ZEN is a series of discontinued portable media players designed and manufactured by Creative Technology Limited. The players evolved from the NOMAD brand through the NOMAD Jukebox series of music players, with the first separate "ZEN" branded models released in 2004. The last Creative Zen player, X-Fi3, was released at the end of 2011.
Three Creative Zens (the Portable Media Center, Micro Photo, and Vision:M) won the Best of CES award from 2004 to 2006 in their respective categories, with the latter winning the overall award. The ZEN series had a strong foothold in Asian Pacific markets, especially in Singapore, the company's headquarters.
All players support MP3 and WMA formats, while some models support also WAV and Audible formats. They are bundled with device drivers and Creative MediaSource, a media player that includes transferring and syncing abilities exclusively for the players. Some models are PlaysForSure-certified for being compatible with Windows Media Player via Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) and supporting the Janus DRM. They are natively compatible with Windows, with some also supporting Mac OS X.
Models
NOMAD Jukebox Zen series
The first models branded as a "Zen" were then released under the now-defunct NOMAD line, and have an anodized aluminium case. The 2.5-inch Fujitsu hard drives range from a 20 (NOMAD Jukebox Zen), 30 (Zen NX, Zen Xtra), 40 and 60 GB (Xtra). Unlike the earlier NOMAD Jukebox players, which looked like CD players, these have the appearance of a cassette player.
NOMAD Jukebox Zen
Announced on October 14, 2002, the NOMAD Jukebox Zen was the first player to include the "Zen" branding. It had the distinct ability to connect via USB 1.1 or FireWire, while subsequent releases had connectivity to USB 2.0. Up to 14 hours of continuous audio playback is achieved by the rechargeable battery, and an optional wired remote gives the player an FM tuner and microphone.
NOMAD Jukebox Zen NX
The Zen NX, as it was later called, was released on August 20, 2003, is an upgrade to the old NOMAD Jukebox Zen, with a removable battery and a slightly smaller size. Included with the player was MediaSource, the music management software that would be used with subsequent Zen players.
NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra
The NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra, or the Zen Xtra (renamed by Creative for commercial reasons) was released simultaneously with the Zen NX. The player was presumably named Xtra, thanks to the larger screen. The package includes the player, a leather case with belt-clip, a lithium ion battery, a USB cable, and a pair of standard earbuds. The Zen Xtra does not support the FM tuner from the original Zen and does not have recording functionality.
The Xtra is notable for being the first DAP to support RealNetworks's Helix DRM, but through a tailored firmware. The SanDisk Sansa e200R would later be the only other player to have this feature.
ZEN Portable Media Center
The Zen Portable Media Center, announced on January 8, 2004, and released eight months later, is based on Microsoft's Portable Media Center interface, runs Windows Mobile and supports WMV, WMA, and MP3, and can display JPEG images; other video formats are supported through transcoding. This device was the first to exclusively support Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol, and was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2004, winning the TechTV Best of CES Award in the Portable Audio and Video category. The player uses a 1.8-inch 20 or 40 GB hard drive from Hitachi. The Zen Portable Media Center has been replaced by the ZEN Vision and the ZEN Vision W.
ZEN Touch
The redesigned 40 GB Zen Touch was released on June 7, 2004. The model incorporated major changes in design, functionality and technology.
The Zen Touch has a smaller form factor and larger backlit blue display in a curved industrial design. In addition, the device uses a touch-sensitive vertical strip on the front of the unit for easier file navigation. These changes were enabled by the use of Hitachi's smaller 1.8-inch hard drives. The Touch is available in capacities of 20 and 40 GB. Unlike the previous two generations, the Zen Touch does not have a removable battery, and plays audio for approximately 24 hours. Even though the battery is not removable, it can be replaced rather easily since the case is closed with screws only and the battery attaches with a connector.
The Zen Touch has a brief uncredited appearance in Diet Pepsi's commercial which aired during Super Bowl XL featuring P. Diddy.