Archos 5 Internet tablet with Android (160GB)

Archos 5 Internet tablet with Android (160GB) is truly good news, for the music freaks who were curious to get a media player with bigger storage capacity.  Archos has done a great job, a media player on the one hand, and a web browser, with a greater memory like 160GB, on the other.

This latest media player offers a large, high-resolution touch-screen display, Wi-Fi, music playback, photos, Flash video and game compatibility, Bluetooth, e-mail, a Web browser, a built-in speaker, an integrated kickstand, GPS, and support for a limited selection of Android applications.

Few of its glitches are like, GPS signal reception is poor enough to make the feature useless; many popular Android apps are unsupported; Flash video support is hit or miss; no multitouch support for keyboard or gestures; text copy and paste is a chore; and the glossy design shows fingerprints.

Despite these hitches, the Archos 5 is a great video player, but it disappoints as a premium Android Internet tablet and GPS unit.  This portable media center’s dimensions are 6.3in, 5.6in, 6.1in (W D H), whilst its LCD size is 4.8in.  Its price range is USD 389.99 to USD 399.99.

Theoretically it appears that the Archos 5 touchscreen Internet tablet comes across like an Apple iPod Touch on steroids. Every spec is designed to be over-the-top, from the 720p HD video playback and 4.8-inch screen, to the integrated GPS, Bluetooth, and FM transmitter. The capacities on offer are also beyond belief, starting with a USD 249 8GB model with a slender body and microSD slot, all the way up to a chunky, hard-drive-based 500GB version selling for USD 489.

In short: every aspect of the Archos 5 is made to lure hard-core digital media nerds away from products like the Zune HD and the iPod Touch. Wish the iPod Touch had GPS? Try the Archos 5. Disappointed by the relatively small screen and limited video codec support of the Zune HD? The Archos 5 is a video junkie’s dream come true. Even the open-ended appeal of the iPhone App Store is addressed with the inclusion of a handful of Google Android applications and a built-in Archos download store where a limited selection of additional applications can be installed.

And whilst the barrage of features included on the Archos 5 are sure to feel liberating for technically demanding users, we suspect that the majority of people will prefer the more refined qualities and characteristics of an iPod Touch or a proper Android smartphone with full application support.

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