Creative Zen Stone 1 GB MP3 Player (Black) | 
| Brand: Creative Labs
Buy New: $47.60
New (3) Used (1) Refurbished (1) from $22.99
Rating:  91 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Display Size: 0
Battery: 1 Rechargable Li-ion Polymer
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 0.5 x 2.1 x 1.4
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: ZST1GBKB
Model: ZST1GBKB
UPC: 054651141902
EAN: 0054651141902
ASIN: B000PHQEV2
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Tiny flash MP3 player with smooth curves and glossy black finish | | • | 1 GB memory holds up to 250 MP3 tracks or 500 WMA tracks | | • | Supports Audible 2, 3, and 4 formats; USB 2.0 interface | | • | Plays music in normal, shuffle, and repeat modes | | • | Measures 2.1 x 1.4 x 0.5 inches (W x H x D); 1-year parts warranty |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
The Creative Zen Stone is one of the smallest and most economical MP3 players you'll find anywhere. Compact enough to fit into almost any pocket and weighing less than an ounce, this featherweight player can be worn comfortably around your neck or on your arm while you're traveling or working out. With a capacity of 1 GB, the Stone holds about 250 songs, or 16 hours of music, in MP3 format (or 500 songs in WMA format). In addition, the player's convenient plug-and-play capabilities mean that you can simply connect the player to your PC--the player is only compatible with Windows XP or Vista operating systems--and drag-and-drop your music and data files between player and your computer without the need for special drivers. 
The featherweight Zen Stone (0.9 ounces) is one of the tiniest MP3 players on the market. | With smooth curves and a glossy black finish, this stylish MP3 player is designed to make you look good wherever you go. Ergonomically designed controls, including a conveniently placed quick-play mode switch, let you skip to the next song or folder, or randomly play all the songs in your player with a single touch. Changing play functions is as easy as sliding a toggle switch. The player also supports Audible 2, 3, and 4 formats in addition to MP3 and WMA files. And while the player is compatible with for-purchase WMA DRM files, it does not support portable subscription WMAs.  
The player's ergonomically designed controls make it easy to skip songs or access your favorite tracks. | Other details include a multicolor LED screen that notifies the listener of the unit's charging and playback status, support for Creative's Media Lite software (available via download), a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery that delivers up to 10 hours of continuous audio playback, and a USB 2.0 interface. The Zen Stone measures 2.1 by 1.4 by 0.5 inches (W x H x D), weighs 0.9 ounces, and is backed by a one-year warranty on parts and a 90-day warranty on labor. What's in the Box
Black Zen Stone MP3 player, earphone, USB 2.0 cable, quick-start leaflet.
Product Description
Incredibly tiny, with incredible sound - that's the ZEN Stone. Available in a choice of six glossy colors, its looks match its performance, bringing you room for hundreds of songs and running for up to 10 hours on its rechargeable battery. You can navigate through your folders with the Skip feature and add some surprises to your listening with Shuffle playback. Friendly, simple and pocket-size, the ZEN Stone MP3 player is simply incredible!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 86 more reviews...
 The best digital audio value out there May 27, 2007
speedgraphic (San Diego, CA USA)
93 out of 114 found this review helpful
In the week or so I've had my Zen Stone, I've been very impressed.
PROS
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1. It's cheap. Darn cheap. Why buy an iPod Shuffle when you can get this? Sure, it doesn't have a clip, but it's so light that you could let the thing dangle from your headphone cord if you wanted to.
2. It doesn't require any software. That's right, plug it in and use it, just like a USB flash drive, by dragging and dropping MP3s or non-PlaysForSure WMAs right into the right directories. You can even change the order in which the player plays the songs by modifying the folder tree, just like the old days. For anyone tired of bloated software (iTunes? Zune?), this player's for you.
3. Sound quality is good, and the player puts out an acceptably loud signal.
4. EXTREMELY durable. Although the finish is very scratchable, the player itself seems indestructible. I accidentally closed the player in my car door and it still works. Not bad.
5. Wholly acceptable headphones. Better than the iPod standard headphones in my opinion, in fact, but still worth replacing if you value higher quality music.
CONS
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1. Annoying LED that flashes every two or three seconds when it's playing a song. It can light up a small room.
2. A weird bug. I've had the thing randomly shut down while playing two specific tracks of mine. When I removed them, I no longer had a problem. Weird.
I can't give it a five because of the problems I've had, but I'd give it a 4.5 if I could.
EDIT: New firmware has been released to reduce the glacially slow ~10 second startup time to around ~3 seconds, comparable with a shuffle. Awesome.
 Creative Zen Stone 1GB - Nice starter or spare MP3 November 17, 2007
Mark (NY, NJ, CT USA)
42 out of 49 found this review helpful
The Creative Zen Stone 1GB is a nice value in starter MP3 players. It has the same capacity as the iPod Shuffle at $40. For $20 more, you can get the 2GB Stone Plus which also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more.
Pros -
+ good stereo sound
+ nice capacity for a decent price
+ light-weight
+ simple design with more color options
+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, WMA, Audible)
+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity
+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage
+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via Creative software
Cons
- below-average battery life of 10 hours or less
- software issues - Creative software is buggy
- DRM song transfer issues with some firmware versions
- not expandable from 1GB (no SD card slot)
- no FM tuner or voice recording
- larger than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles
- for just $20 more you get the 2GB Stone Plus with added features
Creative's Zen Stone line was meant to be the upgrade to the Zen nano, aka Muvo mini. The 1GB Zen Stone is decent but not perfect. It suffers from quality issues and is really ideal for specific uses. I love the new Sandisk Sansa's. The Sansa Express has the advantage that you can plug it directly into your USB port without a cable. SanDisk Sansa Express 2 GB MP3 Player (Black) Still, the Creative Zen Stone feels nicer in the hand. It's not as sleek as the Sansa Express nor as cool as an iPod shuffle or iPod nano. But it is priced very attractively. It's good for a starter, workout unit, or gift for a kid.
