As I lounged around yesterday #sofasurfing on the Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet (Archos 5IT) I was really enjoying the Twitter, Web and YouTube experience that makes up a large percentage of my sofasurfing time. I have no problems saying that in this scenario, it’s the best device I have and that includes the Nokia N900, Omnia Pro, Viliv S5, X70, my netbooks and a bunch of other devices that I don’t use any more. Having an HQ YouTube experience and a fast browser helps a lot.
To confirm my suspicion that the browser is faster than any I’ve experienced at this weight and size I picked up the Intel Atom-based Viliv S5, locked it into 800Mhz mode (Power-saving mode) turned Flash OFF in the Firefox 3.5 browser and spent about an hour racing the Archos 5IT against the Viliv S5. You know what, there’s just no difference at all. I doubt any consumer would see a difference with 99 out of 100 sites they browsed in a regular sofasurfing session. Some sites load faster on the Viliv. Some load faster on the Android device. In fact on the Archos 5IT, most sites seems to be ready-to-read (but not necessarily fully-loaded) before Firefox on the Viliv.
More information on the Archos 5 Internet Tablet here.
We could argue about Flash (which actually slows the Viliv S5 down quite a lot) and we could argue about some errors I see on Web applications with the Archos 5IT but at home, on the sofa, bed, toilet, kitchen there’s nothing to argue about. ARM have reached the consumer-important sub-10-second average web-page loading time. This isn’t the reliable FIE that ultra mobile PC and Netbook users are used to but in my opinion, it’s now good enough for even pro-sumers.
I know that many of you use the iPhone and iPod touch in these scenarios and yes, that experience is fast and totally enjoyable too but the difference between the 3.5 inch screen and the 4.8 inch screen (about double the space and pixels) makes it far more enjoyable. If an iPod Plus was released with a 4.8 inch screen tomorrow, that would be the only reason needed to go out and buy it.
I’ve got another reference point for you. Pocketables have just tested four devices that run on the ARM Cortex core, the latest and greatest ARM offering. It turns out the the Archos Android Tablet is as fast as the current ARM-based benchmark, the iPhone 3GS. Compared to tests we did last year, the current generation of ARM-based devices are cutting page load times by at least half.
And here’s another reference point. In theory, the ARM Cortex A8 core can reach 2.0 Dhrystone MIPS / Mhz. (ref) The Intel Atom core can hit about 2.4 Dhrystone MIPS / Mhz. (ref) (ref) With only 20% difference between the two in this relevant benchmark, it’s the software stack that becomes important.
I’m sure Intel will agree that 2009 is not their year for MIDs. It was never really planned to be. With Moorestown, the platform that introduces the all-important ‘power-gating’ feature, coming in the first half of 2010, it won’t be until 2011 that we see ARM and Intel competing with the same power characteristics. At that point, Intel will have lost their Flash and run-time compatibility advantage and they will have to fight just as everyone else will; with marketing, design and developers. For me, that means getting an Apple design win because without that, the momentum in the ARM ecosystem will take them into 2011, 2012 and beyond. The Archos Android Tablet is proving that the momentum is strong and fast, at least in the dedicated Internet/Media device segment.
New article: http://bit.ly/3pEMkc
RT @chippy: New article: Archos Android Tablet is possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web Experience ever. http://bit.ly/3pEMkc
RT @chippy New article: http://bit.ly/3pEMkc <— Archos Tablet has a fast browser. You betcha!
Just for the sake of asking, does accessing an N -Band network give any better experience than using the A,B or G Bands?
I don’t have N=support here so can’t answer that but I suspect it won’t make much difference, if any.
that would depend on the connection behind it, tho like chippy, i would not expect much improvement.
Archos Android Tablet is possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web Experience ever (and as fast as an Intel-based MID) http://bit.ly/3pEMkc
RT @chippy: Archos Android Tablet is possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web Experience ever (and as fast as an Intel MID) http://bit.ly/3pEMkc
i agree with the browsing experience, i have a 3gs and 5 internet tablet and id say that the browsing on the 5 IT is a better experience overall, mainly due to the larger screen. I do however miss the double tap to zoom of the 3gs and the capacitive touchscreen is nicer to touch and more sensitive than the resistive one the Archos. Unfortunately at the moment, its the Archos part of the device thats letting it down, Playing music is OK, Photos are slow, and most videos wont play or have serious sync issues. These are all over the forums. http://www.forum.archosfans.com
There are 2 different Archos 5, the old not-so-good one (>forums) and the good new(>Chippy).
