Now you're talking!
Finally, a tablet that makes financial sense.
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 …
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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!!!