I recently purchased a Creative Zen Vision W.

Usage

• To watch media while travelling.  Yes, I usually use my laptop for this, but this specialized device allows a simplified experience, a nice interface, and a perfect size, allowing me to watch movies/videos even in cramped spaces.  The laptop may not have room to open up, and causes too many hassles.
• MP3 capability, recording, FM radio.  Not necessarily available in a laptop. =)

Initial comments

I never thought I'd consider a Creative device.  Just never seemed good enough - always missing some critical features that I wanted in products.  This one looks good on paper, and handles well.  UI isn't awkward at all, surprisingly.

Build quality

• I'm impressed.  Seems solid, with a decent Hitachi harddrive in it.  Should be reliable, certainly if compared to Toshiba drives.
• Nice LCD - nice viewing angle.
• Buttons seem flimsy, but I'm used to a ThinkPad.  These buttons won't fall apart - they just don't have the travel I'm used to.  (Keep in mind, I use an IBM Model M keyboard.)
• Speakers – nice volume.  Could be louder... but headphones are going to be used anyway. =)

Advertised capabilities

• 4.3″ WQVGA high-resolution LCD screen - View 480 x 272 resolution in a wide aspect screen at up to 262,144 colors or output video and photos to an external display at a maximum of 720×480.
• Holds up to 240 hours of movies - ZEN support formats such as AVI, DivX 4 & 53, XviD4, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9 and Motion-JPEG
• Store up to tens of thousands of photos - Complete with a thumbnail gallery and zoom capabilities.
• Up to 15,000 songs - With 5-band EQ or 8 preset EQ settings and 96dB signal-to-noise ratio.
• TV output - Connect the ZEN to a projector or TV with the bundled AV cable for everyone to see.
• FM radio - Listen to more music with the integrated FM radio with 32 station presets.
• Personal organizer - Syncs your contacts, calendar, and tasks with Microsoft Outlook.
• Voice recorder - Record meetings, lectures, even voice memos.
• Long lasting battery - Enjoy up to 13 hours of music, or 4.5 hours of movies.
• Offload digital photos - Transfer pictures from your camera to ZEN without a computer
• Audio Playback Format: MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible
• Photo Format: JPEG, *GIF, *TIFF and *BMP *To be transcoded
• Video Playback Format: MPEG1/2/4-SP, XviD, DivX™ 4 and 5, AVI, MJPEG and WMV9
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Audio Output: 3.5mm stereo mini-jack
• Audio/Video Output: Composite TV, stereo audio out
• 5.27" 2.95" 1.04" (60GB)
• 10.48 oz (60GB)
• Up to 13 hours of continuous audio playback.  Up to 4.5 hours of continuous video playback

Comments

• USB interface is nice and fast.
• The headphones act as antenna for the radio.  Cool.
• It remembers where movies are stopped - even if you play multiple movies.  Can't seem to find the "return to beginning option" - so you just hit rewind.
• Fast forward, etc works really nicely.  Much better than what an iPod offers.
• A really nice UI.  Clear status indicators on screen, and I always know where I am.  Excellent HCI principles being followed, with easy navigation through long lists of movies sequentially and also alphabetically.  I find the iPod's limited interface somewhat restricting sometimes; the additional buttons here are quite welcome.  I quite like it.
• Usability: I have yet to open the manual.  Enough said.
• Customizability:  Menu customizations are possible - very cool.
• Unicode characters work - Chinese titles are properly displayed.
• Fast OS - bootup is noticeable, but once started, device is quite responsive.
• Outlook syncing, microphone record.  Microphone is decent; the IBM ThinkPad's is better.  I haven't tried synching yet... but it doesn't seem very useful.  Maybe the contacts =)
• FM radio - relatively easy to switch frequencies.
• Battery life test - I haven't done any tests yet.
• I've charged the battery, removed it, and just run off utility power with power adapter.  Kinda wish there was cover that could cover the back with the battery removed.
• Where’s the kickstand?  Will have to prop this thing up somehow...
• Mentioned this earlier - Navigation buttons seem flimsy; they won’t break, just not the same kind of travel as with ThinkPad buttons, etc.
• Excellent screen - nice brightness, and nice viewing angle.
• Fingerprint issue on screen – unavoidable
• This model has a 60 GB drive – lots of space.
• Compact Flash I/II slot - use it to copy pictures onto the device.  Nice to offload pictures off your camera.
• Sync directly in Vista and XP.  Just drag files over.  No dirty software; Vista has drivers.  Just encode, and drag 'em over in Explorer; the device mounts as a drive with all folders fully visible.
• Compatibility
  • Documentaries played instantly, most downloaded with MP3 audio played instantly
  • No AC3 support.  Argh.  I've had to re-encode stuff - just the AC3 audio though.
  • DivX and XviD works well, as far as I've seen...
• Encoding
  • AVIs
    • Virtual Dub to convert existing AVI DIVX/XVID AC3 to just MP3
    • Ripped to WAV, and reprocess to LAME ACM MP3 with video direct stream copy
  • DVDs
    • Slysoft AnyDVD HD 6.1.3.6 to remove CSS/Macrovision on DVDs
    • Xilisoft DVD Ripper Platinum to reencode VOBs into XviD movie
• Nice zoom features on screen/display. Works nicely to fit video on the widescreen.
• Hitachi 60 GB drive
  • The drive, made by Hitachi, is a 3.3 v, 1.8″ Travelstar C4K60 Slim.  Should be reliable.
• Hardware details
  • http://onemansblog.com/2007/01/08/creative-zen-vision-w-teardown/
  • Screen shield - http://www.shieldzone.com/custom-orders/
    • Creative Zen Vision W 60 GB
    • (Wide screen)
    • 9.7cm wide
    • 5.5cm tall
    • http://onemansblog.com/2006/12/26/creative-zen-vision-w-review-60-gb-personal-media-player
    • http://onemansblog.com/2007/01/08/creative-zen-vision-w-teardown/
• E-Book reading - http://www.epizenter.net/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?6792

I didn't like

• The price.  It is expensive.  You get what you pay for though.  It's not just a portable harddrive.  Time was put into designing the interface.  And it plays videos quite nicely.
• The navigation buttons; I miss my ThinkPad's UltraNav buttons.  These buttons have no travel.
• The fact that there is only 1 headphone jack.  I wish there were two headphone jacks built-in for sharing, or at least that it shipped with a splitter.
• The screen coating.  Ship the things with a protective covering!
• The lack of a stand. How do I prop it up?  How about a battery cover when you choose to play with just AC power with no battery installed?
• The lack of AC3 decoding of video.  Most AVI clips are encoded with AC3 audio.  This is a minor issue.
• Lack of audio file support: MP3s work fine.  These don't seem to work: M4A, OGG, APE, and FLAC.  Damn.

Final word

I like it.  A lot.  If you need to watch movies or listen to music, this is actually a very decent machine.  It's just the right size.  The UI is excellent - very good status indicators, and decent navigation buttons.  Easy transfer of files - open standards with no DRM.  You handle your own content on this device - and there are options to download DRM protected content.  Support for a wide variety of codecs (video).  Plug and mount.  Copy over and go.  Clean, and super fast USB 2.0 interface.

I'd recommend it - if your usage requirements are met.  It's a perfect size.

Give it a try. =)  Money is no object, right?  C$431.99 from Canada Computers.