[gui-talk] Fwd: Creative Screenless Zen Stone MP3 player

Tue May 22 11:44:26 CDT 2007

Oh good, thanks for the info. I think I found it on amazon..in an aray of 
different colors. Color doesn't really matter of course, but I guess it 
doesn't matter which one I get either.

Jen
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Baracco, Andrew W" <Andrew.Baracco at va.gov>
To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Creative Screenless Zen Stone MP3 player

> You can use Windows cut and paste commands, i. e. CONTROL-C, CONTROL-X,
> CONTROL-V.
>
> Andy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Jennifer Aberdeen
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 11:19 PM
> To: NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Creative Screenless Zen Stone MP3 player
>
> Wow, this is ironic...I just started looking for an accessible or
> somewhat accessible MP3 player. I've been worried about the drag & drop
> thing though...wondering if that was the only way to transfer music
> because obviously I can't use that method to transfer music. Anyway, as
> long as I can transfer music using the file menues, I think I'll look
> into buying this.
>
> Jen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joel Deutsch" <jdeutsch at dslextreme.com>
> To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 1:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Creative Screenless Zen Stone MP3 player
>
>
>> This player sounds pretty attractive and accessible. I just checked on
>> Amazon and, although there are only three reviews for the black model
>> (really, when there's a clutch of models in different colors but
> they're
>> all
>> the same product, they really oughta consolidate the customer reviews
> in
>> one
>> place) and they were all enthusiastic.
>> I'm unsure whether the information below is saying they're Audible
>> compatible and support spoken word audio files from audible.com. I see
> the
>> word audible among the formats, but if I were to order one of these,
> it
>> would have to be usable for "reading" as well as music, so I just want
> to
>> be
>> sure.
>>
>> anybody know?
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "albert griffith" <albertpgriffith at hotmail.com>
>> To: "'NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List'" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 9:00 PM
>> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Creative Screenless Zen Stone MP3 player
>>
>>
>> I mainly use my JP3 player for Windows protected files and those I
>> download
>> from Rhapsody which are also protected.  While the navigation system
> isn't
>> voiced, it seems manageable.  The problem I have with the one I own is
>
>> that
>> there are too many choices on the menu and they're not organized in a
> way
>> where a pattern can be discerned.  I'm going to purchase one of these,
>
>> soon.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
>> Behalf Of Steve Pattison
>> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 8:12 PM
>> To: GUI Talk; Access-L
>> Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: Creative Screenless Zen Stone MP3 player
>>
>> Prices mentioned in this message are in US dollars.  -Steve.
>>
>>>From: petrakigianos-giasou at yahoo.com
>>>To: blind_geek_zone at freelists.org
>>>
>>>This is for your information only. I am not telling you to buy this
>>>screenless mp3 player. you make your own judgement on this.
>>>
>>>For $40 I think it is worth buying this device to use at the beach or
>>>on a overseas trip to Europe one day.
>>>
>>>If you lose it on the trip that's ok.
>>>
>>>If it gets scratched that's ok too.
>>>
>>>The key is it is screenless. Has no display on the device.
>>>Another good thing it requires no software. It is plug and play
> device.
>>>The only thing I haven't found out is how to charge the battery. Looks
>>>you need a computer or notebook PC around to charge the device.
> Regular
>>>alkaline batteries would have been much better for this device.
>>>
>>>Note: The best mp3 player is the BookPort from aph.org.
>>>
>>>You can copy and paste your folders and files to the device which is
>>>great.
>>>
>>>I will put my Replay AV 8 recordings on this device. Does this player
>>>remember the last show you were listening to? Hope so.
>>>You can put a couple of your favorite CDs on the device.
>>>
>>>Read the review below.
>>>
>>>-----
>>>
>>>Creative Zen Stone Review
>>>
>>>By: Grahm Skee - Anything But iPod
>>>
>>>Published on: 5/10/2007 11:13 PM
>>>
>>>Creative Zen Stone 1GB MP3 Player- Black
>>>
>>>Creative dropped the Zen Stone seemingly out of nowhere to compete
>>>head-on with the iPod Shuffle,
>>>
>>>doing so at half the price with more to offer. Creatives screenless
>>>player is a very basic offering - only audio playback and data
> storage.
>>>However, the
>>>
>>>player does step out of the current Zen lineup feature set by offering
>>>up true MSC drag and drop, catering to all operating systems.
>>>
>>>The Zen Stone makes a great secondary player to your audio arsenal,
>>>handy for the gym or any
>>>
>>>place you need a simple, truly portable music solution.
>>>
>>>Read on for a look at all the features Creative has managed to pack
>>>into this player, as well as
>>>
>>>a peek at the Stones insides, disassembled for all to see.
>>>
>>>
>>>Quick Specs
>>>
>>>list of 8 items
>>>. Size WxHxD: 2.1" x 1.4" x 0.5
>>>. Weight: 0.88 oz
>>>. Storage Capacity: 1GB (250 songs 4 minutes per song at 128 kbps mp3)
>>>. Battery Life: Up to 10 hours continuous playback . Battery Type:
>>>Rechargeable Li-ion Polymer . Playback Formats: MP3, WMA, WAV and
>>>Audible . Connect Type: UMS/MSC . Available Colors: Black, White,
> Pink,
>>>Blue, Red, Green list end
>>>
>>>Accessories
>>>
>>>Included in the package is the bare minimum: the Zen Stone itself, a
>>>pair of earbuds, standard
>>>
>>>USB cable, and a quick start guide. Creative is also rolling out a few
>>>accessories to go along with the Stone, like an arm band, neoprene
>>>keychain holder,
