Archos 5 Review

[Nate the great]

I just posted a review of the Archos 5 tablet over on my blog. Here are the highlights:

I’ve been wanting to add an Android device to my collection for some time now, but I had to wait until I had the funds to spare. The Archos 5 was released last fall in the US and Europe. It’s your usual MID with a 4.8” screen, 8GB flash, Wifi, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot. It also has excellent media abilities (Archos has been making media players for quite a few years now.)
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My Recommendation

I would not go out of my way to get an Android tablet as an ebook reader. TBH, I would avoid them entirely. It is not nearly as stable or nor as feature rich as either Linux or Windows Mobile. Also, it doesn’t offer as many apps as either Linux or Windows Mobile. Android isn’t ready yet; it’s still in its infancy. And frankly, it was meant to run phones, not tablets. There’s a reason why the only authorized devices are phones; that’s what it’s designed for.

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[Charbax]

I think Android tablets like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android will be perfect for e-reading, just not before Pixel Qi becomes the default screen technology for all capacitative or wacom touch tablets.

For now, I wouldn't read whole books on my Archos 5 Internet Tablet, but it's the best device for pocketable web browsing, pocketable video playback and pocketable Android based multimedia experience in General. I use it with my 80€ unlocked Huawei 5830 Mifi pocket router for 3G access to the web, emails, podcasts and for watching Colbert Report, Daily Show or whatever movies I have on it anytime I am in public transportation, in waiting rooms and even at work, school or whatever.

It's only $249 in Radio Shack for the 8GB version, I think that is great value: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3843254

But again, I wouldn't recommend any non Pixel Qi LCD based devices for reading a lot of text. Any LCD that is not Pixel Qi powered is basically like staring into a light bulb, and when you want to read a lot, you don't want there to be light emitted directly into your eyes from the LCD screen. So wait for Pixel Qi if that is what you are looking for. Until then, I think that the only viable solution is e-ink through USB or e-ink that would somehow synchronize with LCD based devices over WiFi, 3G or Bluetooth, or that would then like the Entourage Edge, like the 1Cross Tech MIDhybrid or like the Astri, that would integrate both e-ink and LCD in the same device.

I am not the e-book format expert, but I can't imagine that Android software like Aldiko or FBreader would be really terrible for e-reading? A reason for there not yet being perhaps perfect e-reading software for Android I think simply would be because the Pixel Qi hardware is not yet available. Once Pixel Qi arrives in all Android tablets, then obviously the Android based e-reading software will be perfected.

I use my Archos A5IT with Aldiko - it is a perfect ebook reader for the following reasons:

Aldiko has some unique features such as allowing the screen to dim way below that of the Archos brightness app (and you can do it with a simple swipe down the left side of the screen).

Aldiko has a wide variety of font colors and backgrounds (for both day and night use)

By using Calibre, you can convert many ebook formats to Epub (Aldiko preferred format).

the A5IT has long battery life.

I am not an Aldiko or an A5IT employee - just a very satisfied A5 owner (Although I often disagree with the Archosfans forum folks [post as formerceo])

[carlobee]

Very nice and interesting review! Thanks for sharing

[angryvegan]

I think you may be confusing Archos with Android, the Archos is acknowledged to be a fairly sub-par implementation, right down to its sad resistive screen.

Android is a solid OS with a thriving and innovative application ecosystem - compare the 20,000+ apps in the Android Market with the few hundred lonely and generally lame offerings in the Windows Mobile Marketplace. As an HD2 owner I can tell you the choice of modern touch and accelerometer enabled applications for WinMo is vanishingly small compared to the wealth of Android apps designed for modern hardware.

[Charbax]

Originally Posted by angryvegan

I think you may be confusing Archos with Android, the Archos is acknowledged to be a fairly sub-par implementation, right down to its sad resistive screen.

Archos introduced dozens features that are not available on any other Android devices:

- First with 4.8" screen
- First with 800x480
- First with HDMI output to 1280x720 Android on HDTV
- First with 720p MKV high profile in Android
- First with hard drive storage for Android up to 500GB
- First Android without contract for $249 unlocked in Radio Shack for 8GB version
- First Android with full DivX, XviD, H264, WMV, Ogg Vorbis, Flac, AC3 etc video and audio codecs support
- First Android device with ARM Cortex A8 800mhz processor
- First Android device with USB host and Bluetooth for external keyboard use
- First Android device that streams all codecs from Samba and Upnp
- First Android device with full built-in DVR functions like a Tivo
- First Android device with Bluetooth tethering for accessing the Internet over 3G

and I could go on if you want. There is nothing sub-par about that.

- If Dell Streak can help bring 4.8" 800x480 capacitive screens to the market then great, but would you pay a $200 premium to get that screen type? Archos resistive screen is really great.

- If Dell Streak can help bring official Google Marketplace to tablets, then great. But one can hack Marketplace on the Archos pretty easily in a one-step process.

