13 Comments »

Anonymous said:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE IT
My husband loves his new toy and I do to. The picture is great, and you get tons of radio stations all over the world.
# 1 July 2009 at 10:54 am

Wozhupiwi said:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Avoid at all costs…
First of all, I’d just like to provide some context. I first discovered Archos back in summer ’08 when my Elgato EyeHome died.
# 1 July 2009 at 2:14 pm

Macyn said:
I purchased this as an upgrade to my beloved Archos 605 160GB. I actually purchased this directly from archos because I had trouble getting it through Amazon.
First impressions: beautiful sleek design, love the rubbery backside and the enlarged screen! I find that the touch screen UI interface is quite improved over the 605, the buttons all flash when you press them so that is a nice confirmation that you hit it. Also, play buttons and such seem to be bigger than before, easier to hit. Although the glossy, shiny look is pretty to look at, it also shows fingerprints (much like the Touch). Not a big deal to me, I’m used to wiping off my glossy surfaces regularly.
So lets get into the nitty gritty, starting with the things I love about the new Archos 5. Just one caveat, I am using this primarily as a replacement media player for the Archos 605 so I won’t speak much to internet browsing issues. I will use as a basis of comparison my collection of MP3 players (ok I’m an addict so sue me!) which includes iPod Touch 2nd Gen 32GB, Creative Zen WiFi 16GB, iPod Classic 160GB, Archos 605 160GB, Archos 604 30GB, iRiver Clix2 8GB.
*) 250GB: gotta love all that storage space, especially since the new Apple Classic tops out at 120GB now it seems Archos is in a class all to itself.
*) Big beautiful glossy color screen, definitely an improvement over 605.
*) Easily connected to my Wifi, browser is now free instead of costing extra like before. Upgrade to firmware was accomplished easily.
*) Easy synchronization of my entire music library and playlists using Media Monkey in Windows Media Mode (605 had problems here, so glad Archos fixed this!)
*) Beautiful full featured DVR dock available (apple doesn’t even make one as far as I can tell!)
*) Esthetically the most appealing player I’ve seen yet from Archos.
*) Nice context menus on most pages (tap upper right corner) that make it easy to get around.
*) Love the ability to switch between hard drive mode and Windows Media Mode (something I do quite frequently). Also nice to be able to put a password on folders with sensitive or Adult content.
*) Ability to play all kinds of audio/video files, although you do have to pay up to $40 for additional plugin firmware in order to play apple and cinema formats.
*) On screen touch qwerty keyboard is really nice, easy to use — I found it much easier to type accurately than the Touch/iPhone onscreen keyboard.
*) Browser supports flash controls, woohoo, welcome to the 21st century fercrissakes!
*) That 250GB of data is readily available to the PC as a hard drive so I can use it for backups or whatever else I want to do with it. (unlike the Creative Zen for example).
*) Convenient built-in speaker can be used in a pinch: everybody seems to have one of these now but as far as I can tell Archos did it first on the 605!
*) Now Playing music screen is easier to use, volume, and play buttons are easier to use now and it displays the name of the next and previous songs: a feature that I don’t see on any of my other MP3 players.
*) Nice dedicated volume and power buttons, the volume buttons are definitely easier to find and use than the 605.
And now, my suggestions to Archos for how they could improve on what I think is a cutting edge beautiful product. Please understand, I’m a nitpicking software engineer so I give 5 stars even though I can find room for improvement!
*) I miss the dedicated hold/tv-out button which has been removed. Not a big deal since can still be done through the context menu.
*) Some of the text menus just look a little strange and seem to take a too much space on the screen. For example, I have to scroll down to get to the “Playlists”… at the very least “Playlists” should be on the first page as its the one I use the most. Really it seems like too many button presses are required to dig down and play a playlist, I wish “playlists” was available from a top level menu because I use it more than anything else…
When all is said and done, I honestly believe that there is no comparable product with a big beautiful high resolution screen like this and a huge hard drive. This is it!
Now if you are happy with a smaller screen and less storage, the iPod Touch is arguably a better product: my solution? Buy one of each!
Update 12-31-2008: As of New Years Eve I am still quite happily using my Archos 5 as an entertainment center. It seems Archos heard me and they have made the album art a little bigger in firmware release 1.2.05!
Update 1-24-2009: Firmware update 1.3.05 works great! Had to use my Touch for a few days and very happy to have my Archos back on the speakers, I do believe the sound is better through the same speakers.
Update 3-14-2009: Updated to firmware 1.5.08. Due to previous upgrade, the upgrade process is MUCH easier now because it doesn’t try to rebuild its library from scratch (this takes hours when you have a lot of files like I do). I’m also enjoying the “parental control” password which allows me to protect my data from unauthorized access. Still a happy customer
Update 5-22-2009: Still very happy with my 5. Firmware version 1.6.53 now offers support for their GPS package and High Def. I tried the GPS package before and it was ok, my favorite thing about it was the windshield mount which really comes in handy on a long drive. The GPS itself is decent considering it doesn’t cost much, but can’t compare to Garmin. Still, how many MP3 players even offer a GPS option?
# 1 July 2009 at 5:53 pm

