Short Version: After a handful of rapid-fire firmware updates, the Android-infused Archos 5 Internet Tablet has turned out to be quite a compelling device. The snappy web browser, marathon battery life, and nearly endless list of features and functions make Archos’ latest couch companion a worthwhile option if you’re shopping for portables. If you’re drawn to the Archos 5 Internet Tablet purely based on the fact that it’s running Android, though, you’ll likely come away disappointed as there’s no access to the popular Android Market.

Features:

• Screen: 4.8-inch 800×480 touchscreen
• Storage: 32GB flash memory
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth, GPS
• Codec Support: MP4, WMV, MPEG-2, H.264, MP3, FLAC, OGG, AAC, WMA
• Promised Battery Life: 22 hours audio, 7 hours video
• Expansion: microSD
• Other: Android OS, web browser, downloadable apps, FM receiver, optional DVR
• Dimensions: 5.63” x 3.1” x 0.4” and 6.4 ounces
• MSRP of $379.99

Pros:

• Jack-of-all-trades device handles audio, video, web surfing, radio, e-mail, GPS, media streaming, digital video recording, games, photos, and more
• Impressive battery life — especially for audio and video playback
• High-resolution screen works well for web sites and videos

Cons:

• The $380 starting price is compounded by having to pay to unlock extras like MPEG-2/WMVHD video playback, GPS subscription, and DVR functionality
• Built-in Archos-branded app store is severely limited, and there’s no access to the more popular Android Market

Review:

I’ve been playing with the Archos 5 Internet Tablet for about a month now. I have the 32GB flash version, which is a gorgeous slab of electronics sized small enough to fit in a roomy pocket but large enough to keep next to your favorite armchair in lieu of a full size laptop.

While the aesthetic appeal of previous Archos devices has traditionally been the subject of great debate, most would agree that this new one looks pretty nice inside and out.

To say that the first couple weeks I spent with the device were worrisome would be putting it lightly. The UI was slow and clunky, the battery drained even when the tablet was in standby mode, and the web browser crashed out to the main screen during periods of moderate use.

Then came a firmware update. Then another. And another. And suddenly everything worked.

I’m now happy to report that the tablet is much more stable, the battery life has greatly improved, and surfing the web and navigating the interface is sufficiently slick. I’m using firmware version 1.2.15 (Android 1.5) at the time of this review.

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet does many things and, as with most portable media players, the big question is whether or not it can do each one of those things well.

Basic Audio and Video Playback

For audio and video playback, the device handles everything with ease. Videos look great on the crisp 4.8-inch screen and the 800×480 resolution renders downscaled HD videos and standard-definition videos phenomenally. Archos has really nailed down the core functionality of its portable media players. Music and videos come first, everything else comes second.

I was skeptical of Archos’ claim of 7-hour battery life for video playback, so I set a playlist up to repeat indefinitely at 25% brightness and 25% volume just to see how close we’d get to that number. To my surprise, the tablet hit 6 hours and 15 minutes before petering out. That’s not too bad at all, especially considering I left the Wi-Fi connected the entire time.

Audio playback is handled via a simple interface that displays album artwork. I found the built-in speaker to be too tinny to listen to anything other than spoken-word podcasts – playing actual music sounds much better through a pair of decent headphones. Battery life for music playback is pegged at 22 hours and, again, those claims held up pretty well. I managed about 20 hours and 30 minutes with volume at 25% and Wi-Fi turned on.

And finally, just for good measure, here’s where I complain about Archos charging people $40 to unlock 720p WMV and MP4 playback. That functionality should always be included at no extra charge but Archos has been charging people for it for a long time now, so I give up.

Web Browsing

The built-in web browser is quick and responsive, thanks in large part to the 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU that powers the tablet. The 800×480 screen renders full versions of web sites relatively faithfully, although the browser will default to the mobile version of most sites if there’s one available.

Trying to use the Archos 5 Internet Tablet for web videos is, unfortunately, too hit-or-miss right now if one of your big goals is to watch YouTube videos all day. YouTube apparently tweaked their API recently, which caused videos handed off from the browser to Archos’ built-in video player to just freeze the tablet, requiring a reboot.

There’s a standalone Dailymotion player included, and I’m currently having trouble getting those videos to work as well. There’s loose talk of a Flash 10 update coming to the device sometime but until then, browser-based Flash video is still pretty rough around the edges.

Not to say that YouTube videos never worked on the device – they used to, at least. They even played back in HD (see this post on ArchosFans.com for proof).

So if you’re planning on using the web browser for basic, straightforward stuff then you’ll like it just fine. It’s quick, the keyboard works great, and pages render nicely on the 4.8-inch LCD.