The good new Archos 5 is with Android.
Mark Perrin encodes his videos with a Mac in non-standard 702×576 and 720×436 resolutions (not divisible by 16) and then spends his whole days complaining about “most videos not playing” when Archos absolutely does play 99% of the Internet videos you throw at it.
Archos only needs to hopefully improve MKV 720p bitrate support to something higher than around 3500kbit/s for high profile as well as fix audio synch for those 720p MKV files.
The bigger screen and fast web access was a big factor in my seriously considering the A5 for a while, but in the end, the lack of 3G means that as soon as I’m out of the house, the lack of wi-fi hotspots (at least here in the UK) will render that super-quick web access useless. Yes, you can tether it to a phone, but for me that’s not the optimal solution: (i) I don’t know exactly what’s involved in doing this, or how cumbersome it may be, but the only reviews I’ve seen of this aspect of the A5’s functionality suggest it’s more trouble than it’s worth (would be interested to hear your experience with this Chippy); (ii) you have to carry around both a phone and the A5; (iii) not all 3G phones will work (and not all providers allow you to use their service in this way without additional charge), and despite canvassing feedback on the Archos forum, there were relatively few phones which were actually reported to be known to be working (see http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=26482) – I’m sure there are more, though that’s all I have to go on at present, as Archos haven’t provided a list of compatible phones, as far as I know.
For that reason (not the only reason, but a big factor), I’ve decided against the A5, and will be getting an iphone once they become available via Orange. You can’t have everything of course, and Archos have certainly made an impressive unit here with plenty to attract customers, but if a priority use is web access on the go, lack of 3G was a deal-breaker for me.
Does anybody know, when the 8Gb version will be available?
no clue, and i am watching the news every day in the hope that it will be announced for sale…
Archos 5 Internet Tablet (8GB) will hopefully be available later this week or next week with MSRP $249 and street price I expect below $200 making it really crazily affordable.
A $199 christmas offer would be groundbreaking!
I foung offer for $209 for 120 gb one seems good.
i think you may be “upselling” the netbook users in this, by putting them side by side with umpc users.
sure, the netbook may be a business tool, but thats not supposedly where its aimed (altho its persistent climb towards 12″ is confusing the heck out of me), rather its aimed at the exact same market as the archos or your avarage mid user, the sofa/cafe/leisure surfer thats not online to work, but to check up on facts, friends and other lite reading.
the umpc on contrast seemed aimed at the prosumer/business user that wanted something a bit more portable then a ultra-portable laptop…
>>>For me, that means getting an Apple design win
If that happens, I’d be very surprised. Although it could happen for a first-gen device.
But have you forgotten that Apple now owns its own chip design firm? Expect them to move towards proprietary CPUs that no one else has with optimizations — speed, power-saving, embedded features (video, audio, perhaps Apple’s own Flash variant).
yea i do wonder what pa semi is cooking up for their owners…
Apple going back to proprietary CPUs would completely undermine the efforts they’ve made over the last several years. It would also force them back into a realm of obscurity (as opposed to the mass market share they are chasing). I can see this happening with MIDs and the like, MAYBE, but it would drive costs up and eliminate cross-compatibility. Moving to common, x86 CPUs and such was the best business move they could have possibly made.
One would suggest that they will be compatible with a common architecture with their new chip – it just won’t be X86. http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800537699_499495_NT_677be0a9.HTM
Yes I though about PA-Semi.
An Apple design win could be worth many millions to Intel so they would bend over backwards to get it. Accelerating platforms. Giving exclusivity. Marketing funds. Software etc etc. They could work together on a device above where PA-Semi fits in. I agree though, it’s a tough thing to imagine.
Apple bought PA Semi for their IP and not their chips, unfortunately.
The PA6T could do 2.2DMIPS/MHz at similar power draws to Atom processors.
I really like this device, but I simply cannot buy it for three reasons. The first is the 3g radio issue. Rather insanely I actually considered buying a mifi so that I could get a A5IT but in cash terms it was madness. The second reason was the hamstrung Android, the machine would be so much better if you could just use the regular Android store and applications. Lastly, the video issues – a pmp that doesn’t pmp just isn’t a pmp!
In terms of video issues, the only one I think it has is for bitrates above 3500kbit/s for MKV 720p High Profile (and also some AC3 synch issue for those H264 high profile videos with less bitrate). The audio synch issue I think should be solved in firmware update, the higher bitrate support is to be seen if they can improve that. Yet consider that this is the first embedded device capable of playing back any MKV 720p files.
