The Android-powered Archos 5 portable multimedia player is now being offered online through Amazon (links below). The device is equipped with a 5-inch screen that sports an 800x480 pixel resolution. Thanks to its ARM Cortex-A8 processor, the Archos 5 is capable of decoding 720p HD video smoothly and has an optional HDMI dock lets users output the video at its full resolution.
Archos has recently officially announced a US ship date and price for its Archos 9 tablet PC. First introduced in July, the Windows 7 Starter Edition-powered tablet will be available on October 22nd for $499, in either black or white exterior colors. Official specs of the device include a 1.1GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and its namesake 9-inch, 1024x900 resolution resistive touchscreen.
ARM this morning said it as developed a 2GHz, dual-core version of its Cortex-A9 architecture. The new design is intended to be built on a newer 40 nanometer (nm) manufacturing process and so achieves the added speed without consuming much if any extra power versus slower parts; ARM estimates just 0.25W per CPU. The design is pitched as ideal for particularly fast home devices that still need either to fit into tight spaces or to use little energy.
Archos in the same presentation that unveiled the Archos 5 has also confirmed that the company plans to enter the smartphone market with a high-end media phone. The tentatively-titled Phone Tablet is aimed at the same high performance, full touchscreen category as handsets like the iPhone 3GS or Toshiba TG01 and would be tailored to match. It should have a slightly smaller screen than the Archos 5 at a still-large 4.3 inches but a higher 854x480 resolution and a 1GHz ARM Cortex processor, both of which would put it above competing phones today.
As promised, Archos today launched its first-ever device to use a smartphone-class OS. The Archos 5 Internet Tablet still uses Archos' own more developed interface for media playback but takes advantage of Google's platform for more advanced web browsing, e-mail, and true third-party apps. Speeding this along is a new app portal known as AppsLib that carries Android apps written with the Archos 5 in mind or reformatted for its input, such as Deezer for Internet radio or ThinkFree Office for Microsoft Office document viewing (and later editing).
Prices and storage capacities have slipped for Archos' upcoming Android-based Internet tablet. B&H listed the entire series ahead of schedule, although the search listings were later removed, according to ArchosFans.com forum member Swordfish. The devices will be available in 16GB, 32GB, 160GB and 500GB capacities.
The FCC today gave away some of Archos' plans for Android tablets today by publishing a test report for the hardware. Known as the A5S, the device is much like the existing Archos 5 but adds a microSD slot for removable storage and notably shows a much different interface (seen below) than the custom Linux that Archos uses today: it appears to have a reference Android build but with icons at the bottom that may represent quick access to common tasks like music or the web.
Archos today sent a formal invitation for the already confirmed September 15th introduction of its Android tablet but also teased some of its features by laying the groundwork for its own app store. AppsLib would differentiate itself from Android Market, as well as competitors like the iPhone's App Store, by focusing on high-end devices. Every app will need to support an 800x480 resolution (or 480x800 when rotated) and should be prepared to support 720p video over HDMI for either large-resolution apps or HD movies.
Archos has recently put up a product page for its entry-level Clipper MP3 player, which is due to compete with the iPod Shuffle. The device integrates 2GB of flash memory, with no way to expand it. File support is limited to MP3 and WMA music, with a claimed battery life of 11 hours.
Blockbuster on Friday unveiled an unusual deal that will see it carry the Archos 10 netbook in its store. The 10-inch portable is billed as a means of accessing Blockbuster's download and rental services on the road and will have a shortcut to the movie store's website. Its version of the system will also be less expensive than normally offered in the US, dropping down to $300.
Archos on Thursday confirmed that it would port its Archos 9 PCtablet to the US. The ultra-mobile PC is due to arrive Stateside in the fall and is one of the first systems known to ship with Windows 7. Adding the OS both gives it reasonable performance with its 1.2GHz Atom chip as well as fuller support for the touchscreen features essential to the design.
Sonic Solutions, the company behind Roxio, on Thursday announced its streaming movie service CinemaNow will be made available for the Nintendo Wii. Sonic will partner with Fujisoft to bring the former's content to the game console via the latter's video-on-demand Everyone's Theater Wii service. While the announcement only covers Japan, its successful integration potentially leads to the service arriving in other countries as well. CinemaNow offers more than 1,500 streaming movies, short films, and concerts to buy or rent.
