Zen micro, iPod mini, Zen 20GB, iPod 3G

Side by Side.

Here's a side-by-side picture of (l-to-r): Zen micro, iPod mini 4GB, iPod 3G, and the new Zen 20GB

Zen micro, iPod mini, Zen 20GB, iPod 3G.

From top: Zen micro, iPod mini, the new Creative Zen 20GB, iPod 3G

Front View.

Side by Side. The iPod is taller but thinner (see other picture). The Zen's backlight seem to be brighter.

Top View.

From this view you can see that the iPod is substantially thinner. The button layout is also cleaner & simpler.

Back View.

The back of the Zen is curved, hence feels better in your palm. Unlike its micro cousin, the Zen doesn't have removeable batteries.

Creative ZEN 20GB

After the success of the Zen micro, Creative has refreshed its lineup with a 20 GB player. It has all the same features as the micro but only comes in Black, for now at least ... I think. The photo shows a relative comparison to their Flash player. It looks and feels slightly larger than the iPod.

Here's another picture.

Sony Ericsson Z1010 & Z600

Here's a comparison between Sony Ericsson Z1010, a 3G-enable phone, and its older sibling Z600, a GSM/GPRS phone.

Creative Zen Micro in Japan

Creative Zen Micro in Japan.

The latest Marketing Attack by CREATIVE in Japan. They seem to put money where their mouth is by spending serious advertising dollars, in Japan no less where the market is dominated by Apple-heads.

Maybe the Zen Micro is really gaining .. in mindshare if not in marketshare at least .. for now.

Keynote 2 Themes & Features

Here you can see all 20 default themes. Several cool new ones and I'm certain we will see 3rd party add-ons pretty soon.

Here you see almost all of Keynote 2's features.

Buy iPod Shuffle at 7-Eleven

SINGAPORE: In what may seem like another blow to other MP3-Player
companies, Apple ups its distribution efforts by making its iPods
available within an arms reach of most Singaporeans. From Feb 1, the
Shuffle will be sold at 50 7-Eleven outlets "located in major
residential and commercial areas".

There are 260 7-Eleven's in Singapore and 50 of them will sell the
entire iPod range.

Apple's distributor in Singapore said: "7-Eleven has .. the widest
reaches .. of storefronts in Singapore. This gives anyone who wants an
iPod a very easy retail location".

In a separate news, a sales man at a local IT retail chain shop
CyberActive whose shops can be found in most major mall, said that they are outselling Zen Micro's to the iPod mini 5 to 1.

My personal take: A great product can needs a great distribution
strategy to succed in the market. That's why Apple decided to open its
own stores.

Zen Micro vs iPod mini

The MP3 'War' between Creative and Apple is a fight between features and style/cool-factor. Apple has a 'cult-like' following that is now going mainstream, thanks to dozens of voluntary endorsements from celebrities and artists. In short, Apple has become the new 'Prada'.

Creative on the other hand knows that it can't beat Apple in this department so it tries to equip its guns in the 'feature's department; most if not all of Creative's players have voice recording, FM radio, and a cheaper sticker tag, for now.

So now both companies leave the decisions in your hands, will it be style over function or vice versa?

Both displays the same amount of information on the screen. Mimicking the iPod's interface, the Micro also has a Ratings function. The mini lacks a 'Search' function but it's user-friendly interface makes up for it.

The Micro comes with a holder where a 'leg' or a belt clip can be inserted. Without the holder, the micro reveals a nice curvy shape. The mini looks sexier though and their claim that 'the back of their products look better than the front of many of their competitors' holds true here.

The mini has a simple layout. The micro's Power switch also functions as a Hold button. There's an additional opening on the micro for voice recording. As for accessories out of the box, the Micro wins because it ships with a remote controller, albeit looking eerily similar to Apple's.

Slim and Sexy .... oooh ... aaahhh ... take your pick. The Zen Micro's curved back feels good in your hands but the mini's overall 'mini-ness' feels better. Oh and don't forget the ooh and aaah factors you'll get from the people around you when you have an iPod in your hands. The Zen Micro hasn't reached this status yet.






So which will it be? The 5G Zen Micro with FM, Voice-recording? Or a 4G iPod mini? By the way, I was at a Duty Free Shop recently where a would-be buyer asked the difference between these 2 and the sales person replied, "oh not much actually!". Well guess which the would-be buyer chose? The iPod mini. Now imagine this scenario happening in millions of other shops around the world and you'll know who will win the MP3 war.