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06.28.07
Using A Creative Zen Vision On A Mac?
 By
Dave Taylor
Like you, I am highly impressed with the Creative Labs Zen Vision:W [see my review] but it's darn frustrating that Creative only makes its software available for Windows computers, not Mac. I know about the XNJB application that lets me add photos and audio, but it won't let me work with movies. So is there some sort of solution?
Since Creative appears to be afraid of going head-to-head with Apple and its blockbuster iPod on the Macintosh, generally we Mac users are stuck. But on the other hand... there's always Parallels Desktop, which lets you run Windows XP on your Intel-based Mac quite speedily, and since the Creative Labs software is designed for Windows and since Parallels lets you access any USB device, well...
The first step was to install a fully functional version of Windows XP within the Parallels world (as documented here: Install Windows XP in Parallels on a Mac), then you'll want to pop over to the Creative Download Center and specify that you're looking for software for a Portable Media Player.
You'll end up here.
Now there's a ton of different software you can download, but the key elements are the PlaysForSure Firmware, and the Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer. If you're running Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 (WMP11), then you should also grab the Creative Media Explorer Update for Creative Zen Vision W to ensure it all works well.
Download them and hopefully you'll end up with the two (or three) install applications on the desktop. You need to start with the Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, which immediately unpacks its data files when you start it up.
Now you should plug in your Zen Vision:W or Vision:M into the USB port of your Mac and, after a few seconds, check the Devices menu in Parallels. If you have it automatically connect USB devices, it'll look like this.
If not, select the Creative Zen Vision to ensure it's connected.
And here's where I get to a wall I can't jump over. Regardless of what I try, I can't get the Creative software to see the Zen Vision.
So that's where things stand at this juncture. You can use XNJB to access much of the functionality of the Zen Vision but there's no way that I can see to use your Mac to get this working properly. You might be able to get it working with Boot Camp, but after various problems I have had with Boot Camp, I junked it in favor of Parallels 3.0, which now runs both Vista and Windows XP.
If you have a solution, or, for that matter, if anyone from Creative Labs can explain a smart workaround for us, it'd be great to know!
Comments
About the Author:
Dave Taylor has been involved with the Internet since 1980 and is
internationally known as an expert on both business and technology issues.
Holder of an MSEd and MBA, author of twenty books and founder of four
startups, he also runs a strategic marketing company and consults with firms
seeking the best approach to working with weblogs and social networks. Dave
is an award-winning speaker and frequent guest on radio and podcast
programs.
AskDaveTaylor.com
http://www.intuitive.com/blog/
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