I have been using the 30GB Creative Zen Xtra for 11 months – and the 60GB model for under a month, with significant effects on my consumption of music.

The most notable change has been in my perception of the CD as an artefact. Within the first months of use I realised that CDs were going to go the same way as vinyl, and therefore I should sell a reasonable proportion of mine while they still had value. The decision was made easier by limitations of space and the fact that my consumption of music has mostly been on the move rather than in a domestic setting.

At the same time my consumption of music increased, and I was more likely to buy CDs in the week of their release, as I knew I could sell them quickly for near to the purchase price. I would make a decision in the first couple of listens whether this was an ‘artefact’ that I would like to possess in five years’ time, or ‘filler’ that meant less. Interpol, Elliott Smith and Franz Ferdinand stayed at home; Razorlight and Devendra Banhart went straight on Amazon. Dogs Die In Hot Cars I kept because the sleeve included the lyrics. I did, however, keep back up copies of most CDs.

‘Filler’ music has taken on more importance generally, and the range of music that I listen to has broadened, because there is no longer the value judgement in deciding ‘what to take to play on my walkman’ or indeed ‘what CDs to put in the most accessible spot in the cabinet’. I bought a Bollywood 3-disc set not because I expected to listen to it in its entirety, but because I looked forward to the experience of a Bollywood track popping up when I least expected it. I scoured music library shelves for the first time in years for classic artists I didn’t like enough to buy, and for compilations containing particular gems (girl groups of the 60s, for instance). I cherry-picked, ripped and downloaded, then waited for the one-in-8,000 chance for it to pop up. Now that I have another 30GB to play with I have also started looking into spoken word.

My appetite for new tracks has become something in and of itself. I will listen to anything without prejudice for those one-track gems; I will rip any CD that passes through my hands; new albums barely get a few listens. The sheer range of choice – around 800 albums – means I too often go for the ‘Play Any Track’ option. This has its own effect: some tracks can sound significantly different when placed between others – generally for the better, but occasionally for the worse, particularly those tracks which rely on a general mood (the rawness of the White Stripes springs to mind).

Sad to say, the Playlist facility brought out my anorak tendencies as I began making playlists for 2002, for 1991, and so on. This moved on to arbitrary themes, as I realised the Find facility on the file management software Creative MediaSource allowed me to easily find songs with key words. I made playlists for ‘animals’, ‘colours’, ‘numbers’, ‘seasons’, ‘days’, ‘vehicles’ and both male and female names. Please forgive me. (But do make your own suggestions).