Creative Labs 70PF165000015 Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (White) | 
| Brand: Creative Labs
List Price: $249.99
Buy New: $125.00
You Save: $124.99 (50%)
New (1) Used (3) from $100.00
Rating:  234 reviews
Sales Rank: 23205
Color: White
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 0.7 x 2 x 3.3
FM tuner
MPN: 70PF165000015
Model: 70PF165000015
UPC: 054651116313
EAN: 0054651116313
ASIN: B000BM6Z7E
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 8 GB digital audio player/photo viewer with a stylish white design | | • | Compatible with MP3, WMA, Janus, WAV, IMA ADPCM, and PlaysForSure DRM WMA | | • | Vibrant, cutting 1.5-inch OLED screen provides sharp details and clear colors | | • | Built-in FM radio (32 presets) with record function, voice recorder, USB mass storage | | • | Measures 2 x 3.25 x 0.7 inches (WxHxD) and weighs under 4 ounces |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
The micro-sized, coolly styled Zen MicroPhoto digital audio player/photo viewer enables you to watch slide shows of your favorite digital images on its stunning, high-intensity 1.5-inch OLED screen while listening to an MP3 or WMA soundtrack. This 8 GB player in white can hold up to 10,000 JPEG images or 4,000 songs. It's also nicely compact, measuring just 2 x 3.25 x 0.7 inches (WxHxD) and weighing under four ounces. 
View the stunning, high-intensity 1.5-inch OLED screen from any angle. | 
The MicroPhoto 8 GB player holds up to 10,000 images or 4,000 songs. View larger. See the Zen MicroPhoto in 3D. | The Zen MicroPhoto's vibrant, cutting edge OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen looks terrific and draws less power than conventional LCD displays. It displays 262,144 vivid colors, ensuring every picture is sharply detailed and extraordinarily clear. Using revolutionary display technology, you can now view photos from any angle. The vertical touch pad makes navigation easy, and the micro-sized player is offers a curved design to fit ergonomically in your hand. The intuitive menus in wild, bright colors makes navigating through those 4000 songs and tons of photos easy and fun. It's compatible with MP3, WMA, Janus, WAV, IMA ADPCM digital audio files (including DRM protected Plays For Sure WMA files from online stores and subscriber services) as well as JPEG image files. Its 8 GB capacity will store up to 4,000 (266 hours) of WMA files (encoded at 64 kbps) or 2,000 (133 hours) of MP3 songs (encoded at 128 kbps). This player also features a built-in FM radio with 32 preset stations and the ability to record directly off the radio, enabling you to capture your favorite songs and live radio interviews. The integrated microphone and voice recorder feature enables you to record short notes to yourself as well as important meetings and lectures. Choose from the Zen MicroPhoto's custom EQ or eight pre-loaded EQ settings: Acoustic, Classical, Disco, New Age, Vocal, Pop, Rock, and Jazz. Working perfectly with Microsoft Outlook, you can now organize appointments, business contacts, or even wake up to your favorite song. Additionally, the Zen MicroPhoto can be used as a USB mass storage unit, allowing you to safely store your important presentations and documents and transfer them to another PC. The included removable, rechargeable Li-ion battery provides up to 15 hours of continuous playback time, and it can be charged via a USB connection to your computer or the included USB travel charger. Take a closer look at all the Zen MicroPhoto features. The Zen MicroPhoto uses PlaysForSure technology. Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you're shopping for a portable music or video device and you want to make sure the digital music and video you purchase will play back on it every time. Match the PlaysForSure logo on a large selection of leading devices and online music stores. If you see the logo, you'll know your digital music will play for sure. Choose from a large number of digital music and video stores, including MTV's Urge, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, Napster, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, and many more.
What's in the Box
8 GB Zen MicroPhoto (white), high-fidelity earphones with dynamic bass response, removable rechargeable Li-ion battery, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, installation CD-ROM, and printed Quick Start Guide.
