An Android Tablet? Archos Just Announced FIVE
It's either a famine or a feast, right? Well, feast your eyes on this spread from Archos.
The iPad has been ruling the roost since launch. We've all been waiting patiently for an Android tablet to come along and challenge the Apple device, but although we've heard plenty about companies with plans for Android tablets, very few have actually announced anything.
This week, all that changed, as Archos announced five Android 2.2 tablets. With displays ranging in size from 2.8- to 10.1-inches and prices from under $100 to just under $300, the line of tablets seems have a little bit of something for everyone.
First up is the Archos 28, a 2.8-inch (320 x 240) touchscreen PMP that seems to be a rival for Apple's iPod touch. Priced at $99, the device packs 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, and 4GB of storage. Though things are a little bit low on the storage side of things, the device boasts WiFi and support for an array of different media formats (MPEG4, WMV, MPEG2) so perhaps the focus here is on streaming rather than storage.
The Archos 32 packs a 3.2-inch screen and seems to be the same kind of device as the Archos 28 but with a few more features thrown in on top. With just 8GB of storage, this is on the small side as far as PMPs go, but it's twice as big as the Archos 28. It also boasts a camera capable of recording video at 720p and has a TV port for hooking up to the big(ger) screen. Priced at $149, the device packs the same 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor as the Archos 28.
The Archos 43 is where things start to get a little bit interesting. It replaces the 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor with a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. It has 8GB of storage and is described by Archos as a "multi-media marvel." It's got a HD camera, HDMI, USB, WiFi and a kick stand. Interestingly, the Archos 43 also has a Micro-SD slot, which means users could probably upgrade the storage of the device via an SD card – something that's not possible with the 28 or the 32. The Archos 43 rings in at $199.
The Archos 70 is Archos' 7-inch offering and other than storage and size, it's quite similar specswise to the Archos 43. This one comes in 8- and 250GB flavours, which is quite a departure from the measly 4- and 8GB we saw with the rest of the line. It's also got a Webcam in place of the HD camera. The Archos 70 is priced at $275 for the 8GB and $350 for the 250GB.
The one that will garner most attention is the Archos 101. Packing a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) touchscreen, the device has the same 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor as the 70 and 43 and shares a lot of other specs with its lower-end counterparts, including HDMI, USB, WiFi, Micro-SD and a kick stand. This one is the most expensive of the line and it's priced at $299.
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All run Froyo, also known as Android 2.2, the latest build of Google's mobile operating system. Both the 28 and 32 will be available this month, while Archos has pegged nothing more specific than a 'fall' release for the 43, 70 and 101. Anyone interested?
Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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stingstang Hells to the yes I'm interested. I'm NOT paying 600 dollars to get a measly upgrade to the ipad from 32 to 64 gb of space. COME ON! There's no way they're making money off of prices like that.Reply -
ares1214 Im really kinda expecting 1600x900, or atleast 1200x780 for newer ones. Sure, the competition isnt doing it, but for a screen 10 inches big, those seem do-able and reasonable. CPU is fine, although bout time to upgrade the 1 GHz A8. The rest looks pretty good, although the specs werent very in depth.Reply -
p1n3apqlexpr3ss For the 43 one, looking at Archos' specs for it on their site, has 16gb model as wellReply
http://www.archos.com/products/ta/archos_43it/specs.html?country=nz&lang=en
specs are a lot more in depth there -
Tempting. However, I bought the Archos 5 two years ago. The poor quality of the hardware, software, and support put me off buying anything Archos ever again.Reply
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Arethel Jane McEntegartThe Archos 70 is Archos' 7-inch offering and other than storage and size, it's quite similar specswise to the Archos 43. This one comes in 16- and 250GB flavours, which is quite a departure from the measly 4- and 8GB we saw with the rest of the line. It's also got a Webcam in place of the HD camera. The Archos 70 is priced at $274.The 250GB is not a typo or anything, but it's kind of funny to read. Capacities: 4... 8... 16... 250!Reply -
ares1214 p1n3apqlexpr3ssFor the 43 one, looking at Archos' specs for it on their site, has 16gb model as wellhttp://www.archos.com/products/ta/ nz&lang=enspecs are a lot more in depth thereReply
That model looks very promising. Seems like the specs of a really nice phone. Although thats the problem, a phone can do all this and more.
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g-thor Yes - interested, very interested. I just wonder if my budget will be interested. And how do I justify it to my wife? The easy way would be to get her an iPad (yes, that's right, I'm a PC and my wife is a Mac). Of course that would mean we'd blown the budget already (heavy sigh).Reply -
seboj ReplyThe one that will garner most attention is the Archos 101. Packing a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) touchscreen, the device has the same 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor as the 70 and 43 and shares a lot of other specs with its lower-end counterparts, including HDMI, USB, WiFi, Micro-SD and a kick stand. This one is the most expensive of the line and it's priced at $299.
All that AND it runs FroYo for $300? I'll be camping out for that one. -
BlueCat57 I was thinking of buying an Android phone for all the extra features. Then I started looking at what the iPod Touch could do. For the same $200 I could get all the features and avoid the $30 a month for data plan. I'm not into texting so I can wait to be in a WiFi HotSpot to do my communicating. Sure I have to carry two devices but I also get to carry a $20 and $10 in my wallet every month. I may take a look at these devices but that new iPod Touch announced today looks like a winner.Reply