>>>
>>>speaker dock, and silicone clip case. Third parties will be releasing
>>>their own cases and accessories as well, so you wont be short changed
>>>on available
>>>
>>>accessories.
>>>
>>>Design
>>>
>>>The Zen Stone is coated in a hard, smooth plastic giving it the feel
> of
>>>a nicely polished river
>>>
>>>rock. The plastic is the same material found on the Zen V Plus and is
>>>fairly scratch resistant; it will scratch but not easily under typical
>>>use. It is
>>>
>>>pleasant to hold in your hand and lends to a very useable design -
>>>small but not too small to use for bigger hands.
>>>
>>>A nice touch added to the left side of the player is a place to
> connect
>>>a lanyard for wearing
>>>
>>>around your neck. The standard USB plug is found on the bottom with
> the
>>>headphone jack located on the top. On the left face of the player is
> an
>>>LED that will
>>>
>>>indicate the status of the player and the battery level with various
>>>flashing sequences and LED colors.
>>>
>>>Controls
>>>
>>>Controls are very basic. The center play button operates as the on
>>>button, as well as the off
>>>
>>>with a long press. The directional up operates volume and the
>>>directional left and right operate the skip/scan forward and backward.
>>>On the top is a switch
>>>
>>>that allows you to select either standard track-by-track play or
>>>shuffle-all-music play. The switch also slides to the right, which
>>>advances you to the
>>>
>>>next file folder. This is a very nice touch for allowing better
> control
>>>and organization on a screenless MP3 player.
>>>(More on this below under Music
>>>
>>>Playback.)
>>>
>>>Transferring Music
>>>
>>>The Zen Stone is MSC (UMS) meaning that it will work with any modern
>>>operating system without
>>>
>>>installing software, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. Music is as
>>>simple as dragging and dropping music files and/or entire folder
>>>directories of music
>>>
>>>files. I have zero complaints about this method; it is the purest,
>>>easiest way to get music onto an MP3 player. If you are interested,
>>>Windows Media Player
>>>
>>>will also work with the Zen Stone, as it's compatible with any type of
>>>removable media. This may be useful for using features that will
>>>shuffle or
>>>
>>>randomly select 1GB worth of music to the player. [Also note that
> since
>>>the player is MSC, you are able to use the player as a flash drive to
>>>store documents,
>>>
>>>photos, and other file types.]
>>>
>>>Creative Media Lite Software
>>>
>>>Although not packaged with the Zen Stone, Creative Media Lite software
>>>can be downloaded for free
>>>
>>>on Creatives website. The lite version of their Creative Media
> software
>>>is designed for the player to transfer music, rip CDs, organize
>>>folders, and
>>>
>>>manage some extra features you could only do on a player with a
> screen.
>>>The main screen shows you the percentage of battery left on the player
>>>as well as the
>>>
>>>firmware version, which is also updated though the software.
>>>There is also a volume limit feature that allows you to set the
> maximum
>>>volume limit and
>>>
>>>password-protects the ability to change it. This is useful for
>>>protecting your childrens hearing.
>>>
>>>Disassembly
>>>
>>>Cracking into the Zen Stone without damaging it may be a bit
> difficult.
>>>The face of the player is
>>>
>>>snapped into four places near each of the corners. However, all of the
>>>edges seem to be glued or fused together. I was not able to get it
>>>apart without
>>>
>>>causing serious cosmetic damage to the outside casing. There is
> nothing
>>>user-serviceable, so breaking into the Zen Stone is merely for the
>>>sport of it,
>>>
>>>anyway.
>>>
>>>Music Playback
>>>
>>>There are two different play modes: repeat all and shuffle all.
>>>Repeat all simply plays all the
>>>
>>>files on the player in order. The order is alphabetical by track title
>>>but also by folder title. For instance, if you have a few folders and
> a
>>>few songs
>>>
>>>in the root directory, the player will start with the tracks in the
>>>files in the root directory (files not in a
>>>folder) then move through the folders
>>>
>>>alphabetically. The Zen Stone has no limit to the number of folders
> but
>>>limits the depth of the folders to three. There is also a file limit
> of
>>>1000 total
>>>
>>>files.
>>>
>>>The player has a folder skip button that is activated by sliding the
>>>switch to the left. This
>>>
>>>will allow you to skip though one folder at a time. This is nice for
>>>when you want to load entire albums onto the player where the button
>>>will allow you to
>>>
>>>flip though the 10-12 CDs you ripped to the player. It could also be
>>>nice to make folders for different mixes. For instance, you could make
>>>a folder
>>>
>>>just for the gym or a folder for a party mix.
>>>
>>>Sliding the switch to the right will put it in shuffle mode.
>>>This will shuffle through all songs
>>>
>>>and all file folders.
>>>
>>>Sound Quality
>>>
>>>Sound quality is pretty good and typical of Creatives line of Zen
>>>players. I found that the
>>>
>>>frequencies are well balanced, having a flat response. EQs are always
>>>nice, but the Stone can get away without having one.
>>>
>>>Conclusion
>>>
>>>The Zen Stone is an extremely basic screenless 1GB MP3 player.
>>>Without a screen, Creative added
>>>
>>>some nice features that allow you to easily and blindly navigate your
>>>tunes. The Zen Stone works with all modern operating systems and
>>>doubles as a
>>>
>>>standard data flash drive, making loading music and other files as
> easy
>>>as it gets. I really have a hard time finding a reasonable complaint
>>>for a screenless MP3
>>>
>>>player priced at $40. If you need a simple music solution or something
>>>to accompany your other player, pick one up. You wont be disappointed.
>>
>> Regards Steve
>> Email:  srp at internode.on.net
>> Skype:  steve1963
>> MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
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