Creative's ZEN X-Fi player with WiFi gets a lot more real

The Creative kids over at epiZENter have what looks to be a genuine scoop of an unannounced ZEN X-Fi. Not only did they receive this supposedly leaked photo, they also managed to dig out a "ZEN X-Fi Starter Pack" (software and user guide) from the bowels of Creative's own site. Accordingly, we're looking at a new DAP with SD expansion and built-in WiFi, speaker, FM tuner, voice recorder, and the ability to stream media from Creative's "Public Media Server." Additionally, users can chat with Yahoo! Messenger and Microsoft Live! users thanks to the 9-button, cellphone-like keypad. More details and genuflecting lie just beyond the read link.

[Thanks Tony and everyone who sent this in]

[Amit @ Jun 29th 2008 6:16AM]

Is this creative coming back into the MP3 Game?

I hope so!

This player looks great.

[DefPo3t @ Jun 29th 2008 6:23AM]

Apparently youvrnbeen under a rock since the new century started. Creative has alqay been in the dap game. They actually make some of the best sounding players around

[gad get @ Jun 29th 2008 6:29AM]

"youvrnbeen"?

"alqay"?

[DefPo3t @ Jun 29th 2008 6:48AM]

OK i admit i am horrid at proof reading

[Cal @ Jun 29th 2008 10:46AM]

I think my Zen Vision: M just found his successor =)

(Provided it has decent storage and file compatibility)

[phanbouy @ Jun 29th 2008 12:57PM]

"OK i admit i am horrid at proof reading"

so you're saying you actually proofread that before posting it? be honest now. ;p

[Wwhat @ Jun 29th 2008 3:41PM]

As with everything they do it's the software/firmware which ruins their products.

[Dr. Evil @ Jun 29th 2008 6:44PM]

"alqay"? Could this be the new "pwned"?!

[Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Jun 29th 2008 6:21AM]

OH MAN, SHIT JUST GO REAL, YO.

...

I apologize for that...

[John @ Jun 29th 2008 6:23AM]

The design looks really nice.. You know, this would actually have been a lot cooler if this were a phone - it'd be a really interesting concept, given that its managed to cram numpad like buttons on it.

[poulan @ Jun 29th 2008 7:22AM]

yeah and it would have been even cooler still if it doubled as a car aswell.

[Josh @ Jun 29th 2008 1:03PM]

A really interesting concept.. a phone that doubles as a media player.. where have we seen that before..

[Dr. Evil @ Jun 29th 2008 5:00PM]

Sony Ericsson! What did I win?

[holycow @ Jun 29th 2008 6:36AM]

touchscreen would've been better but damn that looks nice!

[DP @ Jun 29th 2008 6:43AM]

They might as well just make a phone/mp3 player, since pretty much all multimedia devices are of the all-in-one type.

[Reader @ Jun 29th 2008 9:45PM]

Weird I was under the impression people were still buying iPods, not just iPhones. It'll be a little while before phones and mp3 players are so intertwined that they're hard to find separated. Just look at the camera phone. Even though there are a lot of them, the majority of them (cameras and phones) still exclude each other.

[KilgoreTrout @ Jun 29th 2008 6:59AM]

Or they could just buy themselves a nokia N95 (8gb) an go look for a job.

[Shinigami @ Jun 29th 2008 7:13AM]

Looks like a good iPod alternative to me. Especially the model without numpad, too bad it won't have wi-fi... Hit the read link if you can't get what I'm talking about.

[L.Rawlins @ Jun 29th 2008 7:54AM]

This doesn't look all that different from their current Creative Zen. Even in specs the only thing the current model is missing is Wi-Fi.

Changing the D-Pad into that Num Pad could easily become confusing though as their doesn't appear to be any labelling whatsoever as to its function.

Also, if that slit visible at the bottom is indicative of substance I'd also hazard a guess that it'll use the Micro flavour of SD this time around.

[SimonRichards @ Jun 29th 2008 7:55AM]

The Live! support is an excellent idea, I could see myself purchasing one of these.

[phanbouy @ Jun 29th 2008 1:00PM]

out of curiosity, i wonder if there's people out there who try to properly pronounce the "Live!" with the exclamation. if so, i'd like to personally punch them in the head.

[Oliver @ Jun 29th 2008 8:01AM]

"Public media server"? As in PMS? :D

[Dr. Evil @ Jun 29th 2008 5:04PM]

A cranky bloated server that "feels fat". Oh great ...

[GunForHire @ Jun 29th 2008 8:17AM]

X-fi and wifi are a big deal for me, but I don't like the design. Would've preferred if they had've just gone all in and made a touchscreen version.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 29th 2008 9:15AM]

What's on Creative's Public Media Server? Movies or TV shows maybe? I checked and didn't see any reference to a Public Media Server on their web site.