The Android Google Apps and Marketplace issue, I think when Archos updates to Android 1.6 in a firmware update coming within a few weeks or a month, that it will add full Marketplace and Google apps support. This is something they need an agreement with Google to get, though I don’t see why Google would block Archos from it especially since Android 1.6 is designed to also support such bigger higher resolution screens (and that Android 1.5 did not support that officially).
The 3G thing, I haven’t tested Bluetooth tethering yet, but I am looking for a cheap 3G modem phone to use exclusively as a 3G modem for my Archos (and not subscribe to any voice/sms plans on the mobile phone). I expect to maybe find some 50€ phone some where that can support that and in which I can just put a data-only 3G sim card with 10GB monthly bandwidth for 20€ per month or less and no subscription, just pre-paid plans.
If you want a version with built-in 3G, Archos will show the Archos Phone at CES, and perhaps there could also be 4.8″ versions with built-in 3G modems then as well. To consider though about built-in 3G modems, it’s not only a technical issue, it’s also kind of a political and a commercial issue, since in some countries like in the USA, France, you cannot even release an unlocked 3G enabled device to connect on any 3G network without the first approval of the carriers. And there is no guarantee any carrier will agree to support or even distribute such a multimedia beast as the Archos Internet Tablet, which is supposed to support 720p Youtube HD streaming, VOIP, 500GB storage, HDMI output and all those crazy things which carriers may be scared will use too much bandwidth on their already saturated 3G networks. Though I really hope at least for countries that allow it, that Archos does release a 3G capable version as soon as they can. Though probably not before CES.
Charbax, are you suggesting that PIRACY is okay? And that by extrapolation Archos does the same? Just wondering.
I quote you from your Archos forum….
Wrong. It matters that Archos supports the standards well.
Good examples of those are the videos that people download the most on BitTorrent networks.
For example, I’m pretty certain Archos supports 99% of the files on the 500 most downloaded movies on: http://www.mininova.org/cat-list/4/leech
And probably also Archos supports 99.5% of the top downloaded TV shows: http://www.mininova.org/cat-list/8/leech
Apart from all of the 720p MKV movies yet of course, although 720p MKV movies probably are less than 5% of the top-500 movie files that are being downloaded, but we can hope Archos and Texas Instruments can optimize the supported bitrate to also support all those and not only the MKV 720p TV shows.
or any of the movies on lists such as http://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-pir … nt-091026/
Then after that, if they can also support whatever non standard things after that then fine, but it is absolutely not required of any device to support the 2500 non-standard ways to encode videos.
“think when Archos updates to Android 1.6 in a firmware update coming within a few weeks or a month, that it will add full Marketplace and Google apps support.”
Man I hope you are right Charbax. Archos needs to make this step to bring their device in-line with other Android ‘Google Experience’ devices. Waht about voice though. Can a device without voice be a Google Experience device?
The iPod Touch is selling faster than the iPhone. I don’t see why Google would want to leave themselves out of supporting devices to compete more against the iPod Touch.
For example, Archos 5 IT and iPod Touch both are mostly selling in consumer electronics stores like Amazon, Media Markt, Saturn, Best Buy, WalMart and all those types of stores. While the iPhone and other Android phones are mostly sold through the carriers in the carrier stores, in phone stores and the likes.
Google has also said they support the making of many VOIP apps on Android now that the Android Native SDK has been released a bunch of weeks ago http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2009/08/android-and-voip-applications.html so I don’t see why Google wouldn’t want to see good VOIP integration on a WiFi-only and unlocked 3G through Bluetooth tethering type device..
And even if Google wants to charge for the “Google Experience”, then I don’t see why Google couldn’t then just sell access to their Google Maps, Gmail client and any other Google apps through the AppsLib or simply through a special version of the Google Android Marketplace that would be included in AppsLib and pre-loaded in future firmwares since Google shouldn’t find it to be a problem to filter apps according to screen support and other hardware specifications.
You have been misquoted once again:
UMPCportal, Pocketables: Archos 5IT is the fastest in world
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=26925
Why was the Viliv locked at 800Mhz? What happens to the browsing when you let it operate at 1300 Mhz?
Which one has the longer WiFi browsing battery life I’d like to know.
I’m not ctrying to compare devices in this article, just to highlight how close ARM/Android is to low-end Intel/Windows when it comes to browsing without Flash.
