Archos 605 WiFi user reviews (80GB)

Pros Everything: screen, widgets, music quality

Cons Hurts the pockets

Summary First of all, anyone who has given this any lower than a 5 is either the most impatient technology user or poisoning the well. I’m not going to go into how excellent this product is, you can read the editor’s review because I believe he sums it up very well. I am just going to point out the little things I wish could be fixed that been addressed in other reviews so you can see how trivial they are.

First of all, the web browser: every review is like a broken record, “Why doesn’t it come with the browser?!?” etc… Okay, true it would be nice to have it however in comparison, if you buy an IPod I would like you to add up all the accessories you buy (case, alarm clock, screen protector, FM radio transmitter, etc). I guarantee it will be higher and a $30 plug-in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an anti-apple person at all, just put it in perspective.

Next, battery life and charge time: I can’t argue it takes a long time to charge this through the USB port however this is not Archos’ fault. USB voltage is constant however the amount of power it provides will vary highly on computer and how many devices are hooked up. First time charging mine: 7 hours (overnight). No problem, just hooked it up to me USB multi port hub which has an external power supply. The next day in the mail I received my AC power pack by Gomedic for the 605 ($20 through Amazon for wall and car charger). One more thing, almost none of the top brands include AC adapters anymore (Apple, Creative, Archos, etc.), why to make more money on accessories, so don’t use this player as the escape goat.

Next, file playback: Yes you have to buy a Codec for Mpeg, Mpg, etc. playback however, one quick fix for this is a nice little program “Any Video Converter” (Google it). Can convert any video and download YouTube videos (they also have one for audio conversions). No video quality loss and easy to use. So there you go, easy fix (disclaimer: I’m not endorsing any 3rd party product, just saying what I use).

Last , …??? Well I had a hard time coming up with a fourth, maybe stylus placement. Yes there is no hole for the stylus put it fits perfectly into the cloth case right next to the Archos player. Second it is a touch screen and it comes with a protective film on it. That means those 10 god-given fingers work just fine and a simple wipe of the shirt will get rid of finger prints.

So there you have it, now join the bandwagon and enjoy this wonderful player.

Pros Screen Quality, Touch Screen, User Interface, Wifi, Content Portal, Internet, Music, Photos, Videos, DVR and More

Cons No FM Tuner Built in, Average Battery Life, proprietary connections

Summary I have owned and or used multiple mp3 players over the years (Creative, Archos, Irvier, Ipod, Sansa...) and I have never been so pleased with a purchase. The Archos 605 has it all. I have owned the Archos 605 for a little over a week.
Screen and UI:
The screen quality is very high and is higher than what I have seen on any other player currently on the market. The screen shows amazing detail and the coating for the touch Screen is great because it decrease glare. The touch screen is very responsive and UI is simple through the touch screen and slight less easy through the buttons on the side but having both touch screen and side buttons seems to aid in navigation and makes this the easiest player I have ever used.
Video:
The videos are clean and clear. Amazing quality and since you are able to adjust videos to multiple sizes screen you are able to see videos in great quality. Also when you highlight a video in your browser the icon gives you a preview of your video which is a great little touch and the Archos 605 is filled with little extras like this.
Music:
The music interface is great and with the touch screen you get amazing search capabilities similar if not better that the ipod. The sound quality is good but I do wish the volume could be higher, but I also tend to play my music a little too loud anyways.
Photos:
The screen quality assists any displaying your pictures in the best possible way. Touch screen gives you an easy way to zoom in and out and to go from picture to picture. You can also save your pictures to the main screen and you can even zoom into a particular part of a picture and save that. You can play music during your slide shows which has multiple transition effects and you can download and save pictures from the internet (web browser plug-in needed).
Content Portal:
Archos comes with its own content portal which you do not need to purchase the web browser to connect to. The Content Portal gives you content where ever you can find wifi. You get cinema now which allows you to buy or rent movies, TV shows, music videos and Daily Motion which is like youtube and is free. And other providers are on the way.
Wifi and Web:
Connecting to your wifi is easy and you can also connect your network and stream music, video, and pictures to your player. The web is a fun and easy to use but you will have to buy a plug-in to utilize. The touch screen is easy to use, and the screen quality makes it very easy to read pages without zooming in, you can also double tap on any screen and enlarge a page. The pages load at a decent rate and you can view pages like youtube (that run on flash 7, future firmware upgrades will allow for higher levels of flash) and view the videos on full screen. The Web Browser is a plug-in so it will cost extra but I figure if I did not want a web browser and I had one I would dislike having to pay for one, especially when I could have saved the built in cost of 30 dollars.
DVR:
The DVR is easy to use like all Archos players to have owned. I purchased the travel adapter, so I just plugged in the AV into my TV and pressed recorded. Record quality is very high and process is very easy. The DVR function is great because you can copy anything on TV and take it with you on the go. But it should be known that the Travel DVR does not come with a charger.

Overall the Archos is the best PVP out now. Everything functions at a high level. Other bonuses are you can also connect the Archos as a Hard Drive (which I have always preferred) or allow Window Media to manage your files. The Archos can view PDF and while I do not buy music for I tunes the Archos can play AAC files and there is a plug in to play video podcast I may get in the future. I like the idea of buying plug-ins instead of having features I would not use but have to pay for. I would have preferred that the battery life was better but it is also not terrible. I have always dislike proprietary connections and that is a big minus in my book but since most players if this capacity have it now, I guess it is just the way thing must be. I would have also liked a built-in FM turner. I also hear the internet radio will be coming out later this year. I do not see how anyone can still be interested in other players that are in the PVP market – Apple (including the new touch), Creative, Cowon and all other challengers have a lot of catching up to do.

Pros Screen resolution, compatibility, wireless, opera browser, DVR capabilities, screen size, the list goes on and on and on

Cons Battery Life isn't spectacular but it gets the job done nonetheless, and this is really the only "flaw" that this has and I put flaw in quotes because it really is not a notable issue

Summary I would suggest this to anyone and everyone. This is above and beyond the best bang for your buck PMP I have ever seen in my lifetime. It fits perfectly in my hands and works like a charm whether you're trying to catch the show from last night while you're on break at work, or just listening to music when you're bored. This PMP is unmatchable, period.

Pros Does what it advertise Great!

Cons Battery and Plug-ins

Summary Love this PVP! Like i said it does everything it advertise. Battery and plug-ins are the only problem.