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. Creative’s 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 Stone’s insides, disassembled for all to see.
Quick Specs
- 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
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 won’t 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 Creative’s 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 children’s 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 Creative’s 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 won’t be disappointed.
Please stop in the Creative Forum for help and more info on the Zen Stone as well as the rest of the Creative Zen line of MP3 players.
Purchase
You can expect to see the Creative Zen Stone in major B&M retailers that carry the Creative Zen line of players as well as many online retailers. Amazon
99 Comments
Jake on May 11, 2007 6:16 AM
Excellent pictorial. I’m deciding between this and the Sansa Express. Could you also do a review on that?
Atrax on May 11, 2007 6:43 AM
Jesus, you mangled the outer case a bit getting it open…
Bruce on May 11, 2007 8:07 AM
if having a second chance at it, do you think, from the experience gained through this dissection, that it’s possible for someone to open the thing up without mangling it? It would be nice to replace that battery when it exceeds several hundred charges instead of tossing yet more garbage into landfill…
EnzoTen on May 11, 2007 9:37 AM
@Jake, yes- that review is comming@Bruce, i dont think i would mangle it the second time around but it definitely would be damaged. It was just not meant to be opened. And why would you want to replace the battery one a $40 mp3 player? Not to mention that you have to go though the touble of de soldering and re soldering the new one… thats if you can even buy the battery.
Lacene on May 11, 2007 3:54 PM
EnzoTen:First off, great review!Second…are you able to expand on the playing order of the Stone regarding folders: does it play music in the folders in alphabetical order, like:music in root (alpha)L Folder AL music in Folder A (alpha)L Folder BL music in Folder B (alpha)etc., or will the Stone play the music in the folders via some order they were placed in the folder, such as in album order?Also, what do you mean by “The Zen Stone has no limit to the number of folders but limits the depth of the folders to three”. By depth do you mean sub-folders?
EnzoTen on May 11, 2007 4:33 PM
It all follows alphabetical by track title and follows the folder hierarchy alphabetically. where [name] represent a folder:a.mp3b.mp3c.mp3[party mix]>[mix 1]>>a.mp3>>b.mp3>>c.mp3>[mix 2]>>a.mp3>>b.mp3>>c.mp3[work out mix]>01-song.mp3>02-song.mp3>03-song.mp3If you did a sort by name on your computer thats the order they would play. Or perhaps to give you a better picture. If you were to open up the Zen Stone in windows and expanded all of the folders that would be the order it would play.On the number of folders: you can have many folders but the Stone will only play 3 deep meaning it will only play a folder within a folder within a folder….[Folder 1]>[Folder 2]>>[Folder 3]>>>[Folder 4] ** Files in this folder will not play **[More Folders][More Folders][More Folders][More Folders][More Folders][More Folders]…hope i explained that well… =)
JimiJames on May 11, 2007 6:09 PM
Could someone compare the sound quality of Stone with higher Zens, for example Zen Micro(one of the best mp3)? How about the high frequencies? I found out that Ipod shuffle has lack of highs.
skippyg on May 11, 2007 11:30 PM
what about comparing the SQ to the iPod shuffle? it would only make sense.
Stu on May 12, 2007 2:40 AM
The shuffle Function :Can you shuffle within a folder or just for the whole player ?
EnzoTen on May 12, 2007 9:06 AM
@JimiJames- It sounds on par with most of the Zen line. I think it sounds like the micro with a flat EQ… maybe with a touch more bass.@Stu- no you cannot shuffle by folder
Bruce on May 12, 2007 5:15 PM
EnzoTen: desoldering is not a problem (especially if you add a litle connector between the battery and wire so you can easily connect and disconnect without soldering when replacing the battery. It’s really about keeping a device that doesn’t need to be thrown out when the battery reaches 500ish cycles or so, really.I’m sure these batteries can be found somewhere. There are specialist battery makers that make all sorts of batteries for relatively cheap, too. I’m sure one can be picked up for not much.But it’s a shame that opening the thing up will result in damage. Thanks for the info.
