This could be a great move for Andriod, TI and Archos as thay are getting together to build what could be a very interesting MID. A true crossover smartphone/web/PMP device. It will combine the Archos’ PMP charachteristics, its powerful OMAP 3 platform, the Android OS and the following features.
- PC-like Internet experience enhanced by a high-resolution 5″ screen and full-width page viewing
- Adobe Flash(TM) and Flash Video(TM) support, full screen
- Access whenever and wherever to TV, movies, photos, music and games
- Uncompromised TV recording and High Definition (HD) playback, all formats
- Hundreds of hours of video storage, up to 500 GB
- Innovative design: compact 10-mm ultra-thin tablet
- Long battery life, 7 hours’ video playback
- 3.5G 7.2 Mb/s HSUPA
- Laptop-like performance from the first implementation of OMAP3440 processor based on the ARM® Cortex(TM) superscalar microprocessor and DSP
With a 10mm depth, we can probably count out any possibility of a keyboard which could be a huge shame as the platform is powerfull enough to drive some nice, rich web apps.
I wonder if they would combine the docking station and some hdmi action to make it desktop–friendly. How about a netbook shaped dock too?
Expect to hear more about this at the Mobile World Congress which kicks off this week.
jkOnTheRun » Blog Archive ARCHOS Adds Android Telephony to Mobile Internet Device «.
ARCHOS to merge Android and Media Stack in voice-enabled MID http://www.umpcportal.com/?p=5574
Well, Archos’ latest PMP has a (mini) USB port on it, so I would assume this would as well for UPnP devices.
I, personally, am really excited about this because I love Archos’ PMPs and have been looking at the Archos 5 for a while. Let’s hope the battery life is good and the price is decent. This could be my perfect bridge device. Also, let’s hope it releases soon. ^_^
Archos has a habit of producing great ideas but falling short on implementation. Lots of what they are promising was already promised for the A5 but never done; i.e. HD, TV on the go, 3G (only in France), full internet experience. I’ll believe this when I see it, and even then who knows. But if they can pull it off…
One other note on this. Don’t expect the 500GB version to be 10mm thick!
I’m guessing they will use the Archos 5 design as the base for the product.
Thickness is too good to be true… but what I don’t get is the 5″. I mean it’s great for an MID, not so great for a phone. Android is a SMARTPHONE OS. So I would have gone for a 4″ design instead. Something that fits in the pocket.
A 4.8 device is, I agree, a large form factor for a 24/7 device.
I wonder what percentage of high-end smartphone users actually use it as their only phone and DONT have another phone they use when they aren’t working.
Are we moving to a position where high-end users will have two phones? One 5″ jacket pocketable for work and one very small device for other times?
My guess is that….mmm…70% of smartphone users have a secondary mobile phone. Would these 7/10 smartphone users be prepared to take it up a notch and accept slightly less pocketablility for more productivity?
Steve.
What do you understand with:Laptop-like performance ?
Laptop from what year?1998?2000? or 2009?
Good question.
My benchmarks have a lot to do with startup speed, application availability time and processing of web pages in a 10-second timeframe. That requires 2009 SSD’s but only 2000 desktop CPU power.
Best-of-2009 battery and energy efficiency too!
Steve.
put xp on it. then id be happy. but seriously i think the mass appeal of these mids will come when they have the power of a 2008 netbook (with xp)
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does this have ebook reader capability also? sorry if this seems like a “dumb” questions, I know there is an ARCHOS 5 that is a reader, but this would solve a few problems all at once if it also does the ebooks. Will shortly be moving from a large metro plex to a “back woods” area.