Product Description

This Archos 7 digital media player gives you the memory you need for fun on the road. Archos, award-winning for its technology innovation and leadership in portable media players now introduces a new concept: the Internet Media Tablet (IMT). The Archos 7 is the jewel product of this new line, bringing you a new way to enjoy Internet, your media, and TV--all in a handheld device. The Archos 7 redefines the high-end portable device with its ultra-thin design and a black stainless steel body, a high-resolution 7 Inch touch screen, combined with the horsepower of a laptop from the world's first implementation of the ARM Cortex superscalar microprocessor. You can browse the Web in full width just like on your PC. No needs to zoom in and out, web pages are fully displayed on the ARCHOS screen. Plus, with Adobe Flash 9 video support, you can natively browse video-sharing websites such as Dailymotion or YouTube. When you are at home and want to watch a movie or listen to music stored on your PC, just browse its hard drive wirelessly and play any file stored on it without transferring the file. Just stream it via your WiFi network and play it immediately on your ARCHOS. 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 right away from a worldwide list of traditional and independent radio and TV stations. Registration required for Internet usage. Audio Playback - Stereo MP3 decoding at 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA, WMA pro 5.1, WAV (PCM/ADPCM) Video playback - MPEG-48 (ASP L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution),WMV (MP ML, up to DVD resolution) including WMV protected files, M-JPEG (Motion JPEG Video) in QVGA resolution 7 TFT LCD High Resolution, 800x480, 16 million colors Touchscreen 3.5mm mini jack for headphones Built-in speaker, and built-in leg stand Power source - Int

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2233 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: 320 GB
• Brand: Archos
• Model: 501160
• Dimensions: 4.33" h x .63" w x 7.48" l, 3.65 pounds
• Hard Disk: 320GB
• Native resolution: 7
• Display size: 7

Features

• NOTE: For best experience, fully charge your device before turning it on (about 8 hours)
• 320 GB capacity for up to 400 movies, 3.2 million photos, or 190,000 songs
• Up to 39 hours music and 10 hours video playback time on a single charge
• 7-inch TFT LCD touchscreen; 800 x 480 pixel resolution; 16 million colors
• Video support: MPEG-4, WMV, and M-JPEG; Audio support: MP3, WMA, Protected WMA, WMA pro 5.1, WAV; plug-ins available for further video and audio format support

Customer Reviews

Comparison vs Archos 705
As an owner of both the new Archos 7 as well as last year's model (the 705), I wanted to provide some points of comparison between the two for anyone trying to decide whether to save some money on the older model. In general, the two are very similar -- they provide essentially the same functionality, although the new 7 includes a couple of new features (and includes for free some of the plugins that you had to pay for before with the 705).

Here's a quick rundown of the positive changes in the 7 vs the 705:

* Speed -- particularly of the web browser. The new 7 has a much faster CPU and renders web content at a much better pace (probably 3x the speed of the 705). Using the browser on the 705 was often painful except on pages that were geared to mobile devices. The 7 can handle even most complex pages without a problem. Since I use the device for browsing quite a bit, this is a HUGE plus for the 7.

* Email -- The 7 includes a native email client that supports GMail, Yahoo mail or any POP/IMAP server. It's very simple but usable. It's also free (i.e. not a plugin).

* Better screen -- The screen on the 7 definitely is crisper than that on the 705. And the colors are rendered more accurately (at least from my subjective point of view).

* Better responsiveness -- The touchscreen on the 7 is more responsive than on the 705. The increased sensitivity really helps the usability. That said, people who use other touchscreen devices (e.g. iPhone) may find that the screen is still not as sensitive/responsive as other devices.

* Size -- although the screen is the same size between the 2 units, the 7 is slightly shorter and thinner than the 705 (but not by much). The 7's glossy case does collect fingerprints rather quickly, but that's purely an aesthetic issue.

Advantages of the 705 over the 7:

* Archos dropped the mini-USB plug that was used to connect the Archos to your computer. It now uses a proprietary connector for this purpose.

* They also dropped the USB host port from that came with the 705. The 7 includes the USB host capability, but to use it you must purchase the DVR station or mini-dock add-ons. This was built-in directly in the 705 unit. This makes using the device to dump pictures from your digital camera more of a hassle as one more attachment must be carried just for this.

* They also dropped the video out connecter that was standard in the 705. Again, to use this feature with the 7 you'll need the DVR station or mini-dock.

* No stylus or case included -- I've found that using my finger generally works fine but a stylus is still better/more accurate on the screen. Luckily, the 705 came with 2 of them, so I use the spare with my 7. As for the case, you'll have to buy one from Archos to a third party if you want/need one.

Things I wish they would have improved:

* Weight -- this is one heavy device at nearly 1.5 lbs. Granted, the size makes carrying it in a pocket prohibitive, but the weight would do you in otherwise. Fine for a travel bag though and definitely much lighter than a laptop.

