Archos’ Android Internet Tablet, the Archos 5, has shown up for preorder on Amazon in at least three of its forms. The 32GB flash model, together with the 160GB and 500GB hard-drive versions, are all listed, with prices at $379.99, $329.99 and $429.99 respectively.
Although most of our attention was on Archos’ new Android device, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a quick fondle of the company’s Windows 7-powered Archos 9 PC Tablet. Where the Archos 5 is a mobile device aspiring to desktop-style usage, the Archos 9 is a full Intel Atom Z515 1.1GHz PC packed into a 8.9-inch touchscreen form-factor.
While Archos’ event this week was predominantly about their Archos 5 Android-based Internet Tablet, they couldn’t help but tease with another upcoming device building on Google’s open-source platform. The Archos Phone Tablet is, as the name suggests, a 3.5G-enabled version of the Archos 5, adding HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity to the PMP’s existing WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth.
SlashGear stopped by the Archos launch event last night for the company’s new Android-powered Internet Tablet, the Archos 5. The idea is straightforward: all of Archos’ usual media-centric abilities are there, including broad codec support and the ability to play local and network-based content, but rather than their home-grown Linux-based OS the French company has turned to Android and a custom UI shell.
Hands-on video and gallery after the cut
Archos has gone all official with its new Archos 5 Internet Tablet. The tablet has a large screen that supports HD resolution for media and has a built-in TV recording function. GPS is also built into the device and it runs the Android operating system. The screen is a 5-inch high resolution unit with a full internet browser to rival the surfing experience you get on a computer. The Archos 5 is available with up to 500GB of storage capacity for movies and apps.
Archos’ upcoming Android MID has been prematurely outed by the FCC, ahead of its expected launch on September 15th. The Archos A5S (model 7501) Internet Media Tablet – a second, sibling device, the A5H (model 7502) was also mentioned in the user guide – bears a strong resemblance to the company’s existing Archos 5, has a 5-inch (or possibly 4.8-inch) touchscreen display and includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an FM transmitter/receiver.
The Android MID mystery continues, with more images of the compact touchscreen slate showing up at various forums. We’re now up to our third batch of leaked images – the first and second batches appeared over the past week or so – with the device being pegged as anything from Apple’s upcoming tablet (highly unlikely) to Arcos’ much-talked-about MID, but with no official identity forthcoming at least the source of the pictures has seemingly been confirmed.
Live images of Archos’ latest Vision PMP range have appeared, courtesy of Archos Lounge, and they go some way to proving the old adage that clever angles can make an ugly device attractive. Our main issue is with the Archos 2 Vision, shown here on the right, which in the press shots looked slick and clean but in the plastic, well, have overly-protruding buttons and seem a tad bland.
As promised, Archos have announced that they will be holding a press conference on September 15th where star of the show will be their new Android Internet Tablet. The company has also launched AppsLib, a new directory for developers and the Android apps they create for “high-end Android devices”; that site lists development guidelines for the touchscreen device as using a 5-inch WVGA display, with 720p video support, an HDMI output and native OpenGL libraries.
The Archos 10 netbook will go on sale at 1,000 Blockbuster stores around the US, as an attempt to promote the rental company’s on-the-go media offerings. Each of the netbooks - which have a 10-inch display, Intel Atom N270 processor and 1GB of RAM – will have “an embedded link” to Blockbuster’s site.
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