Creative Labs ZEN X-Fi2 8 GB MP3 and Video Player with Touchscreen and Built-In Speaker (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've owned many MP3 players incl. Creative's Muvo, Zev V, and Zen. What drew me to the X-Fi2 was the larger screen, the video out, the RSS, plus the touch interface and speaker somewhat. Display: Very pretty, 400 X 240. Good quality video and images look sharp and bright.
Audio Quality: I did A/B comparisons between the Zen and the X-Fi2, and the X-Fi2 wins. The top end is smoother, and the bass is tighter and deeper, and the overall sound is more open. They're similar in max volume, but the X-Fi2 sounds better.
X-Fi: I don't use it.
Creative Centrale: Install it, then forget it.
Audio Storage: Album art is a problem. The art has to be "embedded" in the ID3 tag for it to appear, it's possible Windows Media Player automatically does this. This can also be done with an app like "Mp3tag". Which meant going back and doing that to all 350 albums I had on the old Zen. Note that I don't use any services like Rhapsody, or files with DRM, so for me playback itself was fine.
Viewing Photos: Some jpgs don't show up except as "?" marks. Not sure why.
Videos: Nightmare. With the avi or wmv that worked fine on the Zen, the audio would break up or the vids wouldn't be recognized. Creative Central was unreliable and slow, and coverts vids to wmv.
I tried about 6 other converters, and either audio or video was messed up, or just not recognized (XVid, Divx, or wmv). Finally tested Handbrake, and the X-Fi2 was happy playing those XVid files, with very specific settings, about 90% of the time. And when it works, it looks great.
Video Out: Works surprisingly well, but no one will think it's a DVD.
RSS: Run a sync program from the X-Fi2 when it's connected to your PC. Kind of a pain, but it works.
Battery: Seems like the charging time and life are on par with the Zen.

Interface: Not easy. A quick light touch mostly doesn't work. Pressing down a larger area takes longer to process, so sometimes the fingernail trick is best. And sometimes it just takes a long to to respond in general. It also misinterprets gestures frequently. But with practice, it's usable.
The volume control is not immediately accessible (3 steps) on most levels, and not at all from the main menu. So trying to quickly turn it down on a sunny day (hard to see the display) is almost impossible.
Trying to do things one-handed is difficult (e.g. walking to the train, X-Fi2 in one hand, coffee in other).
Summary: It feels that the X-Fi2 was launched before development was complete. The touch interface is quirky, the video support is very finicky, and the menu design needs refinement. I'm hoping further firmware updates improve things. ITMT, the average user will NOT be happy.


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Creative Labs Zen X-Fi2 Flash Portable Media Player 70PF2491091F1 Portable Video Players

