Archos Gmini 402 Camcorder user reviews (20GB)

Pros Do I have to mention....an mp3 with a CAMCORDER built-in!

Cons Device is flawed by sub-par battery-life and low volume.

Summary I had nearly ALL ARCHOS products so I know what I'm talking about here....

I've owned and written reviews on the AV420, 500, 700 and now its time for the Gmini 402cc. I've had it for about a week. This has to be the greatest if not the BEST all-in-one portable music device on the market. Superb alternative to the iPod. Let me break down the pros/cons of this device...


Size -

Very portable, about the same LENGTH as the iPod, although not as slim. But, who needs a pencil thin device that can break in the palm of your hands? The 402cc fits perfectly in the palm of my hands. I dropped it on the floor today and there was no problems, no skipping or reboot whatsoever. It's about the same thickness as an NGAGE Nokia phone, or a Cable remote.


Audio -

From what I noticed, the volume isn't that loud, not as loud as the AV500 was atleast, but nothing significant. But its highly recommended if not REQUIRED, that you get a better pair of earphones. Those with money should get the Shure E4C's. Those with a lil' budget should get the SONY Premium Stereo Earphones (I got them, and they are good for the price). I still don't like the fact you cant listen to music while viewing photos though.

Design -

Love the design, wish the screen was a little bit bigger though, all that extra space between the right side of the screen and the buttons could've been used. Buttons are great and are easy to use. Don't like the fact that there's no way you can browse through your music library any faster than holding the down button and waiting for it to build speed.


Video -

Videos come out crisp, especially considering its screen size. Videos take about as quick to load as it does for a song, unless its a movie, then you'd have to wait an extra 3 seconds. Viewing videos does take up a chunk of the battery life, so try not to alternate between viewing videos and listening to music too much.

Photos -

Not much to say other than I wish you can listen to music while viewing them, other than that, photos come out good. Slideshow is great.


Camcorder -

A camcorder/mp3 player? GENUIS! ARCHOS continues to put out great ideas into pvp's. The camcorder is a great feature. Yes, its 1.2 megapixels, but so is the average camera phone. With a little light, it can take real crisp, clear videos/snapshots. Also the audio on the camcorder picks up well. The only thing is that its hard to keep your finger out of the len's way.


In my opinion, this is a MUSIC PLAYER first THEN a video player/recorder and camcorder. So you can't expect it to have a speaker like the ARCHOS products before it....what mp3 that is out now has a speaker? It cannot record off the tv like the other ARCHOS products, but what mp3 does? This is the most fun you'll have with an mp3 player. Although its flawed by sub-par battery life and no easy way to browse through music, its still a solid device and reigns as the PORTABLE MEDIA CENTER KING. I paid $259 for it...now if that's not a great deal, I dont know what is. Go and get a Video iPod for $300 that only accepts one type of video format, scratches easily, and pay for all the video you want. But I rather spend $41 less, with a variety of video formats, a camcorder, AND an INCLUDED accessory to let me hook it up to the TV.


Send all questions/comments to JeffreyG718@yahoo.com And I'll be glad to answer them. Thanks for reading my review!