Ipod Mini vs. Zen Micro

By levianthen
in Hardware Hangout

 Share

Recommended Posts

Community Regular

Solecs

Posted
Posted
Zen Micro, Thumbs Up (Y)

but.... take a look at this:

http://creative.com/products/mp3/zenneeon/

586007138[/snapback]

:woot:

wow, I'm really liking that with the clean face design and all, I had said in another thread I liked the looks of the Mini better a few minutes ago in another thread, but wow, that's just "ded seksi" :p. Thanks for the heads up on that :).

Grand Master

altezza Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I have ZM myself. I was totally in awe to hear the sound quality from ZM. I love the extra features which I found them to be handy...like FM radio...with 32 station memory and ability of recording the radio. I also found microphone feature excellent because sometimes I use it for recording seminar.

I would prefer ZM anyway. There are too many iPod users (both Mini and ordinary) out there...I choose ZM because I want to be different from the crowd ;)

Mentor

ck2k01

Posted
Posted

i dont understand how everyone thinks the ZM lookes better than the mini. i mean, it does look pretty nice, but i dont think its even in the same league as the brushed aluminum, minimalistic mini.

that said, i was playing with my friends ZM the other day, and while it is nice, i think im just more comfortable as a mini owner, and i enjoy it more. plug that vertical pad on the ZM is abit too "touchy" for me.

Grand Master

giga Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
im a huge zen fan hell i bought the PMC (Portable Media Center) and my sister has a zen micro she love's her "pink plumpy". she's 8. oh and that new Neeon look awesome ipod gonna get a$$ raped in the design department now hehe

586042644[/snapback]

Yes, that huge screen on the Neeon is just blowing me away.

  • 2 weeks later...
Community Regular

Darkluminaz34

Posted
Posted

I prefer the iPod.. A) It looks so much better (Micro looks like a childs toy) B) I trust something from Apple a lot more than I trust something from Creative C) My friend has a Zen Micro I played with it for a bit before I got my iPod..Just didn't like it..Not saying it's bad just I didn't like it.

Neowinian

swraman

Posted
Posted

I personally trust Creative more than Apple. I have used a Zen micro and think it is awesome. It is really small, the suond quality is great, and the custom EQ is awesome especially if you have nice headphones ( :cool: , I have Bose Triports).

I think it looks cool also. I have a Creative Zen Touch, which is completely awesome (I got it for the battery life, and I needed at least 20GB). It is easy to transfer music (I presume the Micro is the same as the Touch in this manner), and you have 3 ways to do it, 1) WM Player, 2) Creative Media Source (this one lets you arrange, view, and sort your music by playlist, title, album, genre, etc), and 3) Drag-and-drop. Once the software is installed, you can just drag and drop your music to your zen. It doesn't get much easier than that.

I feel that iPods are overpriced for hte lack of features they come with. I see the Micro clearly better than the Mini. And, like someone said on page 2 or 3, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think the Micro couldn't look better, and that the Mini looks like a tin can.

Neowinian

nappaholic

Posted
Posted

I am trying to decide between a zen micro and an ipod mini. Have any of you zen micro owners experienced skipping while exercising. I like to run and bike and would probably take the product along. I have always liked the design of the zen micro better than the mini, and I go to a private school where about 60% of the population owns an ipod. I don't want to get sucked into that trend. My only concern is that there is no mention of skip protection for the zen micro.

Mentor

JAbad28

Posted
Posted
I am trying to decide between a zen micro and an ipod mini.  Have any of you zen micro owners experienced skipping while exercising.  I like to run and bike and would probably take the product along.  I have always liked the design of the zen micro better than the mini, and I go to a private school where about 60% of the population owns an ipod.  I don't want to get sucked into that trend.  My only concern is that there is no mention of skip protection for the zen micro.

586128970[/snapback]

I received my Zen Micro friday and it's been great , since then no skipping at all ! Easy to use , fast syncing , it has everything that you need . The sound is great too ! I tested out the iPod mini , and the sound isn't close to the Zen Micro ! That's why I chose a Zen Micro over the Mini . I know they didn't mention anything about skip-protection but trust me it doesn't skip , if it skipped I wouldn't have it , probably the other people won't too . I would go for Zen Micro .

Thanks,

J-Abad ~

Grand Master

PaulCabby

Posted
Posted
I am trying to decide between a zen micro and an ipod mini.  Have any of you zen micro owners experienced skipping while exercising.  I like to run and bike and would probably take the product along.  I have always liked the design of the zen micro better than the mini, and I go to a private school where about 60% of the population owns an ipod.  I don't want to get sucked into that trend.  My only concern is that there is no mention of skip protection for the zen micro.

586128970[/snapback]

I'm normally late when i go to school, so i jog the way there. When i used to have my Zen Micro, it did not skip at all. Just try not to do it continuously rigorus.

