Archos 5 160 GB Internet Tablet with Android Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just got my new Android 5 500GB direct from Archos yesterday and its quite a beauty. I'm upgrading from my old Archos 5 250GB, so that will be my primary point of comparison. I also have the following to compare to: iPod Touch 64GB, Archos 605, Walkman X, Samsung P2, and a host of other MP3 players large and small.
Given that my iPod Touch upgrade this year was less than astounding, I pretty much figured that this upgrade for Archos would be similarly understated. Mainly I just wanted the extra hard drive so I could backup all my laptops onto my music player. I was wrong! The new Android version seems to have a whole new feel both in form factor and the new software. I had heard that Archos was having problems with the software, but they seem to have ironed most of them out as of 1.1 firmware release. I did update my firmware immediately, and the process was quite smooth.
I'm going to rate this player on my absolute scale. I will also be making notes on the value of the upgrade from my old Archos 5. Note: I mostly use this as a media center to play music and video; secondarily as a backup drive.
Let's get to it then, these are the things I love about my new Android:
1) 500GB -- totally awesome amount of disk, I can now put just about every digital file I own on the Archos.
2) Android interface -- the overall feel of the software interface has definitively improved with the integration of Android. Effects are crisper, the esthetics are cleaner, things seem to happen faster. I especially like how easy it is to access the most recently played song or video from the main screen, pops up with a little thumbnail that you tap on and voila, resumes right where you left off!
3) Apps -- with Android we now have access to some serious app selection. Of course, nobody compares to the Apple App Store, but this comes the closest.
4) Weight -- this actually feels lighter to me than my 250GB.
5) Dock/DVR -- this popped right into my old 5 DVR and started playing right away. I still think this is the best DVR/Player combination available of all the MP3 players.
6) Video/Hi Def -- of the players I have owned, this has the best, biggest, and highest resolution screen.
7) Portrait/Landscape -- Archos has borrowed the iPhone trick of rotating the display according to orientation. I guess they have an accelerometer in there now, I dunno. Still, its fun to see this feature on an Archos. Its a lot easier to navigate playlists in portrait mode.
8) Easy and regular firmware updates -- with a WiFi connection, the firmware updates are easily performed on the unit itself. That's the easiest system I've seen of all my players. One thing I've learned about Archos over the years, they will put out a steady stream of firmware updates.
9) WMV/MTP mode-- very smooth interface to Windows for either Media Monkey or Windows Media Player.
10) Dedicated volume button -- power and volume buttons have been conveniently located onto the top edge. This is actually much easier to use when it is docked on the DVR (which is where mine spends most of its life!).
11) Sound quality is quite good, sounds great through my Klipsch speakers and seems to have more oomph than my other players.
12) WiFi/Browser -- has a good browser and WiFi connection has worked well for me. I think the keyboard is better than the Touch's, although Safari is probably the slightly superior browser. The bigger screen also helps for browsing. Overall I'm inclined to give the Archos the top ranking for browsers.
13) I just discovered Twidroid, one of many apps pre-loaded, allows me to check my Twitter in a really nice format -- love it!
14) Portability -- well there's only so much portability that can be expected with a screen and hard drive this large. This new design is smoother and rounder so its a little more comfortable in a pocket. It is very easy to carry around as a handheld device, fits nicely in my hand as I stroll about the house trying out all of the Android Apps! In any case, this is not as portable as a Touch but I think its pretty good for a small computer -- which is basically what this is.
15) No extra plug ins needed (so far!). Always in the past I've laid out another $40 for additional Archos plugins to play iPod format music and other video formats. So far I haven't had to do that -- thank you Archos :)
16) Archos will stand behind their product. I've had to send in a couple of Archos units over the years and they have always been happy to either repair or replace the unit without quibbling about it, as long as its under warranty. Note: it did take two weeks to get my unit back!
17) Multi threading: now I show my engineer/geek side. This baby can do a bunch of different stuff at the same time, unlike the iPhone/Touch which can really only do one thing at a time. The Android can be doing other stuff while you are listening music. I love the little bar on the top that you can pull down and switch to any other task that is running.
