for exercises with the additional purchase of an armband. 10 hrs batter life is decent but nothing to praise about. I think this is definitely better than iPod shuffle.

Strengths: What can I say, It is cheap and exactly what I was looking for!

Weaknesses: Well um, there isn't any in my opinion

Summary: I use this for going to the gym and exercising. It works great for the purpose I had for it. I charged it and downloaded my music onto it all in on first day I got it. Everything went like a dream`

Strengths: Small size, light weight, easy controls, folder jump feature, works with Mac

Weaknesses: Doesn't allow random within a single folder. Moderately delicate. Earbuds may be uncomfortable to some. Extra software is Mac incompatable.

Summary: I was looking for an inexpensive MP3 player for walking and working out, but with 1 GB of memory I wasn't thrilled with the iPod shuffle's lack of folder support. This seemed like a good compromise, and it does work nicely. The ability to jump forward by folders is much nicer when you have collections you wish to use for different purposes. (For instance I like one tempo for walking, and another for kickboxing class.)However I wasn't happy with the fact that when switched to shuffle the device shuffles the entire collection rather than the single folder you are in. This was disappointing. Likewise, the default "Repeat" function doesn't repeat the same folder or song, but the entire music collection as well.My only other complaint is that FOR ME the ear buds become painful after about an hour of usage. YMMV. They are constructed very much like the Sony earbuds that I have 3 sets of that I don't use for the same reason. If you don't like Sony's old hard earbuds that don't fit inside the ear canal you should consider that in your decision.That said the sound quality is very good, but not great. I find it acceptable for exercising and walking but not particularly good for sitting down to listen to music. A different set of headphones may make a difference here. One caveat: These things are LOUD! You can easily damage your hearing with the available noise level from this device.I bought this to use with my Mac, and was happy that it works just fine. Use it just like a USB flash drive and you'll have no problems. Just don't reformat the drive! The software from Creative Labs isn't compatible, but there's plenty of software for ripping CD's available. Music ripped with iTunes works just fine, although iTunes itself doesn't recognize music on the player (it does recognize the player itself.)With all that in mind I can easily recommend this device for it's intended purpose. It certainly has some advantages over the iPod shuffle which is it's intended competition. Complaints about it's battery life are understandable, but not primarily an issue for me considering it's intended use.One final note: I have the wall charger for my Palm z22 and it fits and works flawlessly with the Zen Stone. This was a bonus I didn't expect.

Strengths: Very lightweight, and can't beat the value

Weaknesses: No display or EQ, 1GB limit

Summary: I desperately needed a lightweight mp3 player for exercise, and this was just what the doctor ordered.Sound quality is very good if decent headphones are used, but I still wish there was even basic EQ so I could drop the midrange a notch or two.I've also periodically found myself desiring greater capacity or a display of some kind, and apparently the recently released Zen Stone Plus would fit those desires.Overall, very happy with this as a very light, cheap, portable, good quality mp3 player for something like working out, and I'd find it perfect for my own needs if it had just included a simple EQ adjustment somehow.

Strengths: Excellent sound quality, Cost effective, too much light in weight...

Weaknesses: No Display and need to handle gently.

Summary: When took it in my hand after opening the box I thought is it real or just some thing else.... so lighter in weight. I have earlier use other mp3 players and compared to them it has excellent sound quality, high sound, once again high quality of creative headphones and at $40 1GB is really good deal. It starts playing song at which you have switched off the player earlier. Easy to upload files just need to copy to this drive, easy controls and skip folder options are some of the cool features of this mp3 player. I really like sound quality basically i guess it has higher sound output than as compared to IPOD's shuffle or nano. Weakness: No Display so sometime take time to listen to particular song, but it doesn't matter...if just want to listen to some music. Not much strong and sturdy so needs to handle gently also battery is operates for only (approximately) 7 hours. If you are planning to have one small 1GB player this is an excellent deal

Strengths: Auto-resumes wherever stopped, very small, inexpensive, can rewind/fast-forward, mult. color options, plays WMA & MP3 formats, can skip folders if you organize them when you upload

Weaknesses: Can't rewind from beginning of 1 track to end of previous (bad for audio books), no screen (harder to search), wall-charger accessory hard to find, low battery life, scratches fairly easily

Summary: This is the best MP3 player I've ever owned! I got it for $40, and use it mainly for audio books, which makes the auto-resume feature a necessity. Also, all the audio books downloadable from our library only come in WMA format, not MP3, so iPods don't work for this purpose. The Stone is about 1" x 2", making it ideal for use w/the optional keychain accessory. My kids also bought one in dark blue for my husband for Father's day w/an armband and a cable to use in the AUX jack of his car. My main problem w/the Stone is the short battery charge. The packaging says 10 hours of power, but it only lasts 5-7 hours for me when fully charged. So far, we haven't been able to locate an affordable wall charger, so it has to be charged on the computer. All in all, though, if you're looking for a 1G tiny player, it's a great deal.