Zen Micro > iPod mini

Also, doesnt the zen micro actually not use a real harddrive?

Explorer

ingrampj

Posted
Posted
..everybody has a frickin iPod. They annoy me just like the Louis Vitton bags. It seems every second women her in the town has this combi....

LOL...now THAT sounds like a really pragmatic and constructive review....and I just bet you DON'T own one of either of them.....but thanks for that cos you made me smile....and there aint much better than that....PJ.

Neowinian

nappaholic

Posted
Posted
...Also, doesnt the zen micro actually not use a real harddrive?

586128994[/snapback]

As far as not using a real harddrive, I am not sure what you mean. Hard drives are all pretty much the same - they have some sort of rotating disk. ie: moving parts. That is why they are predisposed to skipping. I think the zen micro and the ipod mini both use "micro hard drives" which are just smaller diameter disks. Ipods may have some small amount of memory (if I were to guess -> 128kB, see below) in the microprocessor or DSP that can serve the purpose of skip protection for 25s. It is likely that the zen micro has the something similar.

Apple doesn't give a SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), probably because it is worse than its competitors. Maybe for the same reason, Creative does not specify how much skip protection there is.

The way flash-memory is progressing it almost seems worthwile to wait for a 4-6GB flash mp3 player, because having solid-state memory eliminates the problem of skipping. I think the biggest flash mp3 player right now is about 2GB, but not from a reputable company. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

1GB = 1000songs

1MB = 1song

1MB/8 = 1/8song = 128kB

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Microsoft Weekly: Xbox exclusives are back, big Windows app updates, and more