As far as people complaining about the lack of 3G, remember Archos announced a 5″ Android phone. Giving this 3G could very well cannibalize the market for the phone version.
Perhaps, but why is this “complaining”? Surely, the lack of web access in all areas apart from wi-fi hotspots, is a serious omission for a device labelled the Archos 5 INTERNET tablet? Not being able to access the INTERNET at all times on this (without the support of additional devices like a tethered 3G phone) is a big mistake from Archos. Charbax can offer whatever reasons he likes about why this might be, and promise all sorts of (so far unproven) workarounds, but the bottom line is that other vendors, eg Apple, have surmounted the problem, and only the blindly-loyal, unquestioning Archos devotees like Charbax will continue to see second rate solutions such as tethering as competitive with what is already out there, and working very well with 3G. I seriously considered the A5IT, but in the end, lacking functionality to serve one of it’s main functions wasn’t something I could live with, and the iphone was by far the better option. I reached my view objectively. Unfortunately, the archos forum sites (http://forum.archosfans.com/ and http://archosfans.com/, BOTH run by Charbax) are not objective; they are little more than a sales pitch, with Charbax deleting or modifying users’ posts that don’t toe the Archos line, and refusing to accept any of its limitations, despite many users’ experience to the contrary (e.g. suggesting Chippy’s initial reports of bugs that so many others also experienced, were due to him wiping the screen with a cloth! I kid you not!!). It’s important to remember that Charbax receives his A5IT FREE OF CHARGE from Archos, for all of the great PR he does for them. This is not objective. He is nothing more than a sales rep.
As for an Archos phone, well fine – let’s review it when/if it appears. It has nothing to do with the functionality of the A5IT, it just highlights its main limitation.
I think I would be willing to give Archos a little more benefit of the doubt if I weren’t an Archos customer (605 160Gb wifi with numerous accessories) who has experienced the truly abysmal customer support that many, many of it’s customers will testify to. The unofficial beta-testing of the A5IT on its first take-up customers indicates that the company has learned no lessons from its history. I have learned MY lesson – I’ve moved to Apple.
What a pity you can’t delete THIS post Charbax!!
Here’s a great example of Charbax, the Archos Sales lacky, that really made me laugh: I followed the link in the ‘related posts’ section below, to the site entitled, “Archos 5 Internet Tablet is the fastest and best Internet Tablet in the world”. This partisan article was written by, you guessed it didn’t you, Charbax! The speed test he refers to on Pocketables.net compares 4 devices running Arm Cortex A8 cores: apple iphone 3GS, Sharp Netwalker, Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet (A5IMT), and the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (A5IT). Instead of observing the more relevant point that there was a barely noticeable 0.6 seconds difference in average total load time across 10 websites between the iphone and A5IT (albeit in favour of latter), he cites this as “Archos performs as the fastest on 8 websites out of 10 in the test by Pocketables in terms of web browsing speed”. Not only is this misleading sales spin (the number of sites is surely less relevant and of practical value than the overall difference in speed between the devices), but it’s also not accurate: ARCHOS was NOT the fastest on 8 out of 10 sites – there were TWO Archos machines in the test, the A5IT and the ATIMT, and the latter was the SLOWEST overall (not by much, but you see how spin can be used the opposite way), and on 2 sites was SUBSTANTIALLY SLOWER (11.1 seconds slower to load CNET than the iphone and 5.5 seconds for the NY Times). That’s a real, meaningful difference; it’s useful information in making a comparison, but it is subtly glossed over by Charbax’s misleading sales pitch on behalf of Archos.
Why on earth would anyone, who didn’t have a vested interest in Archos, be so dedicated to ensuring that this company is always, always seen in the best possible light? No one, other than someone who clearly stands to benefit personally, would devote SO much energy (in addition to running TWO Archos forums, see ANY website where Archos is criticized and you will find a Charbax response, as also seen here), to ensuring that Archos is given uncritical support?
When making internet purchases, many of us are guided by reviews we find on the products. I find Chippy to offer unbiased and useful reviews – he is clearly happy with the A5IT, and I welcome his opinion, and weigh it with others that I read. But it’s unfortunate that web reviews give other unscrupulous individuals an opportunity to masquerade as unbiased users, when they are clearly in the pockets of the companies, either via free gifts or perhaps even direct employment.
Gazcam, you post as Gazcam, though I would guess you also post under other usernames on my forum. You still don’t want to say if you do post under another username on my forum. I at least post under my same username wherever I post on the whole Internet.