Jack4L on May 12, 2007 6:20 PM
What, no clip?
skippyg on May 12, 2007 8:45 PM
yes no clip, but you can still add the clip and it STILL would be cheaper than the shuffle, along with the armband, still cheaper
Dawson on May 15, 2007 7:41 AM
I just ordered it…ARGH you cant shuffle by folder
Ryan on May 15, 2007 3:02 PM
Hi,Great review, this looks like the perfect thing for our jaunt around Europe. But can you ONLY recharge it through a USB cable? I don’t want to lug my laptop through several countries!And if there is such a thing as a portable USB charger device (I’m imagining something you can put NiMH batteries in, with a USB cord coming out of it) what product would people recommend?Any info appreciated (by reviewer or other commenters!)
Chad on May 15, 2007 3:15 PM
You can actually buy a separate recharger that Creative makes. I have one and it charges about 2x as fast (sometimes even faster) as the USB cable.
Greg on May 15, 2007 3:38 PM
Creative has a wall charger that you can buy. It works for my mom’s Zen MicroPhoto and that can only charge through USB. It was made before the Zen stone came out so i’m not sure if it will work for that as well though.
Jon on May 15, 2007 7:34 PM
When we bought a seperate charger it came with an adapter for the USB port to be used with the wall charger. I would contact creative to see if you can buy the adapter separately if you already own the wall charger!
may on May 16, 2007 4:20 AM
can this zen stone be worked on PCs without microsoft windows Vista installed?
kevin on May 16, 2007 5:25 AM
i believe to charge it you would use a mini usb charger? Motorolla razors use this charger and maybe a few more, as well as some portable GPS units. I would assume that these chargers would work for this as well. I know it would fit, but maybe the wattage might be more? i don’t know…
fred on May 16, 2007 6:06 AM
Ryan,if charging a player while traveling is a problem for you, i would highly reccomend the Creative Zen Nano +. It is the coolest player (IMO) that Creative has ever done. it’s a as small as the stone, but narrower and longer like a lighter.(think Sansa express) but this is actually an old Creative Player. it’s a 1GB flash player that takes 1 AAA battery that lasts for 18+ hours!! It has the same functions as the Stone, in being a drag and drop/file system, shuffle play, folder play, or normal mode. but it also has a voice recorder, fm radio, line-in recording, fm recorder, back-lit lcd screen that is reversable and you can change the brightness of it too. I have recorded tons of records directly onto this player and it’s great. the player is loud and it also has a custom EQ and 5 pre-set EQ settings too. oh, and it also includes a case, armband, cd software and earphones all for around $70. but they are always on sale and /or offering rebates. I love this one so much, i just got another one at Comp. USA with the rebate, it came out to $45! $5 more than the Stone, but it does 10x’s more! hope this helps!Ps: the Stone looks cool too. i’ll probably get one with the keychain, which is an awesome idea!
GordonShumway on May 16, 2007 12:28 PM
Thanks for the review I am still deciding on either the Stone or Sansa Express. Does anyone know how long the lifetime of battery is? Since I would like a player like this although I would prefer if it could last for at least 3-4 years. Thanks
Jan on May 20, 2007 4:48 PM
Does the zen Stone play a song from start when you turn it on or from then position where you turned it off?I usually listen to long mixes, and don’t wan to Fast Forward each time i turn it off and on.RegardsJan
Ali on May 22, 2007 6:33 AM
Finally I bought a Creative ZEN stone and I am very happy. It is fantastic for this price. I think I could not find a better MP3 player for this price.I recommend it to everybody that wants to have a cheap and good quality Mp3 player.
Ali on May 22, 2007 6:35 AM
I also have a question:Does ZEN stone compatible with linux? for example UBUNTU or REDHAT?
Tara on May 27, 2007 5:29 PM
I haven’t opened it yet, but I just bought one of these yesterday at Circuit City on sale for $29.99. I bought it as a backup, I’m sending my Sleek Photo in for service – headphone jack problem. I primarily use it for audiobooks, so I don’t know how screenless is going to work…..
