Ultra-slim and Ultra-lightweight Android 3.2 10" Reference Tablets Powered by ZiiLABS StemCell ZMS Processors and Designed by Creative
SINGAPORE - ZiiLABS, a pioneering media processor and platforms company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd), today introduced its JAGUAR3, the most powerful 3rd Generation Android 3.2 tablet series.
IT Reviews have published a review of the Creative ZiiO 10 inch tablet. 'At £249.99 for the 8GB model and £269.99 for the 16GB, the 10in ZiiO's price is one indicator that you shouldn't look for greatness. So, for example, the build is OK but not awe-inspiring. We do like the media control buttons that sit next to Android's usual Home, Back, Search and Menu buttons - but the device feels oversized and clunky, and at 650g the ZiiO 10 is a bit too heavy to hold in one hand for any length of time.'
IT Reviews have published a review of the Creative ZEN Touch 2 Android portable media player. 'The Creative ZEN Touch 2 looks and feels so much like a phone that you'll wonder why Creative hasn't gone the whole hog and thrown in SIM support. You've got Android 2.1 providing the control system, and the device itself is roughly the size and weight you'd expect of a modern mobile, at 120x60x13mm and 122g, respectively. For many people, carrying this around is going to be like carrying a second mobile. There are some compromises. There are a mere three home screens to populate with widgets, and the array of widgets is less than you'd get on a mobile, but the look and feel is similar.'
IT Reviews have published a review of the Creative ZiiO 7in Android tablet. 'First impressions really count with tablets - the standard being set by the extremely well made iPad 2, of course. Sadly, the Creative ZiiO 7in doesn't hit the spot. The white chassis feels a little below par, and the wide screen bezel makes the 7-inch 480x800-pixel screen look smaller than it really is. Still, the edges are peppered with slots and connectors - including the microSD card slot we mentioned earlier, which sits on the left edge. On the bottom there's a power slot - a small, round pin type. The right edge houses a volume rocker, and along the top there's a mini-HDMI port, old-fashioned mini-USB (not microUSB) connector, headphone jack, on/off switch and a teensy microphone.'
A review of the Creative Zen Style 300 portable media player has been posted over at Computeractive. 'It's an odd-looking device: while it is certainly small and has nice rounded edges, it is quite chunky too - we certainly wouldn't call the design sleek. The 1.8in colour screen was poor. The quality of pictures and videos was disappointing. Both appeared blurry or blocky, which rendered the player's photo and video features redundant. And, confusingly, the player doesn't have a volume button: in fact, changing the volume in a song or video is impossible unless you navigate back to the screen that displays the song being played, and change it there.'
Reg Hardware have published their review of the Creative Ziio 7in Android tablet. 'The model that's currently on sale has a 7in screen, although there is a 10in model in the works as well. I tested the 8GB model, which comes in at £200, but there's a 16GB model also available for just £20 extra. The Ziio also has a slot for a MicroSD card, so you can easily add more storage if required. It's powered by Creative's own ZiiLabs ZMS-08 processor running at 1GHz that's based on the ARM Cortex A8 - more details here. The Ziio currently runs Android 2.1, although Creative told us that it's planning an update to 2.2 "in the very near future".
Pocket-lint have published a review of the Creative ZiiO 7 tablet. 'The 7-inch resistive display offers an 800 x 480 pixel resolution, the same as you'll get on most phones with screen about half the size. The result is a pixel density of 133ppi, so it isn't sharp. Being a resistive display means it has the pliable surface over the top which soon becomes smeary and isn't as precise as it perhaps needs to be, but the touch response is good. There is a stylus bundled in the box, which we're pleased to say makes interaction both faster and more accurate, but at 7-inches, we would rather use our fingers. Perhaps the resistive display was used to hit the affordable £199 price point: it lacks the wow factor, but sticking to the media player remit it is just about acceptable, accepting rather limited viewing angles and rather lacklustre colours.'
A review of the Creative Zen X-Fi Style 8GB MP3 and Video Player has been posted over at TweakTown. 'Like other portables out there at the moment, the Zen Style comes in 8, 16 and 32GB models. For testing I received the 8GB model, which is certainly more than ample to firstly understand the beast I'm dealing with and also to store a behemoth of your favorite music. I would be inclined to think that the larger models are aimed at people wanting to also carry their video and picture stores with them on the go.'
CNET Asia have published a review of the Creative Zen X-Fi Style portable media player. 'The X-Fi Style shares a similar graphics imprint on the cover as the Style 100/300. There's a choice of three colors--black, white and red. The arrangement of the controls is exactly like the older Zen. The power button located at the top of the player doubles as a lock button. However, unlike the Zen, Zen X-Fi and Zen X-Fi2, there is no memory expansion slot to be found. Predictably, the right side of the player is where you'll find the standard mini-USB port and a headphone/TV-output jack.'
A review of the Creative Zen Style 300 (16GB) MP3 player has been posted over at CNET Asia. 'The sleek look of the Style 300 is, however, a drastic change from the loud and daring design of the Mozaic. Creative offers the device in a choice of three colors--black, white and blue. The control button count still remains at nine and the top row of four buttons are clearly labeled to indicate their functions: Back, Shortcut, Quick menu and Play/Pause. Unlike the Mozaic where the buttons are squeezed into a 3 x 3 grid, the five-way directional pad is located separately under the top four buttons. This button arrangement makes the Style 300 easier to use as the buttons are quite well-spaced apart. Unfortunately, there's no dedicated volume rocker. The Play/Pause button doubles as a power button, and to lock the player requires calling up the quick menu and selecting Lock.'
