ZenNeeon2
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Zen Neeon 2 reviewed
We first had the pleasure of meeting the Zen Neeon 2 last month, when the long-awaited update to the Zen Neeon was released. Now that they're finally reaching our journo friends in across the Pacific, CNET Asia has put one through its paces. To review, the Zen Neeon 2 comes in 1, 2 and 4GB sizes ($114, $152 and $203 respectively) with a 1.5-inch 128 x 128 color screen, video playback support, voice and line-in recording, and an FM radio. However, the videos that it does play are only AVI RGB565 files (who uses that?), so you'll need to convert first. Also, due to its screen dimensions, a 4:3 or 16:9 video playing on the Zen Neeon 2 results in letterboxing, a definite downside. The new Singaporean player also got dinged in CNET Asia's review for relying solely on that obscure video format and maintaining the old scroll wheel design -- it received a 7.4 rating out of 10. All of that said, we think think that anyone trying to watch something on a 128 x 128 screen has larger problems than letterboxing.[Thanks, ipod_devotee]
Creative's new Zen Neeon 2
First Creative rolled out the hard drive-based Zen Neeon, then it brought the model up-to-date with a little flash memory, and now the company's added a full color screen and dubbed this new device Neeon 2. Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the newest Neeons clearly have their sights set on the nano, even allowing you to play back specially-formatted video on the admittedly-cramped 128 x 128, 1.5-inch display. As with most Creative DAPs, you're also getting an FM radio, voice recorder, and line-in audio capture, but the color screen definitely takes a toll on battery life, as this model offers a maximum 20 hours of listening. When these Neeons drop later this month -- perhaps in Asia only -- they'll go for $125, $170, or $190, depending on capacity -- not a bad deal, especially for those folks who like personalizing their players with Creative's swappable skins.[Via Cnet Asia, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