GF on May 27, 2007 7:58 PM
Pimpin!
Ken on May 30, 2007 3:45 AM
I think that if the Zen Stone is a MSC (UMS) device, any operating system able to mount a flash drive should be able to mount the Zen Stone as a storage device.Not sure if the Linux music players will recognise it, though.
Randall on May 31, 2007 1:35 PM
Just got mine via webstore & UPS. You have to DL software, which is a minor but doable hassle. I hope it works as good as it looks, because the design is awesome.Pity about the “throwaway when the battery is dead” aspect…hadn’t thought of that. For $40, I reckon I’ll deal, but it seems wasteful.
Jen on June 1, 2007 8:53 PM
Just bought this for my 8 year old Son. He’s been lugging my old Sony Discman around, and having nothing but trouble, so this will be great for him!!I loaded all his ACDC on right away, and it sounds GREAT.I love the idea of restricting the volume, too. (we’ve never had an MP3 player before)They didn’t have any accessories in the store, though, so I have to try Amazon or Ebay or somewhere, cause the generic case I bought for it isn’t working out perfectly, and this is soooo small, I’m afraid he’ll lose it!And I can’t see us being near a USB port to charge it when we’re on our Outer Banks vacation, or camping!!I’m very impressed, though. Very impressed. Easy to use, perfect for my Son, sounds great, great price, looks really cool, etc etc etc…I’m really glad everyone here likes it. It makes me feel better about my purchase!I just hope it lasts a while!
aRT on June 3, 2007 1:58 PM
I am old school,I wanted to listen to Audio Books that can be downloadedtoand the zen stone for free from libraies in the OC. When I downloaded it is not chapter by chapter on the playback. So I went to my computeron the XP windows and renamed the files 1,2,3 etc. No big help. Mostof what I read/hear is fantasy sci-fi anyways so it is not perfect but itwas better than my alternative being chained to the laptop. If anyonehas my solution please feel free to inform me.tHANKSPS BOUGHT MINE AT CIRCUIT CITY FOR 39.99 ON SALE
Chris on June 6, 2007 7:22 AM
Long file names don’t play in alphanumeric order.Renamed to 001.mp3, 002.mp3 and they did play in order.Not sure what the filename length limit is though.
Chris on June 6, 2007 12:55 PM
Don’t think this is anything to do with the length of the filename as I’ve been doing some more tests on the playing order, but the zen doesn’t always play in alphanumeric order. All of my music is named and it is very important to me that the albums play in the correct order.I copied an album across to an empty folder on the zen and noted down the order that the files were copied. Track 6 to 13 were copied first then 1 to 5. I started up the zen and the tracks were played in this order (6 to 13 then 1 to 5). I renamed the tracks 01 – 13 and the tracks then played in order 1 to 13.I then copied across another album into the same folder. Again tracks 6 to 11 were copied first then 1 to 5, but this time the album played in order starting with track 1.Something funny going on here.Apart from this little glitch it’s a great little player, the sound quality with my Sennheiser MX400 earbuds is excellent.
Chris Gregory on June 6, 2007 12:58 PM
Above post should say “All my music is named Artist-Album-TrackNum-TrackTitle”
John on June 8, 2007 4:35 AM
It should make use of id3 tags… so for an album with 12 tracks, properly tagged, it should play track 1 through track 12 in order. Can someone confirm this?