18) Built-in kickstand, very nice feature.
19) Stylus friendly touch screen -- sometimes you just get tired of trying to type a touchscreen keyboard with fat fingers! In general, this is one of my favorite touch screens. Most of the other touch screens, including iPod/iPhone, are capacitance which means stylus won't work
20) Micro USB cable plug-in: finally a standardized USB plug and you can have it resting on its kickstand while plugged in :)
Given that the Archos tops the class in several categories, and continues to be the best 500GB 5 inch screen player available I give it about a 4.7 stars out of 5 (round to 5). There are a few things I'm less than thrilled about:
1) Update: I believe you can now format your drive in a Windows friendly format on 1.7.96 version of firmware. External hard drive EXT3 -- as I understand it, Archos changed to the EXT3 hard drive format for reasons of speed and reliability. The result for me is that I can no longer simply select hard drive MSC mode, plug the Archos into a Windows machine and expect to access the drive. You have to install an Ext3 driver such as EXT2 IFS on your Windows PC. Once I did that I was able to access the hard drive and backup files to my hearts content.
2) The playlist interface didn't get much of an upgrade and its still kind of clunky. I want to simply tap my playlist and it starts playing. Often times I have to do a couple of extra taps to get the thing playing.
3) We lost the dedicated play button and removable battery a while back -- but I still miss them both! None of my favorite touch screen players has either of these features. I'm also missing the brown metallic color and the rubbery backside.
4) Finding a case for this baby is no easy trick. You're not going to find one at the local Best Buy I'm afraid. In the past I've resorted to ordering my Archos cases from European companies like I-nique and Noreve. This is generally true of any player that is not an iPod or a Zune.
5) As always with Archos, you must remember that you are dealing with a French based company. This means that they don't always provide the best support/service/upgrades to us Americans.
6) Lets face it, Archos is always playing catch up. Some of the new features aren't fully functional yet. I do have faith that Archos will fix all the little glitches with things like GPS over the course of the next 6 months. The Apps available are currently a bit limited. I expect this will improve over the coming months.
7) Keep in mind that this is not a unit for the faint of heart. This is more for the hobbyist who wants a cutting edge experience that may take some messing around to get it just the way you want it. If you want something easy that requires minimum effort then iPods are going to be more your cup of tea.
For me this is still the best player of its class -- that class being large hard drive, big screen PMP players with other fun features. Android makes for some fun possibilities, and overall I'm impressed with this as an upgrade. Once again, if you don't mind a smaller screen and you love apps I suggest you get an iPod Touch. If what you care about most is sound quality you may want to get a Walkman X. For me those are your top 3 touch screen players, it just depends on what you care about the most.
Note: 10-23-2009; I upgraded to firmware version 1.2.03 which fixes some App, Browser, and YouTube issues. Apps do seem happier now, upgrade process was very smooth. Still happily listening to tunes for about 8 hours a day with no problems :)
Update 11-7-2009: I've been running version 1.2.15 with a host of bug fixes and the unit does seem more stable in general now. Wifi is working better and USB connection seems more reliable.
Update 11-23-2009: Upgrade to firmware v 1.3.07 -- a long list of bug fixes including a few improvements that I had hoped for to control the scanning of multimedia files/ ArcLibrary. Got an AppsLib update which seems to work more reliably. There seem to be a lot more apps available now (300 ish) in AppsLib. Just keeps getting better and better! Still is playing music day in and day out with no problems and I'm backing up 2 laptops worth of files onto my 5 IT.
Update 12-18-2009: I've been on firmware 1.4.16 for over a week now. Lots of little fixes, seems even more stable now.
Update 2-11-2010: Firmware 1.7.33 (Android Donut) upgrade. The upgrade was a bit of work, I ended up reformatting the drive and starting anew. However, power saving seems to work a lot better and I haven't seen it reset itself for quite a while now. This seems to be the most solid release yet!
Update 4-8-2010: Firmware...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Archos 5 160 GB Internet Tablet with Android