Battery life is pretty solid as well. Under heavy testing (a website auto-refreshing every minute and a different site simultaneously scrolling through RSS feeds like a news ticker), the tablet managed to stay alive for five hours.

Software

And now for the Archos 5 Internet Tablet’s Achilles heel: software. Part of the allure of an Android device is access to the thousands of great free and for-pay applications found in the Android Market. Unfortunately, though, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet’s 800×480 screen resolution and lack of dedicated Home and Back hardware buttons place it outside the list of compatible devices for the current version of Android (1.5) that it’s running.

That’s not to say that you’re completely out of luck. Archos has built its own app store into the device, called AppsLib. It’s a pretty clunky, slow-loading (sometimes freezing), repository with a mere handful of available applications (listed here) – a far cry from what’s available in the Android Market. There’s no Google Maps here, no Qik, no SportsTap, none of that stuff.

That’s not entirely Archos’ fault and it’s possible that a future update might load Android 2.0 onto the device someday (which includes compatibility for 800×480 screens) but as of now, your options for new apps are very limited and the interface that’s used to deliver them is frustrating at best.

What you’re left with is a mish-mash of pre-installed applications that range from quasi-useful to downright unrecognizable. Archos is a French company, so some of the stuff (like Dailymotion and Deezer for instance) will be of little to no interest to U.S. consumers.

Here’s a list of what you get:

• GPS (called NDrive): Actually works pretty well. Free 7-day trial and then $39 one-time unlock fee thereafter. There’s 3D navigation, turn-by-turn directions, quick satellite lock – turns the Archos 5 Internet Tablet into a serviceable GPS system for the car.
• Quickpedia: Wikipedia front-end. Also includes location-based searches via GPS
• Dailymotion: YouTube-like video portal from France
• Browser, E-mail, Contacts
• Craigsphone: Craigslist front-end
• Twidroid: Twitter
• AppsLib: Archos’ app store
• High Paying Jobs: Guess!
• Deezer: French streaming music site
• eBuddy: Universal instant messaging client
• DVB-T: Digital TV front-end that requires Archos’ “TV Snap-On” accessory (I don’t think it’s even available in the U.S., though)
• DroidIn-Lite: LinkedIn front-end
• ThinkFree Mobile: Microsoft Office file viewer
• Moov: Application launcher
• Yellowbook: Phonebook
• Video: File playback, network streaming, and schedule TV recordings (with one of the required $80 or $140 DVR accessories)
• Music: File playback, network streaming, FM radio
• Photo: View local image files or grab them over a network
• Games: 8 Flash games available, 13 “Playin TV” games available – additional 4-packs can be purchased from Archos for $10 apiece.
• Media Club: Web TV (streaming weather/public TV stations, video podcast directory), Web Radio (streaming radio stations, podcast directory), Music (links to Jamendo web service), Archos Store (premium Media Club services)

Conclusion

Are you interested in an attractive, lightweight portable media player with great battery life that you can use mainly to consume audio and video files that have been directly downloaded or streamed across a local network? If so, you’ll like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. You’ll get what you’re looking for along with the added bonus of a great web browser, pretty good GPS navigator, and a handful of somewhat useful software.

If, however, you’re interested in an Android device with a large, high-resolution screen that you can use to watch YouTube videos, download cool applications, and surf complex websites in an attempt to replace your laptop or netbook, you’ll likely be disappointed. As with most jack-of-all-trades devices, it’s common to be a master-of-none. I’d say that Archos has sufficiently mastered the multimedia end of the portable spectrum, but there’s still plenty of work left to be done when it comes to the company’s Android initiative.

This is Archos’ first stab at an Android device, and early adopters will likely be willing to put up with various shortcomings along the way. And, again, those looking for video and music features first and foremost won’t have too much to complain about here. But Android fans looking for a killer tablet for Android’s sake would be better off waiting to see what’s next.

Achos 5 Internet Tablet [Archos.com]

Although previously targeted for launch on October 22nd with a price tag of $500, it looks like Archos’ 9-inch tablet is just now available for pre-order on the company’s web site and priced at $550.

Official specs (according to the product page) include:

• 8.9″ screen
• Windows 7 Starter Edition
• WiFi and Bluetooth
• Extremely light and thin, .67″ and 29 ounces
• HD Video: Watch video in 1080p (H264HP 1080p)
• Internet: Experience the full internet on a 8.9″ screen
• Edit and create documents with the QWERTY virtual keyboard
• Forward facing 1.3MP web cam for video conferencing
• Battery Life: 5hr (WiFi Bluetooth off, mini backlight)

There’s a topic over in the ArchosFans.com forum with some loose shipment information being bandied about that might be worth keeping an eye on if you’re waiting for yours.

