Creative Ships Multi-touch Zii MP3 Player

Author	Gordon Kelly
Published	31st Aug 2009

Creative Ships Multi-touch Zii MP3 Player

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The intriguing, if unusually named, Creative Plaszma has started shipping.

In something of a departure for Creative, however, the Zii Egg isn't shipping directly to consumers, but is being passed onto partners in a variety of bespoke configurations. From here these partners will then customise them and sell them under their own brands. When these will subsequently appear on shop shelves is unknown.

As for the iPod touch-look-a-like, it has an impressive core for partners to work with. The Creative Zii processor enables playback of 1080p High Definition video (a bizarrely hidden feature of the iPhone 3GS) while both a Creative proprietary OS and Google Android are on offer. A 3.5in 10 point multi-touch screen with customisable gestures should also get pulses racing.

This isn't all either as WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, an accelerometer and dual cameras (front facing VGA and rear 'HD Camera') make this a true rival to the iPod touch. Partners can also specify how much internal memory they want their bare bone Plaszmas to be equipped with ranging from nothing at all to 32GB, an amount augmented via a 32GB compatible SDHC expansion slot.

Yep, we're rather excited by the Creative Plaszma and what third parties will come up with. Such a strategy may not get Creative's name back up in lights, but it could well get company profits back in the black...

Link:
via Engadget

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Queelis said on 31st August 2009

Ok, sorry for my ignorance, but who (what) are these 'partners', actually? Direct competitors, like Sandisk or similar?

Malderon said on 31st August 2009

This is purely my speculation but I would guess partners would be companies like Dell - that are used to selling rebranded/tweaked hardware (I think Dell Printers are Lexmark ones ... more