- If Dell Streak can help bring Android 2.1 to tablets with graphics acceleration then great, but Archos is getting that through a firmware update soon anyways.

- If Dell Streak can give consumers taste of built-in 3G, Archos can integrate that as well but for a large cost to consumers. Either $100 extra on unlocked devices or for $2000 with 2-year data subscriptions.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by angryvegan

I think you may be confusing Archos with Android, the Archos is acknowledged to be a fairly sub-par implementation, right down to its sad resistive screen.

Android is a solid OS with a thriving and innovative application ecosystem - compare the 20,000+ apps in the Android Market with the few hundred lonely and generally lame offerings in the Windows Mobile Marketplace. As an HD2 owner I can tell you the choice of modern touch and accelerometer enabled applications for WinMo is vanishingly small compared to the wealth of Android apps designed for modern hardware.

I don't think I confused the 2. I merely left it open as to which was causing the problem. I don't think Android is ready yet.

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I don't think I confused the 2. I merely left it open as to which was causing the problem. I don't think Android is ready yet.

I agree. And I certainly don't think the Archos 5IT is ready for much either, especially reading eBooks.

[rlauzon]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I don't think I confused the 2. I merely left it open as to which was causing the problem. I don't think Android is ready yet.

I disagree.

I have the Motorola Droid. Very fast. Very stable. Uses very little power. FBReader and Aldiko work on it very well. It's a very stable platform.

I also have an Archos 5 Android tablet. Fast, but not nearly as stable and has power issues. While FBReader and Aldiko work well, Aldiko needs a special version for the Archos.

I would not purchase an Archos 5 Android as an eBook reader. But a nice eInk (or similar type screen) device running Android would be high on my list of things to purchase.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by rlauzon

I disagree.

I have the Motorola Droid. Very fast. Very stable. Uses very little power. FBReader and Aldiko work on it very well. It's a very stable platform.

I also have an Archos 5 Android tablet. Fast, but not nearly as stable and has power issues. While FBReader and Aldiko work well, Aldiko needs a special version for the Archos.

I would not purchase an Archos 5 Android as an eBook reader. But a nice eInk (or similar type screen) device running Android would be high on my list of things to purchase.

whats the advantage to the user of an android powered e-ink device?

my sonys have been very good software wise not syre why I would ever WANT a specifically android powered e-ink reader?

[rlauzon]

Originally Posted by stustaff

whats the advantage to the user of an android powered e-ink device?

my sonys have been very good software wise not syre why I would ever WANT a specifically android powered e-ink reader?

For the average person, there would be no real advantage.

For those of us who like to tinker, Android is usually easier to modify - but it depends on the implementation.

[ColdSun]

I've tried Android on MIDs and tablets. I have no experience with it on a very good phone it was designed for. I have two Archos 5ITs. They are ok for an ebook reader, but I wasn't too impressed with it. To be honest, as an all-around device I thought the iPod Touch felt better as a reader. On the devices I tested Android on, it seemed a little sluggish. The Archos is the best so far though. My sons seem happy enough with their A5IT devices, but they want my ASUS 1005PEB netbook instead. I wish I had known at xmas when I got them those things.

I liked some of the Linux tablet devices a bit more for reading, and even the A81 MID with WinCE 6 was real nice as a reader. These days I need more feature and power in a multi-function device. If I just wanted a reader, I think I would choose that inexpensive little reader from Walgreens in the other thread, maybe even as a holdover until I get an iPad or something of that power.

I'm totally in love with this netbook, as I can do anything on it, from movies, reading, games to work. It is light and easy to carry around. Still, there are some new devices coming that I already have an unnatural desire to own.

[rhari79]

My apologies for posting in an old thread.

I got an A5IT recently and been playing around with it. Still not shifted from reading on my iphone 3g.

But the Archos has its strong points: recent firmware updates 1.7.77+ has made it quite stable. When i got it it had an older frequently crashing f/w. But now feels quite stable.
People expect that the android 2+ is just round the corner, but which corner is the puzzle.

The screen is very bright so a little tiresome to read, but with Android market apps and screen protectors, it can be made fit for reading.

My real find here was IReader. This reads chm files really well(almost as good as iphone 3g chmate). It can get a lot of data into the bigger A5IT screen.

The touch screen feels a little awkward to use after being spoiled by the iphone etc.,
Where i feel the iphone et al excels is in making use of the screen real estate very well. I find lots of space wastage in the A5IT(big buttons, title bars etc.,) and N900(another wonderful device).

Also there is an option to keep the user data partition(usb mount) as FAT now. This eliminates ext2 driver issues in MAC and windows.

And its video playing..i have just touched the tip of the iceberg..its awesome..
However android games plainly suck..Just try raging thunder free edn.

The latest f/w 1.7.99 seems to enable paid apps if android market app is installed.

So well worth the money..may at least until the Dell mini 5 comes out.

If only it can be rooted and pushed further..

I actually would like to try out the A7HT, but..am little fed up of resistive screens right now.