Anonymous said:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Do Not Buy
I should read the 0ne-stared review before I buy this player, there is NO CUSTOMER SERVICE ANSWER! NO PHONE ANSWERING, EITHER E-MAIL RESPONSE.
# 1 July 2009 at 7:42 pm

Wilton said:
The first thing anyone should know about the Archos is that as of 10/5/08, the Archos 5 Firmware is still in beta. Beta means very different things for different products, but for the Archos 5 it means that some of the features are crippled, and that the firmware is still buggy. I have been using the 5 for about 2 weeks now, and during that time the device has crashed 6 times. Keep in mind this is only relevant if you want to purchase it right now. If you choose to wait, I think Archos will have the firmware finalized in a few months.
I migrated to the Archos 5 from an iPod Touch, my main reasons for doing so being the significantly larger capacity and the larger screen. I use a mac, so it was quite jarring migrating out of the Apple universe. Some things you should know if you are coming to this device from an Apple product:
1. The Archos will not sync with iTunes. This means that music you downloaded from the iTunes music store will be incompatible with the Archos. This also means that the playlists from your iTunes library will not natively work with the Archos. For many people this will not be an issue, but I have a rather large library (7000 songs), and depend on playlists to separate my music. The Archos uses the universal .m3u playlist format, so if you want to have your iTunes playlists on the Archos, you will need to find an iTunes playlist exporter.
2. Even if your songs are not copy-protected, the Archos will not play AAC files without a $20 plugin. For some, this is a moot point, for others, it could be a deal-breaker.
For the PC users: The Archos can either function as an external hard drive (very useful), or as a Windows Media Player Drive.
Now, the device itself:
HARDWARE:
THe specs of the Archos are impressive, and best most other “IMT”s of its class. I have the 60GB version, however all models boast a 4.8″ (Resistive, not capacitive) touch screen, Wi-Fi, a speaker, and a pull-out stand. But keep in mind that the Archos uses a proprietary USB connector, and that all previous Archos accessories (for the 605, 604, etc.) will not work with the 5. The back of the unit is mirrored, and scratches incredibly easily. The front screen is susceptible to glare, but this is not very noticeable unless viewed in direct sunlight. Keep in mind that all the models use hard drive based storage. This enables a large capacity for a cheap price, however, the unit will be slower because of this. The iPod Touch uses flash memory, which is very expensive and has a low capacity, but is less likely to break. The Touch is also thinner. (You wouldn’t think so, but the Archos is surprisingly pocketable) The speaker on the unit is small and tinny, but I am amazed on how many occasions I have found to use it. The 2nd gen. Touch also has a speaker, and I highly doubt it is much better than the one on the Archos. Something no one else has mentioned: The Wi-Fi antenna in the Archos is located on the right side, a place where you normally might hold the unit. It is very easy to accidentally block the Wi-Fi signal, and I have noticed that the connection can be tenuous (this might just be my network). The external volume control is very useful, but I wish the 5 also had a hold switch, as it can be annoying to have to find the “lock device” command throughout the menus. Also: on the original settings, the device will automatically power off after 5 minutes when locked (and when not in music mode). This can be very annoying if it is not changed.
I know that in the above paragraph I have criticized the Archos, but I cannot stress that the device itself is a beautiful, well made, piece of technology. Everything works very well, and most BIG problems with the device lie in the…
SOFTWARE:
The software is currently the Archos’ weak point. As I said before, the firmware is still in beta, and this means that a few of the features just don’t work. (A good example of this is the file sharing feature. When I select “file sharing”, a notice pops up telling that the feature will be enabled in a “future release”). The parts of the software that do work function adequately, but could be better. The Music menu is a good example. Scrolling through large lists is jerky, and I find the organization of the metadata perplexing. However, the Music section works.
The Video section, on the other hand, is near perfect. Videos can be organized any way you want, and watching movies on the 4.8″ screen is enjoyable. I think that the software can be summarized by working, but having quirks. You might want to wait for the firmware to become more stable.
A few more notes about the software:
1. The Add-Ons section is just ADS for the optional add-ons. Yes, ADS. This is just a minor annoyance, but please, a major company should not put ads for other products in their flagship product.
2. There is no way to directly skip tracks from other areas of the device (unlike, for example, the Touch, where you can tap the home button twice and control the music).
3. The Archos takes about 20 secs. to boot, and, when the device is “locked”, the screen does not shut off for about 30 secs. (this can be changed)
4. The Opera web browser is fast and, renders pages as well as the Touch. The Mail app is not as good as Apple’s, but if functions.
5. Games cost $20 for 4, but you can load your own flash apps onto the device.
6. One great addition to the Archos was internet radio and video. This is a feature I have seen in very few other devices, and the Archos implements it very well.
Lastly: Should you buy the Archos?
If you can escape the Apple universe, and don’t mind the beta firmware for a few months, then buy the Archos. If is truly a great piece of hardware. if you can’t stand betas, then wait a few months (the price will probably drop too).
The Archos 5 blows the Touch right out of the water, but the software could use some work. By now the iPod had become so ubiquitous that it doesn’t really fit into Apple’s “Think Different” philosophy, as many of its features have been matched and transcended by other devices. I don’t mean to sound cliche, but if you truly want to think different, buy the Archos 5.
UPDATE: As of firmware update 1.0.87 the “file sharing” feature mentioned above has been completely removed from the settings menu. I don’t know if this is because Archos has killed the feature or because they want to release it in a future release.
Also, as of 1.0.87, the Archos no longer lists its firmware as beta. However, the firmware is still buggy. The Archos firmware is definitely a work in progress, but Archos seems to be updating the device frequently, so most of the bugs will eventually be ironed out.
UPDATE 2: Windows users can sync their Archos with iTunes via “iTunes Agent”. Available here: ita.sourceforge.net. Obviously you can’t sync DRM tracks, but everything else works pretty well for me.
# 1 July 2009 at 8:41 pm

