this is just crazy. are any of these so called interfaces for the DAPs are truely original as warrant a patent in the first place? it seems to me that they are mere equivalant versions of the menu naviation system in operating systems or most apps. select "file", --> dropdown, more menu items, select some more, pick a file. wow.

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I could have sworn Apple used their old NeXT code for their column view to do menus. I'm no expert in patent law, but an old interface functionality like that trumps this new interface.

Link to complete patent:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6928433.html

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The new Creative Zen Vision M looks more like the new Ipod than the nano.

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This is to make their new machine NOT look like such a blatant rip-off of the iPod. Their thought process:

"If we go after Apple for some meaningless part of the interface, they won't sue the crap out of us for everything else we copied."

It's a pretty nice looking machine, even though it borrows heavily from the iPod (even the pictures of it look like they come from Apple's ad agency). Why raise the ire of the Apple nation by going "legal?"

Now I not only don't care about Creative, but they look foolish and stupid. There are better ways to promote your product than using the U.S. patent office.

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This is SOOOOOOO going down off of prior art. The Mac 0S:X was running with cascading menus long before... and Next even longer before that... all of those patents Apple holds. So sorry Creative, but your patent is bull.

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Creative is a whiny little b*tch of a company just like Real is. They know they don't stand a chance with the iPod and the only way to stir attention is to take legal matters into their hands.

Besides, didn't the Zen come out a few years AFTER Apple released the iPod in 2001? And this hierarchy menu interface was an Apple feature way before the iPod even came out: OS X. If you open up a file and choose the list view, the structure system works and looks the same as the iPods.

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And so, it begins.

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Creative had players out well before Apple ever released the iPod

as for this, I could not really care about either companies portable players as they lack what I need in a player, though Apple deserves to get some lawsuits thrown at them since they throw dumb ones at other companies all the time

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#5: "If we go after Apple for some meaningless part of the interface, they won't sue the crap out of us for everything else we copied."

except if [and when] they lose. Apple will probably turn around and sue the crap out of them.

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You're right Robert Knight, those photographs are nothing more then Apple-like promotional photographs. I don't see how this argument of interface rip-off will go legally speaking. I am amazed Creative was even allowed to get a patent on it. Why does THAT warrent a patent? Anway, morally speaking, Creative is the one who is really confusing the consumer. The same design, colors, LOOK at that interface, it's a pure Aqua rip-off, and their photographs are more then blatently obvious rip-offs, complete with the white reflection and all.

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