French PMP manufacturer Archos has decided to up the media game against Apple by releasing the Archos 5, 5g and 7 Internet Media Tablets.
Boring the names may be, but each comes packed with a 4.8-inch screen (or 7-inch in the case of the Archos 7), and up to a 320GB hard drive.
These are also among the thinnest devices Archos has ever come up with, and a recent hands-on by TechRadar confirmed these are gorgeous little creatures, with a veritable plethora of file reading and functionality.
The changes from the previous series are more than tangible; the touchscreen interface is much improved and the internet browser now can connect over both Wi-Fi and 3.5G HSDPA (though a docking station with dongle is needed for the 5 and 7 versions).
Noise and standing
Each has built in speakers and a leg stand for easy watching of your devices (though we can't see the problem with holding it in your hands).
The three can also handle HD content up to 720p; though this is through a paid-for add on. The docking station too is also an expense, rolling in at £80, which is more than a tad pricey for recording things via line-in.
The internet option comes with an email reader too via POP, so BlackBerry users may be confused and upset by this recent announcement.
Archos also has a Media Club coming out for the devices, where you can buy over the air, with movies, documentaries, music albums and games available.
However, as you can guess, these are a bit costly. We're talking £279 for the 60GB version, £320 for the 120GB, and £360 for 250GB with the Archos 5, and £360 for the 160GB and £440 for the 320GB in the case of the 7.
The 30GB ARCHOS 5g device is priced at £359.99.
The Archos 5 will be coming first in September, followed by the 7 in October. The 3.5G connected brother, the Archos 5g, will be coming in Q4 this year, so plenty of time to stop eating to save up...
