Archos are moving, very quickly this week it seems, to combine the three major, non-smartphone, consumer mobile activities onto a single device. Thats the high-end PMP function (that requires a 4-6″ screen size,) the mobile Internet (that requires a 4-6″ screen size) and Navigation (that requires a 4-6″ screen size.)
Now i’m not saying that you can’t do those functions on a smaller, or even bigger, device but these are the three areas I see that are absolutely ripe for dropping into a hand-held device where the quality of presentation and capability could be far greater than a smartphone could provide. It’s MID territory…
So far, Archos haven’t been able to impress me with the mobile Internet capability on the 6/705Wifi but as a PMP, I find it an impressively capable device and I’m somewhat of a fan in that respect. What Archos appear to be doing now is concentrating on the tasks of extending their good UI and focusing on mobility. I read today that they will be improving their online content with WebTV and podcast access and adding sling-box style capabilities to the Archos TV and 6/705/DVR station combinations which, as a DVR Station user myself, is great news (until I add-up the cost of all the plugins I’ve bought for the device!) They are also tackling the navigation issue. Now if they can just boost the platform power in the ‘general computing’ area, add 3G (rumored), integrate the GPS and sort out the terrible browser, they could steal a lead on the upcoming Intel/Moblin-based devices. They haven’t got long though and I suspect that it could be game-over for the high-end Archos range within 18 months unless they move to support Internet in a more complete way. Tough words, I know, but if you took the average iPhone user and disabled their browser, you’d see how sticky and important the Internet is to mobile device users.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
It looks like a great idea on paper. I thought of getting one for my wife (she gets lost A LOT!) but:
1. You cannot play music while the GPS function is turned on
2. There does not appear to be a power source(not sure about this)
3. The GPS only works while docked. Cannot be used without the cradle. Two cars, two cradles???
IMHO major drawbacks.
April 26th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
No music+GPS? Thats silly. Even my N82 can handle that.
April 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Steve: My Everun is great for GPS, as you probably already know. Directions just come up over the music. The Archos has the receiver built into the car cradle, so no GPS outside the car. It also seems pretty silly to have a PMP without the music! Archos seems to come up with excellent ideas then shoot themselves in the foot.
April 26th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
All disadvantages aside, i love how the Archos switches on 10 times as fast as my OQO. Even though i’d take an UMPC over a MID/Smartphone/PMP anyday, i just hate how slow they power up. Just not possible to have that on-the-go feeling.
April 27th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Really? My Everun comes out of standby in less than 5 seconds. There isn’t much need to power off completely as it drains very little power in standby.
April 27th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
that would piss me off if i couldnt play music and have gps.