Creative Nomad II

With MP3s carving up the bandwidth on a desktop near you, you would think that portable MP3 players would be everywhere. 1)107*0? raff, fte problem is (hat manufacturers are
looking hard over their shoulders at big music companies, and big music companies tend to have large legal muscles.
As a consequence, Creative’s most recent portable MP3 device has incorporated a couple of unique features.
First, it has no permanent memory (possibly so Creative can’t be accused of storing songs on its devices). Second, it has a firmware 1 upgradable player section, so if j some kind of restriction or water- j marking does become the norm, it will theoretically still be able to play music. Neat on both counts.
The design is also very neat, with a nicely rounded profile and simple controls accessed either by a four-way toggle dial or direct action buttons for volume, record, menu and so on. Connectivity to a host PC is via a USB port, which hides under a rub
ber flap. Another rubber flap hides the charging/connecting socket for the optional desktop cradle (which will probably last a full five minutes after purchase). Apart from this flaw, the new model is definitely better built than its predecessor and has a much more solid feel.
The headphones are a very groovy pair of neckrest-style muffs — not tinny earbuds as supplied with most players. These connect via an integrated remote control for accessing the main play buttons.
Basic graphic equalisation is covered with a DSP control, and the whole lot boogies along on one AA rechargable battery and a 64M SmartMedia memory card under a flap on the back. Bundled software includes a re-skinned version of MusicMatch 4.3, and the Nomad Manager file exchange utility.
Installation and recognition of the USB was a cinch, and we had files swapping between the Nomad and the desktop in
double quick time. A 3M music track was downloaded in about 15 seconds — not as fast as expected, but certainly much faster than using a serial link.
Voice recordings (but not MP3s) made on the Nomad can be uploaded to the host and converted to WAVs. The Nomad can also be used as an FM radio, with surprisingly good quality reception, although tuning stations is a bit complex. The multi-line LCD is OK, but not quite as slick looking as the new Rio. In terms of output, the sound of all (16OKbps) tracks was top quality, with minimal sibilance and very clear mid-tones.
This player is good value and has some worthwhile updates on the original Nomad.