Brand NameArchos
Operating SystemAndroid
Number of Items1
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Specifications
Capacity: 160 GB
Technical Details
Capacity: 160 GB
- 160GB capacity for up to 47,500 songs, 145 movies, or 1.6 million photos
- 10 hours of audio or 4 hours of video on a single charge
- 4.8-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution and 16 million colors
- Supports MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, and OGG Vorbis audio formats; MPEG-4, MPEG-4 HD (up to 720p)
- One-year limited warranty
- It has 160GB capacity for up to 47,500 songs, 145 movies, or 1.6 million photos.
- It has 4.8-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution and 16 million colors.
- It plays 10 hours of audio or 4 hours of video on a single charge.
- It supports MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, and OGG Vorbis audio formats and MPEG-4, MPEG-4 HD (up to 720p).
Product DetailsCapacity: 160 GB
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Capacity: 160 GB
Amazon.com Product Description
Archos, award-winning for its constant technology innovation, now introduces its new Archos 5 Internet Tablet. This product combines all the multimedia know-how that Archos is famous for, with the ANDROID operating system. It offers you an uncompromised Internet, Media and TV experience in a customizable interface. In perpetual evolution with the continuous arrival of new applications, you can personalize your Archos 5 Internet Tablet to perfectly reflect your tastes and needs.
 All the multimedia know-how that Archos is famous for, with the ANDROID operating system. Click to enlarge. |
HD Multimedia
Brilliant 5-inch Touchscreen
The Archos 5 features an 800 pixel-wide 5-inch touchscreen, an ultra thin design, and an accelerometer for portrait or landscape viewing. Whether enjoying media yourself or sharing with friends, it delivers outstanding image quality.
HD Video Formats
Don't compromise--the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is able to handle the widest range of video formats, even at HD 720p resolution (H.264 HD, MPEG-4 HD, and WMV HD5).
Your Music Everywhere
Enjoy more music formats directly on your device (MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, AAC+, FLAC and OGG Vorbis). In addition, the unique Archos music browsing system allows you to create your playlists without using a PC. Who needs a tuner? Just plug your Archos 5 into amplified speakers and you're all set.
Experience Your Photos
Browse through your photos with a simple flick of your finger or play a slideshow with music and transition effects. The high resolution screen is great for zooming in on details.
Take It All
With a 160 GB Hard Drive, you won't waste time choosing what files to bring along--take your entire media library with you.
 Personalize your Archos 5 Internet Tablet with apps to suit your tastes and needs. Click to enlarge. |
 Find your destination with the on-board GPS. Click to enlarge. |
Internet
Fast & Convenient Web Surfing
The Archos 5 lets you easily surf the Web. With a Wi-Fi connection (802.11 b/g/n) and the new OMAP3440 processor running at 800 MHz, you get quick and responsive Internet browsing just like on a laptop, without the endless waits for page loads. Enjoy the Web in full width thanks to the 800 pixel wide screen, with no need to zoom in or out.
3.5 G Mobile Phone Connection
If you own a standard mobile phone equipped with 3.5 G & Bluetooth technology, simply pair it up to your Archos 5 Internet Tablet via Bluetooth. This will give you easy access to Internet directly on your device anytime and anywhere.
Web TV and Web Radio
In less than 3 clicks, you can access nearly 1,000 Web TV channels, over 10,000 Web radio stations, and 100,000 podcasts. There's no downloading wait time. Radio and TV start streaming directly from a worldwide list of traditional and independent radio and TV stations.
Media Club
The Media Club remains the easiest way to get video and music content on the go. With an even richer library with new partners and some of the biggest industry names, you'll discover a large library of movies, documentaries, music albums, and games. Buy or rent your entertainment in a couple of clicks and start watching it on your Archos 5 Internet Tablet.
GPS
Full-Featured GPS
Whether you are walking or driving, you will always find your destination with the on-board GPS. The GPS includes voice assistance, points of interest, fast multiple-route calculations, and car/pedestrian/adventure modes based on the latest maps from Tele Atlas with 3D landmarks.
You can go to your account at anytime on the Archos website and purchase the available maps or cities.
3D Photo-Realistic City Navigation
Find your way around cities in 3D Photo Realistic mode. With multi-angle views and four zoom levels, you'll be able to recognize places as if you had taken your own photos from the sky. This is ideal when walking and visiting large cities in the US (available Q1 2010).
