Zen (16GB) $249.99 Creative (800) 998-1000 www.creative.com

As with the Zen, when I attached the View via the included USB 2.0 cable to my computer, the media player recognized the player and let me load the four parts of the book. I found the AudibleManager software a bit easier to use than WMP11 because I didn’t have to open separate windows.

Bad Buds

I tried out the buds for each player but eventually substituted a pair of my own headphones. As I'd reach up toward the top of a cabinet or stoop down near the floor, the buds popped out of my ears, so I'd have to back up the story to hear what I'd missed. Both players made “rewinding” easy, but with my hands frequently covered in paint, it was an annoying interruption.

If you intend to listen to a lengthy story, allot several hours for recharging your player’s battery; neither player met the manufacturer’s claims for battery life (set for music, though, not books), and I had to leave my computer on while recharging.

For somewhat superficial reasons, I preferred the Creative Zen to the SanDisk Sansa View. Both players are attractive, easy to operate, and function in a similar manner: They started right where I’d previously stopped, which is important when you have to pause a story for any reason. For added peace of mind, though, I was able to set bookmarks with both players, too. However, I favored the Zen’s screen, which was set in a landscape orientation and displayed how many minutes of the story had played and how many were left. The players’ screens are the same size, but the View is slightly heavier, and its body is about 1 inch longer than the Zen, making it too big to tuck into a pocket.

All players let you listen to happy music, but it takes a special player to let you get lost in a Russian tragedy while renovating a kitchen.

Send your comments to katie@smartcomputing.com

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