ABI's Zen X-Fi Review & Disassembly

[EnzoTen]

Here is the official Creative Zen X-Fi Review. Also check out the Zen X-Fi disassembled.

[CrowdAds]

[ZenChick]

Very good, very objective review!

You mentioned weak radio reception... Given that the headphone cord acts as the antenna, have you tried it with a different set of headphones - one with a longer cord, maybe?

All in all, a very good assessment, particularly of the chat feature. I cannot possibly begin to imagine what Creative was thinking with that implementation! I thought the keyboard navigation on older Zen-series models was bad, but that simulated keypad idea tops the charts for Worst UI Ever!

[EnzoTen]

Originally Posted by ZenChick

Very good, very objective review!

Thanks =D

Originally Posted by ZenChick

You mentioned weak radio reception... Given that the headphone cord acts as the antenna, have you tried it with a different set of headphones - one with a longer cord, maybe?

Yeah i tried a few and i didnt see much of a difference. The Zen's radio was poor too so i guess its inherited.

Originally Posted by ZenChick

All in all, a very good assessment, particularly of the chat feature. I cannot possibly begin to imagine what Creative was thinking with that implementation! I thought the keyboard navigation on older Zen-series models was bad, but that simulated keypad idea tops the charts for Worst UI Ever!

This is one of those very rare cases where less would have been better. I would have loved to see a nice sized 5-way directional pad. I really dont know what they were thinking.

[mgmg]

Has this review missed a bunch of stuff? I've been reading posts on the internet and I think there are some parts that are wrong.

First off, you can only connect to Creative’s own chat network; you cannot connect to Yahoo!, MSN, or Gtalk.

But from Creative's website:
You can chat with anyone who is using any device (for example, a computer) that supports instant messaging on Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. All you need is an open or accessible Wireless LAN hotspot.

Add Your IM Contacts

1. From your Main Menu, choose Online.
2. Choose My Friends.
3. Press the Options button and choose IM Chat Gateways.
4. Choose the list of providers.
5. Enter your username and password.

IM Chat gateways? See:
http://ask.creative.com/wwimages/dap...i/contacts.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...no2/051022.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...no2/051024.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...no2/051023.jpg

There's even an option to change the keyboard layout to "circular":
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...no2/051028.jpg


?????


Also:

[EnzoTen]

Those photos must be from a new firmware. Like i said in the review, creative will likely add msn, gtalk, yahoo, ect later, but right now it doesn't exist in the current firmware

[mgmg]

I think it's on the default firmware; nothingbutcreative just updated their review to talk about it: http://nothingbutcreative.blogspot.c...ides-x-fi.html (scroll down to MSN / Yahoo! Chat on the ZEN X-Fi)

It looks kind of hidden though, you need to click the options button apparently to add MSN and YIM. But the circular input and the chat gateways are all there.

[akarol]

AIM addition would be awesome.

[awkenney]

Its very poor that Creative has decided to use a Sigmatel processor in a Creative product. Especially one that says "X-Fi" on it.

[Woembah]

Why? They've always used a Texas Instrument cpu, and since the Zen they use the Sigmatel chip. I don't know what's wrong with that. A real x-fi chip would be impossible anyways.

[BobbyRS]

Creative has been using Sigmatel SoC's in their players for the past few years in their newer Zen's like the Stones, Zen V's, Zen, Zen X-fi...

I suspect the X-Fi "emulation" takes place within a type of Audio Post Processing conversion phase. Most likely within the DCP.

[JunglePimp]

Firstly, congrats Enzoten for the commendable work.

My suggestion would be ;

1. Files can still not be deleted from the player!
2. Increase in the volume of the speaker
3. Preset text messages for chat, it takes a lot of butt-wiping to type your messages while chatting.
4. Some way that if in case you forget your password, you don't actually have to go through the whole process of reformatting the player. I don't even know where I got half my songs from, and whether I even have the pics or videos on my PC anymore, while I have forgotten the password, although I haven't really locked any such major file, but still not knowing the password limits the usage of this feature.

Also, many people have said that zen does not have enough power out/memory or something of that sort to run application like a web browser or a game on it.
Can it not be moded by adding some hardware after dissaembling it?

[BobbyRS]

Originally Posted by JunglePimp

1. Files can still not be deleted from the player!

Sure you can. You can't do so when the file is playing, but you can delete music, videos.... as long as it is within the internal storage and not on an SD card.

Originally Posted by JunglePimp

4. Some way that if in case you forget your password, you don't actually have to go through the whole process of reformatting the player. I don't even know where I got half my songs from, and whether I even have the pics or videos on my PC anymore, while I have forgotten the password, although I haven't really locked any such major file, but still not knowing the password limits the usage of this feature.

I don't believe a Format is needed to do this. A Cleanup will remove any user definable settings, like passwords.

Originally Posted by JunglePimp

Also, many people have said that zen does not have enough power out/memory or something of that sort to run application like a web browser or a game on it.
Can it not be moded by adding some hardware after dissaembling it?

Most likely no. With embedded SoC (system on chip) technology, most of the features/functionality is a result (and built-into) of the SoC. The Zen and Zen X-Fi uses the STMP3700 SoC from Sigmatel/Freescale. If anything.... assuming you are familiar with working with surface mount technology, maybe (a BIG maybe) the possibility of adding/changing memory chips could be feasible.

[JunglePimp]

Originally Posted by BobbyRS

Sure you can. You can't do so when the file is playing, but you can delete music, videos.... as long as it is within the internal storage and not on an SD card.




I don't believe a Format is needed to do this. A Cleanup will remove any user definable settings, like passwords.

I have tried this, on the internal storage, the file shows up again.
And a cleanup of what sort exactly?

[BobbyRS]

Originally Posted by JunglePimp

I have tried this, on the internal storage, the file shows up again.

It will if you sync the same file(s) again.

Originally Posted by JunglePimp

And a cleanup of what sort exactly?

Recovery Mode -> Cleanup from the menu. See the Zen FAQ for more info.