Zii EGG SDK roadmap revealed, some important features not coming until end of year
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Aug 26th 2009 7:37PM
posted Aug 26th 2009 7:37PM
Here's what we do know: out of the gate, it seems the EGG will only be running Creative's homegrown Plaszma OS, though Android support is forthcoming. The Plaszma SDK is being rolled out in three phases spanning the rest of 2009, and some pretty important stuff -- Bluetooth support, for example -- won't even be available to developers until the third phase, which is a pretty strong indication that Zii-powered products intended for consumer consumption probably won't be around in time for the holidays. For the moment, there isn't any indication on when devs will have access to Android support libraries, which we think might be where Zii's true value lies, because let's be honest -- the world realistically doesn't need another target platform for mobile.
Interestingly, Creative is using Zii to actively target China-based devs that it says "may not have brands but have an insatiable appetite for ready-to-go technologies, and can adapt these technologies very quickly to new market opportunities" (in other words, KIRFers) through its "Shanzai program," a mix of prototype boards and support packages that it says will help small businesses bring products to market faster. If that means we can get the next great N97 clone running Android in record time, we're all for it. Check out the full Plaszma SDK roadmap in the gallery below.
[Thanks, Joe]
I was all about the Zune HD but this is making me think twice about buying it. I might have to wait a few more weeks and see how this plays out.
There's still time for a consumer product to be released before the holidays ;)
I'm still aiming for the ZuneHD. The Zii chip is tempting and sounds promising but so is the Nvidia Ion. Also, the Zii player looks like the iTouch and of course that's an Apple product, so who the fuck would want the embarrassment of that! Toasters > Microwaves.
I think it is the tegra you are thinking about.
My mistake. Thanks for the correction.
What the hell is Engadget smoking? It obvious what the Zii is. It is direct competition to the Zune HD, iPod Touch, etc.
Getting really sick of their blatant ignorance.
So let me get this straight: you think that after a year of pimping a vague "StemCell Computing" platform, recruiting developers, and selling prototyping kits and chipsets in volume, Creative's market play here is to come out with a PMP that looks exactly like an iPod touch?
Read between the lines for a second and I think you'll find that the story's a little more complicated than that. We don't know how Creative intends to play this out.
No, it's not. It's a vaguely described processor that has something to do with stemcells, but not really. The first device using it happens to look like an iPod touch, but it's not even a consumer device. It's really just a processor and an SDK right now.
Oh. Snap.
Ziegler just ran a train on m2h.
The Zii egg is just a development platform. Nothing has been put into paper that guarantees that Creative's own retail device would physically look anything like it.
x_x
Ok Chris, it really isn't as complicated as you make it sound, just because you don't really understand it. I wanted to read more about the specs today, and this whole crap came up on another site. I would put it on my own words, but this user did it for me, so I'll give him all the credit:
4DThinker - July 29th, 2009 at 9:17 pm PDT
Egg: Not yet hatched.
Stem cell: A cell that can become anything.
Plaszma (plasma): The juice that feeds it all.
I understand what they are trying to do: Provide all the building blocks (hardware and an SDK) and let evolution come up with something amazing. The process doesn’t have to start at conception though, as this device is well formed already. Now we wait and see what develops. ;)
Where's the train?
If it ain't out in mid-September, I'm probably not going to get it...
I want Android regardless of its horsepower or HD video acceleration...
So I guess I'm gonna continue hoping GiiNii releases the Movit Mini soon or get an Archos's Android MID/Tablet...
I need apps and Exchange ActiveSync so I'll gonna have to have an iPod Touch 3G...
Zune HD is solely multimedia A/V focused and I need a modern PDA to tether with my phones Wifi...
what's the difference between this and android SDK?
What a bummer, I was hoping I could buy a consumer version maybe in a month or two. I don't have the patience for a Next Year release! This is very good because my car broke down today and I was wondering if I'd be able to buy a Zii after paying for the car fix. Dilemma solved !
Oh Creative, when will you learn how to run a company?
...SD Card integration and "Graphical UI Skinner" makes me a happy user...
Will the Zii Egg support SDXC?
Cuz if it does, it's gonna be one hell of a device
i guess it's up to the OEM to embed the SDXC controller into the Zii chipset.
Just got news that mine (dev kit) shipped yesterday. They must have a zillion of these ready to go. We'll see just how functional it is out of the box.
Dev Kit should be delieved today by 4:30pm EST. I did get another email stating that they would sending a free HD cable by the end of the month. Lets see what this thing do!
I have faith in this since I am a Zen user. The main reason I take creative over the competition is because you can just drag and drop with the use of any media application. I hate Itunes and Media player or Zune aren't very helpful either. At the end I know the freedom Creative will bring over the competition and that is what will sell me if I decide to get another mp3 player. Oh and the SD port is money when you are on a trip and have filled up your camera and need to unload pics and vids for more room, can you IPOD do that.
A lot of hype, very little to show for it. I'm waiting for the reviews of dev units (esp. software/SDK quality), but I'm not hopeful.
if i buy now would i be able to get those missing feautures added later through software update, or are they hardware limited,