I think the name (of any one of their products) says exactly why they'll never ever reach even a fraction of Apple's level (in any sense).

Zen Vision:M

WTF is that? Apple's product? The iPod. Period. Today, yesterday and the day before that. iPod. Consistency and simplicity works. Even if only for branding.

Creative (and every other company that's tried making an audio player) has failed miserably because (in large part) they have had no consistency. Not in form factor, interface, messaging, direction and focus, not only from product to product, but even in revisions of the same product. Apple has changed the iPod, but it's still an iPod.

Some of the creative stuff has been interesting, but they abandon every concept a couple of months later. You think updates come around on a regular basis? Creative's software also scares me. Bad experiences with the Sound Blaster Wireless Music.

No one, not even Sony, has any chance of catching Apple in the portable music space unless Apple decides they want to give it up or the competition start thinking long-term and in a focused manner, instead of just in a reactionary one. Even then it will be tough. Sony is still so 80's. I wouldn't even buy a Sony TV.

Bruno