In addition to the headline-grabbing unveiling of the Windows 7-based Archos 9 tablet, Archos has also released the Archos 13 notebook, Archos 10s netbook and the Archos Digital Satchel educational PC for children on Thursday. The Archos 13 is the French company's first notebook PC, sporting a 13.3-inch, 1280x800 screen. Specs include a 10-cell battery, 120GB hard drive and 1.2GHz Intel Celeron Ultra Low Voltage CPU. Thickness is said to be just 1.08 inches, while weight is fixed at 3.3lbs.
As a further part of its launches today, Archos made its first foray into small touchscreen media players in the form of the Archos 3. Instead of the Linux-based platform of the Archos 5 and 7, the 3 is dedicated just to media and has an iPod-like virtual scroll wheel for its 3-inch screen to browse through large lists of music quickly. Unusually, it supports photos but doesn't include video support.
Archos at its annual press event today launched the Archos 9. Unlike its smaller devices, the company's new tablet runs a full computer operating system in the form of Windows 7. The software gives the 9 full support for touch and is followed by both a button-toggled on-screen keyboard as well as an optical trackpad for more precise control.
Archos has said it will hold a special press event in its home country of France on June 11th that is believed planned for the company's Android tablet launch. While the company itself doesn't say what will appear at the Paris gathering, the green background of the graphic along with the company's stated plans for the summer suggest its first device based on Google's platform will appear at the conference. Archos has historically had one major press event per year and usually depends on these for unveiling new media players and tablet devices.
Without fanfare, Archos on Thursday revealed some of its plans for the US by posting teasers for the Archos 2 on its online store. The replacement for the Archos 105 has the familiar 1.8-inch screen and audio, photo and video formats of the French firm's earlier player but has an FM radio, a microSDHC card slot for additional storage and, in Europe, a purple tint along with the black and white models available everywhere. Voice recording is similarly an option.
The replacement for the Archos 105 will soon be available, as the personal multimedia player, the Archos 2, is now available for pre-order at Amazon. According to the listing, the device will be available in black and white and sport an iPod-like chrome rear panel. Compared to the Archos 105, the new device from the French company will have much more capacity, at 8GB and 16GB, but use the same 1.8-inch screen.
Archos has outed the TV Snap-on accessory for its Archos 5 Internet media tablet on its French website. The accessory allows the device to pick up free-roaming TV signals and display them on the device's 5-inch screen. The dual receiver antennas are matched by two tuners and two processors for the RF signals.
Archos has announced several new devices based on Intel's Atom processor and Moorestown platform, expanding its netbook line and adding a 9-inch tablet. The Archos 10s netbook will feature a slim form-factor, measuring just 20 mm thick, and support for 3.5G networks. The computer offers some of the same specs as the Archos 10 announced last month, including an Intel Atom processor, 1GB of DDR memory, hard drive capacities up to 160GB and Windows XP.
Archos on Monday leapt into the cellphone business with word that it will release a version of its Internet Media Tablets as a smartphone based on Google's Android operating system. The handset will be based closely on the Archos 5 with the same 5-inch touchscreen but a new, faster ARM Cortex processor from TI that the company believes will supply "PC-like" performance: the tablet will not only support full-screen Flash-based video in the browser but play back HD video offline.
At CES, Archos, best known for its portable media players and Mobile Internet Devices, is jumping on the netbook bandwagon with this, the Archos 10. As the name suggests, the netbook sports a 10.2-inch screen with 1024x600 resolution. Other main specs are par for the netbook course as well, comprising a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM memory and a 160GB hard drive with Windows XP.
Portable GPS, Internet media tablet and personal electronics maker Archos recently announced it will unveil a surprise new product at the CES show on January 10th in addition to the Archos 7 Internet media tablet already on sale. At the press conference, Archos CEO Ron Ferguson and director of marketing and business development Frederic Balay will make the presentation at the MGM Hotel Towers in Las Vegas.
The Archos Internet tablet, introduced earlier this summer, is now available for the first time via a wireless provider, France's SFR. The device is the Archos 5 3G+ and includes a 5-inch touchscreen, built-in access to 3G wireless data networks and Wi-Fi. Included with the device is a 30GB hard drive, the smallest of the range that also offer 60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacity disks.
Archos mid-Tuesday launched an aggressive campaign to capture the touchscreen media player market with the Internet Media Tablet line. The devices are pitched as complements to the earlier fifth-generation media players and focus primarily on Internet access: all use a Flash-enabled version of Opera for browsing and support both radio and video streams. Aside from a new and slimmer design, the 5-inch Archos 5G also marks one of the few devices of the type with built-in 3G: an internal modem and SIM card support HSDPA cellular data from most providers and enable Internet access from most areas.