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.


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.

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.

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.

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Harman Kardon GPS-810 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this unit but returned it because, for me, the cons (most significantly the battery life) outweighed the pros. Here is a rundown of what I found:
Pros:
- solid build - you can feel the quality when you hold this device
- generally good performance, rapid satellite lock and route calculation
- excellent car mounting accessories
- beautiful large screen with video playback as well as audio
- control knob is innovative and convenient
- menus are intuitive and easy to follow
Cons:
- 2 hour battery life (confirmed to be "normal" by HK tech) - this is fine if you don't plan to use video feature and instead intend to leave it mounted in the same vehicle all the time
- suspend feature described in quick start guide missing on some units pending firmwire update expected in the next couple of months - so the unit reboots completely every time you turn it off
- recalculation routing sometimes erratic (lots of U-turns!)
- full user manual not available and no time-frame within which it will be released - a complex, feature-rich device such as this deserves better
Bottom line: a good product, but needs some refining before it can justify the price tag.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Harman Kardon GPS-810 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

GPS-810 Harman Kardon Portable Navigation+Traffic+Audio+Video+Bluetooth device offers a highly intuitive user interface making it an easy to use navigation device. It features Text-to-Speech in English. It also offers full playback capability of digital music and video files along with hands free functions of Bluetooth enabled phones. All access and control is via a breakthrough wireless remote control and / or utilizing the high resolution 4.3" WQVGA touchscreen.In navigation mode, it offers easy-to-understand spoken instructions and visuals in 17 different languages. Turn-by-turn graphics with all vital information is displayed in 2-D or 3-D and Maps of U.S. and Canada are built-in along with a 12 million point of interest database. Real-time-traffic information to reroute around traffic delays and the antenna built into the cigarette lighter power cord is included along with a 90 day free trial period.The fullblown MP3 player offers browsing by Artist, Album, Genre, Song or Playlist. It will display ID3 tags for artist, title and album along with album artwork. MP3/AAC/WMA audio formats are supported along with Windows Media DRM 10 for compatibility with music and video download services. In video player mode the 4" high resolution WQGVA widescreen plays back hours of video and supports MPEG-4, WMV9 and H.264 video formats.All digital media is accessed via SD Card slot (SD card not included) and will accept SD and SDHC cards.The Bluetooth interfaces allows hands free cell phone communication and will display phone's address book and caller ID's from Bluetooth capable phones.A built-in dual microphone with digital signal processing significanly improves clarity of speaking voice to the other caller.Lastly, a photo viewer that reads JPG, BMP and GIF files is provided with folder sorting and thumb nail viewing.

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Latte iPearl 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Built-In FM Transmitter (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Have been using this for 3 months. I am very satisfied with this purchase.
The unit itself is very solid. When you grab the unit, it feels so good. Music and Video quality very compatible with iPod.
FM trasmitter functions are very useful for me because I am driving a lot during the day and I can listen to music stored in my ipearl through my car radio withour any extra connection device.
Only thing bothers me sometimes is,, when you transfer any movies (it supports many video formats actually), you have to resize the movie file fit to the screen. Not too bad though.
I have been really enjoing my ipearl. I love it. Very solid player. Bang for the money. less than $100 for 16GB... NICE. I recommend this!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Latte iPearl 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Built-In FM Transmitter (Black)

The 16 GB Latte iPearl is a striking performer with a 2.8-inch screen. Featuring wide-format support for your favorite tunes, clips, and photos, the iPearl also puts a built-in voice recorder, FM transmitter, and various other goodies in a compact, attractive package.