Chris on June 8, 2007 2:03 PM
It doesn’t use id3 tags.The only way to get an album to play in sequence is by filename.It seems to make a difference if the tracks are renamed on the player or renamed on the PC and then copied across. The latter doesn’t always work (see my posts above).Creative say “if the tracks don’t play in order rename them on the player”
Marie on June 13, 2007 9:32 AM
I LOVE this little player! First of all, let me state my lack of familiarity with iPod products, as I loathe all things Apple.A little history – I have an older 20GB Creative Zen. Works well, but rather large and clunky for every day totage. Wanting something to toss in my purse for every day brief opportunities to listen to music, a couple of years ago I bought a Lexar MP3 player with removable USB sticks. Functional, but when I sought to buy some more sticks, I decided to look around at other options. I read reviews here and elsewhere, and decided to try the Zen Stone.Despite numerous photos on the web, I was amazed at the diminutive size. It is soooo much smaller than my Lexar – approximately 1/4 the footprint and 1/2 the thickness. I had been using 256MB chips, so the capacity is 4 times what I am accustomed to.I don’t miss the display screen, as the controls are simple and easily manipulated (much more user friendly than the Lexar). Besides, as a bifocul contact wearer, I can barely read those itsy bitsy displays anyway. The folder skip feature is very nice as well.At first the sound quality was really ragged, until I realized I didn’t have the earphone jack firmly seated. Once I got the jack in properly all the way, the sound was great. As others have stated, the sound quality will depend on the original recording quality and your headphones.Regarding battery charging, if you have a Blackberry or Razr, that charger works fine on the Stone. In fact, it went from out of the box to fully charged in just about an hour using my Blackberry charger.The size, performance and price are all great features, but what I like best about this unit is that it doesn’t require any proprietary cables or software. I don’t mind that it’s slightly larger than the comparable iPod product – it’s still really, really small. I also don’t mind that it doesn’t have a built in clip. I have ordered both a skin and a keyring holder for it, to see which I like best.The Lexar was unreliable in terms of using numeric file prefixes to establish a play order. Using recommendations here, I renamed the files on the Zen Stone itself and that works great.BTW, I did check out the various Sansa models at the store. They seem nice, but are thicker and heavier and not nearly as sleek as the Stone. If you can live without a display and FM, and just want a clean little MP3 player, this one is perfect.Since I don’t have time to futz with playlists on an ongoing basis, I have pretty ecclectic music tastes, and the Zen Stones are so cheap, I’ve ordered a couple more in different colors. That way I can set up semi-permanent playlists in different genres. The best part is that three of them will take up less space in my little purse pouch than the Lexar did!Thank you to everyone for your comments and observations. They helped me to make a purchase that I am completely happy with.Hope my comments are helpful to others.
MARKO on June 15, 2007 3:25 PM
IS IT NECESsERY TO CHARGE THE BATERY 3×12 HORUS. ore it is enought just 3hours like cell phone batery. THANK YOU
Manu on June 18, 2007 3:53 PM
I bought mine yesterday, and had to give it back today. The next folder-continuous playback-shuffle button died after just a few clicks. This button feels flimsy, and man, it IS flimsy.The UMS + standard mini USB connection + the skip folder button sealed the deal for me, too bad that same button made me return the product.
MARKO on June 21, 2007 6:35 PM
PLEASE HELP, I AM IN BIG TROUBLE, MY BATERY LIFE IS ABOUT 7,5HOURS, IN OTHER REVIEW SAYS THAT BATERY LIFE IS >9,5H, I CHARGE MY PLAYER 3x12HOURS, ON THE BOX SAYS THAT BATERY LIFE IS 10HOURS, AND THERE IS NOTE THAT BATTERY WILL VARY WITH USE. BUT 2 HOURS LESS IT IS A LOOT, IS THIS BATERY LIFE, I MEAN 7,5 HOURS NORMAL, PLEASE HELP I AM CONFUSED
Georget on June 25, 2007 2:10 PM
Like nearly all rechargeable devices, the battery life quoted is usually based on better than real world conditions. According to Creative battery life is negatively affected by high bit rate files, lots of track skipping, and high playback volume. I think I’ve seen that WMA playback uses more power, too. Li-Ion cells often perform better after the first few cycles, so perhaps your battery isn’t quite “broken in” yet.
Marie on July 2, 2007 6:27 AM
My Razr charger takes it from 1 orange blink (less than 25%) in about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Keith Stinchcombe on July 5, 2007 4:40 AM
I would like to play my Zen stone through my surround sound speakers. They have a USB port and I can connect my other MP3 player through the USB cable and press the play button. The difference is, this one isn’t charged through the USB cable. When I plug the Zen stone into the USB prot, it automatically starts the charge process. Any way round this?