Free 7-Day Trial
Try the GPS for 7 days free of charge.
TV
HD TV-Out With the Optional DVR Station or HDMI Mini Dock
Turn your TV into a real web-connected multimedia platform. Enjoy all the Archos functions on the big screen of your living room. Watch your movies in HD (720p), listen to your music, share your high resolution pictures, play games or surf the Web.
Record your favorite programs with the Optional DVR Station
With the optional DVR Station, you have the perfect match for your Archos 5 Internet Tablet at home. Record TV shows and movies in one step using with the included remote control. Then you can enjoy your recording at home on your wide-screen TV or in the palm of your hand when you are out.
 Add the DVR Station to record TV, play video back to your TV and charge your Archos. Click to enlarge. |
 Get extended playback and S-Video/Composite video with the Battery Dock. Click to enlarge. |
 Use the DVR Snap-on to record from almost any audio or video analog source when you are on the move. Click to enlarge. |
Applications
Ready to go with pre-installed applications
Enjoy a selection of fun and practical applications for daily use right out of the box:eBuddy IM: for instant messaging
The multi-platform instant messaging application. Chat from one place to all your friends on the various platforms. Supports MSN, Yahoo, Gtalk, Facebook, ICQ, MySpace and AIM (AOL)
DroidIn: for connecting to LinkedIn
Connect to your LinkedIn account to exchange information, ideas and opportunities. Stay informed about your contacts and industry. Find the people & knowledge you need to achieve your goals. Control your career online.
Twitroid: for instant micro-blogging
Twitroid is the industry-standard Twitter client for the Android platform. Easily access the famous free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables you to send and read tweets, publish short URLs and pictures.
Deezer: for music streaming
Enjoy 35 free web radio stations and the SmartRadio directly on your Archos 5 Internet Tablet.
Dailymotion: for viewing and sharing videos
Browse videos by searching tags, channels or user-created groups.
QuickPedia: for access to Wikipedia
Access to the free web-based and collaborative encyclopedia.
ThinkFree Mobile: for viewing Office documents
This application allows you to view, edit and create Microsoft Office 97/2000/XP/2003/2007 Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents. You will get a free update before year-end allowing you to also edit and create documents.
E-mail & contacts
Stay in contact by using the full integrated Email and contacts applications.
Moov: toggles easily between your apps
Moov wraps up your search needs all in one place, so you can quickly toggle between the product's contacts, Google, Wikipedia and the remaining Applications on your product.
CraigsPhone: for access to online classified advertisements
CraigsPhone is a centralized network of online communities, featuring free online classified advertisements � with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, r�sum�s, and discussion forums.
High Paying Jobs: for access to a list of jobs (US & Canada only)
Browse through jobs lists directly on the Product. Search over 2 million jobs from all the leading jobsites.
Add-ons
DVR Station
This accessory allows you to record TV, play video back to your TV and charge your Archos. Recording your favorite programs has never been so easy. You can also surf the Web or stream web video to your TV while comfortably laid back on your couch using the included remote control as a keyboard and mouse pointer.
DVR Snap-on
Use our DVR Snap-on to record from almost any audio or video analog source when you are on the move.
Mini Dock
Transfer your files directly from USB keys, digital cameras, or other portable media players. Quickly charge your Archos with the included charger/adapter. Play video out to your TV with video output in high quality S-Video or standard quality composite.
HDMI Mini Dock
Optimize TV playback with HDMI output quality. Transfer your files directly from USB keys, digital cameras, or other portable media players from the standard USB port. Quickly charge your Archos with the included charger/adapter.
Battery Dock
Transfer your files directly from USB sticks, digital cameras, or other portable media players. Quickly charge your Archos with the included charger/adapter and get extended playback with the built-in backup battery. Play video out to your TV with video output in high quality S-Video or standard quality composite.
What's in the Box
Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android (160 GB), headphones, Standard USB cable, DVR Station adapter, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice.Product Description
ARCHOS, award-winning for its constant technology innovation, now introduces its new ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet. This product combines all the multimedia know-how that ARCHOS is famous for, with the ANDROID operating system. It offers you an uncompromised Internet, media and TV experience in a customizable interface. In perpetual evolution with the continuous arrival of new applications, you can personalize your ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet to perfectly reflect your tastes and needs.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
412 of 475 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:32 GB|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have to say that I went against my gut when purchasing this device, as it looked really nice, and really, I wanted it for watching movies, listening to music and checking the internet quickly when I am on the run in airports.
