Creative ZEN Mozaic 4 GB MP3 Player (Pink)

I use this mostly for audio books which I download from my local library and it works great with the OverDrive Media console in use by many public libraries. I love the fact that when it times out, it remembers where it left off even if it is left in "pause". The ZEN V Plus would always return to the beginning of the segment if it was paused, which was a real pain when listening to a 16 hour book. In addition to 6 audio books, I also have 8 hours of Christmas music organized into a playlist. The battery lasts way longer than the V Plus and I can still use the charger that I bought for the ZEN V Plus. Took a while to figure out some of the differences between programming the Mozaic and the ZEN V Plus including the new typewriting but now I've become familiar with it I have no difficulty getting it programmed the way I need it. Easy to bookmark and restore. 2 thumbs up!

Pros:
+ Price - It's very cost-effective for the tons of features included!
+ FM Radio - The radio signal strength is unimpressive, but a plus nonetheless, since many don't offer this feature. Note: the radio antenna is built into the headphones, so with just the built-in speaker, there is no radio reception at all. Headphones must be plugged in.
+ Alarm clock - I love being able to set the song that I wake up to, and with the built-in speaker it works much like a cell-phone alarm clock.
+ Built-in speaker - Now you can share a song with a friend without sharing your headphones. The speaker sounds better than I thought it would considering how small the device is. I wouldn't listen to it for hours, but it's a nice additional feature.
+ Battery Life - When they say 30+ hours, they're not joking. Very impressive battery life.

Cons:
- Plastic - The whole thing is made of plastic and feels somewhat toylike. Although I hesitate to call this a "con" because it feels very sturdy and well-made. If you want a metallic feel, you'll have to fork out the extra money for a Zune or iPod (twice the price).
- Headphones - The headphones are pretty cheap. The music sounds tinny when you use them, but if you use nicer headphones, sound quality is good! Once again, the radio antenna is in the headphones if you want to use this feature.

My overall impression is that I am very satisfied with the product. I don't use it much for videos, but the included software will convert videos to .avi format for viewing, which is nice but the screen is a bit small for using it as a video player very often. I use Media Monkey for syncing, but you can use Windows Media Player or simply Drag and Drop.

Audio quality is great with better headphones and the interface is simple to use. The design, I think, is very sleek and unique, but obviously not for everyone. If you're looking for a nice little player to give as a gift or just to stash in your pocket, this is a great choice!

Pros:
+ The player is small and unobtrusive if you want to put it in your pocket.
+ The pink is a nice shade.
+ Easy to navigate through the menus.
+ I was able to drag and drop music directly into the player's "Music" folder on my computer and play it immediately.
+ Although the shell is made of plastic, it is very, very sturdy. I feel that I could drop it several times with minimal damage (not that I'm going to test this out!)
+ The screen is bright and vivid.
+ You can save up to 32 radio stations.
+ Radio signal itself is alright; just make sure you have your headphones plugged in, as they act as the antenna.
+ The speaker is decent, but not up to audiophile standards (which I'm not). However, it's perfect in a pinch, if you forget your headphones, want to share music with a friend, etc.

Cons:
- I hesitate to call this a con, since the player in itself is quite small, but the buttons are tiny. Then again, we text on cell phone keys that about the same size, so it's easy to adapt to.
- Watching videos requires that you turn the player to the side. Not really a con, but just something to take note of.

This is avery simple to use MP3 player, with many features. For average poeple (even iPods user) this is the right mp3 player for you. I found few problems related to this mp3 player:
- Only support windows, you need to work more hours if you are a Linux or Mac user.
- EQ is 5 bands only: 80Hz, 250Hz, 1KKz, 4KHz and 13KHz. So if you are a Xtreme quality music enthusiast this is not the mp3 player for you (you need a expensive headphones to compensate the quality, $40 and up).
- Bass Boost only improves bass levles but distortion occurs often and +db leves up at the same time (medium frequencies getting very high).
- There is no "stop" button, just "pause" or press another function.
- If you are working-out it is complicated to search songs, but you may create a playlist to simplify your 'songs'.
- USB cable is too short 2 inches.

Alarm, clock, calendar are cool features if you have patience to play with those settings.

Battery is 5 stars, long enough for any activity, the little speakers is ideal if you work at your office or cubicle.

This Mp3 is quirky and jerky. Software is a bit unstable. The player has some negative points. Such as when you move backwards in a file it hangs up and and has to be reset. Or if you are in radio and try to use the back key it also hangs up. I can live with these minor problems.

Sound is not bad but cannot compare to higher end players. Nice feel and is small and convenient. Has a lot of features and is fairly easy to use. I like it but wish the above problems would be fixed. I did not download the upgrade to the software so will try that. I would not purchase this again as for a bit more I would buy a Samsung. A far superior brand of players.

Two weeks ago, I bought the ZEN Mozaic as a gift. (I was hoping to get another ZEN V Plus, but it seems the Mozaic is intended to be Creative's market replacement. Also, everything about the Mozaic seemed to be an update of the V Plus and, given my pleasure with the V Plus, I figured this would probably be a little better.) Big mistake! One top feature is the viewing of video files. Creative totally messed up this time. The video conversion/transfer software crashes every time I try to use it. I made the attempt on three difference machines (two XP SP2, one Vista Home Premium), and to no avail. I wasted a whole day wrestling with the darned thing.