Been looking for a new slate style device for a while.
I've got an iTouch 3rdG, which is ok apart from shity iTunes. Really looking for something bigger and easier on the eye.
So after some research, I've left the iPad alone since I can't seem to tether all my iTouch data to the iPad, and of course it suffers with all the same lame limitations, like crap codec support, also at £500 it is ridiculously pricey.
Looked at the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which again I like, but it's still quite expensive at £450, and after playing around with one, I'm still not sold.
So I finally get to take a look at the Archos 70 Internet Tablet. After web browsing, checking out some movies. and playing Angry Birds I was sold.
I've picked one up for £230 from PC world. Best of all it's got a capacitive screen, can stream any media format of my media server at home, and plays all my roms via PSX, SNES, GBA and Genesis emus. I've even set up a Wii controller via, infrared using an Android app.
The battery life I'd say is easily 10 hrs, and today I upgraded to Android 2.2. Next I'm going to try connecting the HDMI port to my big TV, also I notice you can attach a mini USB for extra storage or PC connect, and add a Micro SD card.
I know I'm in danger of sounding like an ad, and some of Archos's stuff has been pretty dodgy but this thing completely rocks!
no it doesn't. you have 0 (zero) cool apps for it, you have only a dedicated portion of the HDD for apps (like 128 or 256megs) and generally you can't do shit with it anyways.
Getting an Archos 9 tablet PC or geting proper apps for Ipad would be more sensible.
no it doesn't. you have 0 (zero) cool apps for it, you have only a dedicated portion of the HDD for apps (like 128 or 256megs) and generally you can't do shit with it anyways.
Getting an Archos 9 tablet PC or geting proper apps for Ipad would be more sensible.
iPad sensible? In what way? Pricing? And the dude said it did what he wanted it to do.
no it doesn't. you have 0 (zero) cool apps for it, you have only a dedicated portion of the HDD for apps (like 128 or 256megs) and generally you can't do shit with it anyways.
Getting an Archos 9 tablet PC or geting proper apps for Ipad would be more sensible.
There are a lot of really crappy android apps around granted, but in a short space of time I've got a fair number which work and are very impressive, espeacially EMU's. Just avoid the Archos App store.
I believe there is 256megs dedicated RAM for apps, which so long as you don't multi task too much seems to work fine.
2.2 seems to have given it a bit of a boost. There's an internal 8 gig drive for storage, and I've added a 32 gig micro SD.
Dolphin HD is pretty slick and runs well.
Video codec support, wifi streaming of the home network, and full speed EMU rom support have really impressed me. I just can't do any of this on an Ipad, and the Archos PC Tablet is dog slow.
Like I say, I've been looking for something half decent for a while, and this is the best I've found so far. Not perfect, but impressive, so thought it might interest some of you.
I've tried a couple of Archos though only a short hands-on down in Germany but the overall impression was just "meh", the interface was a clutter and the screens was awful to look at. I stood in the same position a couple of months back and decided to go with the iPad and fuck the "vanilla" ipad, jailbreak the shit out of it.
I've tried a couple of Archos though only a short hands-on down in Germany but the overall impression was just "meh", the interface was a clutter and the screens was awful to look at. I stood in the same position a couple of months back and decided to go with the iPad and fuck the "vanilla" ipad, jailbreak the shit out of it.
yeah, I certainly considered doing the same. I'm giving my new toy 3 months. Lets see if it's still usefull after then.
iPad sensible? In what way? Pricing? And the dude said it did what he wanted it to do.
Ipad Pros:
- astonishing number of apps for ANY needs from sound editing to MS Office to younameit
- portable console quality gaming
- best Ebook reader ever (Stanza)
- best comic book reader ever
- best battery life so far
- no need to convert video: 1.4gb AVI/AVC/H264 releases playing perfectly downloaded directly to ipad w/o PC
Ipad Cons:
- price? dunno, the Ipad beats the shit out of any tablet out there so it's definitely worth the +$100
That Android gimmick more or less tries to do the same but it's like comparing a Lada to a Koenigsegg. They both roll but...
Ipad Cons:
- price? dunno, the Ipad beats the shit out of any tablet out there so it's definitely worth the +$100
not quite, what he bought is about 1/2 the price
actually it's cheaper than a netbook so close to being pretty much a throwaway device!
yeah I'd go with that. I would definitely pick up an iPad for £250 max, so long as it could take wireless n rated connection of the home network, play all my GBA, Genesis, SNES and PSX Roms, had an HDMI connection to TV, had an SD slot and common USB connection, and play pretty much any video format. Dam that Archos will even play Matroska files, and run VLC.
Seriously this thing is less than half the price, and gives the IPad a bit of a run for it's money. Trust me the touch screen and build quality are better than you might think, very similar to the Samsung tablet.
Clever Boxes have done a comparison with the Archos 10 the 70's bigger brother.
I've had plenty of time with the Ipad, and there's something very vanilla and sterile about the whole thing. Guess it's just Apple, always feel a bit mugged when I buy their stuff.
ok, I've just installed Flash 10.1 mobile. I can now pinch and zoom full page Flash pages and desktop Flash video sites, on a $220 tablet.
Pretty dam good.
Ok you win
But anyway for me apps & games are still much more important than HDMI output (I have a stationary HD player @home) especially because 70/100 don't play all MKVs so forget about 720p/1080p releases.
ok, I've just installed Flash 10.1 mobile. I can now pinch and zoom full page Flash pages and desktop Flash video sites, on a $220 tablet.
Pretty dam good.
Ok you win
But anyway for me apps & games are still much more important than HDMI output (I have a stationary HD player @home) especially because 70/100 don't play all MKVs so forget about 720p/1080p releases.
I very nearly held out for the wifi iPad. I had a local PC World store that opened 10 days, who had everything available on display, including the Archos. I really wasn't expecting to be impressed with it, based on what I'd seen before. Last years Archos 7 Internet tablet was pretty horrible, and cost nearly £400.
I've installed Kindle, very pleasent, slyck to read on this thing, and now installed Youtube downloader, and a fix which improves optimisation. I've tethered to my Samsung mobile for internet access on the go, and it works pretty well. At the price, in six months or a years time it won't matter if something more impressive comes along, I'm happy to upgrade to something better than the current generation Galaxy or iPad.
Ok I got a bit excited about saying it supports everything. I've got over a terabyte of tv and film files, and so far I've not found anything that doesn't play, although the highest rez I download is 720p, since I stream across my wireless network, onto PS3 or 360 slim and marketplace.
Archos have a good history of supporting video codecs and media, probably better than any other company that make mobile media devices. The way I see it your getting excellent media support and the benefit of value for money Android 2.2 tablet hardware.
Archos 70 tablet officially supports the following:
MPEG-42 HD (up to 720p, 30 fps@6Mbps)
MPEG-42 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution, 30 fps@8Mbps)
H.264 HD (HP@L3.1 up to 720p, 30 fps@5Mbps)
WMV9/VC1 (AP up to 720p 30 fps@10Mbps)
M-JPEG (Motion JPEG Video) in VGA resolution
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