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If you’re thinking about buying an iPhone this timely report may help you make a decision; if you already own one, it just might help you use it better. Topics include a candid evaluation of the iPhone’s quality, WHY it’s such a hot tech toy, how to make the most of it, how to pimp it out and even includes download secrets.

Perfect, money-saving solution for connecting audio sources (iPod, iRiver, Microsoft Zune, MP3, DVD, PC, and XM or Sirius satellite radio players) to an amplifier or home theater system. Exactly what is needed to hook up an iPod to a home theater system without the unreasonable expense of a docking station. These 3.5mm to dual RCA stereo cables feature bonded wires and tangle-free construction to help facilitate flexibility and compatibility among audio interconnects while actually reducing cable clutter, since they are only 6 FT. in length. Turn your MP3 collection on your PC into a virtual jukebox with realistic, CD quality sound when played through your stereo system. Play video games with life-like surround-sound. These cost-effective, studio-color coded (red and white) cables are of great quality giving you crisp, clear sound for less. The long-lasting, corrosion resistant, Brass/Nickel plated machined, barrel connectors are designed with custom tooled strain reliefs engineered to improve durability and long-lasting reliability.

Compatible With Apple: iPod 3rd Gen. 15GB / 30GB / 40GB / 10GB / 20GB / iPhone 3GS 16GB / 32GB / iPod Classic 160GB / 80GB / 120GB / iPod Nano 1st Gen. 1GB / 2GB / 4GB / iPod 4th Gen. 20GB (Color Display) / 30GB (Color Display) / 40GB (Photo) / 60GB (Color Display) / 60GB (Photo) / 20GB / 40GB / U2 Special Edition / iPod Video 60GB / U2 Special Edition / 30GB / 80GB / iPod Mini 6GB / 4GB / iPod Nano 3rd Gen. 8GB / 4GB / iPhone 1st Gen. 16GB / 4GB / 8GB / iPhone 3G 16GB / 8GB / iPod Nano 2nd Gen. 2GB / 4GB / 8GB / iPod Nano 4th Gen. 16GB / 8GB / iPod Touch 1st Gen. 16GB / 32GB / 8GB / iPod Touch 2nd Gen. 16GB / 32GB / 8GB / iPod Nano 5th Gen. 8GB / 16GB

Please Note: This unit has been repackaged in non-retail packaging. It includes Sansa Fuze, USB cable, earphones, and CD.

Listen, watch and play all day with up to 24 hours of juice*** and room for hundreds of pix and flix. Smaller than a credit card and as thin as a pencil, this clever little player can put up to 1,000 songs**, 6 two-hour movies***, or 2,000 photos* in your pocket. Plus, unlike other MP3 players, your Sansa Fuze player isn’t done when your battery’s done. Just re-charge it. And while you’re at it, add another memory card whenever you like–and just keep growing your entertainment library.

Sansa products are brought to you by SanDisk, the minds behind flash memory. Around the world, wherever people take pictures, listen to music, use cell phones–or do much of anything at all with digital devices–you’ll probably find SanDisk products. Maybe that’s why, after more than 20 years in the business, SanDisk has never stopped innovating.

In its own right, the Creative Zen Vision:M is a very capable digital audio player, video player, photo viewer, FM radio, and more. Indeed, one could go on and on about how it has the right specifications to make it a constant companion for entertainment on the go. The really big news about this device, though, is that it’s the first device to boast complete compatibility with Amazon Unbox, the new digital video and music download service from Amazon.com.

The Zen Vision:M has the features, ease-of-use, and power to become your constant media companion. See the Vison:M interactive demo.

Design
Let’s get things out in the open. The Apple iPod is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to the digital media player business and, unavoidably, every other device is measured against it. In most respects, the Vision:M matches up pretty well, and there are few things you may even like better. Length and width dimensions are exactly the same at 4.1 and 2.4 inches respectively. When it comes to girth, though, the iPod has the Vision:M beat; the Vision:M is .7 inches thick, while the iPod measures .4 inches. The Vision:M is slightly heavier, too. These details aside, the Vision:M feels comfortable, yet sturdy, in the hand, with curved surfaces in all the right places.

Creative takes a somewhat different approach with the Vision:M’s controls, answering the iPod’s Click Wheel with a vertical touch pad–which allows you to scroll up and down menus and control volume–plus four buttons that offer navigation through the user interface. The contextual menu button on the bottom right is a welcome addition, allowing you to make quick settings changes and view information about media files on the fly–functions that are more cumbersome on an iPod. Creative could have made the buttons a bit more sensitive–they require a firm press that gives an overall feeling of clunkiness to an otherwise well-designed user interface. Another annoyance is the touch pad’s over-sensitivity; it’s easy to make selections unintentionally, sending you on a wild ride through the user interface.

The Vision:M’s screen, which measures 2.5 inches diagonally, offers sharp details, vibrant color, and excellent response with little or no video ghosting during high-action sequences. The 320 x 240 resolution is to be expected from a device this size, and although it’s small, you’ll likely have no trouble enjoying video while you’re sitting on the subway or a flight, or in the back-seat of a car. Our only nitpick was the screen’s less than stellar viewing angle, especially when compared side-by-side with a video iPod. While this can be good for maintaining privacy, the narrow viewing angle also means that friends beside you will struggle to see anything other than a black screen.

