Aprox

I just ordered a Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra 30GB from amazon, got a good deal on it. Free shipping and a 15$ mail in rebate.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=UTF8&v=glance

I will take pics for everyone when it gets here. I cant wait!

NetRyder

Woo! Everyone's getting new toys lately.

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Aprox

Yeah, I guess subconsiously I just wanted to be cool like everyone else :P nah, I am just sick of only being able to hold 20 - 25 songs on my current 128mb player.

Tittles

My ex gf has the same thing. She likes it but would rather have an Ipod. I was like why would you do that and she said cause everybody else has them and they look cool :|. I told her she is just paying for the name. It would be pointless to get an Ipod when she already has a nomad but you know girls

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Aprox

I think getting an Ipod is a waste of money, you spend a lot more and get a lot less. From what I have read, you have to convert Mp3's to whatever format they use, of course the battery problems that it has and the price. This player may be a bit bigger then the Ipod but thats ok in my book.

Aprox

Ok, so it finally shipped out... I didnt think about Memorial day when I ordered it, I should have it by the beginning of next week at the latest. Hopefully I can get it before the weekend so I can use it, then get you a real review by monday.

NetRyder

Excellent. I'm planning to write a review of the Zen Micro too.
Won't happen for another 3 weeks though. Finals are just around the corner.

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Aprox

Ok, it got here this morning bright and early.
Here are some quick shots (some are kinda blurry... sorry)



Here is a size comparison, its pretty big. But thats ok.



Dont ya love UPS!!!



I will try to put together a decent review in the next couple of days. This thing is really cool.

NetRyder

Awesome! Congrats!

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Aprox

Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra Review
Written by: Jeff "Aprox" Schneider
6/6/2005
This is my First Review.. ever.

Quick Run down of some of the Cool Features.

• 30 Gigabytes | 60 Gigabytes
• Removable Battery
• EAX Effects
• Removable Pleather Case
• Data Storage Capable
• Up to 14 hours of Battery Life

Ok, so I open up my beat up UPS box (see pics above) and take out the plastic container.



It was already open in this, so ignore the ripped plastic


Of course its in that indistructable plastic that requires a really sharp knife to get open. Time to bust out the Blade!

Ok, I got the unit out and its now charging with the provided charger. There is a green status light on the charger unit to let you know its plugged in. There is also a quick disconnect plug on the charger so you can take it with you. The plug is a common cord that you can pick up at a Radio Shack or local electronics store.

Charging:



Charger:



Software

After waiting about 4 hours for the battery to charge (this is what the manual recommends) I have installed the software and updated everything through Creatives website. I also updated the firmware right away, before any songs were copied over.

Nomad Explorer



Over all the Software is easy to use, the Nomad Explorer intigrates itself int o the windows shell. Makes it very easy to navigate and copy songs. You can drag and drop if you like.

MediaSource Software



You can also use the MediaSource Software to transfer songs. If a friendler GUI is more to your liking you can use the provided MediaSource software. Its a player/ripper/converter all in one. Its pretty neat software and takes advantage of your Audigy sound card if you have one. (EAX effects, CMSS, etc..) The software itself is a bit resource heavy, coming in at 37MB of allocated memory when idle. But this isnt a problem really, most people have plenty of memory for such and application.


Quality/Build


This Player is built like a tank, with a metal front and back plates it not only looks slick but feels solid. The overall construction is plastic however. (I dont plan on dropping this puppy)

The provided pleather case is very nice and can help protect the player from scratches and other unwanted dangers.



Conculsion

From what I have used so far, I love this player. Its well built, holds a ton! (way more then my collection adds up to). The software is pretty robust, just be sure to download the latest version. There is also an alternative to the Creative software called "Notmad" available here. After I get some good ol' wear and tear on this badboy I will be sure to update you guys.



If you have any questions feel free to ask, I am sure there are lots of topics I didnt cover. Or topics I didnt go into detail enough. Or any corrections / updates.

More Pictures





Note: My camera sucks.... The pics always come out blurry in low light. I might try to update them later when I have better conditions.