back to article Archos announces five Android tablets

Archos will release a raft of Android-based tablets later this month, with more following in October. The line-up comprises devices with screen sizes ranging from 2.8in to 10.1in, with 3.2, 4.3 and 7.0in offerings in between. Archos 28 Archos 28 The Archos 28 - the 2.8in, 240 x 320 tablet - is heralded by the company as …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Now you're talking!

    Finally, a tablet that makes financial sense.

  2. Lutin

    Archos 43

    That Archos 43 sure is nice looking. If they crammed a phone in there I'd be all over it!

    1. Stuart Combellack
      Happy

      Samsung Galaxy S..

      same + phone..

  3. JaitcH
    Pint

    Pstient people will ...

    wait to learn when Android V3 will be made available for these devices as it will have more pad-type features in it.

  4. Anthony Shortland
    WTF?

    err

    a "tablet" with a 2.8in screen? hmm not entirely sure tablet is the right name for that?

    1. Rob
      Go

      more like...

      ... microdot then :D

    2. Dan 10

      Sure it is...

      ...after all, you could probably swallow it whole.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Grrr..

    With the amount of 1024x768 videos I have, I hate how the resolution of these things is often capped at 600. Still, great then that I have a 1024x768 TC1100!

  6. DS 1

    Nice devices, terrible support

    In the main, Archos seem to create and make great devices. However, in many artiicles, again and again, its cited that where problems exist, Archos seem not to support/fix. While that seems to be a persistant problem, I won't be buying.

    1. chr0m4t1c

      Seconded

      I expect anyone who bought the Archos 7 Android to be a bit miffed at the arrival of these.

      And then very miffed when Archos don't release any more firmware for their device and they find themselves stuck with Android 1.6.

      Forget about these devices getting Android 3 when it comes out too, Archos will just release minor upgrades for the best selling models.

      Archos produce some nice kit, but they provide slightly less support than HTC. Yes, it turns out that is possible.

      1. Mark Boothroyd
        Alert

        Android updates

        There aught to be something in the T&Cs for Android that states any vendor implementing a version of Android should have to provide free updates to the next few versions. Perhaps not to the next major release, i.e. 2 to 3, but certainly for all minor releases, 2.0 to 2.1 to 2.2 etc.

        And if a vendor isn't willing to provide updated, they shouldn't be allowed to use Android.

        Granted there'd need to be rules around this, I wouldn't expect a vendor to still be providing updates to something 5 years old, and of course there could be hardware dependencies.

        But there should be a reasonable expectation from consumers that if you buy any Android device, that as new features are added to the OS, you should see them on your device at some point. After-all, a device with Android installed is more akin to a PC with an OS installed on it, than an appliance with a custom OS installed, so updates should be simply a case of taking the latest version, adding the hardware drivers, and testing it. If this is hard work for vendors, then that would seem to indicate that they are doing something wrong in the way they implement updates.

        Also all updates should be over the air (even none phone enables tablets have wifi), there shouldn't be any need to plug the device into a PC and download software from anywhere.

  7. Mage Silver badge

    Small tablets

    Are easier to swallow.

    <<a "tablet" with a 2.8in screen? hmm not entirely sure tablet is the right name for that?>>

    While Archos tries to emulate Apple style and pricing, it's good to see cheaper prices (for Archos).

    I have an Archos 605 WiFi 160Gbyte disk model. Only got it because it was 1/2 price. At least the newer ones there are more applications. I'd have liked a nice eBook reader. The Web Browser or Slow PDF reader doesn't cut it for eBooks.

    1. ThomH

      LCD tablets don't cut it for eBooks

      Subjective, of course, but that LCD screens are unreadable in direct sunlight and really very bright when in low light (like, you know, when in bed) has made the iPad quite useless as an eBook reader for me, even with speedy PDF rendering and a surplus of other book sources (in terms of iBooks plus the Kindle app and all the other usual Android/iOS suspects). The AMOLED on my Nexus One was better in the latter case when I switched from black on white to white on black given that OLED black is really black, but that felt like a really odd way to read. And I'm a person that's grown up with computers.

      I've a Kindle scheduled to arrive in the next few days, I'm hoping eInk does the trick.

  8. Alan Denman

    Archos 70 has a capacative touchscreen

    Not mentioned on the 101 so at 300 grams the 7o is the one that more than blows the iPad away.

  9. DrXym

    Looks nice, but what about support

    Archos took a lot of heat because the Archos 7 was running android 1.5 with no update available and no android marketplace app either making them really crappy in the app department.

    Has anything changed for the new devices? Yes they may run 2.2 but do they have access to the marketplace app. It doesn't sound like from the talk of something called AppsLib. Does the devicepass Android compatibility tests? And do Archo intend to offer decent after sales support such as a free upgrade to 3.0 when it appears (probably imminently).

    If not then I would be hesitant about buying one. The price is certainly better than the iPad, but that doesn't excuse poor support. The lack of marketplace would be a killer omission for me.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Emperor/clothes

    Am I missing something or are the big-screen 8GB/16GB Flash Archos tablets very poor value for money compared to netbooks? The latter come with a few nice luxuries including hard drives and real keyboards. Also you can close the lid and then sling it in your bag without worrying about scratching or bruising the display.

  11. David Edwards

    PDA Re invented

    So a smart phone without a phone is now a Tablet. Wernt these PDA a few years ago? Is the Plam 5x in my desk draw an early "tablet"?. Is an IPod a Tablet? How good or Bad do the AV functions have to be for it to be a PMP.

    BTW. The first A4 size device that you can write on with a "pen", will be the one that I go for provided it runs Evernote (or very similar)

  12. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Except they aren't 720p

    If the res is capped at 600 vertical then what's the point of being able to playback 720p video if the is having to be downscaled to fit 600 pixels and in the process reduce the quality of the video. Why don't they just make 1280x720 screens for these things.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Screen type though ?

    Capacitive or resistive, the price seems goods, but resistive screens are not...

  14. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    oh dear!

    Yawns! Archos strikes again! Your all lulled into things this will be a quality product, but a mark of quality is how the creator nurtures and supports their offspring!

    Archos make them, sell them and then forget them months later! You have been warned!

  15. Neil 7
    Thumb Down

    You sure about those prices?

    According to this image:

    http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/08/archoschart.jpg

    the prices you are quoting are $1 == £1

    I know that's not unusual but seriously, Archos can just fark orf if they think they can try that on and get away with it. It's not as if they're even a US company incurring additional expenses doing business in Europe - they're a fricking French company for crying out loud!!!

    1. Tony Smith, Editor, Reg Hardware (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: You sure about those prices?

      Prices quoted in the story are from Archos' UK release.

  16. PikeyDawg
    Thumb Up

    Very interesting

    I like the variety and price-points. As "magical" as the iPad may be, I can't justify spending that type of coin on a toy... but something like this has possibilities.

    BTW... whatever happened to Smartbooks?

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