French consumer electronics maker Archos is getting set to unveil its sixth-generation portable media players (PMP), including the 606. The company has been developing the 3G data network capable PMP as part of the range for about six months now, and has reportedly hosted a press event in July that was believed to feature the new device.
Blockbuster will soon launch a pilot program of in-store movie downloads, says the company's CEO. James Keyes revealed the information at an annual shareholder meeting Wednesday, noting that a trial will take place sometime within the next month, and involve store visitors inserting a form portable device into a kiosk, and copying movies in a process that should take approximately two minutes. At present the major issue is said to be studio support, as Blockbuster is still negotiating for available content.
In addition to its 605 GPS upgrade, Archos today has also upgraded its TV+ media hub with both preloaded content and a new Internet streaming feature. The French company has signed a deal with Paramount that will see the movie studio offer movies both preloaded on the device's built-in 250GB hard drive as well as available through Archos' media store. For the latter content, users will have the option of downloading videos either to a Mac or Windows PC for sideloading on to the TV+ or directly to the device itself.
Archos this afternoon launched the 605 GPS, a combination of both its staple 605 Wi-Fi media player and a navigation add-on. The attachment provides a SiRF III GPS receiver that integrates tightly with the media player; when docked in a special car cradle, the 605 and its module supply driving directions as well as features normally available only in dedicated mapping units. The device can subscribe to either free or paid traffic warning systems and includes a one-year free subscription to an accident notification service. Archos' system is intelligent enough to recognize a signal drop and will simulate position changes until a satellite lock returns.
An addition to Archos' media players will include a form of GPS navigation, the company has revealed today in an announcement sent to the press. While short on details, the announcement refers to driving directions and suggests worldwide mapping support, with China, Europe, and the US all receiving the option. There will also be "new uses and services at home and on the road" that follow the introduction, the company hints in its update.
One of Archos' higher-end sixth-generation players is being restyled to compete against the iPod touch and provide some features not present on the current iPhone, according to a leak from sites in Archos' home country of France. The media player will most likely be called the 606 but should be more than just a minor generational increase: instead of devoting some space to navigation buttons on the side, all but the most basic controls will be pushed to the side in favor of a larger touchscreen, the sources say. A significant amount of the interface will change to match.
Archos will be one of the first to provide a dedicated portable media player with cellular Internet access, the company has revealed during this week's Mobile World Congress show. While short on information, the news indicates that at least one device in Archos' next generation of players will include 3G or better services that allows it to connect to the Internet anywhere it can receive an appropriate signal from a cell tower. The feature should provide extended access to the web through the Opera web browser included with the company's higher-end players.
Archos has dramatically increased the capacity of its 405 media player, an announcement reveals. Although last year's model had just 2GB of hard drive space, the player now holds 15 times that capacity at 30GB. This should theoretically be enough to hold 40 movies, 300,000 photos, or 15,000 songs.
The player is equipped with a 3.5-inch screen, and is able not only to output to TV, but act as a miniature DVR unit through a DVR Station Gen 5. The new 405 should be on sale in the UK by the end of February, for £200 ($388); no North American plans have been mentioned, but the majority of Archos' products are sold on the continent. [via Pocket-lint]
Archos is about to announce a dedicated media hub that should offer features simply not possible on the Apple TV or most other media hubs, according to a leak from UberGizmo. Called the Archos TV+, the extender will pull videos from the local network to the TV but will use its connection more intelligently than the current Apple hub: both Ethernet and Wi-Fi can be used to download content directly to the TV+ through an Archos portal site or to browse the web with a mobile version of Opera similar to that found on the Archos 605 Wi-Fi and other handhelds. A new remote will include both a directional pad, a trackpad, and a keyboard.
With an abundance of MP3 players that have come out over the course of the year, buying the right player as a gift can be tricky. USA TODAY's Kim Komando has assembled a list of this year's most wanted multimedia players, with offerings from Apple, SanDisk, Microsoft and Archos. First on the list is Apple's iPod touch, with its large, bright touchscreen and up to 16GB of storage. WiFi allows users to browse the internet and purchase music – something that the others either don't do, or require additional subscriptions or components in order to have that functionality. Komando laments the lack of access to subscription-based music services. The Touch sells for $300 for the 8GB model, and $400 for the 16GB model.