I of course do have some kind of interest in getting more users on my forum and archosfans.com blog since that increases my Google Adsense and Amazon refferals. Though Archos does not pay me with money, they do send me products for free some times, but not always early and often not at all.
If Archos’s Android browser loads Cnet significantly slower than iPod Touch’s safari, I dunno. I wouldn’t think so. I would probably think that Cnet loads differently every time you load it, and that web caching if Cnet.com was accessed first on Archos, then on the iPod Touch at the same ISP might have cached the website to load faster on the second page load even though it’s a different device. I dunno.
Anyways, Archos renders 2.5x more pixels than the iPod Touch, so even if page loading times were the same, which they are clearly not, then Archos should be considered faster because it does require more power to render 2.5x more pixels on the screen at the same time.
It’s like saying that if two computers load the same websites on a 15″ monitor at 800×600 and a 19″ monitor at 1280×1080 at the same speed that one should consider them to be as powerful. Nope, the 1280×1080 PC would be considered more powerful.
I didn’t delete any of your posts Gazcam. At least if that is the username you are using on my forum. There are a few trolls though, as well as people working for competitors, people that are even in the process of trying to sue Archos and other types of trolling and constant bashing. Yes administrating a open forum can be a headache sometimes. Though the deletion of posts only happens when there are personal attacks unwarranted for.
As for your comment on lack of 3G.
iPod Touch is currently selling faster than the iPhone. That means there is a market for WiFi-only devices. And the advantage of Archos on that regard is a better WiFi-N (probably with longer and better range) and offers the Bluetooth tethering option to also use it on 3G, GPRS, WiMax, White Spaces or any other networks of the future through bluletooth tethering.
Also, for some, there are people that prefer the Bluetooth tethering option, cause they already have data plan with their mobile phone and would thus not need to subscribe to another 3G plan. Cause in many countries you have to signup for at least 24 months even if you want the smallest of their data plans.
In many countries with monopolistic 3G carriers, the difference in pricing between a WiFi-only and Bluetooth tethering Tablet is $200 and a 3G-enabled Tablet (with obligatory exclusivity with a carrier for the distribution) is more like $1500 or more over the 2-year contract.
I would prefer that this Archos tablet had 3G modem built-in, because where I live in Denmark I could get a monthly pre-paid 3G SIM card for less than 20€ per month for up to 10GB usage and I would love to have that integrated. Though the countries like mine are not the most, Germany may have something like it with Tchibo, Sweden, Finland has it, UK and a few other countries may have it through Three and a few other 3G carriers. Though USA and France, Archos main markets do not have anything like this and selling a cheap unlocked VOIP-enabled HD Youtube video player would actually be illegal because the carriers in those countries are the ones making the law for any products using their 3G networks.
Archos Android Tablet is possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web … http://bit.ly/1MLE8w
Lacking 3g put a crimp in my interest for the A5, as well.
Now, the Dell Streak with 3g and very similar to the A5 has me very interested. I have a feeling that the Dell will be a bit more generic, and more likely to get updates.
Thanks Chippy for letting us know that this hardware and software level are up to the task. I also wanted to say, the manufacturers have got to be watching the competition’s designs. Devices are improving at an incredible rate. I am just waiting for that last gap, 3g to fill.
Now back to the Archos debate…
Charbax – you could learn a lot from Chippy – I value his reviews, because I see them as objective and unbiased. He points out the flaws in the products, as well as the must-have features. It doesn’t appear to me that his reviews and opinions are coloured by his considerations of Google Adsense or Amazon referrals. On the basis of this admission, you lack any credibility, and I’m sure anyone reading this will now clearly see what motivates any opinions you offer, given how one-sided they ALWAYS are.
I’ve made my point, and for me this discussion ends here. You on the the other hand, I’m sure will continue, and continue, and continue ad nauseum to keep currying favour with Archos, distributing your biased, one-sided contributions right across the internet.
Meanwhile, I’ll look to others for some objectivity in guiding my purchases… over to you Chippy.
I also make revenues from my thousand videos at http://techvideoblog.com where I post all my tech coverage that’s mostly unrelated to Archos products and news to more than 1.5 million viewers yearly on my Youtube videos.
