Re: Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30 GB On its way!
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. :crosseyed: 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.