Guitain said:
Unlike what that idiot who “reviewed” the Archos 7 320GB Internet Media Tablet, i actually OWN this product. pre-ordered it from here at Amazon on August 25th, recieved it today. Have been playing around with it for a little bit, and so far, i love it. Seems much faster compared to the previous 605 WiFi 160GB i had, as well as the 604 WiFi 30GB. Websites load up rather quickly. Now… in all honesty, and also in all common sense… websites with more to them take a bit longer to load than others… say for instance navigating to Gizmodo.com takes a couple seconds longer to load than loading up a video from youtube after searching for it on Google.
Don’t think i’ve seen a more beautiful player on the market. yeah, sure… the iPod Touch has a glass screen…. but who wants a $[...] 32GB player when you can have 120GB for $[...], or 250GB for $[...]? Opening the box to reveal the player that’s pretty much all screen was freakin great. only 3 buttons on the entire device: power, volume up/down (kind of a rocker button, one button with two functions. Volume can also be controlled with the touchscreen. Almost makes me wonder why they bothered with that button), and if you can call it a button, the nearly microscopic “reset” button on the bottom edge of the device.
audio quality is good, although the earbuds that come with it aren’t that great. the built-in speaker sounds quite good. video quality is great, also due to the great screen it has. Nice that it comes standard with the WebTV And WebRadio plugins, as well as the web browser, unlike the previous 605 players.
All i can say… is if you were looking at this player (or any of the other storage capacities), or another manufacturer’s player…. do not hesitate on buying Archos.
# 1 July 2009 at 11:13 pm

Fallon said:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but not better then ipod
iv had it for about a month now and im still trying to figure out how everything works, it is a good mp3 player with alot more room then an ipod touch but the ipod touch has a…
# 2 July 2009 at 2:31 am

Valmai said:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great piece of equipment
I recently purchased the Archos5 120gb to replace my Cowon S9. Let me tell you that this Archos is MUCH better and easier to operate.
# 2 July 2009 at 8:21 am

Urit said:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice concept, not worth the retail price. 2 DVR stations not working.
I own an Archos AV 500 that is a couple years old and I love it. I saw a very good deal (I thought it was a price mistake) on an Archos 5 250GB + DVR station on Amazon and jumped…
# 2 July 2009 at 10:46 am

Osgood said:
5.0 out of 5 stars
archos 5
I have only had the product a month but so far I am very satisfied.
# 2 July 2009 at 12:15 pm

Cyan said:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Archos 5
I bought this item for my 2.5yr old on road trips. Chose this over Apple products because the screen is larger and the storage space is much greater.
# 2 July 2009 at 6:43 pm

Pahukumaa said:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ipod Killer
I’ve owned several mp3 players in the past including the Archos 605WiFi, the Dell DJ20 and the ipod Nano 8Gig and I have to say that my Archos 5 is very pleasant to operate and…
# 3 July 2009 at 12:53 am

Hailey said:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Internet and Media device
I am using it with Windows and Linux (Ubuntu), works very good and automatically chooses between windows media device and linux/macos access, reproduces lots more content than the…
# 3 July 2009 at 4:42 am

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