The movie portion worked really well. For that, I give this device 5 STARS...I actually downloaded movies to my Amazon Unbox, then hooked up the Archos and bam, instantly on my new Archos 5 (well, after the movie downloaded to my unbox in 1.5 hours).
The music portion also works flawlessly. Not really any hiccups there, and the sound was good, but could be better. For that, I would give it 4 stars...
SO FAR SO GOOD RIGHT?
WRONG
First, I had the reset this device 5 times in 2 days because it just plain froze up. I would get multiple error messages when I was connected to internet, dropping the connection frequently (and yeah, I'm pretty skilled at making that work). TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE.
And I don't want to hear how a simple patch or download will fix this issue. If it doesn't work out of the box, than DON'T SHIP IT!! I've been reading that apparently, Archos is getting slammed with this stuff after only a week.
FOR THAT, it gets 1 STAR and should get ZERO stars!!
Second, the Appslib was never installed on this device. I called customer service, was talking to someone in 5 minutes, who then put me on hold for 45 MINUTES!! After 45 minutes (I only stayed on hold that long cause I was watching NFL game so I had nothing else to really attend to at the time), the phone rang for 10 more minutes, and then, line went dead. PATHETIC!!!!
I am reading that some software update added actually might have been the reason for the Appslib to never appear, and if you look at Amazon site, they pulled the 160GB version.
For that, I give it NEGATIVE STARS...TERRIBLE service and TERRIBLE that this device did not come preloaded as advertised.
I am sending it back and will use my Toshiba Netbook to watch movies on the plane rides for now. I'm really disappointed. The device itself was really nice and sleek looking. The interface was nice.
The resistive keyboard was kind of annoying as it took a pretty good finger press to make it respond, but worked well enough. I learned to type pretty well on it in 2 days.
I'm ANNOYED!!!
I would have bought the ZuneHD but the screen is too small for movies, as well as the Ipod touch..
I'm now considering the Viliv ex70 as I've heard great things and it's gotten favorable reviews.
I've read Archos history but wanted this device to work...The Android platform has a lot of potential and anything google touches pretty much works as advertised.
Now, I'll have to shop around a little.
I can tell you one thing...unless people start giving this device 4-5 stars when the bugs are worked out, I'll never buy another thing from this company.
EDIT TO REVIEW:
I have downloaded a new firmware update and the device is no longer needing to be reset constantly. It also does not lag any longer and seems a little more snappy and responsive. I'm going to hold on to it for now and see how this plays out over the next 3 weeks. I'm actually flying to CA for a sales meeting next week and so it'll be tested well. If I find it is just needing more debugging it's going back and I'll also update again.
I have 2 movies that I just loaded to it from Unbox. Wolverine and The Dark Knight...Both look very good, although I'd love to get my hands on a HD version of these movies to push to the device.
I'm nervous, however, to buy the HD plugin because I've read somewhere that it does not work or does not read that you have purchased it.
One last thing:
I also just read now that on the Viliv you can actually run Windows 7. It has a camera, and if that is the case, you can snap photos and then ink on them which I do when I'm on job sites taking photos and marking up buildings and plans. That seems practical to me. However, it's expensive (around $800-$900) and this device would be GREAT if these bugs go away.
Let me also so, GET THE 32GB NOT THE 160GB model. The 32GB runs SSD and it very snappy. It's also half the weight and thin.
I'd say it's as thin as my wife's iphone and as heavy as holding a large starbucks coffee. It's light and thin.
I have yet to try the GPS software but plan on downloading it from the disk provided to get the 7 day trial out of it. I'd LOVE that to work. Has a lot of potential when the 3D maps are available for the US in 2nd quarter of 2010.
BEWARE, not matter how much you want something...BEWARE
UPDATE #2: Done with it. It is going back NOW. I did the firmware update and it did NOTHING to help this machine. At first it appeared to make the system work faster, but then, it has frozen up 2 more times. Furthermore, I tried to install the GPS 7 day trial using the disk and the device again froze up. Sorry, but I cannot believe that these people would let these go out the door KNOWING it has issues. How the hell can they NOT know? If everyone here but one person has given this thing pretty poor marks, are they only using fully functional and perfectly tested devices?
