I'm not at all a fan of the uninspired design of the Zen Neeon (mono LCDs with 7 backlight shades and side rocker controls are so 2002), buy hey, with a $199 price tag and 5GB of storage in a 1.8 x 3.1 x 0.6-inch package (that's smaller than a iPod Mini). This could be an interesting competition. It's skinnable as you can see here and has specs that should shame the competition:
I'm willing to bet it has a bookmarking feature as well to pick up your Podcasts where you left off- a feature I LOVE in my Zen Micro. If anyone has one, would love to hear your take on this little gem.
<Note to Creative>Someone over at Creative should really think about putting another item- a hand, an Apple (heh) next to this device to show its scale- it looked bulky to me! Also how about getting into bed with an accessories manufacturer like Belkin for some inspired accessories?</Note to Creative>
By the way, where's the Zen Micro Photo? We're still hoping to get our hands on that one.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.