Product Description
Be captivated, be spellbound. Creative ZEN MicroPhoto features a revolutionary, vivid OLED color display. Dubbed ZEN Micro Photo by some, you can browse through photos or music playlists from this award winning digital music player's brilliantly clear menus. Color your music with strikingly detailed views of digital photos on this sleek MP3 player. And keep up to 4000 songs or thousands of photos by your side and in your pocket.. And keep up to 4000 songs or thousands of photos by your side and in your pocket. Get some really fabulous ZEN Micro accessories to go with your ZEN MP3 player too!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 229 more reviews...
 Excellent! Don't buy an IPod until you read this... November 22, 2005
Zelda Milo (Newark, DE United States)
283 out of 292 found this review helpful
I chose the Creative Zen Micro Photo over the IPod Nano for several reasons:
1. Storage space - Micro Photo has 8 GB, Nano has 4 (and costs more)
2. Rechargeable AND Replaceable battery - Unit charges through the USB cord whenever connected to your computer (this is a PLUS, because you spend a lot of time connected to your computer managing your music library). Micro Photo holds the charge for at least 12 hours, maybe more. And unlike the Nano, the battery is replaceable, so you can purchase extra batteries if this one dies, or swap batteries to keep music playing on long trips.
3. Compatibility with online music stores - This feature was #1 for me. I'm a big fan of Comcast Rhapsody, and this player (NOT any IPod) is compatible with their Rhapsody to Go service, which lets you have UNLIMITED downloads from their catalog of over 1 million songs for $14.99/month (as long as you have the subscription, your songs will play in your MicroPhoto). ITunes can't beat that. I no longer buy CDs. The day they come out, they are on my MicroPhoto.
4. Price - do your research, for an 8 GB compact-size mp3 player with a color display, this price is a steal.
I haven't even used the Photo features, but I'll love having an album of pictures on my mp3 player to show my friends and family at anytime.
The unit is very small; about the size of my flip-style cell phone. That's bigger than a Nano, but very lightweight and a comfortable fit in the palm of my hand. I didn't necessarily need a credit-card size player. I wanted the storage space and the Rhapsody-to-go compatibility.
Negatives (and there are only two minor ones):
1. The world is made for IPods, so there are not as many accesories available for Creative players as there are for IPods. However,[...] has a nice selection.
2. The touch controls are very sensitive and take some getting used to (I figured it out within 2 days).
My husband has an old Creative Zen Nomad (30 GB and the size of a small brick) and although it's no longer "in style" it works well. I know my Micro Photo will hold up well over time.
Friends, family, and coworkers were critical of my decision to purchase a Micro Photo instead of an IPod. Now, many of them want to trade their IPods for one. Do your research - the Rhapsody-to-Go compatibility and 8 GB hard drive were enough to sell me on the Micro Photo.
The True iPod Killer November 21, 2005
David Weiner (New York, NY USA)
176 out of 184 found this review helpful
For anyone that has at least half a brain and realizes that, not only are they not all called iPods, there are other brands out there that produce incredible portable mp3 players, this unit is for you.
First, what most people disregard as minor, this is one of the only mp3 players that charges with the same cord it uses to transfer files. To top that off, it's a standard USB cord! That means Universal Serial Bus, silly... it's the cord that comes with every computer, digital camera, blackberry, etc. That means you probably already have several of them! So what, you ask? Now you can charge your player and transfer files from any computer! This is no minor feature!!!!
Besides this feature that I love (that is so hard to find in other players), the Creative Zen Micro Photo also features a replaceable battery. To all of you iPod owners that have to charge your iPod every 4 hours I don't need to emphasize this. Top it off with great battery life!
What else? The quality of the picture on the screen is tops; the sound quality is great (the earphones are good too); the size is perfect; and the backlight is too cool. It looks great and is the best mp3 player on the market, bar none.
 Looks cool and special. Easy to use. Great for travelling March 16, 2006
alim (London, UK)
67 out of 71 found this review helpful
Disclaimer: I had an iPod before switching to the Zen Micro.
Features I love
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1. Looks.
There are those who buy things because others got it. But there're things in life cooler than military-issued white. In fact, I got my Sony MDR-EX71 ear-buds in black because white ear-buds are so passe now.
2. Uses standard USB cable.
This might seem like a small thing, but really appreciate the fact I just need one cable when travelling to sync and charge my MP3 player, cellphone, and digital camera. No more tangling mess of cables and charges, and I can always buy a USB line almost anywhere for less than $5 if I forgot to bring one.
