Archos GPS in-car holder review

The Archos GPS in-car holder ($129) transforms your existing Archos 605 WiFi portable video player into a full-fledged GPS navigation system. For Archos 605 WiFi owners whose GPS needs are strictly in-car, the Archos GPS in-car holder is a great value compared with a similar priced standalone system.

Design
Constructed mostly of black plastic, the Archos GPS in-car holder isn't much to look at. The holder uses an adjustable arm and high-grade suction cup to attach to the inside of your car's windshield, while jawlike clamps keep your Archos 605 WiFi secured. Powering the Archos GPS in-car holder requires an included adapter cable that runs from the side of the cradle to your car's cigarette lighter, which can be a messy proposition depending on your car's design. A second, shorter cable connects from the Archos 605 WiFi's dock plug to the bottom of the GPS holder.

Features
At first glance, the Archos GPS in-car holder may seem like a glorified suction cup, but its built-in GPS antenna offers the only way to add in-car navigation to your Archos 605 WiFi. Unfortunately, requiring a bulky dock attachment to turn the Archos 605 WiFi into a GPS receiver makes it a poor choice for those whose navigation needs extend beyond the car.

If you can accept its in-car limitations, the Archos 605 WiFi's large 4.25-inch antiglare touch screen is a natural fit for a navigation system, and GPS-enabled features such as 3D maps (courtesy of TeleAtlas), searchable points of interest, spoken turn-by-turn directions, and saved locations, are every bit as good as many of the modest systems offered by Garmin or Magellan. You won't see advanced features such as Bluetooth call handling or voice recognition on the GPS-enabled Archos 605 WiFi system, but at this price, we were more than happy with the options offered.

The best argument for using an Archos 605 WiFi as an in-car GPS system is its secondary use as entertainment for bored passengers. With or without the Archos GPS holder, having a 605 WiFi handy is great for watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and browsing the Internet--features that standalone GPS devices include in a more limited scope.