Look Ma! A miniature boom box!
Pictured below are Creative's new Zen Stone MP3 players. You might be thinking, how exactly are these new, I've seen these before?
Well, right you are, these multi-coloured tiny iPod-shuffle competitors have been with us for a while, just not quite like this.
Flip one of these players over and you'll reveal the new feature; a built in speaker. Now, in theory, it sounds like a good thing. You'll have no need to carry around additional speakers and though we don't expect DTS-like sound quality, it'll surely provide a quick easy way to share your favourite beats with your mates, right?
Well, that's one way to look at it. The other way, is to assume that kids around the country will soon have one of these blaring the latest mother-brother rap music for all to hear. Those quiet train journeys you enjoy on the way to work could soon be a thing of the past.
The new speaker-packing Zen Stone and Zen Stone Plus will come complete with a free skin and clip in the box, and are available in a range of colours. They'll be available in the UK from the 1st of March at the following suggested retail prices:
Zen Stone 2GB with built-in speaker (Black only) - SRP £29.99
Zen Stone Plus 2GB with built-in speaker (Black, Champagne, Pink and Blue) - SRP £37.99
Zen Stone Plus 4GB with built-in speaker (Black Only) - SRP £49.99
Enjoy the last few days of quietness whilst you can!
In other Creative news, and for those who like their Zen to be speaker-free, you'll be pleased to hear that Creative has cut the prices of its 4GB and 8GB credit card-sized ZEN media players. The new suggested retail prices for the ZEN range, including the new 32GB addition to the family, are:
ZEN 2GB - SRP £59.99
ZEN 4GB - SRP £79.99 (was £89.99)
ZEN 8GB - SRP £99.99 (was £119.99)
ZEN 16GB - SRP £159.99
ZEN 32GB - SRP £249.99
As you'd expect, Creative is quick to highlight "That’s an 8GB ZEN for same SRP as an Apple Nano 4GB!"