3. No drivers required. Works like thumb drive.
The most significant consequence is that I can plug the Zen to the USB port of any PC, and be able to use the Zen like a USB thumb drive. My previous iPod needed to install drivers, which is a luxury I don't have with other people's PCs, or office PCs where they restrict your admin rights.
4. Music Subscription.
This is the best invention since iPod itself. I have been die-hard fans of only 2-3 artists, die-hard meaning I buy every single album and singles they produce. For everyone else, there are plenty of songs I 'kinda like' but I didn't feel they were worth the money to buy.
With this subscription thingy, I get to download entire albums simply to try out entirely new songs and artists to see if I like 'em. I doesn't bother me I lose them if I stop my subscription - they are songs I probably won't pay in full in the first place. But sometimes, not buying a song doesn't mean not worthing listening to it once in a while.
5. Solid construction.
The Zen has a solid metal casing that not only feels sturdy and resistant to scratches, it can actually survive a four-feet drop without injury. (I've actually tried this, though not intentionally.) Couldn't say the same about my iPod. (My experience positively confirms that an iPod cannot survive a swinging knock against the subway door while inside a shoulder bag.)
6. Ease-of-use.
The menu system is customizable and intuitive just like in iPod. (In fact, I heard the patent for the iPod menus are held by Creative Labs.) Synching songs is also piece of cake. Just plug-in and either WMP or Napster can sync up my library. This is probably standard feature now after iTunes set the standard.
At the end of the day, I can always resort to drag-n-drop straight from my windows explorer, for not only my music files but also data files. (See point #2 above.)
8. Battery Life
I do 10-hour shuttles from the West Coast to the Other Side of the Pond at least once a month, and the iPod used to just flat out with less than 10 hours of playing. The Zen can not only sustain the entire trip, but also the train rides to/from the airports ony each side. And I bought an extra battery in case I miss a chance to charge up in between. The "stamina" of most batteries decreases with such consecutive high mileage use, and with the iPod I wasn't able to do anything about it other than to buy a new one or send it back to the factory. With the Zen I have an immediate solution for $30 in the local Circuit City.
Features I don't like
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1. No dedicated volume button. Need to go back to "Now Playing" screen to adjust the volume. Can't do it while I'm tweaking other things in different menus.
2. No podcast aggregation in Windows Media Player. Ok. This is more a WMP shortcoming than the Zen's. iTunes has the best podcast browser (though not the largest selection), so I continue to use iTunes to subscribe to podcasts, and let WMP automatically detect the new files and add to my player. It can be done, but I wish it can be done in one-step, one software.
These two dislikes mean it's not perfect for me, so, four stars.
Very good player April 9, 2006
bakedgoldfish
43 out of 45 found this review helpful
This is a great player for people who want more space than what's offered on flash players like the iPod Nano, but don't need 30 gig of music in their pocket (what the iPod has to offer). It's a mini harddrive player with some neat bells & whistles, and solid, meaty basics. Here are a few of the pros and cons.
PROS
1. Physical size: small enough to fit in your pocket, not so small you could lose it.
2. Storage: the complete works of Bruce Springsteen (including Tracks, and including certain songs being listed more than once), in 128 bit MP3 format, takes up less than 1.5 GB. 8 GB is more than enough for the average person who might just use an MP3 player for commuting or going to the gym.
3. Sound: AWESOME. Even with the standard issue headphones, it's still got great quality. I use this on a city bus that often has very loud, rambunctious high school students (they're great kids, just loud), and I don't even need to hit the halfway point on the volume setting to drown them out. As an added benefit, if you have no interest in getting separate headphones, you can crank the sound up pretty high and the sound will not be audible to those around you (I went to 3/4 full volume on a not-so-crowded bus and lightly covered the earbuds with my fingers), so you'll likely never be the idiot broadcasting his/her playlist to everyone around you unless you like deafening yourself.
4. Screen: good-sized, clear.
5. Rechargeable AND removable battery: no more contacting the manufacturer when the battery wears out. Just go to your local electronics store and pick one up.