Your Media Anywhere With a 16 GB capacity and a 2.8-inch TFT QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) LCD, the iPearl lets you enjoy your media no matter where you end up.
A USB 2.0 high-speed input ensures quick data transfers from your PC, and the device's slim form factor means it'll fit in most any pocket while you're on the go.
Built-In FM Transmitter You've seen it: the clunky FM transmitter in your buddy's car, allowing him to tune into his MP3 player. Latte saw it too, and decided to make it part of the package. No need for external transmitters here--your iPearl can transmit an FM signal anywhere, anytime, allowing you to tune in your car or home stereo to your favorite songs on the iPearl.
Vivid Video The iPearl supports Direct AVI, RM/RMVB, FLV, and WMV video formats for enjoying your favorite clips on the vivid screen. A single charge will get you about four hours of video on the go.
Non-Stop Music Enjoy your favorite music in your favorite format with the iPearl. In addition to MP3, WMA, and AAC formats, the iPearl supports files with lossless FLAC and APE compression for better sound.
The built-in EQ system, featuring Normal, Rock, Pop, Classic, Bass, Jazz, MS Play-Fx, and user-defined settings lets you dial in the perfect sound for your perfect song.
On one charge, the iPearl gives you about nine hours of music playback, so you have plenty of time to keep the music coming.
Picture Viewer Always have your favorite photos with you. The iPearl supports JPEG, BMP, and GIF formats, allowing you to share your images with friends anywhere, anytime.
Additional Features Use the iPearl's built-in microphone for voice recordings on the fly--save that lecture, memo, or meeting for later.
You'll also get a stopwatch and calendar function, and the ability to use the iPearl as a USB storage device--take a few important files with you wherever you need them.
What's in the Box Latte iPearl 16 GB video MP3 player (black), stereo earphones, USB cable, manual, warranty card

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Samsung P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Aesthetically, this is a really nice product from Samsung. The player is quite sleek, with nice rounded edges, a decent weight, and sharp piano black gloss finish. The sound quality is superb. I didn't get the same battery life the manufacturer did (they rate 30 hours, I probably average 20), but I would bet that's because I use the touchscreen interface more than their battery testers did.
As for the touchscreen, I have to admit it's pretty nice. I prefer tactile use, so I'm more of a fan of buttons than touchscreens, but Samsung has done a nice job executing this one. There are a couple of odd quirks to the touchscreen. For example, when you "swipe" the touchscreen to advance you have to swipe from right to left, which seems counterintuitive since you are advancing the progress bar from left to right. Obviously, the same is true of swiping to back up, where you swipe from left to right, even though you're going back on the progress bar.
Also, in the default menu setting, you make circular gestures on the touchscreen to advance through the menu. Neat? yes. Functional? not really. The biggest problem I had with this is that my thumb kept obscuring the icons as they moved into view. Ultimately, I found this too annoying and I disabled it in favor of a regular grid menu. Not as cool to show your friends, but much more functional.
The audio player functions are top notch. As a caveat to this, I will say that I could not get this to sync with Winamp 5.5. My Winamp crashed every time I loaded it when the P2 was plugged in. Instead, I did my syncing through Windows Media Player, and it worked fine. It synced playlists perfectly, and did a great job recognizing albums when I copied them directly like a mass storage device. The on-board player functions include a customizable EQ with quite a few presets and a clarity adjuster. There are preset visualizations including a couple of light shows (that do not track the music), album art, track info, and a spectrum analyzer.
The video player is pretty good, but I don't really like watching video on such a small screen anyway. I'm not a big fan of the fact that you have to convert through Samsung's software to get it to run, but I guess that's the case with most MP3/video players. The widescreen playback is properly formated. FM reception is satisfactory. Not sure how the eReader works since I don't have any ebooks for it, but you can see test screens of it.
This is, overall, a good MP3 player, even if it is a bit pricey. It is only $50 cheaper than the iTouch, but it also brings in an FM radio tuner and bluetooth support for up to two bluetooth devices--including a pass-thru for your cellphone to a set of bluetooth stereo headphones like the non-US release Samsung T9. Bluetooth is a great feature if you've got bluetooth headsets, speakers, or car radio. So you're getting more features than the iTouch offers. A major downside for me is the fact that it is primarily touchscreen-only (there are hard buttons on the side: on the left a lock button and a play/pause/power button; on the right, two volume buttons). Since I tend to like to keep my mp3 in my pocket, I prefer to have tactile skip buttons as well.
Samsung has made some great strides with their feature packed MP3 players. And while this one was almost perfect for me, it fell short of the mark only in the somewhat high price tag and the lack of hard skip buttons. I give them kudos, however, for having hard play/pause/power and volume buttons (FYI, play/pause and volume can also be controlled via the touchscreen).


Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung P2 8 GB Touchscreen Bluetooth Portable Media Player (Black)

The Samsung P2 is the first Samsung MP3 widescreen video player with an optimized touchscreen user interface and Bluetooth functionality. The P2's Bluetooth capability will enable the P2 to pair with other Bluetooth 2.0 devices. The P2 comes ready to pair with stereo Bluetooth 2.0 headphones and speaker systems to provide high-quality wireless listening.For added convenience, the P2 is able to pair with up to two devices at the same time. Full integration with cell phones will be available via a firmware upgrade in November 2007. Users can even set up datacasts (podcasts) by using the SMS software that comes on the included installation disk.
The Samsung P2 is an 8 GB Flash-based portable media player with a three-inch widescreen LCD and a slim-style form factor. Capable of video, music, photo, and FM radio playback, the P2 lets you enjoy your favorite media files wherever you go. The player supports video playback in MPEG4, SVI, and WMV9 file formats and audio playback in MP3, WMA, and subscription WMA file formats. JPEG files can be viewed as pictures or slideshows.
Packed with such additional features as an alarm clock, world clock, and calendar functionality, the P2 is an extremely multifunctional media player. The P2 also comes with a file viewer, which you can use to view and delete any file on the device without the PC. The P2 supports up to 30 hours of music or five hours of video playback with every full charge of its internal Li-Poly rechargeable battery. The P2's battery charges whenever the device is connected to an active USB link. Compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems, the P2 measures 3.94 x 2.05 x 0.39 inches and weighs just 2.88 ounces.

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Archos 3 Vision 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Chocolate Brown) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)this review was updated on 12/27/2009.
my archos 3 vision absolutely meets or exceeds my personal requirements for an mp3 player!
times are tough so when my mp3 player was stolen in july 2008, i honestly tried to use my aging windows mobile phone with windows media player as a replacement player for over a year. however, that solution had several limitations and frustrations. there were workarounds, but i grew tired of them.
the stolen player was an archos g-mini which i had owned for several years and i really appreciated it's features so that is the main reason i shopped for a new archos player first. the archos 3 vision player has all of those same features with heaping helping of style, storage and added features.
pros:
- it has style
- priced under $100
- plenty of storage space
- fits comfortably in all pockets
- good quality video on beautiful screen
- random play by folder, artist, album and genre
- better than average playback quality with a good equalizer
- total access to music at all times (without proprietary software)
neutral:
- battery life
- no firmware updates yet
cons:
- screen scratches quickly and easily
- the on screen control dial is almost useless for browsing tracks
the screen is beautiful and will also scratch quickly. my device had a 0.25" scratch within 24 hours of use, but i could only see it when the device was off. luckily, i have lots of screen protectors so cutting one to fit was easy. i could not see the scratch unless the screen was off. with the protector on, the screen looks much less beautiful.
the on-screen dial is certainly not the easiest navigation interface i have ever considered. if you prefer to use random play or pregenerated playlists, the on-screen dial will likely never be a concern for you. however, if you require the ability to browse through every song on your device so you can carefully consider which track is worthy of your listening time at this very moment, this device is not for you.
a couple bugs that i expect to be remedied with firmware updates...
- the button hold function sometimes requires a redundant switch on and off in order to switch off properly.
- the device will not remember my personal background picture; i select a picture, but when i turn the device on again, a different default background is displayed and my personal background picture is still available quickly by cycling through the default selections.
when i posted this review, i had owned the player for 2 months and the video features were basically useless to me. i thought i would occasionally use video playback during long train rides or plane trips, but music is really all i need... i knew i had paid a price for the feature so i felt committed to actually using the video playback and realized 1 very good use when i thought ahead to load it with a few downloaded holiday shows that i knew both of my youngest kids would enjoy. i also purchased a cheap speaker carrying case and the result is that watching shows on daddy's player was a hit during stressful holiday road trips and it is not something they will expect for everyday driving.
however, i still could live without video playback and i have recenly had a chance to play with the archos 2 vision player, which a friend purchased as a gift to himself. it has a screen that is barely big enough for showing id3 tags, but if you do not need and will not use video playback, i highly recommend that player because it has the same basic player features for about 40% less price. that player also has a simpler control scheme for browsing tracks.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Archos 3 Vision 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Chocolate Brown)