Literally, look at the reviews and you will see what I am talking about. It's amazing to me that a company would do this. Yes, large companies have devices that periodically are returned defective. But at the rate that these people are getting complaints, you have to wonder how this could go on for the period of time that it has.
So, Archos will never get another dime from me, unless of course they come out with a fully functional non brick like device that people are raving about. I believe my next device will be a Viliv. I have read review after review on those devices and they are almost all positive. The machines perform the way they were intended to, unlike this one.
And it's too bad...this is such a nice looking and feeling device. The screen is nice, it feels really easy to use in the hand...It's a shame it just does not perform.
The movie portion worked really well. For that, I give this device 5 STARS...I actually downloaded movies to my Amazon Unbox, then hooked up the Archos and bam, instantly on my new Archos 5 (well, after the movie downloaded to my unbox in 1.5 hours).
The music portion also works flawlessly. Not really any hiccups there, and the sound was good, but could be better. For that, I would give it 4 stars...
SO FAR SO GOOD RIGHT?
WRONG
First, I had the reset this device 5 times in 2 days because it just plain froze up. I would get multiple error messages when I was connected to internet, dropping the connection frequently (and yeah, I'm pretty skilled at making that work). TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE.
And I don't want to hear how a simple patch or download will fix this issue. If it doesn't work out of the box, than DON'T SHIP IT!! I've been reading that apparently, Archos is getting slammed with this stuff after only a week.
FOR THAT, it gets 1 STAR and should get ZERO stars!!
Second, the Appslib was never installed on this device. I called customer service, was talking to someone in 5 minutes, who then put me on hold for 45 MINUTES!! After 45 minutes (I only stayed on hold that long cause I was watching NFL game so I had nothing else to really attend to at the time), the phone rang for 10 more minutes, and then, line went dead. PATHETIC!!!!
I am reading that some software update added actually might have been the reason for the Appslib to never appear, and if you look at Amazon site, they pulled the 160GB version.
For that, I give it NEGATIVE STARS...TERRIBLE service and TERRIBLE that this device did not come preloaded as advertised.
I am sending it back and will use my Toshiba Netbook to watch movies on the plane rides for now. I'm really disappointed. The device itself was really nice and sleek looking. The interface was nice.
The resistive keyboard was kind of annoying as it took a pretty good finger press to make it respond, but worked well enough. I learned to type pretty well on it in 2 days.
I'm ANNOYED!!!
I would have bought the ZuneHD but the screen is too small for movies, as well as the Ipod touch..
I'm now considering the Viliv ex70 as I've heard great things and it's gotten favorable reviews.
I've read Archos history but wanted this device to work...The Android platform has a lot of potential and anything google touches pretty much works as advertised.
Now, I'll have to shop around a little.
I can tell you one thing...unless people start giving this device 4-5 stars when the bugs are worked out, I'll never buy another thing from this company.
EDIT TO REVIEW:
I have downloaded a new firmware update and the device is no longer needing to be reset constantly. It also does not lag any longer and seems a little more snappy and responsive. I'm going to hold on to it for now and see how this plays out over the next 3 weeks. I'm actually flying to CA for a sales meeting next week and so it'll be tested well. If I find it is just needing more debugging it's going back and I'll also update again.
I have 2 movies that I just loaded to it from Unbox. Wolverine and The Dark Knight...Both look very good, although I'd love to get my hands on a HD version of these movies to push to the device.
I'm nervous, however, to buy the HD plugin because I've read somewhere that it does not work or does not read that you have purchased it.
One last thing:
I also just read now that on the Viliv you can actually run Windows 7. It has a camera, and if that is the case, you can snap photos and then ink on them which I do when I'm on job sites taking photos and marking up buildings and plans. That seems practical to me. However, it's expensive (around $800-$900) and this device would be GREAT if these bugs go away.
Let me also so, GET THE 32GB NOT THE 160GB model. The 32GB runs SSD and it very snappy. It's also half the weight and thin.
I'd say it's as thin as my wife's iphone and as heavy as holding a large starbucks coffee. It's light and thin.
I have yet to try the GPS software but plan on downloading it from the disk provided to get the 7 day trial out of it. I'd LOVE that to work. Has a lot of potential when the 3D maps are available for the US in 2nd quarter of 2010.