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      Microsoft Weekly: Xbox exclusives are back, big Windows app updates, and more by Taras Buria This week's news recap is here. Microsoft is returning to XBOX exclusives, Windows 11 gets new preview builds, the Low-latency Profile is here, big updates for inbox Windows apps, Patch Tuesday updates, and more. Quick links: Windows 10 and 11 Windows Insider Program Updates are available Reviews are in Gaming news Great deals to check Windows 11 and Windows 10 Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions. The June 2026 Patch Tuesday updates are now publicly available. Windows 11 users can download KB5094126, which introduces plenty of new features and security updates, including the Low-latency Profile for better performance, shared Bluetooth audio support, and more. Windows 10 users with PCs enrolled in the Extended Security Update program can download KB5094127. In addition, Microsoft released new Defender updates for its operating systems. Speaking of Defender, Microsoft will now deliver EDR updates via Microsoft Update for faster security improvements independent of Patch Tuesday updates. Following the release of this month's Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft also published new Windows 11 images available in the Media Creation Tool app. Now, you can create bootable USB media for clean Windows 11 installations with the latest releases. Some unfortunate stuff is going on with certain PCs from Dell and HP. Dell acknowledged that the SupportAssist bug causes black screens of death, while HP systems are suffering from Secure Boot update issues and boot loops. Both companies issued official advisories. Windows Insider Program Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week: Builds Canary Channel Builds 29610.1000 and 28120.2302 This week's "Canary" builds only contain performance improvements and fixes, including the Low-latency mode, which is now available in the Stable channel for all Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 users. Dev Channel Build 26300.8687 Microsoft brought some useful File Explorer changes with this build. You can now open folders in a new tab by middle-clicking them in the address bar. Beta Channel Build 26220.8680 and 28020.2298 Screen Tint, improved Windows Widgets, and other enhancements are included in this week's Beta releases. Release Preview Channel Builds 26200.8728 and 26100.8728 These builds also feature better widgets, new Windows Update controls, point-in-time restore, File Explorer improvements, and more. In addition to new Windows 11 preview builds, Microsoft announced that inbox Windows 11 apps now have their dedicated release notes in the official documentation. Also, Microsoft dropped massive feature updates for six apps, including Paint, Clock, Calculator, Camera, Media Player, Photos, and more. Updates are available This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties. Google has some bad news for those still using MV2-based extensions in Chromium-based browsers, particularly Chrome. The company is now removing flags responsible for Manifest V2-based extensions (uBlock Origin is one of the most popular). However, some browsers resist this change, and Opera issued a statement that it will allow users to continue using MV2 extensions for as long as possible. While Microsoft is still not ready to share new details about MV2 extensions in Microsoft Edge, the company shared important details about the way it will be updating the browser going forward. Now, Microsoft wants to update Edge every two weeks across all platforms instead of the current four-week schedule (only the Extended Stable is exempt from this change). This week, Microsoft confirmed a useful new Teams feature that is coming to the messenger soon. It also detailed all the improvements that made the platform better for users in 2026. However, not all changes are great, as the company is moving ahead with the check-in feature, which many believe will lead to employee monitoring. PowerToys received a feature update this week. Version 0.100 arrived with a big rework for the Shortcut Guide, a new extension gallery for Command Palette, new Dock features, and plenty of other changes. Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting: Microsoft is bringing big performance improvements to OneDrive on Mac Popular Windows 11 file manager Files gets improved tags, layouts, and a new OneDrive icon New Outlook for Windows and Web is getting a simple but very useful email feature Microsoft had to shut down 70+ GitHub repos after getting hacked, bringing back some Microsoft AI boss no longer believes that AI will replace human workers Microsoft wants to end printer driver headaches with Windows Ready Print SQL Server Management Studio 22.7 brings "What's New" page, T-SQL formatting, and lots more Microsoft releases Visual Studio Code 1.124 with smarter autonomous AI agents Windows Server gets DNS over HTTPS (DoH) support Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week: NVIDIA 610.52 Hotfix with multiple fixes for black screens of death, sleep issues, G-SYNC, and more. Reviews are in Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week Steven Parker reviewed a rather unorthodox device here on Neowin this week. He took for a spin the DWARF mini, the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures. It tracks objects in the sky, has a sun filter, and has a low learning curve. There is also nice build quality and a quite affordable price. Pulasthi Ariyasinghe reviewed 007 First Light. The game turned out to be a satisfying spy adventure in the James Bond universe with great gunplay and combat, impressive crowds, over-the-top action sequences, and more. There are a few quirks here and there, but overall, the game scored high on our scale. On the gaming side Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more. Microsoft held the latest XBOX Games Showcase this week. There, the company announced plenty of cool stuff, including a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, a special 25th anniversary XBOX Series X with a classic translucent green design (coming in November 2026), details about Gears of War: E-Day, Spyro: A Realm Beyond after nearly 20 years since the last release, a new Hellblade game from Ninja Theory, a new expansion for DOOM: The Dark Ages, fresh details about State of Decay 3, and even a new entry in the Crazy Taxi series. More improtantly for XBOX fans, Microsoft announced the return of XBOX exclusives, with Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution kicking it off. Microsoft also has some good news for Nintendo Switch 2 owners. Minecraft is coming natively to the second-gen Switch, offering better performance and new features, including the visual overhaul called "Vibrant Visuals." Playground Games revealed a 30-minute gameplay video of the upcoming Fable, showcasing combat, action, NPC simulation, relationships, and player choices. Additionally, the studio confirmed a bug with Forza Horizon 6 wiping saves for some gamers. It also had to shut down one of the game's online modes after users discovered an infinite money glitch. NVIDIA announced new games for the GeForce NOW streaming service and a big Summer sale that lets you get 12 months of GeForce NOW for $35 or $70 less, depending on the tier. Speaking of discounts, check out this week's Weekend PC Game Deals article, full of discounts and the latest freebies from the Epic Games Store. Great deals to check Every week, we cover many deals on different hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need. GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC ICE 16G - $649.99 | 13% off 1TB Samsung T7 Portable SSD - $189.98 | 31% off AirPods Pro 3 - $179 | $50 off Edifier R1280Ts Powered Bookshelf Speakers - $129.99 | 24% off This link will take you to other issues of the Microsoft Weekly series. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing for extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option.
    • Microsoft Flight Simulator's City Update 15 enhances Midwest cities

      By LoneWolfSL · Posted

      Microsoft Flight Simulator's City Update 15 enhances Midwest cities by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe The third major city update of the year has landed for the original Microsoft Flight Simulator and the 2024 release. The latest drop is upgrading the visuals and regional accuracy of three metropolitan regions in the American states of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The 15th city update is adding eight new areas of interest that have been enhanced with high-fidelity TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface texturing in the mentioned regions. The free update highlights Chicago, Elgin, Cicero, and Arlington Heights in Illinois, as well as Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Duluth, Brooklyn Park, Woodbury, Lakeville, Plymouth, and Blaine in Minnesota. In Wisconsin, the development has also upgraded the lands and buildings of Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine. The update lands just as one of the world's largest enthusiast flight simulation conventions, FlightSimExpo, kicks off in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 14. The Flight Sim development team's 40-minute keynote at the event can be watched here. At the same time, Microsoft is bringing the 6-seat, single-engine, multi-use light civil airplane Piper M600 into the game as a part of its Expert Series 2 program. This premium plane can be purchased from the in-game marketplace for $24.99. City Update 15: The United States Midwest is now available in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as well as the newer Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, as an optional download. It can be accessed across Steam and the Microsoft Store for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, as well as Xbox and PC Game Pass subscriptions. Xbox One, mobile, and PC players can also jump into the new content using Xbox Cloud Gaming if they have a Game Pass Ultimate membership. The game must be updated to the latest version to download this free update from the in-game marketplace.
    • Five things you might have missed during Apple's WWDC 2026