Jason K. on July 24, 2007 6:46 PM
This mp3 player seems like the perfect solution for a project I am working on. What I need to know is if I get an AC adapter to charge through the usb port, will the unit still play music while charging? Keith’s comment makes it sound like it will not work in this fashion.
brian on July 31, 2007 1:31 AM
is the plastic feel as cheap as the Creative Nano’s? That was the one thing I hated about the nano, the cheap plastic feel.
Ettioop on August 5, 2007 8:06 PM
OK I got the “Zen Stone” today, and OMG, what a great little MP3!!!! I got it basically to play in my truck. At that price point, it’s perfect to leave in the vehicle. What an amazing sound that came out of it! I am very impressed Creative! I do have to agree with one other comment about the USB cable, what the heck is up with that, so short! Also, in Canada, the only accessory is the armband, waiting for the clip and the keychain.
karissa on August 6, 2007 10:54 PM
zen stones suck this is my second one i just got it 3 days ago and it already doesnt workim so mad!!!
Heart on August 10, 2007 6:22 AM
maybe you got a fake one?? I’ve seen fake iPods… like without the brand name but looks like it very much!! thats why I didn’t like to buy an iPod in the first place!!
Dan on August 13, 2007 2:25 PM
just ordered one in green.It looks lush and i really can’t wait to get it.And £30 free delivery is awesome. =]am i sad to be so excited?
MARKO on August 19, 2007 10:09 PM
How many times i can recharge this battery before it die. I found 300 times and i think it is not enought.
Ariel on August 19, 2007 10:11 PM
Just ordered one in blue for my B-day. Does it work with linux does anyone know?? And i wonder how long that battery will last since it can’t be replaced.
Aaron on August 21, 2007 9:29 PM
I bought a zen stone a few days ago and I am very pleased with it. It sounds great and is very simple and easy to use. Don’t hesitate to get one if you have been thinking about it.
Lily on August 22, 2007 5:06 PM
I bought a Zen Stone a couple of weeks ago. I love it, perfect for workOne unexpected bonus… I can charge it on my Razr V3 phone charger. Cool!
Maro15 on August 24, 2007 9:54 PM
I really like Stone,it is small, looks nice, sound quality is great, and it works w/o all the iTunes-like bs. Opening the case and not breaking it is indeed impossible.Cheers
David on September 12, 2007 12:04 PM
I just lost my amall, cheap, flash mp3 player that I listen to when I run, based on this and other reviews I bought the Stone yesterday. I’ve been pleasantly pleased, 1 gig, nice style, very small, and $37 at Wal Mart! The battery indicator on the software is nice, but just using Windows Explorer is great to transfer songs. I have a Zune for planes, connecting to speakers, video, etc. but hate to run with these large hard drive players.
Glen on October 1, 2007 5:55 PM
a great player for a great price
bharat on October 26, 2007 4:27 AM
awesome music quality, cheap, conked off in 4 weeks
kelly on November 17, 2007 10:54 PM
Help! ;( Wife’s stone suddenly went wrong. Computer won’t read it, says it is corrupt. Tried resetting it to no avail…is there any way to clear the thing and start over? Thanks
Alexandr on November 18, 2007 6:18 AM
I’m just purchase Stone Plus and very pleased. A bit upset that it doesn’t have my native language (russian). But i buy it just to listen, don’t I?
Nevertheless can smbd who already “cracked” the stone tell me on which uCPU doesn it based or send me numbers on this two big chips?2kelly: I think U can try 2 format it – look in your manual in troubleshooting section. If U dont save manual – download it from http://www.creative.com
tufan on November 21, 2007 2:42 AM
ive bought it.the sound quality is high and also there is no distortionsa in high level of sound .. also it is really portable … skip folder is a good thing for a mp3 player at this size .. creative does good work … the earphones are really fantastic ..
