Tablet news is on a real high this month and the latest information to hit us is something I had almost forgotten about. The Archos Android Tablet. Archos have announced an event for Sept 15th which is just days after a planned Apple event.
Pocketables have a good round-up of the announcement and information on a new app-store. Appslib. Information in AppsLib implies that we’re talking about a 5″ tablet based on the Archos 5. Not a bad thing at all given the Ti OMAP 3 underpinnings.
What worries me about this is splintering of the Android OS into self-contained ecosystems. This separation simply waters down the app ecosystem and makes it confusing for customers. Archos has a big customer base and well-known brand though so they should be big enough to pull this off.
Pocketables: Archos confirms Sept 15th Android event, readies AppsLib app store.
New article: Archos: Sept 15th Android Tablet Event. http://cli.gs/tupvT
I have an Archos 5.
Lovely little thing, very nice media player, size is amazing and battery is pretty good.
It also runs an Opera based web browser which works pretty well and even supports quite a lot of flash (can play embedded media on BBC site for example).
It’s almost a perfect device. It has one HUGE problem that can’t be escaped from with the Android version either:
ARCHOS
Archos have the ability to make great bits of kit, what they don’t have is the ability to finish the operating system and then support it. Patches do come frequently for a while, but they rarely address the main issues or listen to the very active community and as soon as a new model is announced the old model is left to flounder wherever it is. As a user you are left to feel like you are beta testing for them and the final release never makes it as new product releases are annual…
They also have a clever way of hiding prices. Lots of things you want are extras. Want a usb port, TV out or even the ability to charge from the mains then they sell an add-on to do that. But it’s never standard.
Saying that I love my Archos 5 and put up with the occasional reboots (luckily my most frequently visited web sites don’t cause too much strain on it!).
If you watch the keynotes from the last archos event you will see, that september 15th has been targeted since months, now. I don’t know when apple confirmed their event, but somehow I get the feeling it was no coincidence…
http://www.archos.com/corporate/event_062009.html?country=us&lang=en
(go to the 947th second)