Customer Reviews
Worst MP3 Player 
2007-08-04
I enjoy my Creative MuVo very much. Thought I try a smaller Creative version. So I got the Zen Stone. And I am having the worst experience with this piece of junk. You get what you paid for. Granted the software is very good but the player itself is hard to work with. Either I'm spoiled with a screen to tell me where I'm at or it's not easy enough for me to determine if I am navigating the buttons correctly. Should be easy enough but I've had problems with selecting my music I want to hear and today, I couldn't even shut the **** thing off.
Wish I never got this now. Will try Sandisk or iRiver next time.
Great second player 
2007-07-26
I have a Zen Micro but don't use it all that much; by the time I get done fiddling with everything in the car, I've usually arrived at my destination. The Stone is tiny and simple to use. The best features are the drag-and-drop capability, ability to organize content with folders, and the price. Love it!
Excellent player at an even better price! Ya just gotta get one... 2007-06-27
I purchased the ZEN Stone as my secondary player to use for working out and for yard work. It's sturdy and very easy to use. The sound quality is excellent as well. For $37 or $38, this player looks good & rocks hard. Such a better value than the Shuffle players.
The Stone doesn't have tons of high end features, but that isn't what this is all about. It's about a great, easy to use player at an incredible price.
Charging didn't take long when I first received the player and I've been getting a little over 10 hours of playback at a reasonable volume. I also ordered the key chain accessory and it's nicer than I expected it to be. Creative has a plus version of the Stone coming out soon with more memory. I may have to upgrade and pass this one on to my kids.
Set To Stone? 
2007-06-17
With Apple's recent success of redesigning their small Ipod Shuffle, many consumers have designed MP3 players that would be smaller and more convient to take with you anywhere you go. Although some might be such a good idea, but that doesn't actually mean it will be compatable with everything. Creative Labs has tried several times with perfecting a better MP3 player for years. Although they've had good quality ones, they just haven't been universal to everything that is downloaded off the internet. Their Zen Nano series seemed like a really good deal, but it backfired on music downloads. Now, a new Zen has hit the stores, but does it seem to re-shine Creative's delivery on MP3 players?
The Creative Labs Zen Stone 1GB MP3 player, brings the compact and convience Apple displayed with the newest version of the Ipod Shuffle, and a fraction of the price. The MP3 player is simple to recharge, but falls short on the battery with only a 10 hour playback, where others have a little bit longer life. The device is easy to place anywhere, even in your shirt pocket. It will only work on Windows XP & Vista, not earlier operating systems like ME or 98. There is also another problem, it will not work with music subscription services like Rhapsody or Napster, only pay per track downloads which leaves some MP3 buyers looking for something a bit better.
All in all, Creative Labs Zen Stone isn't really a great purchase for any new MP3 buyer. It falls a bit short in display, and it shows in the price. Instead, I really recommend something from Sandisk, which has better MP3 players and works great with download services. As for this one, it falls short of playback.
Price: C
Convience: C+
Compatability: C 1/2-
Overall: C-
mediocre 2008-04-15
It didn't cost much, and holds plenty of material.
Navigation is difficult without some sort of display. And I can't get the controls to work the way I think they ought to work. I downloaded a 30-minute podcast, and found something interesting in the last 5 minutes. When I went back to find it, I wanted to skip to the end, and then scan backwards to the interesting part. But, from the end of a recording, holding down the "back" key seems to take it to the beginning of the first file in the directory.
Also, it's really, really, quiet. I've got it plugged into the Aux channel of my Scion's stereo, which was designed to accept an MP3 player. With the radio at max and the headset volume at max, I can usually hear the recordings fairly well. But, of course, when I put a CD in the player, I'm blasted out.
Love it. 2008-02-11
This is the first mp3 player I purchased. I chose this one because it's inexpensive, and since you just plug it in your USB drive w/o the use of a program, it works with Linux. I've owned it since August and I use it ALL the time, especially while working out. It's a nice small size, any smaller and I would probably lose it for good. It's really simple to use. Basically, I could have just tossed the directions. The battery seems to last about 10 hours, I don't shuffle much and I use the earbuds that came with it (I think they sound fine). I haven't even filled it to the capacity with music yet. I tend to get bored with certain songs then just remove them and add new ones so the 1 gb is perfect size. I've also found I can charge it using my Verizon phone charger. Definitely recommend this to someone who wants music on the go and not their entire cd catalog.
NO NAPSTER COMPATIBILITY 
2007-12-14
I bought this item because I've owned several other creative zen products and never had trouble with them (plus i have a vendetta against apple, ugh) but this is the first creative device I've owned that DIDNT SYNC WITH NAPSTER!!!! Maybe they will update this feature in the coming months, but until then, NAPSTER USERS BEWARE!!!!
Creative Zen Stone 1GB - Nice starter or spare MP3 2007-11-17
The Creative Zen Stone 1GB is a nice value in starter MP3 players. It has the same capacity as the iPod Shuffle at $40. For $20 more, you can get the 2GB Stone Plus which also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more.
Pros -
+ good stereo sound
+ nice capacity for a decent price
+ light-weight
+ simple design with more color options
+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, WMA, Audible)
+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity
+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage
+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via Creative software
Cons
- below-average battery life of 10 hours or less
- software issues - Creative software is buggy
- DRM song transfer issues with some firmware versions
- not expandable from 1GB (no SD card slot)
- no FM tuner or voice recording
- larger than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles
- for just $20 more you get the 2GB Stone Plus with added features
Creative's Zen Stone line was meant to be the upgrade to the Zen nano, aka Muvo mini. The 1GB Zen Stone is decent but not perfect. It suffers from quality issues and is really ideal for specific uses. I love the new Sandisk Sansa's. The Sansa Express has the advantage that you can plug it directly into your USB port without a cable. SanDisk Sansa Express 2 GB MP3 Player (Black) Still, the Creative Zen Stone feels nicer in the hand. It's not as sleek as the Sansa Express nor as cool as an iPod shuffle or iPod nano. But it is priced very attractively. It's good for a starter, workout unit, or gift for a kid.
The Creative Zen Stone is lighter than the competition, but is still larger than the new iPod Shuffle 2nd and 3rd generations. The controls are an improvement from the Zen nano days. While I didn't mind the toggle wheel, it has been replaced by intuitive buttons for the standard functions (select, play, pause, forward or reverse). There's a headphone jack and a USB port.
Another change from the Zen nano days is the Lithium Ion battery, which gives you about 10 hours if your lucky. This burns out faster than the old battery operated unit, but is more convenient.
The sound is nice, and it comes through in stereo. As usual, you will hear complaints about the earbuds, which most people replace.
The Zen Stone Plus is the only larger option at 2GB. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the Creative Zen, Sandisk Sansa or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.
Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)
Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)
Sandisk SDMX4-4096 Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot
SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)
Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)
The price isn't a give-away, and the plastic case could be more durable. Creative has fixed some of the software issues. Still, this is a nice starter unit that can last you a while. Check it out. Enjoy!!!
Needs a display 2007-08-23
I bought this primarily to listen to books because of the WMA digital rights support. I would not recommend this for books though. There is no screen to see where you are in the book. It is nice to see where you are in the book.