Strengths: Easy to use, my daughter loves the simplicity!

Weaknesses: -Does not include wall charger - must use a USB port (adapter included).-No display screen.

Summary: Recieved the Zen Stone in black.Charged in 2 hours. Has one LED which changes three colors to send you messages. The LEDs messages are very accurate. As soon as it was charged - formatted and changed the name. (do not format in Fat32, use FAT only.) - unit comes preformatted and has several midi-instrumentals on the drive. Transferred all files over with windows explorer. Comes with ear-buds which sound pretty good for the price. Changed to over the ear Sony headphones - ear-buds give me a headache. Starts back where you left off. Sequential and random modes available. There is an armband and key-chain holder available. Weakness:No LED display so you won't know what song you are on.We are very satisfied with this purchase!!Sincerely,-mpkramer

Strengths: Small, Easy to use, half the price of an ipod shuffle, folder skip button.

Weaknesses: 6hr battery life, scratches easily

Summary: I picked one of these up about 5 or 6 weeks ago. It's the same size as an ipod shuffle for half the price. The sound quality is very good and the controls are easy to use. I particularly like the skip folder option. I load music and audiobooks and really like the fact that if I wish to skip the entire audiobook folder (rather than have to constantly press next until all 36 chapters are gone) I can. If I wan't to skip P.O.D.'s album and go right to Diana Krall's folder, I can. You can't do that with an ipod shuffle. Interestingly, I downloaded 12hours of podcasts (@32kbs) and still have room for 6hrs of music all on this little thing. Unbelievable!!It scratches easily so I highly recommend you buy the $10 silicone cover immediately. The glossy finish will be ruined within 48hrs, no joke. Besides $40 for the ZenStone & $10 for the silicone cover still comes in $30 cheaper than an ipod shuffle. Finally, the battery life in real time after 2 weeks of use is only about 6 hours so you should only purchase this if you need it to work out, jog or some other activity that you won't spend most of your waking hours listening to it. I really like it but due to the battery life, I purchased a Samsung touchscreen K3, which you can buy here @ pricegrabber.com, is rated @ 25 hours of battery life. Real life is in excess of 21 hours so I'm ecstatic. I work outdoors and listen to it all day.

Strengths: Small size, cost $40 (half the cost of ipod shuffle), sleek design, great sound quality.

Weaknesses: Scratches easily, not solid or sturdy.

Summary: The Design: when I first opened the box and ripped out my Zen Stone, I was amazed. The sleek design of the stone was really appealing to the eye. Once in my hand the smooth curves just felt so right in my hand. It feels much like its name, it feels much like a skipping stone, very smooth. But the device itself does not feel very solid or sturdy. But hey its only $40, half the cost of an ipod shuffles.Contents in the Box: It comes with the Creative Zen Stone, Headphones, a USB wire, and of course the user manual.Usage: from day one I started to use it brutally. I used it for running, walking, bike riding, even just hanging around school and on breaks at work. It?s great for any occasion when you need some tunes with you.There is a folder skip that you can press which skips to the next folder, this is creative labs weapon against the ipod, well that and its $40 price tag. The folder skip allows you to easily navigate though you music. Although I hardly use this feature because I shuffle my songs when I am biking or running, but for just sitting down or hanging around this comes in handy.The Zen stone can take a beating, yes I did say it did not feel sturdy or solid, but it is surprisingly tough. One negative aspect is that it gets scratches on it very easily because of the gloss finish.Connecting to the Computer: Connectivity to the computer is easily done by just dragging and dropping your music files or music folders into the Zen stone. It can hold folders with folders in it, but only up to three. For example Folder A ~ |Folder B ~ |Folder CYou can use the windows folder interface or you can go to the creative web site to download there own program to help you manage your music. The program also allows you to change settings on you Zen stone and update the firmware. It?s sort of like itunes. Sound Quality: as you have heard from other reviews, the Zen stone has superb sound quality, but to achieve this you must not use the factory head phones they supply you with, go figure. Even with a cheap $8 Sony head phone this thing has a very crisp and clear audio. There is no equalizer but I feel it does not need one.Bottom Line: the Zen Stone is great for athletes to work out with and it?s great for people who just want some music to tag along with them where ever they go. It is low profile so there is no worry about carrying a bulky device. Remember it s Half the cost of an ipod shuffle and does the same thing and a little bit more. Its up to you if you really want to spend that extra $40 for the ipod name. I would recommend it to everyone.