6. FM Radio: a lot of people will wonder why you need this on an MP3 player, but it's great if you're a commuter who takes the train to where you parked your car. While you're on the train, you can listen for traffic reports - no more getting on the road only to find too late that your regular route is backed up and jammed. Just listen to the radio on the train and plan an alternate route. You can also record from the radio, if you hear a hard-to-find song being played (common for folks who listen to classic rock).
7. Charges while hooked up to your computer: this is handy for when you're loading songs and messing around with playlists. Takes a few hours to get a full charge, but you can just leave it there overnight and it'll go to idle automatically when it's done. I think you can also get a wall-charger for traveling with this, but I've never needed one, so I couldn't say for sure.
8. User interface: very easy to navigate the tracks (it'll break it down by album, artist, genre, or you can just view all tracks at once), very easy to mess about with the settings, and the background image can be customized.
9. Compatible with music subscription services: this is one of the reasons I didn't consider the iPod at all. They're not compatible with things like Rhapsody-To-Go or the Napster subscription service. With the Creative Zen Micro Photo, I can either buy a single song, or use the subscription services (which I love).
10. Easy to add music: it's basically just drag-and-drop, once you have the basics installed.
11. Use it as both an MP3 player and a removable drive: you can partition the unit to have a bit of space for other files to transport between computers.
12. Add songs to a playlist while listening to other songs: say you're listening to a song/album. You decide you want to listen to more songs when you're done with the current song/album. On a lot of other players, you'd have to stop/pause the song you're listening to, or wait until it was done, before adding other stuff to your playlist. On the Micro Photo, you don't have to stop the music - just go to the track/album listing, and choose to add to the current playlist. Cooler in action than in writing, trust me.
CONS
1. It's fugly. Seriously, if the iPod is Keanu Reeves, the Micro Photo is Ron Jeremy. But this only matters if you care more about looks than about having a functional, solid MP3 player. Much like Ron Jeremy, you don't have to look at this thing to know that it's doing a bang-up job.
2. Not too many accessories. This is an iPod's world, sadly, so it's hard to find cases and other doohickies for this, but they're out there if you look.
3. Shortish battery life: I got about 15 hours out of it. That's still a long time, but there are other players with a longer battery life out there (Samsung makes a Nano-killer with about 30 hours, for instance). This is one of the places where the swappable battery comes in handy - if you're on a long road trip, 15 hours can go by quickly, so have an extra battery on hand just in case.
4. There's no social status help. This is important only to parents getting an MP3 player for their young teen or tween who may be more interested in popularity than in shopping around for the best possible player. iPods are more popular than any other player, though there are many technically superior players. Having a non-iPod might actually hurt your child's popularity, especially if they're halfway on the rise but not one of the popular kids just yet. Be aware of why your kid is asking for an MP3 player - if it is, in part, to be more popular, just go with the iPod, unless you're trying to make them see that what's popular might not be what's best (though why you'd use an MP3 player to teach that, I don't know). This point is not important if you're just getting it for someone who cares more about technical superiority than social status, but bear it in mind if you're buying it for someone obsessed with popularity.
5. Slow startup screen. Still, it's only a few seconds longer than other players.
COULD GO EITHER WAY:
-Touchscreen instead of clicky-buttons. I got used to the touchscreen very quickly, but I'm used to touchpads on notebook computers. Your mileage may vary. For what it's worth, the touchpad sensitivity is adjustable.
-Voice recorder: I don't actually use this function but, like the FM radio, someone might find it useful.
-Volume control is part of the on-screen menu: where most players have an actual button, rocker switch, or scroll physically on the player's body, this one has a dropdown menu that includes the volume control. It's easy to access, but I can see where some might want the volume control to be an actual physical switch.
Hope this helps in your search for the right MP3 player. By the way, I'm not an audiophile - I'm really just an average person who likes having a good player. I gave it 5 stars because none of the cons actually matter to me; I'm not a popularity-obsessed teen, I don't care that it's ugly, I don't use it more than five or six hours out of the day, and I'm not so impatient that I can't wait six or seven seconds before I can start listening to my music.