      By Aditya Tiwari · Posted

      Five things you might have missed during Apple's WWDC 2026 by Aditya Tiwari Image: Apple Apple's annual developer event, WWDC 2026, happened from June 8 through June 12. We have already covered several new features and updates that the iPhone maker unveiled during the official keynote. Apple took Google's help and finally announced the upgraded Siri AI personal assistant, which now comes with an app. Moreover, a truckload of Apple Intelligence features took the center stage. That said, this year's WWDC is a bit different, and you might have noticed or missed the following stuff: Apple's ongoing unification of platforms Image: Apple One thing Apple is widely known for is its seamless hardware-software ecosystem. The company added a new chapter in 2020, when it began the Apple Silicon transition and launched macOS 11 Big Sur with native ARM support. Some major changes happened last year as well, when Apple renamed all of its operating systems to version 26 and introduced the Liquid Glass design language. Until WWDC 2025, Apple keynotes had dedicated segments for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and other operating systems, in which the company discussed each in detail. The WWDC 2026 keynote was different, and Apple allotted most of the screen time to Apple Intelligence and Siri. It didn't even publish separate press releases on its website for different operating systems. While it might seem surprising at first, it shows how Apple plans to move forward with its software ecosystem. Be it the Liquid Glass changes, child safety updates, or other features, they are mostly rolling out across multiple platforms. In other words, Apple is slowly blurring the line between its operating systems and achieving feature parity wherever possible. It's easy to rule out that someone in Apple's marketing team forgot to press the publish button. Everything is a calculated move when it comes to a company like Apple. Putting Apple Intelligence left, right, and center hints that the OS itself is no longer the product anymore. It's Siri, not Pepsi Time and again, various Apple products have been compared to unrelated things and turned into meme material. You might have heard about the "cheese grater" Mac Pro or the "trash can" Mac Pro, to name a few. It's Siri's turn this time. The upgraded AI assistant got a fresh logo, and people have started comparing it with Pepsi. There are other contenders, such as the Sony Ericsson logo and the Yin and Yang symbol. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Mac Image: Apple Apple has been putting the iPhone's camera muscles to the test on various occasions. Even NASA astronauts took it to Space earlier this year and captured some out-of-this-world photos. Recently, Apple TV streamed the first major live sporting event shot entirely on iPhone 17 Pro: an MLS match featuring the LA Galaxy vs. the Houston Dynamo FC. The 'Pro' iPhone has also been used to shoot Apple events in recent years. It's "Scary Fast" Mac event in 2023 was among the earliest attempts, and the tradition trickled down to the WWDC 2026 keynote, which ended with the tag line "Shot on iPhone. Edited on Mac." It's unsurprising to see Apple flexing the camera capabilities of its Pro models, especially when it has been baking professional-grade features, including ProRes RAW and Genlock. Hints for the foldable Apple has been sitting on the foldable iPhone for so long. There is still confusion over when the company will make it official. A recent report said that the iPhone Fold might get delayed as Apple is struggling to perfect its hinge mechanism. But Apple has been dropping hints here and there. A developer dug into the iOS 27 beta code and found internal references about device folding states. As verified by Macworld, the code includes references to "foldState" and "angleDegrees" internal status values, which are apparently designed to tell apps if a device is folded and at what angle. As of now, no other Apple device uses these states. The publication also found internal code suggesting Apple has been testing a device with both Touch ID and Dynamic Island, a combo that doesn't exist today. Last event as Apple CEO Image: Apple Tim Cook's bond with Apple is now almost three decades old, having started in 1998 as the SVP of Worldwide Operations. Back in August 2011, Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple CEO months before his passing, and Cook took charge. Now, the baton has been passed to the hardware chief, John Ternus, who will take over the role on September 1. WWDC 2026 is the last major Apple Event for Tim Cook as CEO. We have seen so much during Cook's tenure over the years, much of which defines Apple as we know it today. From new hardware product lines like Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Silicon, to boosting Apple's services business with Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Pay, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Care One, and more. That said, the first developer betas for Apple's latest operating systems are now available. You can check if your device is supported on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, watchOS 27, and other platforms. What's your favorite feature that Apple announced this year at WWDC 2026? Tell us in the comments.
    • EA Sports UFC 6 review: Brutal, satisfying, and surprisingly accessible to newcomers

      By PSG1 · Posted

      Trailer park trash “sport “, fits the current White House
    • EA Sports UFC 6 review: Brutal, satisfying, and surprisingly accessible to newcomers

      By +pmrd · Posted

      Is there a White House level? lol

  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      ssd21345 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Contributor
      MarkHughes4096 went up a rank
      Contributor
    • Dedicated
      jordanspringer earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Rookie
      Rimplesnort went up a rank
      Rookie
    • One Year In
      Markus94287 earned a badge
      One Year In

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      486
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      172
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      138
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      94
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      79
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!