It’s hard to quite know where to start talking about Creative’s new Zii device and Plaszma OS, after reading the details on Creative’s site. From a hardware perspective, it’s a handheld computing platform that rivals (if not exceeds) the Apple iPod Touch. It includes a multi-touch display, dual-core CPU, 256MB of RAM, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, two cameras (one VGA and one HD), audio hardware, 3D video hardware, WiFi, an SD card slot, HD video port, and more.
By default, the Zii uses Creative’s Plaszma OS, which is based on Linux 2.6. The device can also run Google’s Android OS, though it lacks any cellular phone technology. It’s based on a “StemCell” processor board that other hardware makers can acquire from Creative and incorporate into their own products. Because of this, we may see the Zii platform become the basis for a plethora of media devices and cellular phones from a variety of manufacturers other than Creative.
Right now, Creative is only selling the device as part of a Software Development Kit (SDK) package. The intent is to get developers excited about the device and writing applications for it. The SDK is priced at $399 US as of this writing, and includes a 32GB Zii device and programming tools. The device features an SD slot which can handle SDHC cards, allowing for up to 64GB of storage.
I’m not going to suggest that this device will be the “iPhone Killer” or even the “iPod Touch Killer”. However, it has a lot of potential to extend handheld multi-touch computing into areas that Apple isn’t really equipped to handle with its products. For example, defense contractors could build devices based on the StemCell technology to assist soldiers in the field. Handset manufacturers could build phones with better media capabilities. The device could also be used to develop Internet-based devices similar to the “tablet” Apple is rumored to be working on. Could it, with the right software, approach or overtake the iPhone/iPod? Sure. Do I see that happening in the short term (1-2 years)? No.
Even though I own an iPod Touch and really like the device (though its battery life is less-than-impressive when running Internet-heavy software and games), I’m very excited about the potential of Creative’s new platform. It promises all the hardware capabilities of the iPod Touch, with the added benefits of not being locked into a single “App Store” or hardware vendor. It remains to be seen if the device can deliver on its promise.