Fun and Stylish......But Not Quite Worth the Price March 24, 2006
Amber Kempkes (Middle of Nowhere, Nebraska, USA)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful
I've had my Zen Micro for a little over a month with no catastrophic problems, which is a relief to me after reading some of the reviews concerning the unit itself being defective, not being compatible with PC software, etc.
Keeping in mind that my opinion could change at any time and that anything with technology is prone to dissapoint, here are my observations thus far concerning this Mp3 player...
*~THE PROS~*
* A whole rainbow of colors to choose from depending on your personality. (While I know that technically it's color does not determine whether or not it is a good product, I'm a girl and therefore love the choice of color!)
* Uses a standard USB cable to connect to you PC.
* It seems to have a solid construction. It's heavier than you would expect from the picture and the metal casing gives a sense of comfort for a clumsy person like me. I haven't dropped it yet but I've read other reviewers that have and it came out unscathed. Some people have said that you cannot workout with this player, but I take mine to the gym all the time. Just switch the power switch to the locked setting so you don't bump the touchpad.
* HUGE 8GB of storage space! I moved my whole music library (a measly 2GB), created several playlists, and stored lots of photos and I haven't even used half of the storage space yet.
* It plays all WAVE, Mp3, and WMA format files.
* Bass boost and smart volume especially are great features.
* It's smaller than it looks in the photo, about the size of a credit card but thicker.
* The battery is rechargeable and replaceable, which is great if you take long trips and don't want to worry about finding somewhere to recharge your player. Just pop in another battery and go!
* The menu screen is customizable. You can put your personal photos as wallpaper and choose from 8 different color schemes.
* I LOVE MAKING PLAYLISTS! That has to be one of the best features. If you have albums that you absolutely have to have at the push of a button make it into a playlist. I have all of Dave Matthews Band's albums arranged separately. Also if you workout a lot you can put songs that motivate you into a playlist, switch the power switch over to the locked setting so that you don't accidentally bump any buttons, and you're all set!
* FM Radio with programmable presets. I've read some reviews regarding the inconsistancy with the FM signal on their players and admit I've experienced it myself but there is a scan button that searches for the strongest signals. You can also save your favorites. I wish that there was an AM frequency too so I could listen to Coast to Coast at night but then maybe I am being picky.
*~THE CONS~*
* THE TOUCHPAD IS EXTREMELY TOUCHY! After quite a bit of practice, and also turning down the sensitivity, you can learn to master it but it is very frustrating, especially when you first get the device. It took me a half an hour just to get to the menu to turn down the sensitivity, hit the wrong button, and had to start all over. This is definately going to be a huge problem for people that are very push button, but you do get the hang of it after awhile.
* You cannot look at pictures while listening to music. This isn't a big deal for me since I hardly use the photo feature, but for some this could be dissapointing.
* If you take this player out in bright areas, especially outside in sunlight, the screen is very hard to see. I found that if I put a dark wallpaper on the screen it's easier to see, but not much.
* This player and it's software are Windows XP compatible only!
* While the length of the cord on the headphones is really nice for putting the player in your pocket, etc. the ear buds themselves are HUGE and hurt my ears after only having them in about 10 minutes. I threw them away and am back to my trusty Sony earphones...ahhhhh much better!
* The "protective pouch" is a JOKE! Seriously it's a drawstring bag that probably cost the company about a penny for 10 of them. Don't even waste your time trying to use it except maybe for long storage periods. I'm currently storing jewelery in mine!
* With as much as this player costs, Creative could have included a AC adapter. While being able to charge the player through the USB cable is nice when you're at home, if you travel it becomes a nuisance to find a computer to charge your player with.
* I've experienced the player trying to "idle shutdown" on me, usually when I'm listening to the FM Radio. This is mildly annoying and will stop if you just touch a button on the touchpad. I've read other reviewers having a similar problem so I think it's probably a bug in the product.
* Also sometimes when I've gone to connect my player to the USB to charge, it either doesn't recognize the player or something but it will not charge or let me organize files until I restart my computer. Again, mildly annoying and probably a bug in the product.
Overall I'm happy with my Zen Micro. The missing star is for the things that Creative overlooked or could have done better. Hope this review helped you.
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