The Creative Zen Stone is lighter than the competition, but is still larger than the new iPod Shuffle 2nd and 3rd generations. The controls are an improvement from the Zen nano days. While I didn't mind the toggle wheel, it has been replaced by intuitive buttons for the standard functions (select, play, pause, forward or reverse). There's a headphone jack and a USB port.
Another change from the Zen nano days is the Lithium Ion battery, which gives you about 10 hours if your lucky. This burns out faster than the old battery operated unit, but is more convenient.
The sound is nice, and it comes through in stereo. As usual, you will hear complaints about the earbuds, which most people replace.
The Zen Stone Plus is the only larger option at 2GB. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the Creative Zen, Sandisk Sansa or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.
Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)
Sandisk SDMX4-4096 Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot
SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)
Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)
The price isn't a give-away, and the plastic case could be more durable. Creative has fixed some of the software issues. Still, this is a nice starter unit that can last you a while. Check it out. Enjoy!!!
Nifty Device, with some room for improvement. August 31, 2007
Lynn B. (Roseville, MI USA)
25 out of 34 found this review helpful
My iPod died and I wanted a cheap replacement while I wait for the next generation of iPods to hit the market. I've also wanted a smaller, flash-based mp3 player for awhile, to for activities where my iPod was either too bulky or in danger of getting scuffed or broken.
What I like:
-Love the design, it's tiny and nice looking. I don't miss having a display. I almost bought the larger version with the display but decided this version was more aesthetically pleasing and really covered the bases I needed. I wish it came with a clip though. Third party options are available, but how hard would it have been to just put a clip on it to begin with?
-You don't need to install any software, you can just drag and drop files right into it, and put them in folders if you wish. It will play just what is in a certain folder unless you press the button to advance to the next folder, or have it on shuffle mode.
-It does what it's supposed to do, and is very simple. This is the kind of mp3 player you can give to your parents or any tech-phobe and they should be able to figure out how to operate it pretty easily.
What I dislike:
-There really needs to be a hold button. Twice now I have come back to find the device with a dead battery. Both times I am 100% positive I did not leave it on. It must have gotten bumped while on my desk or something and turned itself on. This is extremely irritating as I usually notice it's dead when I'm not near a computer to plug it in and where I was depending on the device to provide some entertainment. A hold button that locks the device in "off" mode would solve this issue easily.
-The only way you can charge it, without buying an adapter, is through your USB port. This normally wouldn't be an issue for me, but right now I'm moving between houses and don't have my computer set up, so this has been a big drag. Because of this, I had planned to use this device mostly with my work computer, but that has caused issues that are explained below.
-I wish the shuffle feature stayed within a folder, instead of choosing songs from random folders. To me, the whole point of organizing the music into folders it to divide up genres so you can listen to what you are in the mood for. And with a device with a small amount of memory, you are mostly going to listen on shuffle mode so you don't get bored. I like to listen to loud, fast music for certain activities, and softer stuff for others. It sucks that when you put the device on shuffle you may go from one extreme to another. I wish there was a toggle to either let the shuffle mode roam over all the folders, or stay inside the one you are in.
-My biggest issue with this device, and the reason I knocked it down a star is that it will not work at all on my computer at the office. The device shows up in My Computer, but when you click on it, windows hangs. I'm using XP Service Pack 2. The stone also comes up in the device manager, and I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it several times, installed the optional driver/software from Zen, and read all the support documentation on Creative's website and cannot find any suggestions that get this device to work on this computer. I have plugged it into three other computers and it has worked fine. I am pretty savvy when it comes to computers and have used all kinds of different USB devices on my office computer w/no problem. I cannot for the life of me figure out why it refuses to work on this computer. Even just having it plugged in to charge will cause the OS to randomly lock up and sometimes crash so I have to reboot. And if I reboot with the device plugged in, windows won't even load, like there's a new master disk plugged in. It is really annoying, and frankly disappointing, because I purchased the device solely to use with this computer.
Overall though, it's a good little player and I don't regret the purchase. There are just a few things that I think could be smoother. But for the price it's a great deal. With the exception of my isolated computer issue with it, it's extremely simple to use. A lot of these smaller flash mp3 players are ridiculously too complicated to use - it's like they are trying to make up for not being an iPod by having all these different "features" and "modes". But really you just want to click play and get going. Creative did a good job with the design and ease of use, they just need to work out a few kinks.
 Better sound than expected May 19, 2007
BillyBudd (USA)
18 out of 25 found this review helpful
I bought this for my kid, so I wasnt expecting great sound but I have to admit it is surprisingly good. Great bass tones and clarity, better than some expensive players Ive tested. THere arent many extras to talk about but the folder option does make it better than the iPod shuffle imo. I'd say this is a great player for anyone who wants simplicity and great sound for a low price.
Great Little Player June 5, 2007
thepit47 (NJ USA)
17 out of 23 found this review helpful
I bought the Stone to supplement my 60 gig Ipod. This is great to take on long walks or jogs or anyplace you just want some specific music/words but don't want to carry the larger player. I also bought some accessories so this player is very easy to carry around. You can clip it to your pocket or get the key chain holder or the arm band holder. The sound is great and it's very easy to add and remove songs. This is truly great for active people who don't want to carry their full featured player around at certain times.
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