Creative Ziio7

 There are a growing number of tablets based on Google's Android operating system, but none has managed to hit a good balance of value for money and features. Creative might not have a background in tablets, but it knows how to build good portable mobile devices and has applied that know-how to its 7in Ziio tablet. Some specifications and features have been
sacrificed to keep costs down on this Android 2.2 (Froyo) tablet, but it's still worth considering.

Our test unit came with 8GE of memory, though if you buy directly from Creative, you can get a 16GB model for £219 inc VAT.

GOOD-LOOKING DEVICE

The Ziio is nice enough to look at, even if it feels a little too plastic. Creative has kept the hardware buttons to a minimum so it doesn't interrupt the sleek finish. There's ar. integrated VGA camera at the top for video chats and the Ziio has a microSD card slot, one mini-USB, headphone, mic, power button and volume.

Creative made its name in the audio market and the onboard processor here allows plenty of playback tweaking. The audio quality through headphones is excellent, though the screen's resolution of only 480x800 pixels is disappointing. Some of the high-end smartphones we review here can match this.

You can get decent enough details if you stream 720p HD content to the Ziio, but the colours look washed out. The screen restrictions aren't that significant when browsing online, but the limited resolution and poor colour palette don't lend themselves to media-rich apps. One of the issues with the display is that Creative has used a cheaper resistive touchscreen rather than the capacitive type found in most other tablets and smartphones. The screen was more responsive than we'd expected we had no trouble navigating around the device's menus - but it's still a less fun experience.

LACK OF APPS

The Ziio uses Android 2.2, putting it in the same sphere as the far more accomplished but also more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab. However, there's no native support for the Android Market, severely reducing the number of apps available for you to download and install. Creative has created its own ZiiStore, though this only offers only a paltry selection of apps. A big letdown.

The Ziio could also do with a feature boost. You don't get 3G on this tablet, and the Wi-Fi supports only 802.11 b/g with no support for the much faster 802.11.n. That does make streaming 720p HD content harder from a distance, but at least the 1GHz ZiiLABS ZMS-08 processor has enough power to cope with high quality video playback over a good range of   formats. The Ziio also gets marks for offering a mini HDMI-out port, so you can watch your 720p video content on other displays.


VERDICT

The price is about right for this 7in tablet, but features and hardware credentials have been sacrificed. Even so, we think the Ziio is a good introduction to tablet computing and one of the better entry-level models, however, its unimpressive display and poor software implementation will limit its appeal.