* Most plugins still not free -- The browser plugin and "web radio/tv" plugins are now free, but to view many online videos and items ripped from DVD, you'll need to plunk down extra $ for those plugins.

* Support for Flash 9 -- The Archos ostensibly ships with support for Flash 9, but what they don't tell you is that not all Flash 9.x versions are created equally. For example, while most clips on YouTube work, the version of Flash on the Archos does not support popular sites like Hulu. This for me is one of the largest disappointments of the Archos 7.

* No HD or 3G plugins available -- despite what the product description days, the plugins that provides HD video thru the DVR dock (or mini-dock) and which support a 3G wireless connection thru a USB dongle do not actually exist. There's also a very good chance they never will. Archos is notorious for promoting features which are never delivered. If either of these plugins is critical in your decision to purchase the Archos 7, you would be best off waiting until they are released before making the purchase.

For me, I use the 7/705 as a travel companion so I can watch videos, browse the web and store digital pictures. For web use, the 7 is a huge improvement. For videos, the better screen is a nice improvement, but for picture storage, the lack of the built-in USB host port and the need to carry the mini-dock is a bummer.

I really wanted to like this device
I have not been more excited to receive a digital toy for many years, and after reading up on the capabilities of the Archos 7 according to Archos, I was eagerly anticipating its arrival. However, after playing with the device for a few days I must say that I am terribly disappointed. Perhaps, given that I have been in the tech industry for over 30 years, I have high standards, but I must say, in that 30 years no device has ever come to me so premature as the new Archos PMP.

I can understand in today's economic environment that companies are cash-strapped, and the desire to have items on the market for the Christmas season. However, Archos has lost me as a customer - this device is in no way ready to have been released from their development cycle.

Flash support. Some youtube videos work, though newer formats do not. That said, youtube was the only website from which I was able to view videos. Hulu, Joost, network websites - none of their videos would work. Technical support tells me that its a combination of Adobe flash and the Opera web browser that prevents these videos from working. Since I purchased the device primarily for this purpose, it scores a 0 here.

Connectivity. Abysmal. I can detect my wireless network, go to a website and click on another link, and the device can no longer find a wireless network. So, back completely out, reconnect, go to the website. Sometimes wireless connection stays up, but most often the behavior is as above. Another 0.

Email - crashed the device every time, I never got it to work with any mail server. 0.

Transfer of movies. Why on earth don't companies that develop hardware devices also bundle software to transfer DVDs to their device? In order to do so, multiple other software packages are necessary, making a very cumbersome process.

How many separate docking stations does one device need? This is clearly a method of Archos making more money from the consumer. It is absolutely ridiculous to have multiple addons that "kind of" serve the same purpose. Massive fail here - release one docking station that does it all, charge us for it, and be done with it.

Additional $ for plugins. While I understand that licensing costs must be passed down to customers, Archos should quit nickel and diming consumers to death. Add it to the cost and be done with it. Given that we can purchase fully functioning laptops and netbooks for significantly less money, this device, as it is, is overpriced by a large margin.

Effectively, this device performs at an estimated 15% of its manufacturer's claims. Mine is going to be RMA'ed, and I will be looking at competitive devices. Initially I wanted an iPod Touch, but went with Archos for flash support (that doesn't exist). Maybe Archos will resolve most issues in a few months, and it is possible that I go back to the device once this milestone has reached. That said, at this point in time Archos is high on the list of companies to avoid. I hope they got their needed cash inflow, but in releasing a product altogether too soon, they forgot to understand that the consumer too is cash-strapped, and we are not happy purchasing expensive items that do not live up to company promises.

Archos products just don't deliver
Web/TV Product code does not work so unable to download, complained to Archos and told-have to pay again. "Once code is used cannot replace it, and as it didn't work-tough!" Spent over three months trying without success to get the DVR Station to work. Unable to record from TV, although the system goes through the motions when you try to open the recorded file to view, you receive an error message stating "damaged and incomplete file". Had daily contact with technical support but still no joy. When playing a video via the internet sometimes you get a blank space with a Flash 9 jpg. The Archos 7/Opera is supposed to support Flash 9-but it doesn't work on many Flash 9 websites so beware.

My advice to any would be purchaser is don't buy an Archos unless you

a) Want a heart attack from the frustration or b) Like throwing over £300 down the drain. Archos products are certainly not worth the money. An expensive piece of junk.

I am really disappointed that I had to award it even one star. It really gets no stars from me. A lovely looking piece of equipment that certainly just doesn't deliver. DO NOT BUY.

I will NEVER buy another Archos product AGAIN-they are rubbish. Don't you our you'll end up wasting money and tearing your hair out with frustration. You have BEEN warned.