By We have known for quite awhile that this day was coming… and it is finally here. Today, ARCHOS officially announced their Android Tablet:
In this new era of open source and collaboration, applications and software are blooming throughout the world. Everyday sees a new gold nugget that will overwhelm the market. That’s the magic behind the common and shared environment of Android™, anyone can create a best-seller. There is so many fun games out there and so many cool applications that it would be a pity to not give you access to them. Here comes the ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet.
The above video highlights 5 areas of the Archos 5 that they say give it an “edge” – listed below with little notes:
- Android Apps (pure win)
- HiDef TV (record with DVR dock and play back in HD with Video Out!)
- Enhanced Internet Capability
- GPS (3D maps too!)
- Digital TV Reception (1k TV stations)
The Media Club also sounds pretty cool – video and music for purchase or rent, on-demand or streaming, choose from TONS of content. Lets take a peeky peek at the specs, shall we?
| Capacity | • Flash Memory: 8 to 32 GB* + Micro SD Slot (SDHC compatible) • Hard Drive: 160 to 500 GB* |
| Display | • High resolution screen, 800×480 pixels, 4.8” TFT LCD, 16 million colors • Touch screen |
| Video playback 7 | • MPEG-4 HD (up to 720p) • MPEG-48 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution) • H.264 HD (up to 720p) • WMV (MP@ML, up to DVD resolution) including WMV protected files • M-JPEG (Motion JPEG Video) in QVGA resolution With optional plug-in (downloadable from your tablet or on www.archos.com): • Cinema: MPEG-2, WMV HD (720p), VOB |
| Audio playback 7 | • Stereo MP3 decoding @ 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA, WAV (PCM/ADPCM), AAC9(except protected content), AAC+ stereo audio files, Flac and OGG Vorbis. With optional software plug-ins (downloadable from your tablet or on www.archos.com): • AC3 stereo audio and 5.1 sound files (via SPDIF output of DVR Station ) |
| Photo viewer 10 | JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF |
| Subtitles | Support subtitles files with .srt, .ssa, .smi, .sub extensions |
| Video recording 11 | • Via the optional DVR Station or DVR Snap-on. Records NTSC/PAL/SECAM in MPEG-4 AVI format with stereo sound, VGA resolution (640 x 480) @ 30 or 25 f/s • Via the optional TV Snap-on (only available for Europe): Records TV in MPEG-2 TS format. |
| Audio recording | • Via the optional DVR Station or DVR Snap-on: Stereo line-in, WAV (IMA ADPCM or PCM) format • Voice recording with the built-in microphone |
| Others applications | Webbrowser, Email, Contacts, DroidIn™, Ebuddy™IM, Twidroid™, Deezer™, Dailymotion™, QuickPedia, ThinkFree Mobile, Moov, CraigsPhone, Pages jaunes™ (only for France), High Paying Jobs (only for US & Canada), Alarm clock, Calculator… |
| Interfaces | • USB 2.0: Media Transport Protocol (MTP) • USB 2.0 Host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) with optional Mini Dock, Battery Dock and DVR station • Micro SD (SDHC compatible) on ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet 8 to 32 GB • Add-on connectors to connect to the DVR Station and other ARCHOS add-ons |
| Communication protocols | • WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) • Bluetooth 2.0 • FM transmitter • FM receiver (RDS) |
| Miscellaneous | • Built-in speaker”• Built-in leg stand• Built-in Microphone |
| Power source | • Internal: Lithium Polymer battery • Device charges via computer USB port • External: Power adapter/charger (via optional add-on) |
| Battery life | • Music playback time12: up to 22 hours13 • Video playback time12: up to 7 hours13 |
| Scalability | • Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated • Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com |
| Dimensions & weight | • ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet Flash series: 143,2×78,8×10,4 mm – 182g• ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet Hard Drive series: 143,2×78,8×20 mm – 286g |
| Minimum system requirements | • Microsoft® Windows® XP, Vista, or higher (with Windows media Player 11 for MTP) • Linux (with Mass Storage Device Support) • USB 2.0 interface |
| Package includes | ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet, earphones, Standard USB cable, DVR Station adapter, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice. |
One pretty awesome thing about the ARCHOS 5 is how much work went into informing consumers of its capabilities. There are a boat load of Archos 5 How To Videos available on the website that should give you some great ideas of what is possible and certainly be an aid once you’ve claimed ownership of the Android tablet.