No One of Note on November 30, 2007 4:10 AM
So far it seems to work flawlessly in Linux and Windows. It’s a fat32 storage Disk on Chip, so as a linux user, you would mount it just like you would any other usb drive, and just copy files normally. It doesn’t seem to like some special characters, so keep to the basic 0-9,a-z,A-Z. Spaces and underscores also seem okay. Only issue I had was getting files off of it once, and updating the firmware cleared that right up.
haakondahl on November 30, 2007 8:38 AM
I absolutely love my Creative Zen Stone. My iPod slipped out of my pocket while I was riding a motorcycle along the coast here in Japan, and… Anyway, I needed a cheap player to keep up with my talk radio MP3s I found the Zen Stone and never looked back. I use Ubuntu Linux and have had nor problems swapping the little player between Windows XP, Mac OSX and Ubuntu, depending on what I wanted to load for the day or the week.My only possible complaint is that when I plug it into my wife’s USB-capable car stereo, it keeps clicking through the playback. The stereo plays other USB-flash-stored MP3s without a hitch. I think that the Zen Stone detects a USB connection and is attempting to do something related to the filesystem “in-band”. So don’t count on simply playing files *directly* off of your Zen Stone as storage for a separate player. But that’s certainly not what I bought it for, and at 4800 Yen (about 42 bucks at the time), I have no right or desire to complain.* I DO NOT MISS MY IPOD *
SaxophoneMan on December 27, 2007 10:59 PM
Just got my Stone yesterday and took it up today when I went snowboarding. Got it so I could have my music without the chance of loosing my iPod (Yes, I have an iPod) in the snow. I like the drag-and-drop music aspect of it.
spitzig on December 29, 2007 7:38 PM
Does the battery last longer(as in surviving) if you let it run out before charging, nearly run out before charging, or charging more frequently(like every night when I get home)? Or does it matter?
Dave on January 6, 2008 5:04 PM
Saw a question whether Stone would play while it was being recharged, but didn’t see any replies. Anyone know if it will do this?
Dave on January 7, 2008 2:08 PM
Regarding the initial question about whether you can play music on the Zen Stone, while also re-charging it via an AC plug, after experimenting I answered my own last question on this. If you plug in the AC adapter before turning the stone on, it will begin charging (orange blinking lights) and you will not be able to turn the music play on. However, it you turn it on first where it is playing (green blinking lights), and then plug in the AC adapter, the lights turn from green to orange indicating it is charging, AND the music will continue to play.
Louise on January 18, 2008 4:33 AM
My friend reccommended i try charging the zen stone mp3 with a motorola charger and it works. give it a try.
sheldon on February 3, 2008 11:32 PM
The zen stone cases scratches very easily, even if you use a case!
mameha on February 5, 2008 6:40 PM
This is basically a good player.But, it doesnt play when charging (to answer above).Also, the interface is not very intuitive and slow to respond. Ive only had it a week but I spend a lot of time just trying to get it to play mp3s instead of the useless FM radio.Also, it doesnt seem to save my settings. I have set the clock 3 times already. When you turn it off it seems to reset the clock and FM presets!!! Maybe I am missing something? Please advise…
Jojo on February 6, 2008 3:30 AM
I’ve been reading your comments and majority are positive. I just got mine in december of last year here in the Philippines and it just works fine as far as its performance. With its price, its a steal! Anyway, cosmetically, its exterior is quite susceptible to scratches.
nicnic on February 27, 2008 2:33 PM
i have a zen stone but it keeps skipping. help me!
Katharine on March 8, 2008 2:15 PM
I have just bought one of these in pink (v cute) but the battery runs our REALLY quickly (like, stupidly fast). I have only had it for a couple of days and i charged it up full to start with and it only lasted a few hours…? I charged it again and it has run out after only about 20 minutes, what’s going on lol? Thanks x
nay on March 17, 2008 5:52 PM
I also have a pink Zen Stone. I have only had it for 7 months and well it sounds as if it is skipping or fast farwarding. Some of my songs I have listed will play fine while the others will be retarded. I find this weird because it was working just fine and now this is happening..what is wrong with it and what can I do? HELP ME!! I really like my Zen Stone!
