Hi m8 - Windows Media Player, WinAmp and Media Monkey (which I prefer) will probably allow you to sync music etc to the device without using *any* of the proprietory Creative software.
First, check Creative's site for firmware updates for your device, and then look at the appropriate support pages for WMP etc to ensure that your device is supported by the software. As it's quite an old device (I have a clunky old Creative Zen Touch myself) it probably will be supported. My reason for preferring MM is that (once you get used to it, it's a bit complicated) it allows easy drag and drop of files - WMP is a bit more fiddly and Winamp has a really poor interface IMHO.
Good luck