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Color me impressed (more on that later).  Creative’s newest MP3 player, the Zen Vision: M, should definitely shake things up for those in the market for an "iPod".  Although it is being released well after the 5G iPod (aka iPod video), Creative has made good use of this time and created a device that takes the most valuable assets of its competition while simultaneously addressing consumers’ largest qualms with it.  The result is what I believe to be the best "iPod Killer" yet, trite as that term has become.

The Vision M’s resemblance to the iPod Photo is undeniable.  At first glance I thought it WAS an iPod.  It is every bit as attractive as the iPod and will probably remain as such for a longer time, due to the notorious issues with iPod screen and backplate scratching.  It is available in 5 colors, some more appealing than others, but the variety should be quite welcome.  Both black and white are available, a la iPod, but the real surprise is in the way Creative has coordinated the player’s background with its color.  Although a relatively simple operation, it creates a unique and very attractive package.

Years better than the green iPod mini, if you ask me.

Not bad either

The whole lineup looks great.

Alright, so they look great.  Luckily, performance matches this time around.  Although currently only available in 30gb, the Vision: M looks to be a great little player.  I say little, which is true, but not quite as little as the iPod.  Yet another example of Creative’s goals, the Vision: M is exactly the same height and width of the iPod, although it is marginally deeper (Apple has always been the king of thinner players).  The Vision: M has battery life nearly identical to that of the 30gb iPod video and a screen with the exact same resolution.  Actually USING that screen is far easier, however, because Creative has addressed the concerns with the iPod video by including divX and xVid support without any unnecessary conversion.  It also adds an FM tuner, user-replaceable battery, and built-in voice recorder.  Creatively definitely payed attention to the details on this one as it can output to TV just as the iPod video can.  Perhaps its best feature of all for potential buyers, though, is that it includes a separate wall charger, unlike the competition’s requisite usb charging.

Looks like a winner, but only time will tell! 

Check it out here: http://www.creative.com/products/mp3/zenvisionm/

Chris Leckness (3547 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Chris Leckness is the Owner/Administrator of Mobilitysite. He is a Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices and a member of the exclusive focus group, Mobius. Chris runs a Mobilitysite, GotZune, and a few other smaller sites and blogs. His personal blog is chris.leckness.com.