Digital Home Thoughts: Zii Offers Powerful Handheld Computing

"The Zii Plaszma Platform provides developers, system integrators, OEMs and ODMs with the essential building blocks to rapidly and efficiently create compelling media-rich devices and applications and bring them to market under their own brand. The Zii Plaszma Platform comprises: the Zii EGG StemCell Computer, ZMS-05 System Module, ZMS-05 Media Rich Applications Processor, Plaszma OS and Plaszma SDK."

While Apple has been busy sporadically rejecting apps, Windows Mobile has stagnated and Palm's WebOS has yet to explode in popularity, Zii Labs has come out with a new platform that works with the Google Android OS. On the surface, Zii's Plaszma platform appears to be competing with NVidia's Tegra platform, offering really strong processing capabilities including 1080p output and 3D acceleration with OpenGL support. They are currently offering a developer package which includes their hardware device, called the Zii EGG and the Plaszma SDK Starter Kit. I am reminded of the OpenMoko, which is still alive and kicking, but has not reached mainstream acceptance. I am hopeful though, since the Zii appears to be a really powerful platform, though I'd hesitate to think of what success will be seen, except maybe in specialized markets. The biggest problem for me is that the device doesn't include phone functionality, and these days, I think that is the expectation when one gets a device that small.