Archos 9 [Product Page via Engadget]

The Fedex man (his name is Gary) dropped off the Android-powered Archos 5 Internet Tablet this morning. I, in turn, opened the box and took photos of the aforementioned device.

Specs (complete list here):

• 4.8-inch touchscreen (800×480 resolution)
• 32GB storage, expandable via microSD
• Video playback: MP4 (720p), H.264 (720p), WMV (DVD resolution), MKV (720p)
• Audio playback: MP3, WMA, AAC+, Ogg, FLAC
• Photo viewer: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 (A2DP), FM transmitter, FM receiver, GPS
• Built-in speaker, microphone, and kickstand

Size

The tablet is about 5.5 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and .25 inches thick. It feels solid, but not too heavy. Kind of like a big smartphone. It’d definitely fit in a roomy pants pocket.

There’s a kickstand built into the back of the tablet, allowing you to set it on a desk.

Screen

The 800×480-resolution screen works well for watching video clips and navigating the Android interface, although you’ll need to do some side-scrolling on web pages. There’s a built-in accelerometer that orients the screen horizontally or vertically.

Software

There’s a built-in app store with Free, Search, and Update tabs along the top. Selection seems a bit limited and I was unable to find any for-pay apps but I need to play around more.

The video player works okay with locally-saved videos but I had some trouble with certain YouTube clips. One time I just got sound and no video and a few other times the player would start loading a clip and never end up playing it. The tablet uses a YouTube player – it doesn’t directly play YouTube Flash videos embedded in the web browser.

Music playback is handled via standard 3.5mm audio jack or using the built-in speaker.

The GPS software features overhead maps and voice guidance. It seemed to work well but I haven’t actually tested it in a car yet..

Other Info

• At first glance the tablet seems a tad sluggish (especially when typing), but I still need to put in some quality time with it.
• Archos also sent me the AV docking station so I’ll be able to hook the tablet up to a TV.
• The main screen can only be used horizontally, tilting the tablet vertically does nothing.

I’ll have a full review up in the coming weeks. Please leave any questions in the comments section below and I’ll try to address as many as I can.

Here’s a little more info on the Archos 9 Tablet. Apparently it’ll be available here in the US on October 22nd, the same day Windows 7 is available. The price tag is pretty aggressive at $499, too.

That’ll get you an Atom Z510 CPU at 1.1GHz, a 9-inch touchscreen with 1024×600 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 60GB hard drive, Windows 7 Starter, four hours of battery life, and a weight of about 1.75 pounds.

UMPC Portal has a video of the device in action. Looks pretty nice. It seems a little sluggish but some of that might get hammered out before the official release. It’ll never be SUPER fast, though, considering the form factor, but perhaps it’d get a nice place on your coffee table.

Archos 9 release announced at IDF, October 22nd, $499 [UMPC Portal]

Laptop Magazine has a little hands on that shows it being pretty much what you’d expect. The touchscreen, although the lady says it’s very responsive, appears about as laggy as my G1’s. Still, with 60GB of storage and some serious firepower running the thing, it’s still a pretty serious super-PMP.

Is it going to be a pocket tablet computer with an always on 3G connection? Or is going to be a cell phone that can also do just about everything a tablet can? We don’t know. We also don’t know when the Phone Tablet will come out, who will carry it, or how much it will be. But Archos has our attention now. That’s for sure.

[Electronic Pig via Gizmodo]

• 16GB: $294
• 32GB: $370
• 160GB: $320
• 500GB: $420

My my, pricey! But Archos has never been into budget electronics that I know of. For that price you’ll probably be able to Get a CrunchPad.

[via the internet]

It was just a matter of time. With the Archos Android announcement scheduled for September 15, the boys at the FCC have splayed the Android-powered MID that popped up on the AppsLib site. The A5S (#7501) was tested with a 5-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and FM transmitter/receiver.

Also mentioned in the user manual is the A5H (#7502), which may or may not pack built-in 3G WWAN. It could, however, show up on the A5S, but was not tested by the FCC. Both models should ship with a microSD slot and a microUSB port. One of the FCC images shows the A5S running a custom UI over the Android OS.

via /gear

A product shot appeared a few days ago of the Archos 2 Vision. It looked nice. But the French site ArchosLounge.net recently got some face time with the upcoming PMP and, well, it doesn’t look that great anymore. The original press shot looked slick and smooth, but this hands-on shot makes it looks like a no-name Chinese player. It’s an Archos so it probably runs great, but I hope I’m not the only one disappointed with the design.

