Creative, perhaps, but not at all zen I have an MP3 player, a Creative Zen. It doesn't work. I purchased it in mid September. For the next four months I looked at it, pored over the instruction booklet (all 6 pages of it) I thought about it, finally I worked up my courage and had the Grand Pooh-Bah program it. I got the Creative Zen (following much research by the Grand Pooh-Bah) so that I could listen to audio books while knitting, particularly during baseball season, which by this time was fast approaching. I joined Audible.com. I downloaded and enjoyed two books. When I went back for a third my Creative Zen downloaded part one just fine but at the start of part two the Audible Manager screen announced that it "failed to transfer file/ transfer failed/ device specific error". I followed the directions on the screen and it still did not download part 2. I disconnected and put CZ back in its box. I find that a good nights sleep can be curative. The next day I ran Audible's player recovery tool. I ran Creative Zen's Firmware Upgrade and their Player Recovery Tool which gave me an error message. I went back to Audible Manager to make one last try to download my book. At this point Windows Media Manager (a program I had never used) sensing a lack of confidence or uncertainty attempted, in no doubt true Windows fashion, to take over my CZ. It started downloading stuff off my computer, pictures, who knows what all, until it too gave me an error message. Thereafter, every time I plugged my CZ into my computer Windows Media Manager took over greedily. It would tell me it was "syncing", then show an error message. The little screen on my CZ would show the "rebuilding library" icon but no little progress bar to indicate that the library was, indeed being rebuilt until finally it went dark. When I went to Knitting Retreat I asked the Grand Pooh-Bah to do whatever was necessary. When I returned from Knitting Retreat he said it needed to go back to Creative. And so I spent the morning on the Creative web site trying to send my CZ back. "Does this answer your question? No, Escalate to e-mail" and I pushed the button. Name, e-mail, I answered quickly. "How would you describe yourself: Select one: Novice PC user/ Intermediate PC user/ Advanced PC user". I hesitated over that one. As far as programs and what's inside are concerned I'm less than a novice. However the Grand Pooh-Bah has been programing computers since 1958 (I sadly remember when they stopped using punch cards- the GPB became a lot less buff when he no longer had to carry around those boxes of punch cards). I checked "Advanced" and figured the GPB would handle it. "Firmware version"- the directions for finding which firmware version you have begin by instructing you to turn on your player and display "Main menu"; I got to the e-mail page from a page telling me what to do if my MP3 player did not turn on, so I just skipped that question. Date of purchase, I have the receipt. Product serial number, it's not on the player so I assume it's a number on the box and type it in. "Operating system", O.K. this is obviously a trick question designed to separate the Advanced/Intermediate folks from the rank Novices; this is now a job for the GPB.
It's aggravating not to be able to listen to my books, especially now, during baseball season, but the truly maddening thing is: I know for a fact that there are teenagers who are flunking/have flunked out of high school who use MP3 players, who shuffle playlists and sync albums, look at videos and goodness only knows what else. And that's depressing.