The ARCHOS 3 vision media player is a full-featured, affordable media player packed with a bright and sharp 3-inch LCD touchscreen, 8 GB of storage, and an FM transmitter. Just the ticket for making all your photos, music, and videos, truly portable.

3-Inch LCD Touchscreen The ARCHOS 3 vision screen is big and bright enough to show off your best photos and videos, but the device will still fit into your pocket. The touchscreen interface boasts a virtual scroll dial that lets you quickly zip through long lists of music files.
Your Music The ARCHOS 3 vision is perfect for music fans, with up to 14 hours of music playback before recharging and support for MP3, WMA, and WAV formats. The music library shows music by title, album, artist, genre, or your own favorites. With 8 GB of disk capacity to store over 4,000 songs, you'll have no problem saving tons of music and podcasts onto your device. And with the lyrics function, you can actually see song lyrics display right across the screen.
Your Video ARCHOS has always been the leader in portable video. This device is able to read a number of video file formats meaning that most everything you throw on it will play without conversion--MPEG 1/2/4, WMV, FLV, AVI, RM, and RMVB.
Your Photos The ARCHOS 3 makes a great little photo wallet. Display them one by one or play as a slide show. For a little more fun, add a soundtrack--your favorite song.
FM Radio The ARCHOS 3 vision has a built-in FM Radio. Set the radio presets to your favorite stations and your music, news or other programs are just few screen-taps away.
FM Transmitter With the FM Transmitter you won't need any cables in your car. Just select the frequency you want to transmit, lay your ARCHOS on your dashboard, and it will transmit your music or podcasts to your radio, for enjoyment right through your car's speakers.
Voice Recorder Need a voice recorder for a classroom lecture or personal notes? The ARCHOS 3 vision has a built-in microphone that will allow you to record audio for hours if needed.
Stopwatch/Calendar The ARCHOS 3 vision also includes stopwatch and calendar applications to round out the list of functions.
What's in the Box ARCHOS 3, headphones, USB cable (for charging and file transfer), user manual

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Latte Espresso 4GB Touch Screen Portable MP Player (Gun Metal) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I got a 16G on Amazon's Lighteing deal. It was a fair amount of discount and I couldn't resist it. I am thinking about buying a 4G memory for my friend's birthday gift.
My product review is below for the espresso 16G.
1. Screen is 3" but descent quality when brightness is high.
2. Sound quality is one of the top that I have used if I compare with my other unit(Archos 7).
3. Touch screen reacts very fast, unlike Archos 7. I think it is because of the difference between HDD and NAND Flash speed. But I needed to re-calibrating to make it work better.
4. FM transmitter is very useful in the car.
5. Screen flipping feature is handy only viewing pictures. Sometimes, it is annoying because response is very sensitive.
6. I don't have to convert the video which is good, but for certain movies, I had to resize to thier specific size to avoid video/audio lagging.
7. Not expensive and full of features.
8. Stereo earbuds are better than my Koss.
9. Battery life is reasonable. I can fully charge and use it for 3 days.