Jaffro on March 20, 2008 5:46 PM
NAY!!!Your zen stone is covered by a year manufacturers warrenty, if you have your receipt just slip it in the mail bak to Creative.
Gutta on April 4, 2008 12:19 PM
Bullshttt it froze up on me and it will not do n e thing and im a producer so i need it to transfer trackz……… lost business im stay with i.p.o.d.s
eris on April 14, 2008 7:12 PM
I just bought the pink one the other day and I LOVE IT. I’ve been able to manage the music on it in both windows xp and ubuntu, I have no idea about the software in linux, I just treat it like a storage device. Linux automatically knew it was an mp3 player anyway, and offered me several options to manage it with my various media players.
bridge on April 20, 2008 7:41 PM
Hey guys…I truly love my Zen stone!!!but yesterday…it started acting up. I can’t access it on my computer…or anyone else’s. I press play and the green light comes on…but when I press play again, it won’t begin blinking, which indicates that the mp3 is playing. Then, I try plugging it in to the USB drive on a computer…and the autoplay menu won’t pop up. It won’t even recognize the Zen stone anymore…and when I try clicking on the Removable drive, the whole My Computer file just stops responding!!!…what am I to do???….I’ve tried everything and I love this thing too much to get another one…I have files from school on here too….so someone please help me.thanks
Anthony on June 7, 2008 4:01 AM
I bought a ZEN Stone today for $25.Would it appear in iTunes like the MuVo N200 does?
Suzanne on June 7, 2008 10:21 AM
I was deciding between the simple Zen Stone (basic) and the Zen Stone Plus, but now I know the ordinairy Zen Stone will meet my requirements. Thanx!
Anx on June 18, 2008 12:06 AM
can anyone tell about chargers that come with a USB male port, and useful for this player…I mean the output of the charger that this player will require to charge?
jeffrey on June 25, 2008 9:21 AM
how do u put music into your zen stone creative mp3 player i really need help with this
Juney on July 23, 2008 8:10 PM
Blooming Brilliant Little Set Up…Cost Me Just FIFTEEN Pound For A 2GIG Wich Is Like 1000 Songs So Im Well ‘Appy
Deffo Recconemd It if Your Looking For A Basic MP3 With Good Memory,Its Ceaper Than A Shuffle And You Get More…Its Cheaper Then Stick MP3′s And Unlike Them Is Rechargable,Holds More Tracks,Smaller,Better Looking And Just All Ova A Better Piece Of Kit.(Also Cheaper Then The Ipod Shuffle,Works On MAC’s And All PC’s,Better Storage And Different From The Same Old Ipod Everyone Has Now :LLove It 
:)10 Thumbs Upp 
:)
Scurvy on September 12, 2008 7:39 PM
these things systematically fail and become completely unresponsive in anywhere from 1 to 20 days. Its only 40 bucks but its 40 bucks down the toilet. I had to have mine replaced 3 times before I gave up and pitched it off my balcony.
TheGreenMan on September 16, 2008 10:07 PM
so am i the only person here who only gets about 3 or 4 hours of battery life, playing 128kb wma files, low volume, continuous play or in 3 seperate chunks but with no track skipping, and always have done? i love this player for every reason, but this lack of battery makes a diamond stink! did i get a duff one? pleeeeeease tell me your experiences people, thanks thanks.
TheGreenMan on September 16, 2008 10:14 PM
To Bridge. I hope you have your problem fixed by now, but if not……go to the creative zen website and hit the big red button. this will help you to reinstall the stone’s system, which is soo easy to do and fixes all the problems you mentioned. mine did exactly the same and im delighted to say it’s all well again now. happy stoning.
