This little 1GB wonder is positioned as a lower-priced alternative to the iPod Shuffle, and by and large, it delivers. Creative's Zen Stone weighs in at just over an ounce and is just slightly larger in size than the Shuffle but serves basically the same needs, for half the price.

There's room for approximately 250 songs (depending on file size), comes in a variety of candied colors and is tiny enough to take with you wherever you go. It supports MP3, WMA and Audible music files, but not subscription formats. Installing and setting up the management software is a snap. The program lets you easily transfer tunes and arrange them in individual folders that closely mimic playlists. It is a helpful tool since the Stone lacks a display, letting you skip over blocks of songs and navigate files.

Using the Stone is as straightforward as can be. Options are simple: Play, pause, volume, shuffle, repeat all and skip folder. There's no hold or lock button here, but the Stone kicked around in our carryon during a long day of racing from gate to gate at a major airport and never once clicked on accidentally. To turn it on, hold the play/hold/power button down for a few seconds and viola. A small switch on the top side lets you navigate the folders or switch the shuffle mode. There's a USB plug and one for headphones, but other than that, the Zen is free of extras. The standard ear buds included in the package are fine, but upgrading them will likely improve the overall sound.

Battery power is respectable at around 10 hours, and a light helpfully indicates what the charge status is, given that you read the instructions to decipher its pattern (one orange blink means it's below 25 percent charged, two orange blinks is half charged, three red blinks is battery out, etc.). A bit more complicated than it needs to be, perhaps, but it's just about the only thing about the Zen that is.

If you're looking for a lot of bells and whistles, or have a need to impress your friends, look elsewhere. But if you want a small reliable portable music player the Zen Stone is one to consider.

Pros: Small, simple and inexpensive
Cons: No support for subscription music files

Warranty
90 days, labor; 1 year, parts