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Memory: 4GB; Size: 3 inches Touch Screen; Haptic Technology; G-Sensor: Auto rotating screen; Resolution: 420 X 240; Size: 3.3 X 1.8 X 0.4 inch; Weight: 0.13 lb; Tag display: ID3 V1.0,ID3 V2.0; Languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, and more; Menu system: Image menu and Text menu; Audio file support: MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, APE, OGG; Video file support: AVI, RM/RMVB, FLV, WMV, 3GP, DAT, MPEG4; Voice Record; Picture Viewer: JPEG, BMP, GIF; Battery capacity: 3.7V/860mAH Polymer Li-ion cell; Video playing time: up to 4 hours; Audio playing time: up to 15 hours; MP3 bit rate: 64Kbps ~ 320Kbps; WMA bit rate: 64Kbps ~ 192Kbps; Frequency response: 30HZ~18KHZ ± 3dB; SNR: ≥85dB; Support Memory Play: Play from the last scene that was stopped; Music Favorites List; Built in EQ: Normal, Rock, Pop, Classic, User-defined, Bass, Jazz, Play-FX; Texts Read: TXT（Support bookmark, Auto Scroll) ; Pictures function: (Support thumbnail preview, Picture rotate and zoom); Support OS: Windows, Mac; Clock; Stop-watch; Package Include: Espresso Device, User Manual, Earphone, USB Cable

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Latte Espresso 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Haptic G-Sensor and Touchscreen (Metal Gun) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm not a gadget guru, just an older guy who likes music. I wanted something to play both through headphones and a few different FM radios and this does exactly that and very well. I don't care about viewing videos, pictures or text but it does those things very well too. It seems to be well made and 99% intuitive, I figured almost everything out without cracking the instruction booklet.

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Latte's Espresso portable media player may charm with its elegant gun-metal finish and sleek form factor, but it's what's under the hood that counts. Featuring an 8 GB capacity, a 3-inch touchscreen with haptic technology, wide audio and video format support, an FM transceiver that allows you to tune any radio to your device, voice recorder, and plenty more, it's the perfect way to free your media from the confines of your PC.

3-inch LCD Touchscreen Enjoy your favorite videos or pictures and navigate with ease on the Espresso's 3-inch touchscreen display with 420 x 240 pixel resolution.
The screen also features haptic technology, so you get tactile response to your touch, making for a more natural feel than a standard touchscreen.
G-Sensor G-Sensor technology enables the screen display to rotate based on the player's position. The player can adjust/rotate the screen display (except for the video play) to any direction when you flip the player.
Audio Player While some devices limit you with their skimpy format support, the Espresso will play MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, APE, and OGG music formats for about 15 hours on a single charge. Standard play modes like repeat and shuffle are included, along with A-B repeat play for repeating a specific section of a file.
And of course the Espresso supports ID3 tages (versions 1 and 2) for displaying song info while you listen. If you're a lyrics obsessive, you'll appreciate the LRC file support for displaying the words to your favorite tunes.
Finally, you can dial in your sound with the on-baord EQ, featuring seven settings: Normal, Rock, Pop, Classic, Bass, Jazz, MS Play-FX.
Video Player Take your favorite videos with you and enjoy them anywhere with the Espresso's brilliant screen. You'll get about four hours of video playback on a single charge.
Once again, the Espresso delivers on format support: AVI, RM/RMVB, FLV, WMV, 3GP, MPG, DAT, and MP4 formats are all supported, so you can enjoy more video with less conversion.
Picture and Text Viewer Browse and view your favorite images in JPEG, BMP and GIF formats. Zoom in and out or play a slideshow for friends.
The Espresso's text viewer lets you change fonts/colors, set and recall bookmarks, and even auto-browse through multiple files in the interval you set.
Naturally, you can keep the tunes rolling while you enjoy these features.
FM Transceiver The Espresso boasts an FM Transceiver, meaning you can both transmit and receive FM radio. This means you can play your favorite songs and tune in the nearest radio (in your living room, car, etc.) to your Espresso.
As for standard FM radio, you're also covered, complete with user station presets and FM recording--record your favorite show for later enjoyment.
Voice Recorder Record voice memos, meetings, lectures, or anything else you decide to point the built-in microphone at directly to your espresso in WAV format.
Easy File Transfer and Portable Storage Enjoy transfer speeds of up to 4MB/S thanks to the Espresso's USB 2 interface. Windows2000/XP/Vista are all supported, and no driver is necessary for the latter two.
You can also use the Espresso as a USB storage drive for taking a few choice files with you.
What's in the Box Latte Espresso 8 GB Touch Screen PMP Player, Manual, Warranty card, USB cable, Earphones

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