But then again, maybe it just doesn’t look that great on camera. Some gadgets and people are like that. I once dated a girl that always looked horrible in pictures. I think it was her dumb smile. Anyway, maybe this PMP looks good enough, but this shot really doesn’t show it. Thankfully the hardware and specs are acceptable.

Click through for more live shots of the Archos 3 Vision, the cute and little Clipper, and the Archos 10s.

Ooh la la. A real deal Android tablet this summer? Am I dreaming? No! I’m so in love with this OS it’s disgusting. Put aside my sickening love for a freaking OS and consider taking a gander at AppsLib? It’s the Application Store for Android launched by Archos, which states that registration will begin on September 15 “following the launch of this initiative”. If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite then how about some specs for the Archos Android tablet?

The tablet will rock a 5-inch 800×480 screen that plays back 720p content natively. And lest we forget, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (that’s what they’re calling it on the AppsLib site) will have an HDMI out and comes with natively embedded OpenGL libraries.

Somebody fucking pinch me! Want!!!

*Note to self: do not drink and post because you curse way too much.*

AppsLib via Pocketables

The move is an odd one for the company. Both Archos and Blockbuster are fading in relevancy and it’s unclear if Blockbuster is suggesting you use the netbook to stream movies you download from the Internet – maybe from Blockbuster’s own site? The Intel Atom-based netbook doesn’t have an optical drive so all I can think is that Blackbuster wants less foot traffic in its 1,000 stores.

Blockbuster Enhances Consumer Electronics Offering With Entertainment-Ready ARCHOS Netbook

DALLAS, July 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As a part of its consumer electronics offerings, Blockbuster Inc. will now feature a netbook for sale in 1,000 BLOCKBUSTER((R))( ) stores in the U.S. which will enable consumers to access entertainment on-the-go. The ARCHOS 10 netbook, manufactured by ARCHOS(TM), a leader in the portable media market, emphasizes mobility, connectivity and multi-media capabilities, all in an affordable personal computer. One of the first mini laptops to provide direct access to media on the move, the ARCHOS 10 netbook will be sold in participating BLOCKBUSTER((R)) stores and includes an embedded link to www.blockbuster.com.

“Blockbuster strives to provide consumers with convenient access to media entertainment when and where they want it. Enhancing our consumer electronics offerings with an affordably priced netbook that allows customers to access our online rental, retail and download services, whether they’re at home or on the road, is a natural fit,” said Joanne DeLorenzo, vice-president, product for Blockbuster Inc.

The ARCHOS 10 netbook, available at select BLOCKBUSTER stores for $299.99, features a sleek design, a pleasingly light (less than 2.8 pounds) and compact size, a 10-inch ultra-bright LED screen and a small, but easy-to-use keyboard. Also included in the WiFi-ready Netbook are an Intel((R))( )ATOM(TM) processor, 1GB RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Microsoft((R))( )Windows(TM) XP and a built-in web cam. Featured software include Lotus(R) Symphony, Outlook((R)) Express, Internet Explorer((R)), parental controls, virus protection and multi-media applications like XnView(TM) for viewing pictures and vTuner(TM) for Web TV and Radio.

We first saw the Archos 9 two weeks ago and today we’ve learned that it’s coming to America. With an 8.9-inch touch-screen and a gaggle of other goodies it makes for a perfect Web browsing tablet. No word on price, but the Archos 9 is coming this fall.

DENVER, CO – July 2, 200Your browser may not support display of this image. 9 ARCHOS is leading the innovation charge in the MiniPC market with the introduction of the ARCHOS 9 PCtablet. This new PCtablet combines the performance of a high-end PC with breathtaking design, excellent ergonomics and an astonishing touch interface. It gives PC users an entirely new way to work, stay connected and enjoy the Web and digital media on an ultra-thin and extremely fast full touch-screen tablet.

The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet is the ultra portable PC; extremely thin, just 0.63”, and ultra lightweight, less than 22.29 oz. The ARCHOS 9 pushes the boundaries of style and function.

With a full touch-sensitive 9” screen, users can enjoy a comfortable computing experience. The resistive screen allows emails and documents to be composed easily via a built-in virtual keyboard. The innovative optical trackball and buttons allows easy navigation on screen, and provides an uncompromised PC experience.

The ARCHOS 9 features the new Z515 Intel® processor, Microsoft Windows 7® Operating system and an integrated multimedia platform that uses WiFi 802.11b/g connection and Bluetooth 2.1 for extremely fast computing anywhere, anytime.