BEWARE, not matter how much you want something...BEWARE
UPDATE #2: Done with it. It is going back NOW. I did the firmware update and it did NOTHING to help this machine. At first it appeared to make the system work faster, but then, it has frozen up 2 more times. Furthermore, I tried to install the GPS 7 day trial using the disk and the device again froze up. Sorry, but I cannot believe that these people would let these go out the door KNOWING it has issues. How the hell can they NOT know? If everyone here but one person has given this thing pretty poor marks, are they only using fully functional and perfectly tested devices?
Literally, look at the reviews and you will see what I am talking about. It's amazing to me that a company would do this. Yes, large companies have devices that periodically are returned defective. But at the rate that these people are getting complaints, you have to wonder how this could go on for the period of time that it has.
So, Archos will never get another dime from me, unless of course they come out with a fully functional non brick like device that people are raving about. I believe my next device will be a Viliv. I have read review after review on those devices and they are almost all positive. The machines perform the way they were intended to, unlike this one.
And it's too bad...this is such a nice looking and feeling device. The screen is nice, it feels really easy to use in the hand...It's a shame it just does not perform.
47 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:32 GB
Just don't buy this product. It's a simple as that.
Mine never really worked.
- Despite buying the optional HD video software, the device isn't able to play HD (720) content properly. I constantly have a/v out-of-sync problems. The video lags the audio. All the time. Then you pause, resume playing and it's ok for 5 minutes but then it drifts out of sync again.
- Accessing the microsd card is a disaster. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You need to keep on inserting and removing the card.
- The battery doesn't even last an hour if you are playing videos
- The device gets extremely warm (so warm that it is uncomfortable in your hands)
But what's worst is that you are on your own if you buy this. Archos support doesn't exist!
My device had all these problems. I logged tickets with their support and nobody *ever* bothered to respond. Then one day my Archos just stopped working completely. The screen would just flicker and never turn on.
So I wrote a letter to the CEO or Archos and returned this awfully engineered piece of hardware to them. All I got back is a standard letter telling me my warranty has expired (which for the record isn't true) and an offer to repair my Archos 5 for 148 EUROs.
Stay away from Archos.
Mine never really worked.
- Despite buying the optional HD video software, the device isn't able to play HD (720) content properly. I constantly have a/v out-of-sync problems. The video lags the audio. All the time. Then you pause, resume playing and it's ok for 5 minutes but then it drifts out of sync again.
- Accessing the microsd card is a disaster. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You need to keep on inserting and removing the card.
- The battery doesn't even last an hour if you are playing videos
- The device gets extremely warm (so warm that it is uncomfortable in your hands)
But what's worst is that you are on your own if you buy this. Archos support doesn't exist!
My device had all these problems. I logged tickets with their support and nobody *ever* bothered to respond. Then one day my Archos just stopped working completely. The screen would just flicker and never turn on.
So I wrote a letter to the CEO or Archos and returned this awfully engineered piece of hardware to them. All I got back is a standard letter telling me my warranty has expired (which for the record isn't true) and an offer to repair my Archos 5 for 148 EUROs.
Stay away from Archos.
38 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:160 GB|Amazon Verified Purchase
update 10/20/10:
save your money - i have had to have this device replaced or repaired no less than 5 times so far, and likely more than that. in all honesty, most of the time it had to be replaced b/c their support people sent me back units that were either wrong (they replaced it once with the older archos 5 model, rather than android, in a folgers-esque "lets see if he notices" moment), or because they sent me back a unit that was defective in an all new way than the device it was replacing.
due to their rediculously poor support (being without my device for weeks on end is bad support in my opinion) and treatment of their customers, i just cant recommend any of their products anymore. its like they dont QA them at all, and they make no effort to foster any customer good will.
below is my original review, if only to contrast exactly how much my view of this company and device has changed.
-----------------------------------------------
This is a great device with a few minor interface issues and bugs. im not going to write a thesis on this, so ill just boil it down. just to let you know, ive previously owned an archos 604wifi and an archos av420.
the pros:
- the interface is very slick, it takes some getting used to but once you do it is great! its MUCH tighter than any apple product in the way the interface works seamlessly throughout the entire experience despite what application you are using.
- set up was very simple, streaming from either web radio, pandora, or my personal network (all via wifi) was amazing. surprisingly the battery life doesnt seem terrible either. i havent done any strenuous tests yet, but i used the device last night constantly streaming web radio via wifi, connected to bluetooth devices, and with the screen on and active while i was browsing the net a bit (looking thru applications to add) for 2 or 3 consecutive hours last night, and only seemed to use 1/3 of the battery.