The ARCHOS comes prepackaged with a bunch of Applications and the company highlights 10… interesting to see which ones they chose: Deezer, Dailymotion, twidroid, ebuddy IM, droidin, quickpedia, ThinkFree Mobile, CraigsPhone, Move, High Paying Jobs. Interesting choices and nice ones at that.
The ARCHOS 5 with Android has some awesome features including numerous hard drive options that will store up to half a terabyte and tons of multimedia love in addition to everything that is Android. But there are some downsides – two notable ones.
- The ARCHOS 5 launches the mobile versions of sites by default since the webpages detect Android – a mobile browser – and assume that is the best way to display. Hopefully ARCHOS updates the default Android Browser to override the setting that indicates it is a mobile browser when loaded by web servers.
- While the HTC Hero enables Flash for Android, the capability was probably licensed and ARCHOS has not licensed anything so we get the default Android abilities. Which means no flash. Which means no streaming video on the web. Until Adobe launches Flash 10 at least or this capability is made as a core Android function.
Still, the ARCHOS 5 is a device poised to make in impact. There is nothing on the market quite like it and Android gives it the boost it needs to succeed. Anyone out there incredibly eager to buy this puppy?
[Via ARCHOS]
The Archos cellphone has been announced too at the end of the demonstration and it’s screen size is 4.3″
Exactly, the mention of the tablet phone is the big news to me.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT. I WISH I HAD THE MONEY I WOULD BUY TODAY.:(
I pray this doesn’t follow the same app model that Archos used with past devices. Even though they were Linux-based they were far from open.
If you want a web browser on your Archos Gen5, you need to pay for it. And it’s a neutered version of Opera.
If you want to watch video podcasts on your Gen5, you need to buy the plugin too.
If this were a phone I’d drive to wherever they are making this thing and get one right out off the line. But I need it to be a phone as well.
I will need one of these to replace my iPod touch 2G when it goes kaput…probably sooner.
@ maj
where did you find the Archos cellphone
Too bad they neglect to mention any kind of DivX or Xvid support in the video playback. Anyone know anything about this? This was one of the biggest reasons for buying my 605 in the first place.
@chuksy
i was watching the video live stream for the event on some website (i forgot it’s name).
and Engadget has an article about it:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/archos-phone-tablet-teased-android-4-3-inch-touschscreen-1ghz/
..that poor dude is not comfortable in that video, i swear it. they can’t find a scene actor who looks geeky? ..rly?
on a side note, android 1.6 sdk is out :
http://android-developers.blogspot.com/
im so excited :D
It support Youtube Flash in HD no problem!!
There are some total mistakes in some of the Flash reports.
Youtube which is Flash 9 is supported just fine!
Hulu which uses ActionScript3 of later versions of Flash 9 later than Flash 9.0.28 is not yet supported, not before Adobe release Flash 10 for embedded devices.
Anyways, Archos supports flash much better than HTC Hero for sure!
Definitely a must have. I want one.
What’s the CPU on this beast? ARM 9, 600 MHz +?
I’m just interested in when it launches. I must have this.
It says 800 MHz in the movie.
Hahaha, you can use the GPS in ‘adventure mode’. Put on you green cap, take out your sword an shield and kick some Ganon-butt!
This is not a htc hero competitor… as it has no 3g/gsm etc… The archos is better ofcourse but is no phone :-( Sadly….
Looks like it’s already on sale at Amazon: http://www.androphones.com/Archos-5-android-phone-55.html
The processor on this is an 800MHz ARM based processor – a Texas Instruments OMAP3 to be precise..
If only it was also a phone…. a pretty useless device without mobile capabilities…
Youtube is NOT Flash 9. Yuotube is its own client that is “similar” in streaming function, but NOT Flash.
There is NO Flash video abiltiy on the new Archos- only Youtube.
When you get the new Archos, try and got to a Flash video site and you will see that nothing will play.
Is this archos 5 internet tablet a software update only? IF not, then when is archos coming out with the archos 7 version?
we want 3g sim slot included we dont want tether bluetooth rubbish hassle connection ARCHOS is incompetent.