Version: 2008
  • On MovieTome: The 10 worst movies of 2009 so far!
advertisement

Archos Gmini XS202
Reviewed by
John Frederick Moore
on 10/03/2005

See all Archos products

  • Quick specs
  • Device type: Digital player
  • Flash memory installed: No built-in memory
  • Digital player supported digital audio standards: MP3 WAV WMA Protected WMA (DRM)
  • See full specifications

Add to my list Product summary

The good: Supports protected WMA files; compact and easy to use; improved battery performance; bargain price.

The bad: Drab appearance; still no FM radio or voice recorder.

The bottom line: Although identical in appearance to the Archos Gmini XS200, the still-economical XS202 offers better features under the hood.

Read full review

Compare this mp3 player to:

CNET editors' review

  • Reviewed by:
    John Frederick Moore
  • Edited by:
    James Kim
  • Reviewed on: 10/03/2005
The Archos Gmini XS202 keeps all the merits of the XS200 and adds some essential features that were strangely missing from the first iteration. And at $250 (and much less online), it's still a terrific bargain for a 20GB device.

The Archos Gmini XS202's main design virtue is its size. At 2.9 by 2.3 by 0.7 inches and 4.2 ounces, it rivals microdrive players such as the Creative Zen Micro. Overall, though, its appearance is rather industrial, making the Dell DJ-20 look downright stylish in comparison. Despite its compact form, the LCD is surprisingly large at 2 inches diagonal, with excellent contrast and blue backlighting. The display has enough room to comfortably show the song, the artist, and the album name, as well as the next song in the queue. It also shows elapsed time, time remaining, total song length, and a progress gauge. The XS202 features the same easy-to-follow menu structure as the XS200.

We liked the easy flow and logical layout of the Archos Gmini XS202's icon-driven interface. Using the joystick, you can select Music, Browser, Resume, or Setup from the main menu. Within the Music submenu, you can browse songs by artist, album, title, genre, year, or playlist. Browser provides access to the hard drive's folders (handy for perusing its nonmusic contents), while Resume returns you to a bookmarked spot. The Setup submenu includes the usual playback options--repeat, shuffle, or five equalizer presets (and a five-band custom setting)--along with a few nice extras. These include the option to play only a selected folder, as well as a car-stereo-like Scan mode that plays the first 15 seconds of each song until you press the joystick, at which point it reverts to normal playback.

Continue reading

Most helpful user reviews

Submit your review

Log in or create an account to submit your review for:

Archos Gmini XS202

 ORLog in with your Facebook account
1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit

Compare prices for Archos Gmini XS202

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available

advertisement

Recent user reviews

Submit your review

Log in or create an account to submit your review for:

Archos Gmini XS202

 ORLog in with your Facebook account
1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit

Special sponsor stores

advertisement

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Editors' rating: 85

    Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 649 reviews of Archos Gmini XS202 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 74/100 and users 85/100. Comparing these reviews to 407235 other MP3 Players reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 85/100 = Very Good.

    Read full review

  • stuff.tv

    Editors' rating: 60

    Read full review

  • t3.com

    Editors' rating: 60

    Summary: Lacks the advanced features found on rival models, but the small size and low price will endear it to music buffs on a budget

    Read full review

Archos Gmini XS202

Reviews & advice
Site map
Editorial policies
Meet the editors
How we test
Forums
Internet speed test
Popular topics
Apple iPhone
Apple iPod
Cell phones
Dell
GPS
LCD TV
CNET sites
CNET Site map
CNET TV
Downloads
News
Reviews
Shopper.com
More information
Newsletters
CNET Mobile
Customer Help Center
RSS
CNET Widgets
About CNET
sponsored