- its more intelligent than previous versions, letting me know why certain files i have wont play on this during the transfer process. it offered to still let me copy them across for storage, but said i wouldnt be able to play them with the device. previously it would copy them, let me add them into the playlist, then bail-out of playback whenever it came across it, which was very annoying since i tend to make big playlists and use shuffle.
- built in fm transmitter! FINALLY! ive been waiting for them to put this into (or at least attached to) the device themselves for a long time - basically since i bought the fm receiver for the av420 /thinking/ it was a transmitter. ;) sadly i havent figured out how to get this working just yet, but i havent had alot of time to play with it in the car (thats my after-work project today).
i havent had the chance to play with the GPS yet, but making this all inclusive like that is a great idea, i hope its executed well (however i havent heard good things about teleatlas).
the cons:
- its ALOT thicker than it appears on the web - probably dictated by hard drive size, but its basically as thick as my 604wifi. the web image was very misleading, i was expecting something much thinner.
i dont get why all the applications use the accelerometer to change orientation, but the home menu's dont? seems like a silly oversight.
- it seems a little laggy, and its hung a number of times to the point that ive had to force-reboot it. im really hoping for a system update to fix this stability issue.
- text entry boxes are a little odd, you cant easily click and drag to highlight parts of text to delete or edit. hoping a system update fixes this.
- im pretty good with tech toys, but i have not been able to get this thing to "tether" to my phone yet. it seems to pair with phone, but my phone says there are no available services on the archos that its interested in so it never "connects". not quite sure whats going on here.
- not a real con but since i am a previous owner it was a little hard to get used to: you cant choose to add an entire folder of songs to a playlist when creating them on the device anymore. at first i thought they were forcing me to add one song at a time, but its not as bad as that: what they do is make you enter the directory you want to add, choose any song and click to add it to the playlist from the menu. once you do it opens another small menu asking if you want to add just that track or all the tracks in that directory. its mildly annoying b/c it requires a few extra steps for something that seems really basic: they could have just let me add the directory and automated that functionality. im really hoping a system update fixes this as well.
- booting up doesnt seem to be any better than it had been on the 604 (which was noticably longer than the 420 had been). however it does have a "stand-by" mode that appears to use no battery life and boots up in seconds. not quite sure if this really is a con since they seem to have provided a solution that is great, which is why its last. ;)
Summary:
great device, some bugs but very small and easy to overlook so far, and they should be easily fixed (hopefully quickly). im REALLY excited for this product and hope to see archos throwing its continued support behind it.
sorry, i guess that was alot longer than i hoped or expected.
save your money - i have had to have this device replaced or repaired no less than 5 times so far, and likely more than that. in all honesty, most of the time it had to be replaced b/c their support people sent me back units that were either wrong (they replaced it once with the older archos 5 model, rather than android, in a folgers-esque "lets see if he notices" moment), or because they sent me back a unit that was defective in an all new way than the device it was replacing.
due to their rediculously poor support (being without my device for weeks on end is bad support in my opinion) and treatment of their customers, i just cant recommend any of their products anymore. its like they dont QA them at all, and they make no effort to foster any customer good will.
below is my original review, if only to contrast exactly how much my view of this company and device has changed.
-----------------------------------------------
This is a great device with a few minor interface issues and bugs. im not going to write a thesis on this, so ill just boil it down. just to let you know, ive previously owned an archos 604wifi and an archos av420.
the pros:
- the interface is very slick, it takes some getting used to but once you do it is great! its MUCH tighter than any apple product in the way the interface works seamlessly throughout the entire experience despite what application you are using.
- set up was very simple, streaming from either web radio, pandora, or my personal network (all via wifi) was amazing. surprisingly the battery life doesnt seem terrible either. i havent done any strenuous tests yet, but i used the device last night constantly streaming web radio via wifi, connected to bluetooth devices, and with the screen on and active while i was browsing the net a bit (looking thru applications to add) for 2 or 3 consecutive hours last night, and only seemed to use 1/3 of the battery.
- its more intelligent than previous versions, letting me know why certain files i have wont play on this during the transfer process. it offered to still let me copy them across for storage, but said i wouldnt be able to play them with the device. previously it would copy them, let me add them into the playlist, then bail-out of playback whenever it came across it, which was very annoying since i tend to make big playlists and use shuffle.
