It’s relatively bulky, and sports a vexing
interface and a demonic touch-sensitive
scroller, but if you aren’t too snooty about
the potholes, Creative’s hard drive-based
:en Sleek delivers the great sound we
expect from a high-end player.
There’s only a whisper of distortion at the
highest volume, which is way up there, and at
more reasonable levels you get crisp, sparkling
reproduction across the frequency spectrum.
Of course, you can still massage the sound
with well-tuned equalization presets, or season
to taste with the fi ve-band custom EQ facility.
The &M tuner offers the best reception we’ve
ever experienced in an MP3 player, if you’re into
that kind of thing, and the earbuds are above-
average, though we still recommend trading
up. 9ou can load data and audio fi les using
Windows Explorer, or synchronize your music
collection with Windows Media Player 9; you
only need the bundled Creative Sync Manager
software to sync PIM functions likecontacts, task lists, and calendaring.
The hardware and software interfaces,
however, are tragic. The touch-sensi-
tive scroll pad is a disaster—much too
hyperactive at even the lowest sensitivity
setting. Navigating the labyrinthine menu
system requires no less than two hard-
ware buttons and stroking and clicking
that damn scroll pad. The 2-inch color
OLED display is fine, if somewhat grainy,
but we were heartbroken that we couldn’t
view photos and listen to music at the
same time, a limitation that reduces the
appeal of this spectacular-sounding
digital audio player.Creative 20GB Zen Sleek Photo
The sound is profound, but frustrations abound
Creative’s 20GB Zen Sleek looks good
and sounds great, but it can be hell to
work with.
$270, http://www.creative.comFORMATS MP3, WMA (including
protected WMA), WAV
BATTERY LIFE 13:31 (hours:minutes)
WEIGHT 5. ounces
DIMENSIONS 4 x 2.25 x .5 inchesSPECS
Apple 2GB iPod Nano
We came, we heard, we were conquered
The fi rst thing we noticed about the iPod Nano
was the thin shingle of acrylic applied to the
player’s china-white fascia, which harkens
back to the design of the original iPod intro-
duced in 2001. This nostalgic touch seems
appropriate—we’re guessing that this is the
iPod that Apple was after all along, made pos-
sible today by improved technology, affordable
m ash memory, and years of refi nements.
The iPod Nano simply feels right. The right
size, the right weight, the right proportions, the
sparkling 1.5-inch color display (with photo
support), and enough capacity for everyone
but gluttons. The hardware interface is as
unintimidating to technophobes as it is unob-
trusive to users who want to access advanced
features, including new ones like syncing with
Outlook. And then there’s the snug-a-bug
integration with the graceful and brainy iTunes
media player and download service.
The sound is exquisite, especially when
paired with high-end earbuds likeShure’s yummy E4c set. The iPod Nano
includes support for the Apple Lossless
codec, and the EQ presets are effective but
not overbearing. And why don’t other play-
ers offer the ability to hear audio during a
scan, or fast-scrolling to a specifi c section
of the track?
The only feature still curiously absent is
a custom EQ, and of course, the iPod Nano
is too catty to natively support WMV fi les.
But our biggest gripe with the Nano is it’s
delicate fascia, which is extremely prone to
scratches. The required case will bulk up
this tiny player enough to knock it out of
+ick Ass territory.
Otherwise, the iPod Nano is so perfectlyexecuted that we fi nd it diffi cult to imagine
what the future of the Apple’s revolutionary
player may hold.The iPod Nano is the best looking, finest
sounding, easiest to use digital audio
player known to mankind. We’re still
fighting over fondling privileges.FORMATS AAC (including protected AAC),
MP3, WAV, Apple Lossless, AI&&
BATTERY LIFE 1:04 (hours:minutes)
WEIGHT 1.5 ounces
DIMENSIONS 3.5 x 1. x .2 inchesSPECS
There’s only a whisper of distortion at the
highest volume, which is way
more reasonable levels you get crisp, sparkling
reproduction across the frequency spectrum.
Of course, you can still massage the sound
with well-tuned equalization presets, or season
to taste with the fi ve-band custom EQ facility.
The &M tuner offers the best reception we’ve
ever experienced in an MP3 player, if you’re into
that kind of thing, and the earbuds are above-and sounds great, but it can be hell to46 MA XIMUMPC DECEMBER 2005 DECEMBER 2005 MA XIMUMPC 47
APPLE IPOD NANO
$200, http://www.ipod.comCREATIVE ZEN SLEEK PHOTO appeal of this spectacular-sounding
$270, http://www.creative.com digital audio player.Apple 2GB iPod Nano
Creative 20GB Zen Sleek Photo
DIGITALAUDIO PLAYERS DIGITALAUDIOPLAYERS DIGITALAUDIOPLAYERS DIGITALAUDIOPLAYERS DIGITALAUDIOPLAYERS
+ick Ass territory.
Otherwise, the iPod Nano is so perfectlywhat the future of the Apple’s revolutionary
player may hold.DECEMBER 2005 MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC 47
APPLE IPOD NANO
$200, http://www.ipod.com