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Installation
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The
install was not very smooth and after having similar issues with the install
program on the recently reviewed Creative X-Fi ExtremeMusic soundcard, I
really think Creative needs work in this area.
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All
the software did install just fine. The problem I had with it was that
it installed a bunch of other crap without my consent. The last thing
I want is anything related to AOL on my computer! Basically, I chose
the apps to install but then another screen came out with other options and
it automatically installed them without giving me the ability to disable
them.
After installing the software and connecting
your Zen Vision:M, Windows quickly picks it up and is listed in Device
Manager under Windows Portable Devices.
Bundled Software
The
software consists of two main applications, the Creative Zen Vision:M Media
Explorer and the Creative MediaSource Organizer. Let's have a brief
look at each of these...
Creative Zen Vision:M Media Explorer
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Media Explorer offers many options such as adding data, sync settings and
video converting capabilities.
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You
can browse and add data to your player in an "Explorer-like" fashion.
However, I recommend you use this application for video transfers only.
If you attempt to transfer your music collection from here, and later use
Windows Media Player to sync your music files, it will transfer them again
and you'll have a second copy of your collection on the player. Also,
the Zen Vision:M does support album art but if you want it to work, you must
use Windows Media Player to transfer your music collection. Using this
program will basically create a picture folder with all your album art but
it will not display when playing a tune.
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You
can conveniently convert your video files using Media Explorer.
However, keep in mind that the only option is WMV. If you want to
convert to DivX or Xvid, you will need to use your favorite third-party tools
for conversion. I'll cover a few later...
Also, if you attempt to transfer a video that is unsupported, it will let
you know and give you the option to convert it for compatibility.
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You
can also sync your calendar, tasks and contacts from Microsoft Outlook
easily using the sync wizard. For those who will carry the device
around at all times, this can be quite handy.
Creative MediaSource Organizer
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I
won't go much into detail with MediaSource as it basically gives you some of
the same options found in Media Explorer. However, the application
will allow you to burn CDs and does offer some recording capabilities as
well.
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WMP
10 is the application to use with the Zen when it comes to your music
collection. In fact, considering what a nightmare it was to use WMP 10
with the previously reviewed GoGear HDD6330, I was very surprised as to just
how well it does work with the Zen Vision:M. For example, transferring
2,285 MP3s encoded all in 192Kbps, it took exactly 57 minutes with Media
Explorer. With WMP 10, it took only 42 minutes. Also, the album
art feature works flawlessly if you do transfer your collection from here
and have the image system files in the source folder already.
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