- built in fm transmitter! FINALLY! ive been waiting for them to put this into (or at least attached to) the device themselves for a long time - basically since i bought the fm receiver for the av420 /thinking/ it was a transmitter. ;) sadly i havent figured out how to get this working just yet, but i havent had alot of time to play with it in the car (thats my after-work project today).
i havent had the chance to play with the GPS yet, but making this all inclusive like that is a great idea, i hope its executed well (however i havent heard good things about teleatlas).
the cons:
- its ALOT thicker than it appears on the web - probably dictated by hard drive size, but its basically as thick as my 604wifi. the web image was very misleading, i was expecting something much thinner.
i dont get why all the applications use the accelerometer to change orientation, but the home menu's dont? seems like a silly oversight.
- it seems a little laggy, and its hung a number of times to the point that ive had to force-reboot it. im really hoping for a system update to fix this stability issue.
- text entry boxes are a little odd, you cant easily click and drag to highlight parts of text to delete or edit. hoping a system update fixes this.
- im pretty good with tech toys, but i have not been able to get this thing to "tether" to my phone yet. it seems to pair with phone, but my phone says there are no available services on the archos that its interested in so it never "connects". not quite sure whats going on here.
- not a real con but since i am a previous owner it was a little hard to get used to: you cant choose to add an entire folder of songs to a playlist when creating them on the device anymore. at first i thought they were forcing me to add one song at a time, but its not as bad as that: what they do is make you enter the directory you want to add, choose any song and click to add it to the playlist from the menu. once you do it opens another small menu asking if you want to add just that track or all the tracks in that directory. its mildly annoying b/c it requires a few extra steps for something that seems really basic: they could have just let me add the directory and automated that functionality. im really hoping a system update fixes this as well.
- booting up doesnt seem to be any better than it had been on the 604 (which was noticably longer than the 420 had been). however it does have a "stand-by" mode that appears to use no battery life and boots up in seconds. not quite sure if this really is a con since they seem to have provided a solution that is great, which is why its last. ;)
Summary:
great device, some bugs but very small and easy to overlook so far, and they should be easily fixed (hopefully quickly). im REALLY excited for this product and hope to see archos throwing its continued support behind it.
sorry, i guess that was alot longer than i hoped or expected.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT
Worst product I have ever bought. I can't figure out how to update it so the apps will work. I haven't found a way to download apps because there is no easy way to update this... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rebecka
Archos 5 Internet Tablet w/Android
I received the Archos in record time and enjoy every option compared to the Archos 5 Internet/Media Player. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Leroy
Do Not Buy !!!!!!!
I bought this unit because I thought it might by an alternative to a pricey I touch. It is true....you get what you pay for. The unit did not work correctly. Read more
Published 3 months ago by V. Essigman
Android tablet specially geared for video & audio
I come from using the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet to this Andriod version. The MP3 player, photo viewer and movie player from the IMT are all still present, but are now just... Read more
Published 4 months ago by A. Gruenenwald
Great bargain Android units
First of all - for everyone criticizing this unit for NOT having the official android market - HEY, this unit is several years old and it was KNOWN from the start it will NOT have... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Lologuy
Archos internet tablet w/ android handy Gizmo
compact and very handy , right in your finger tip when you need information of location, direction and other things
that comes into mind. Read more
that comes into mind. Read more
Published 7 months ago by pete
Works good as a video and MP3 player,somewhat for internet
I got this for the 500GB.Sometimes I think the 32GB Flash Drive would have been better. I use it for movies mostly,and have some, not all of my fav MP3's. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Alfred Escoto
Archos 5
I purchased this tablet in June '11. Less than a month later Adobe Flash player does not recognize the OS (1.6) on this tablet so it will not install. Now youtube, ESPN. Read more
Published 8 months ago by DonB
After 10 months of rarely using it, it won't turn on
I have had one since Dec 2010. I rarely use this device too. The clock keeps screwing up or something because it's never stable when it goes to sleep. Read more
Published 8 months ago by christine
what a piece of crap
I ordered this a few weeks ago and have been playing with it. It works fine for a mp3 player, but the android operating system on it sucks. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Dr Infrared
Related Items
- Most Popular
- Digital Media Devices
- Touch Screen Tablet Cases & Sleeves
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
Look for Similar Items by Category
Capacity: 160 GB