Music, Videos, Photos, and More
The Vision:M’s music organization scheme is standard fare; you can browse playlists, artists, tracks, albums, and genres. Equalizer settings are robust, with a nice range of automatic settings, plus a custom equalizer that’s easy to control. The music library’s “DJ” function is a nice touch, allowing you to listen to your most popular tracks. It can also pull up the tunes you listen to least frequently–in case you’ve got some forgotten tunes lying around on the Vision:M’s 30 GB hard drive. Sound quality is everything you’d expect from a top shelf digital audio player, and DRM’d Windows Media files played without a hitch. The device fully supports a whole range of “PlaysForSure” download and subscription services, such as Napster and Yahoo Music. Creative also ships a CD-ripping and music transfer application called MediaSource with the Vision:M.

Playback of Windows Media DRM’d video files (WMV9) was also hassle-free. Purchased videos delivered crisp colors and detail, with no frame drops. Video playback consumes a lot of power, bringing Creative’s claim of four hours of video playback into serious doubt. Expect under three hours when watching videos continuously. Thankfully, if you need to come back to your video later the Vision:M’s software remembers the timecode of where you left off–unless you power the device down between viewing sessions. In addition to protected and unprotected WMV files, the Vision:M can play MPEG 1/2/4, Motion-JPEG, DivX 4 and 5, and XviD formats, making it a very flexible device with respect to encoding options.

The Vision:M can also store thousands of photos, letting you browse through them or set up a slideshow. The device’s TV-out option comes in handy here, as you can present slideshows on a TV or projector. Videos can be displayed this way, too. An FM radio with easy preset tuning functions and great signal reception, plus a voice recorder feature, round out the extra media features. There’s also a handy application on the Vision:M that formats a portion of the drive for use as USB 2.0 mass storage, letting you set aside up to 16 GB for data storage.

Connectivity and Synchronization
A Creative Sync Adapter ships in the box with the Vision:M, making it a snap to connect the device to a USB 2.0-capable PC. With the connection made, Windows XP recognized the device right off the bat and Windows Media Player immediately asked us if we wanted to load the PC’s music onto the Vision:M. Music management and synchronization has come a long way on the PC, and the experience of organizing and transferring music to and from the Vision:M was, barring a few curious click-through boxes, pretty seamless. The Vision:M also supports synchronization of your Outlook contacts, calendar, and tasks, in case you want to use it as a personal organizer of sorts.

Amazon Unbox Integration
To be truly successful, the Vision:M has to be more than a great media device, it has to integrate with Amazon Unbox and make the process feel like second nature. Although the Vision:M was tested using a beta version of Amazon Unbox, things are looking good already. Amazon Unbox and the Vision:M go together like peas in a pod, making the process of purchasing, downloading, and enjoying content on the go a real cinch. The Amazon Unbox Video Player, which queues, downloads, organizes, and plays your purchased movies and TV shows, recognized the Vision:M right off the bat. An icon for the Vision:M appears in the devices panel of the application, and you can immediately begin transferring downloaded content to the device. Once you’re all loaded up, the Vision:M offers a great way to bring Amazon Unbox entertainment along for the ride.

Pros

• Crisp, vibrant color screen is great for video
• Generous video format compatibility
• Excellent sound quality and music management functions

Cons

• Narrow screen viewing angle may be a problem for some
• Finicky controls for some functions
• Slightly more bulky than other competitors

What’s in the Box
Creative ZEN Vision:M, earphones, Sync Adapter, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, user’s guide, and installation CD that includes Creative MediaSource and Creative Media Explorer software. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter.

The Zen Vision: M 30GB Multimedia Center makes it easy to carry all your digital files around – and navigate them more simply. You’ll be able to enjoy thousands of photo and audio files — or even video files, thanks to the great-looking 2.5″ LCD screen. Its 320×240 resolution and 262,144 color display will makes photos look almost as good as the real thing, even in bright sunlight. The TV-out jack lets you store complete movies or TV shows and connect them to a TV for easy sharing with your friends. The Zen Vision will even turn your slideshows into attention-grabbing multimedia; share your collections of baby photos by adding a backdrop of your favorite music to the slideshow, directly from the player. The bigger, backlit Vertical Scroll navigation tool is smoother and helps to improve selection accuracy. It’s the one-stop device for all your digital entertainment needs. The built-in Personal Organizer lets you transfer your calendar, contacts and task list from Microsoft Outlook — you’ll never forget all your important anniversaries and appointments Repeat, resume, and random play Audio Playback Format – MP3 WMA and WAV / Photo Format – JPEG (GIF, TIFF, PNG and BMP) / Video Playback Format – MPEG1/2/4-SP, WMV9, Motion-JPEG, compatible DivX 4,5 and XviD Programmable sleep and wake timers Customizable main menu Also functions as an external hard drive for data and file transfer 8 EQ settings (Acoustic, classical, disco, jazz, new age, pop, rock and vocal) Rechargeable Li-ion battery plays up to 14 hours of continuous audio playback and up to 4 hours of continuous video playback Size – WxHxD – 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.7 / Weight – 5.7 oz PC requirements – Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 or 2

Connects to all models of MP3 player, any CD player, DVD player, PDA device or Digital Media Player that has a headphone jack! . Transmits MP3 audio signals through FM channel so that you can enjoy your favorite music through your CAR or HOME stereo! . You can select 4 available frequencies . Can be powered through your car cigarette lighter (CAR CHARGING CABLE INCLUDED!) . Can also be used outside your car using 2xAAA batteries (not included)