New Creative Player Does iTunes Tracks
Has Creative capitulated to Apple and iTunes? If its new player is any indication, that answer may be yes.
Creative's newest Zen player is the first from the company to support AAC music and iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes Music Store, the company said. In addition, it includes a 2.5-inch color screen and support for SD memory cards to add additional memory.
The device comes in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB models priced at $149, $199, and $299. Creative said the device will be available in September online and through US retailers such as Circuit City, Fry's, and Wal-Mart.
Video formats supported include WMV9, MJPEG, MPEG4, as well as DivX 4 and 5 and XviD. Approximately 5 hours of video and 25 hours of music playback are possible through the device.
Other features include a personal organizer that syncs up with Microsoft Outlook's contacts, to-do lists, and calendar, and a built in FM radio and voice recorder.
Creative's conciliatory moves towards Apple are not all that surprising. After a protracted battle with Cupertino over patents regarding the user interface of the iPod, the two sides settled for $100 million in August 2006.
Part of that arrangement was where Creative announced it would join Apple's "Made for iPod" program. While that program only dealt with certifying the Singaporean electronics maker's audio accessories for use with the device, the partnership probably opened up other avenues where Creative could work with Apple.
