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The Zen Touch is not a religious blessing or greeting between followers. In fact, as far as I know, the Zen Touch has no religious connection whatsoever. Instead the Zen Touch is one of the numerous MP3 players that have been developed by Creative Labs. The product has recently been reduced in price which seems an ideal opportunity to take a closer look at the device.

There are two main models. The slightly smaller 20GB version now costs £179.99 while the 40GB model is available for £229.99. This review is based on the 40GB version.

With its white frontage, the Zen Touch might give the impression that this device is an iPod clone but I am sure that Creative Labs would be of a different opinion. After all we are discussing an MP3 that can hold up to 16,000 WMA or 10,000 MP3 tracks and has a battery that promises 24 hours of power.

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Measuring 68 x 105 x 25mm (W x H x D), the Zen Touch fits snugly into its sturdy pouch, which has a re-enforced belt clip, giving plenty of protection when on the move. While the pouch does provide easy access to the power switch and lock capability, you will need to remove the Zen Touch from the pouch to get at the other controls which are positioned mainly on the front of the unit.

There are buttons to adjust the volume level; display the main menu; move between the available tracks; and make a select. The front of the Zen Touch also features an LCD screen that is clearly readable in most lighting conditions and a feature that helps explain part of the product's name. Just beneath the selection button is an inlaid 2.5cm strip that acts as a touch pad control. Simply slide a finger over this pad and you will scroll through the choices listed on the LCD in the appropriate direction. According to the Quick Start Guide, different areas of this touch pad can provide different scrolling speeds but I have yet to master this aspect - preferring to take pot luck when scrolling.

Getting the tracks on to the Zen Touch will require a computer running the supplied Creative Labs software. This will require Windows 98SE or later with a Pentium II 350MHz processor, 128MB of RAM and 20MB of free hard disk space.

The main tool is Creative MediaSource Organiser. This utility uses a multi-pane interface that allows you to search for and target specific albums and tracks stored on your hard disk. You can rip your CDs and have automatic track information download from the Gracenote CDDB website or any other that you prefer; build up play-lists; and transfer tracks to the Zen Touch unit for your listening pleasure.

While tracks are being played, either in a specific order or randomly, available information will appear on the LCD display - only visible when the Zen Touch is not ensconced in the pouch. Earlier I mentioned that this device promised 24 hour battery life. When I carried out my tests, I did not get 24 hours. No I managed to squeeze 24 hours and 53 minutes of playing time - not, I must add, in one session but with numerous breaks designed to give my ears a rest from wearing earphones.

The earphones supplied with this MP3 device are the pop-in type that tends to take every opportunity to escape from my ears. I quickly replaced these earphones with a more substantial set that stayed in place.

Earphones aside, the Zen Touch is an excellent piece of kit that can store a massive number of tracks and provide good quality audio playback. It may not have the street cred of an iPod but it can certainly deliver a top-class audio experience for the less-fashion conscious and has an impressive battery performance.

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=10274