"Archos Android Tablet is possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web Experience ever. (And as fast as an Intel-based MID)" – http://is.gd/4DS7i
Mine is the new android model. The bugs list is endless, only the browser works properly. And Charbax hasn’t got a clue about my video files, his credibility is currently in question by everybody on his forum because he’s totally blinded by Archos as he is a fanboy. What he doesn’t understand or accept is that we all bought into this device and concept that has been miss sold by Archos as the software doesn’t work properly yet. Charbax thinks its acceptable to release a £300 device with unfinished software. Good browser though.
Perrin and Gazcam are correct. Blind allegiance to a product reduces Charbax’s credibility to zero. Claiming that Archos is the world’s greatest anything is ignoring the problems. To then support your argument by posting links to illegal pirate websites is lame. I think Chippy deserves a lot of credit in that he sites the advantages of a device like the Archos but is specific about what he is praising, and is always unbiased. That is clearly the kind of advice people are looking for, rather than pure unadulterated rah rah fanboyism ala Charbax and his upfront hatred of anything Apple.
Fanboys make the best bloggers.
A unbiased blogger makes for boring reporting. Nobody cares for New York Times journalism ethics.
Ha! Being a fanboy is nothing to be ashamed of, but being blind to the faults of a product is something else. Reading through your posts on your own forum point directly to the problem. You immediately attack any negative posts and often times make it personal. That never happens on UMPCportal, Pocketables, JKontheRun, Gottabemobile, etc. I tried to get a fix on the Archos Android by reading your forum. You troll your own site seemingly 24/7 to criticize people seeking the same advice as I did. Pretty useless at this point, IMHO. So here I am reading Chippy’s experience and very helpfil insight, and find you here, too. Sad.
Thanks Chippy for your input. I’ll stop here before he gets personal.
I see no posts from a username B4U8 on my forum. So you must either have never posted anything on my forum or more likely, that you post here under an anonymous username just to bash me and to not write under your archosfans troller identity.
RT @chippy Archos Android Tablet possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web Experience ever, and as fast as an Intel-based MID http://bit.ly/3pEMkc
Hey Charbax is getting more airtime than the Archos!
Lets get back to the Archos….
Hi chippy,which one would you suggest?The archos 9 at 499 euros (z510,1GB m , 60GB 1,8″ hdd ) or the viliv x70 (Intel Atom Z520 1.2GHz , 1GB Ram, 16GB SSD, GPS, Windows XP Home) at 420 pounds?I need a tablet for the easy indoor web surf and for reading ebooks.I’ve come to these models.Thanks.
Hello again Chippy.
I’m not sure I’ve read anything regarding the battery life of the A5IT while browsing… How much time does it give you when browsing from a full charge until the juice runs out? I don’t doubt that the Archos provides a great web browsing but it seems from posts I’ve read that battery life is not up to par with other devices?
Thanks.
In the last couple of days I purchased both the IPod Touch 32 GB and the Archos 5 Android 32 Gb to compare the two devices and to determine which one better suited my needs. Before buying the two devices I was leaning towards the Archos because of: 1. I have never cared for Apple, and, 2. I wanted the larger screen size. I am planning to decide which one to keep- and which one to return by 10/30/09. My reason for purchasing this this type of device: 1. I got tired of the cost of the data plans. 2. I got frustrated with using my Palm Treo, the size of the buttons and the size of the screen. 3. I wanted to stay somewhat connected to emails and the internet and didn’t mind requiring a hotspot to do this (so many locations are available for free). 4. I wanted to keep connected with my Outlook Calendar and Contacts. 5. I wanted a portable media player so my son could watch movies while he was shuffled back and forth between his mom’s house.
My early observations- The Archos does very well at connecting wifi and retreiving my emails. The browser works well. The screen size is great. The bad with Archos (and to me this is the deal breaker) Does not sync to Outlook. No Contacts and no Calendar. Also, I am still waiting for customer support because the device is no longer recognized by my computer and cannot sync movies and music. I was surprised when I was filling out my support ticket that the Archos website required an answer on what my OS was, but didn’t have it listed in the drop down box- Windows 7. I did go to Charbax’s forum in hopes of getting some help, but apparently I am colored blind or something because I couldn’t decipher the code to get my membership granted. I did click on the link for help from the Administator and sent an email. Haven’t heard back yet… maybe he is spending too much time on this website defending the Archos…
I really want the Archos to win, but without getting some answers on some problems it will need to rally at this point.
The Archos 5 is a great video player, but it disappoints as a premium Android Internet tablet and GPS unit.
Archos Android Tablet is possibly the Fastest ARM-based Web Experience ever. (And as fast as an Intel-based MID) http://bit.ly/f5qkb