Additional software includes Microsoft Office®, Web TV & Radio, video conference, antivirus, parental control, photos and movies edition applications and more.

The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet will be available this fall, 2009.

Archosfans has a fairly long video showing off the Archos 10S netbook, a $399 netbook. I honestl hadn’t heard much about it and Archos doesn’t sell much here. Writes charbax:

It is probably one of
the best values at 399 dollars for a slim netbook designs (only 22mm)
thanks to their super optimized Magnesium case design. They have a
cool maximum sized keyboard and a nice 10.2″ matte screen. They also
are the first I a heard to include 1 year of Microsoft Office use for
free in the Windows 7 version and a 100 euro/dollar free credit to use
for 1.99 euro/dollar or 2.99 euro/dollar per movie to stream in DVD or
HD quality from the Archos Movie portal.

Ooh la la, here’s video of the Archos 9, straight from a recent Archos event in Paris. The quick and dirty: about three hours battery life, Windows 7, 8.9-inch 1024×600 touchscreen, 80GB hard drive, 1.2 GHz Atom CPU, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, kickstand, onscreen keyboard, and SIM card slot for HSDPA.

Charbax from ArchosFans.com speculates that it’ll cost under $500 here in the US when it launches in the fall. The European launch price is apparently 450 Euro ($632), but US consumers generally pay less since there’s no VAT here.

[ArchosFans.com via SlashGear]

So Archos will apparently be announcing something on June 11th in Paris and the general consensus is that it’ll probably be the Internet Media Tablet with voice support running Android that was announced back in early February.

The company already has a device with a built-in high-speed wireless data connection in the Archos 5g, released late last year, but this new one will have the added bonus of being able to actually make and receive voice calls along with the expandability that Android offers.

Early reports suggest that the device will be about 3/8 of an inch (10mm) thick and feature a high-resolution 5-inch touchscreen. That’s pretty close to the Archos 5 series, which is a little thicker at 12.9mm, so it wouldn’t be too mind-blowing to see a device announced that’s similar in look and feel to an Archos 5 unit. It certainly wouldn’t be too difficult for Archos to develop, as its MIDs already run Linux.

Whatever the case, we’ll know more on June 11th. Signs seem to point to a type of Android super phone that’ll be pretty well-equipped to handle audio and video files, as is Archos’ strong suit. Whether it’ll be enjoyable to use as an actual phone will be another story. Keep all of this filed under “rumor” for now, though, just to avoid embarrassing yourself at your next dinner party.

[via SlashGear]

Features include a 1.8-inch OLED screen, 7mm thickness, MP3/WMA/WMV/JPEG support, and, as mentioned, two gigabytes of storage.

UPDATE: All gone — looks like Amazon sold them all. They’re only available from third-party sellers now at closer to $60.

Archos 105 2 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) [Amazon]

Originally released at $400, the Archos 5 is currently on sale for $279. It’s got an ARM Cortex processor, 4.8-inch 800×480 touchscreen, Flash 9/MPEG-4/WMV/MPEG-2/H.264 and 720p video support (with an optional $20 plug-in), 802.11b/g wireless, built-in speaker, and a full e-mail client and web browser.

You can also record TV directly to it with the optional $90 DVR docking station. All in all, not too shabby for an internet tablet especially given the 160GB of storage. See our previous coverage here for more info.

Archos 5 160 GB Internet Media Tablet [Amazon.com via dealnews]

The new Archos 2 flash player goes for about $60 for 8GB of storage and it has MicroSD slot. Another device, the Archos 4, seems to be hiding right now but it will have a 4-inch screen and 16- and 32GB flash innards.

Amazon has the Archos 2 right now and ArchosLounge found the 4.

via AOL

Features include a full web browser, downloadable content, DVR functionality, Dish Network compatibility and more.

Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player [Amazon.com]

If you’ve been eyeing the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet but you’re not keen on the thought of shelling out another $100 for the DVR dock, you can get one for free at Amazon until Saturday. Purchase an Archos 5 120GB or Archos 5 250GB and add the Archos DVR Station to your cart and you’ll get $89.49 (the price of the DVR dock) lopped off the total price.

The DVR Station adds a heap of functionality to Archos 5 and 7 devices, providing guide-based TV recording, a remote control for easy playback, and HDMI output for 720p content (you have to purchase the $20 HD plugin, unfortunately). There’s also SPDIF audio output if you want to hook everything up to some nicer speakers.

The big feature, though, is the DVR stuff. You can program shows to record directly to your device and then pop it out of the dock and take it on the bus, subway, in the car.

Get a Free DVR Station with Select Archos 5 Internet Media Tablets [Amazon via dealnews]