Archos has been in the PMP (personal media player) business for the longest time so when they did an Android-powered tablet with the Archos 5, I thought the market will be pleased to see an affordable device coupled with a great mobile OS. The Archos 5 comes in many flavors, from 8GB Flash to 500GB HDD, but for the purpose of this review, we looked at the Flash version. The Archos 5 comes with a custom Android OS v1.6 so you get the Android Market and AppsLib Store to browse thru thousands of free apps. Archos added a couple of other software features like the TV Scheduler and Video Recorder that works once you pair the device with the DVR Station (captures video played on your TV much like how TiVo works). Performance-wise, the Archos 5 is pretty capable but you'd bump into some sluggishness here and there. The Archos 5 with its 4.8" screen beside the Sony-Ericsson Xperia X10 with a 4.0" screen. One issue I had with the Archos 5 is that the device seemed to uncomfortably heat up when used extensively, like watching movies. Battery life didn't reach the 7 hours as claimed by Archos but I am able to watch two full movies and have a little power left to browse the web for under an hour. Read more in our articles including "Archos 5 Review" and "Archos 5 Internet Tablet Unboxed".
Archos has been in the PMP (personal media player) business for the longest time so when they did an Android-powered tablet with the Archos 5, I thought the market will be pleased to see an affordable device coupled with a great mobile OS. The Archos 5 comes in many flavors, from 8GB Flash to 500GB HDD, but for the purpose of this review, we looked at the Flash version.
The Archos 5 comes with a custom Android OS v1.6 so you get the Android Market and AppsLib Store to browse thru thousands of free apps. Archos added a couple of other software features like the TV Scheduler and Video Recorder that works once you pair the device with the DVR Station (captures video played on your TV much like how TiVo works). Performance-wise, the Archos 5 is pretty capable but you'd bump into some sluggishness here and there.
Our coverage of archos 5 includes: "Archos 5 Review"; "Archos 5 Internet Tablet Unboxed"; "Archos 101 in the flesh, first impressions". Each article provides unique insights and information.