«Creative Technology is now tossing a $40 portable MP3 player into the ring, an aggressive pricing play aimed at lower-end buyers.  The player, dubbed the Creative Zen Stone, offers 1GB of storage and a fairly small size.  The length is just over 2 inches, the width is 1.5 inches, and the thickness is a mere 0.5 inches, dimensions that seem more like a pebble than a stone.  Regardless, the sizing puts the Stone is a class of very small players, a space that includes the recently-updated iRiver Clix and the heavy-selling iPod shuffle.  That segment has already produced strong gains for Apple, and most recently powered a substantial portion of iPod sales during the first quarter.  That has Creative taking notice, and pushing a potential consumer sweet spot.  "The Creative Zen Stone, at just $39.99, opens up a huge new market for MP3 players," said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative during a product unveiling.  "Whether it's your only player or a second player to take with you anywhere, the low price lets you think of MP3 players in a whole new way."»

fonte Digital Music News, «Creative Plays Pricing Game, Tosses $40 Stone at Apple», 3/05/07