The Creative Zen V

This week I'd like to take a moment to talk a little about Creative's very cool flash-based MP3 player, the Zen V. This is a high capacity player with a simple design that fits comfortably into your pocket or the palm of your hand. Here I will break down the specs that make this a pretty cool buy this holiday season.

The Zen V comes in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB versions, each complete with a 1.5 inch OLED display for viewing album art and photos. This allows you to create slideshows and share your favorite images while on-the-go. In terms of music, the Zen V comes with a built-in MediaSource player and organizer. You can also burn music from CDs and various MP3 as well as WMA music sources.

There seems to be a lot packed into this tiny package. For instance, this model also contains a voice recorder, a line-in connection for ripping songs directly from a CD player, a unique user interface for accessing your personal content, and a rechargeable battery that is purported to last for up to fifteen hours. The Zen V is also easily syncable with Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks. A standard V package contains the player, a set of earphones, a USB cable, installation CD, and other pretty neat accessories.

A review that helped me get a better handle on what the Zen V is all about was Grahm Skee's breakdown over at Anything But iPod. His more hands-on, in-depth look at the pluses and minuses of Creative's player should go a long way to helping you decide if this little bundle of cool is right for you.

As an added bonus for checking out the blog this week, one lucky reader will win their very own Zen V. Napster sent a brand new player over to us and we are eager to let one of you experience it for yourself.  Just post your favorite holiday song in the comments section below and you'll be entered to win!  Contest ends Wednesday, December 2nd at midnight PST and we'll announce the winner on the blog next Thursday.

As always, you can continue to follow my musings on all things tech on Twitter @SavingsGCapes or right here in the comments section of the blog. I'd like to take a moment to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I'll see you all back here next week.