[Minium @ Jun 29th 2008 9:39AM]

Hmm. Rounded, chrome bezel with radius corners. Aluminum / Light Silver back. Glossy black front panel. Very original.

[Deed @ Jun 29th 2008 11:45AM]

Rounded corners were already on their ZEN lines.

Back of the player was already matte, but matte plastic was a bit cheap.

Chrome trimming's been whore out on products for ages.

Get out.

[slaughter33 @ Jun 29th 2008 12:23PM]

Minium - Yeah as original as the iPod interface....every time an iPod sells, Creative smiles and rolls in their lawsuit settlement cash.

[kojo87 @ Jun 29th 2008 1:19PM]

Google "Rio Carbon"

any word on storage capacity? im getting kinda tired of all this flash nonsense capping out at 32GB. i want 60GB or more. a spinner is totally fine with me!

[Dr. Evil @ Jun 29th 2008 5:21PM]

Yeah, didn't you know, Steve Jobs invented chrome. He also worked with Pythagoras on the so-called "rounded corner" but then stole the concept for himself.

[Jamma @ Jun 29th 2008 5:37PM]

You criticise, yet, if this was in any way similar in design to an iPod you would cry "copy"

[Cal @ Jun 29th 2008 10:47AM]

My comment is hiding =(

(Probably double post)

[BrianB @ Jun 29th 2008 11:43AM]

Creative shows it's still got what it takes to be original. Love that Singaporean company.

[BrianB @ Jun 29th 2008 11:44AM]

I wonder why this isn't top news at Digg.

[BrianB @ Jun 29th 2008 11:47AM]

Wonder why this isn't top gadget news at Digg.

[Deed @ Jun 29th 2008 11:47AM]

Looks like a pretty classy player to me. I'm not sure if I'm completely sold on the buttons, but otherwise this makes me almost regret getting a ZEN 16GB already.

Then again, this would only mean me spending more money than I would have for probably the same capacity choices, and me having to wait longer for a PMP.

[BrianB @ Jun 29th 2008 11:49AM]

Damn, thought the first two comments didn't go through. Sorry, guys.

[Eli @ Jun 29th 2008 12:11PM]

I'm really doubtful of that X-Fi Crystallizer feature properly. You can't use processing power to restore detail that wasn't there. You can use it to assume new details, but not to make compressed audio closer to its original form.

[wilcoholic @ Jun 29th 2008 1:04PM]

Trust me it works. You can use advanced mathematical techniques to inter or extrapolate missing frequenties in the power/frequency spectrum of a 16-bit sample sound.

If a weatherman can predict weather, fortuneteller can predict the future, economists can predict stocks, mathematicians can calculate risks, gamblers can predict the outcome of the game etc etc... then why cant creative calculate those missing details?

And none of that even matters if it makes the music sounds better then who cares if its phoney or not?

[phanbouy @ Jun 29th 2008 1:39PM]

The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land?

[apeguero @ Jun 29th 2008 12:28PM]

So, is this the Creative MP3 player that will finally beat the iPod(s)?

[aaron @ Jun 29th 2008 12:41PM]

no.

[Gus @ Jun 29th 2008 1:22PM]

No, the Zen Vision: M blew away the iPods that it was stacked up against. Similar size, better sound quality, longer video battery life, native DivX/Xvid Support, much higher colors in the screen, FM radio (with recording), voice recording, more color choices and most importantly: CHEAPER. I'm still using mine that I've had for about two years now, and even though there are some new players that can outstrip it, the old thing still holds its own, even survived a few drops here and there.

[Cal @ Jun 29th 2008 3:01PM]

Creative players generally do blow away iPods in terms of features, they just aren't marketed well enough to grab the attention of the sheep out there...

And yay CV:M!

[okayokay @ Jun 29th 2008 12:38PM]

A nice player- hopefully something can replace the repugnant, mass culture music vacuum device. (Hopefully third parties will not release products to accomodate it)

[phanbouy @ Jun 29th 2008 12:59PM]

i can haz cryptic arrangement of words that adds up to some unknown quantity of mystery?!

[helloUser @ Jun 29th 2008 1:05PM]

Looks sexy.

[frogger @ Jun 29th 2008 1:27PM]

Looks good is the pricepoint is right, but a couple issues to me.
-Real WiFi, as in podcast/rss feeds updating over wifi, maybe a browser, and wireless sync(didn't see anything about this, maybe its TBA)
-Very wierd navigation system, maybe a touchscreen or something?
-Rockboxable, so many more options could be unlocked if this can have rockbox loaded on it, which I'm pretty sure all creative players have been, but just in case.

[Cal @ Jun 29th 2008 3:03PM]

I think the 9 buttons also act as a d-pad (look at the lines connection what would be 2, 4, 6 and 8 to 5).

[long @ Jun 29th 2008 3:10PM]

Really..............I just bought the Creative Zen 4 hours ago..........no damn joke............