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Archos 32 3.2-Inch Internet Tablet with Android Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let's cut to the chase. For $150, you can't go wrong. This is basically an iPod Touch, but it runs Android, and is $70 cheaper. Oh, and the sixth generation iPod nano? Complete junk compared to this. Its junk compared to any comparable PMP devices, but if you're in the market for a PMP in this price range, you can't go wrong for the Archos 32.
First, the good. I'm no videophile, so the screen looks good enough to me for a $150 3.2 in device. If you're one of those people that hates resistive touch screens, this is VERY finger responsive. Yes, it is difficult to see the screen in bright sunlight; but once the brightness is turned all the way up, I could see it just as well as most of my devices. I'm no audiophile either, but the sound is good compared to my Zune. It supports many file types from MP4, to OGG. There are no internal speakers, however, it does have bluetooth, so I'm sure you could find some portable bluetooth speakers somewhere. The bundled earphones are, of course, a POS.
It has a camera, and it does it's job. Just don't expect it to replace your Flip HD. Is it pocketable? Yes it is. Pretty much the exact same size as the ZuneHD, I don't feel it at all when its in my pocket. It has a fast, and smooth webkit browser. You're gonna love browsing the web with this. Flash support coming in October of course. This thing acts like a usb thumb drive, so you can add and transfer files from any operating system like Windows, OSX, and Linux. No proprietary iTunes or Zune in the way.
There are some things that just hurt the Archos 32... but compared to the sixth gen iPod nano, or other comparable devices, you wouldn't care. First, no SD card slot. You're stuck with the 8 GB for apps, files, music, and video. If you like styluses, it doesn't come with one and thus, no way to store one on the device. Like I mentioned before, no internal speakers and the camera is nothing to write home about. There is also a very WEIRD design (flaw?)... on the front of the device there are a "+" and "-" sign to increase or lower the volume. There is ALSO a volume rocker. I don't plan on using this as a PMP because one of my criteria for a PMP is physical buttons to change volume AND song, which is why I can't part with my Zune 1st gen. So, there are two ways to change the volume... interesting?
Finally, the biggest flaw. No access to the official Android app store (without some hacking). Instead, you're given "AppLib", Archos's own App store for Archos Android Tablets. This isn't them trying to be greedy or anything. Google forbids non approved devices access to the app store. One of the criteria to be approved is to be a phone. This is not a phone. Thus, no app store. If you want to know what apps they have available (not much), feel free to browse here: [...]
Alternatively, there are third party app stores (like AppLib). Like "SlideMe" and "AndAppStore". Check those out.
So there you have it. The Archos 32 has features features that blow out any other $150 PMPs.
**Update**
Concerning Apps, if there is an app you want, and cannot find a place to get the .apk file /or purchase it, contact the developer and see if you could work something out.

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The ARCHOS 32 is a sleek Android device with a 3.2-inch touchscreen and 8 GB of on-board memory. Smaller than a pack of gum, the ARCHOS 32 will play multiple video and music formats, download Android apps to fit your lifestyle, connect to the Internet, and even shoot video with its built-in camera.

Great Hardware The ARCHOS 32 is a real eye-catcher, with its 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen LCD that boasts a WQVGA (400 x 240) resolution and 16 million colors.

It's also got the power to back up those looks, with an 800 MHz Arm Cortex A8 processor with DSP, and 3D OpenGL graphics acceleration.

An Excellent Media Player The ARCHOS 32 features music, video, and photo applications that allow users to browse through the album covers to locate and instantly access their media. Plus, the ARCHOS 32 is able to play a variety of music, photo, and video formats. This means far less headaches with file conversion--simply drag and drop files directly from your computer to the device and enjoy.

On the audio front, you'll get support for MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, OGG, and FLAC formats out of the box, along with a plug-in available for AC3 5.1.
For video, the ARCHOS 32 will play MPEG-4 HD, MPEG-4, H.264 HD, WMV9/ACP, and MJPG codecs with the following filename extensions: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, and WMV.
Even with images, the ARCHOS 32 delivers, with support for JPEG, BMP, PNG, and GIF files.

Android Apps Since the ARCHOS 32 is an Android-based device, it provides access to all kinds of applications. The AppsLib store is an Android application marketplace where you can download multiple apps while connected to a Wi-Fi network. You decide what your product should do for you by choosing from the thousands of available apps. Social media, entertainment, weather, traffic, news, and games are now just a click away.

Built-in Video Camera The ARCHOS 32 gives you the ability to make memories wherever you choose. With a built-in video camera, you can easily record video or take pictures. Within minutes, you can upload and share your personal memories on your social networks.

Surf the Internet Using a Wi-Fi connection, you can surf the web as efficiently as you do on your computer, thanks to the ARCHOS 32's speedy processor. Easily zoom in and out by double-tapping on the screen or by rotating the product horizontally.

USB 2.0 Device The ARCHOS 32 is a USB 2.0 device, so it will connect and charge using your computer's USB port. This makes file transfer fast and easy as well, with drag-and-drop ease.
What's in the Box ARCHOS 32, earphones, standard USB cable, quick start guide, and legal/safety notice.

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