Look and Feel – Creative Zen PMC
The Zen’s all-black front face and wide, two-handed design scores points. The buttons are arranged nicely, and the unit has a good, solid feel overall. The buttons themselves, however, are too small and require too much thumb pressure in relation to their size. The Zen’s slightly larger screen size (3.8 inches) is a bonus that should not be overlooked, although it is also likely one of the reasons why the Zen is the largest and heaviest of the three. All things considered, it’s a toss up between the Archos and the Creative.
Winner: Tie (Archos AV420 & Creative Zen PMC)

Features – Creative Zen PMC
Being a Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Center (as is the Samsung unit), the Creative PMC’s basic feature pack is much like all units using Microsoft’s mobile operating system. The Zen’s two-piece AC adaptor may make it easier to plug into crowded power strips, but begs to get misplaced while traveling. The use of a special (included) USB cable with a proprietary plug that connects to the player is irritating. Four preset “bookmark” buttons on the top and a sturdy protective shield over the LCD screen give the Zen an edge over Samsung’s entry but not Archos.’
Winner: Archos AV420 Video

Performance – Creative Zen PMC
The Zen initially seduces you because of its larger screen size, but ultimately its picture quality falls between the Archos AV420 and the Samsung YH-999. The color temperature is about right, but the colors are slightly muted and bland. On the other hand, the brightness is excellent at the middle setting (of five) so there’s room to bump it up or down depending on your viewing environment. You’ll see some detail in the black areas of the Zen’s picture, but it is still bested by the Archos model.
Winner: Archos AV420 Audio

Performance – Creative Zen PMC
Without a doubt, Creative’s Zen has the best sound quality of the three when it comes to the built-in speaker. Don’t expect a lot of volume, but it has good bass; and the Zen sounds bigger than it looks. That’s especially surprising since the speaker sits behind three tiny slits on the front panel. The supplied earphones turn in a second-place finish to the Samsung YH-999’s in both comfort and tonal quality. As with the other models, there’s plenty of juice in the jack to fire up better headphones.
Winner: Samsung YH-999 GS
 
Creative Zen PMC, $499
www.creative.com; 800.998.5227
RATING: SOLID