iRiver H10 or Creative Zen Sleek Photo?

[Mycanid]

Hey there all.

I am looking at getting a new MP3 player and have come down to two choices:

1.) The iRiver H10 model with 20gb of space and an FM tuner/recorder.

or

2.) The Creative Zen Sleek Photo with 20gb of space, an FM tuner/recorder and a voice recorder.

They are about the same in price. I am NOT interested in an iPod. I used to own a Mini, and while I had a good experience with it I disliked using iTunes.

Anyone out there have experience with either (or both) of these products and can recommend/not recommend either?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I had that exact iRiver before getting my 30g iPod Video...and there's a reason I switched.

After barely a month, the iRiver's hardrive went to hell, the driver program couldn't update, and it became completely useless.

I have no experience with the other...but I can't come anywhere close to recommending an iRiver.

 

[Iron Captain]

I have been looking to buy a new MP3 player and the one that seemed most intresting to me was the Creative Zen Touch (20GB). The Sleek Mini Photo seems sort of pricey for the space it offer IMHO.

I do not have first hand experience with either but I have read favourable reviews about both Creative devices.

 

[Mycanid]

Thanks Ankh ... I have heard that iRiver's tech support is awful, and have been leaning towards the Creative to be honest. We'll see!

 

[Mycanid]

Oh yes - before I forget. For me (at amazon.com) the zen sleek model is almost 70$ less than the touch model. Go figure. I still like the look of the sleek anyway....

 

[trancejeremy]

I have been looking to buy a new MP3 player and the one that seemed most intresting to me was the Creative Zen Touch (20GB).

I've had one of those for about a year and am real happy with it. The touch bit can be a pain, but not too bad.

 

[Mycanid]

HOw has the tech support been Jeremy? Reviews I have read say that you can only get in touch with them via email. True? Had any probs?

Admittedly it is the tech support about any of these devices that I am most nervous about.....

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, I've never needed tech support, so I can't help you there. Only problems I've ever had is that occasionally it will lock up (maybe 4-5 times in a year) and you simply have to reset it with a paperclip



Though I might add, part of the reason I got it in the first place was it was the only company that already had 64 bit XP drivers for their mp3 players. (At least among the ones I looked at.) Which was a big deal for me since I was using 64 bit windows.

 

[GlassJaw]

The Zens rock. I have a Micro and I love it.

 

[Mycanid]

Well, on the advice of a local tech I went ahead and bought the iRiver. Thanks for the advice all. I was really leaning toward the Zen for a long time, but in the end the fact that you can straight drag and drop files to the iRiver and the fact that it was cheaper by $30. (The rule of the pocketbook strikes again!)

I hope it turns out well and is not a disaster....