Archos 5 Mini Dock Reviewed: Cheap, Flexible Connectivity

It might seem overkill to have a whole separate review about a dock, but when said-dock adds stacks of functionality for a bargain price it's bound to be a popular accessory.  Jenn at Pocketables has been sitting her Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet in the $30 Archos Mini Dock, and if we're talking cost-to-flexibility ratio the Mini Dock sounds like it's off the scale.  In fact, only some ergonomic issues potentially hold the Archos Mini Dock back.

Ports include power, S-Video, mini-USB, AV-out and a full-size USB Host port.  The latter means you can connect other devices to the Archos 5, such as digital cameras and memory sticks, and use it to browse through their media or copy things across.

It's the physical design that causes problems, and half of it seems to be a side-product of Archos' desire to keep bulk down.  The Mini Dock will happily plug into any Archos 5 PMP, but while the press shots suggest it simply stands them up, in actual fact all but the lightest 60GB version will cause the whole thing to topple backward.  It means you have to flip out the PMP's stand.  Personally it sounds like a design overlook, and I'm not sure I'd like my media player teetering like that, but maybe for $30 and something so pocket-friendly that's the compromise you have to make.