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A Handy Ipod Alternative: Creative Zen Vision: M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player Green

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Does the Ipod finally have a credible alternative or what? From the look of things [no pun intended], the folks at Creative may just have an Ipod 'killer' on their hands. But then they may not. CNET provides a fairly comprehensive review of this item in their roundup of the top picks from the recently concluded Consumer Electonics show.

'Upside: Finally, a player that can give the iPod a run for the money in the looks department, though only by copying it--perhaps payback for Apple borrowing the term Nano from Creative. The Creative Zen Vision:M--at 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.7 inches and 5.7 ounces--looks pretty stunning, has a much more colorful screen than the iPod's (it's not an OLED, as on the Zen Sleek Photo, which seems to have become irrelevant now), and comes in colors other than black and white, such as green, blue, and pink.

Plus, Creative continues to provide features that iPod users can only dream about, including an FM tuner, a voice recorder, and support for a wide variety of video formats--DivX, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV, and XviD among them. And let's not forget: the Zen can download tunes from a growing number of online stores. Plus, it's subscription compatible; iPod users are stuck with iTunes. Meanwhile, Creative promises four hours of video playback from its battery, whereas the iPod (30GB version) poops out after less than three.'
Read.

Sources: CNET: Creative