With the iPod nano on the scene, Creative must be feeling the pressure to get thier Zen Micro Photo out the door ASAP, or risk losing some of the potential customers to Apple... if they havn't already. So today they've launched the Micro Photo, or at least, it finally appears on its own webpage. See HERE. It is not yet available for order on Creative's US webshop. Final specs include an 8gb hard drive, a 1.5-inch OLED color screen, and a removable battery with up to 15 hours playback. Features include support for MP3, WMA (DRM + Janus), and WAV, FM radio, picture viewing (JPG), voice recording, and some organizer functions. It's not specifically mentioned but we hope it supports a custom EQ as well. Size is similiar to the regular Zen Micro, but a bit thinner and bit heavier at 83 x 51 x 17.2mm with a weight of 115g. Like the regular Micro, it will come in 10 colors, and does not ship with an AC adapter. The retail pack includes only a USB cable for charging from a USB port, earphones, and a pouch, which is most likely not the same thing as a protective case. The belt clip and stand that ships with the Micro does appear to be included, either.

If you recall, we brought news of the ZMP from the CES convention, in January. Why it's taken so long to get it ready, we really don't know... Creative hasn't said a word about it since. Back then it was quite impressive but DAP-technology is rolling so fast that such a player is becoming commonplace these days. Now: Apple, iRiver, Gateway, RCA, and Samsung all have a MicroDrive based player on the market which feature a color screen. How does the Micro Photo compare? Well, it's the first to hit the 8gb mark, but aside from that, it doesn't stand out from the crowd in an appreciable way. The FM radio, support for music subscription services, removable battery, and OLED screen are good selling points, at least. We'll pick one of these up when it goes on sale and let you know if it was worth the wait.

Thanks, vince