ShaneXP on September 20, 2008 8:12 PM
What a fantastic little player the zen stone is before this i owned an ipod shuffle i have now binned that as the sound quality is far superior from the zen and no itunes software which restricts you to one pc and if you happen to move your songs elsewhere on the pc this results in those songs being removed from your ipod also with the zen you can skip between not only songs but albums (just drag and drop whole albums)no messing about syncing songs through itunes and the price difference is a real bonus you would expect this player to be more expensive than the ipod shuffle well done creative shame you dont get more recognition what is wrong with you ipod people?
mehjabeen on September 22, 2008 3:42 PM
my brother brought me a pink zen stone im march its only been six months and the battery died so i charged it and then i pressed play then all of a sudden my song started to play really fast i never pressed the fast forward button or anything dose any one know what to do i need help im willing to do anything
ShakingFist on October 12, 2008 9:51 PM
Regarding what Mehjabeen said about the Zen Stone suddenly becoming unresponsive and being stuck on fast forward, I’ve read that this problem is caused not by the battery running out, but because the device shorted due to moisture. This happened to mine, even though I never noticed it getting moist much at all, if ever. Mine too was only a few months old and I am very disappointed. $40 is cheap for an mp3 player, but expensive for a piece of crap that is meant to be thrown away after a few months. I do not recommend this product.
Biocide on October 23, 2008 5:59 PM
My Zen stone works on every computer but mine… system manager says there’s no drivers, then explorer will freeze. Does it require a USB 2.0 port? It shows up in My computer with a yellow exclamation mark or a red question mark next to it (sometimes) and clicking on it will bring up an error screen, while right clicking and going to properties will freeze explorer. I’ve had to bring up the task manager and end Explorer.exe numerous times… Helpful hint, after you do this you can just click on start a new task and type “explorer.exe” (maybe without the “.exe”)Any help would be nifty!
Jon on November 29, 2008 11:57 PM
I killed my Zen Stone mp3 player. I was charging it on my pc and just disconnected it with out going through the computer system. The player does not work now. The light on the front blinks a few times and goes solid, what can I do to save my beloved mp3 player?
Jon on November 30, 2008 6:41 PM
I fixed it! I fixed it! I fixed it! Okay all I did was connect the player to my computer, pulled up the format menu, that took almost 10 minutes to do because the player was lagging the system. I formatted the drive, ran a clean up program I got off the Creative web site. And bingo! it’s fixed and working great! I love this product, go out and buy one!
shash on January 6, 2009 6:25 AM
hey can nebody help me…..i got a creative zen stone 1 gb and it worked well for bout a year. Now it dosent even power on and when i try and access it through my computer it says request could not be performed because of an I/O device error. Can i retrieve the data stored????
Faeorain on March 7, 2009 10:47 PM
I love my Zen stone player. It has great sound, but I think that also depends on the earbuds/headphones that you have. I have the V Moda bass earbuds, everything sounds very good.
marcan on June 7, 2009 8:34 AM
i’d want to know about the screw emplacements..are they top left and low right ?or vice versa ?and and the screwheads on top (i’d suppose) or on the bottom?also are they small phillips screws or a more exotic kind ?thanks!
amyQ! on June 9, 2009 3:41 AM
i hav lost my recharger for my zen stone, were do u get a new one for free or not?
Bob E on September 29, 2009 2:43 AM
Can you use the zen stone for audible books. Dose it have book marks, 2GBs, plays in order of chapters, do I need a larger zen??
Kelly on December 8, 2009 5:46 AM
Can Creative Zen Stone be recharged by this charger? http://www.thamtu360.com/images/products/sacmp3.jpg
Jennifer on February 13, 2010 6:24 PM
I have had the Zen Stone for 2 years now. It is easy to lose since I lost it like a million times. It has a great speaker that plays really loud for a tiny thing. It is great to hide in class. It last for a long time on one charge, it doesn’t play while charging though. I like it a lot. It works great even without a screen. It is great that’s all I have to say even with my destructive brother! So 5/5
Joshua on May 13, 2010 4:58 PM
does anyone know why my 2 gb zen stone skips (like a scratched CD)? Iv tried formatting it i updated the firmware still does it. and it actually ruins the mp3 file like i put a fresh good mp3 on it then if it decides to skip and i transfer the file to another computer it will have the skips in it to but it does not do it on all mp3s??? PLEASE HELP