While last week the rumour of the iPods new (iTouch and Nano) circulated on Internet, they learn today that fabricating it French Archos, its range of " multimedia Internet bars " has just updated!

The blog specialised in the iPhone and the iPod Touch I am going to make you a short summary, but to know more about it, to me to you dismissal towards Archos Lounge.

Obviously Archos who is still the leader in matiere of loaded video really knocked extremely not to be allowed to catch by the iPod and the iPhone.
With this new range, Archos leaves completely the audio sector. Archos goes back therefore to what he can make of better: video.

Rather than to throw a 6th Generation of the multimedia walkmans, Archos reveals on the Internet site the new toys today: the multimedia Internet bars. Archos wanting to put these new products as top of the range of its offer and having to continue selling its walkmans of 5th generation in future.
Is it a simple marketing speech? Question is asked, these products indeed taking back strongly functions of the walkmans of the generation 5.

Source: Archos 5 and 7: a new range for Archos!

Some people will indeed regret it, but Archos offers no more than two key products on this new range: a bar 5 thumbs (4,8 in fact) and one 7 thumbs (if they do not include declensions of possible and hoped 3G).  Names 5 and  7 make directly references to the corresponding sizes of screen. Simple, therefore.

Design: Archos leaves here the aesthetics of the ancient generations to sport a design radically close to current standards: entirely tactile, lacking in buttons except those One / Off and of volume, the bar is bedecked with a cockle black bright whose felt quality denotes in no way that of an iPhone for example.

Archos performs therefore here a nice turnaround towards quality materials which please the eye if it is not in the fingers which leave broad traces as a result from now on become habitual in the world of the afficionados of Apple.

Interface: If Archoslounge had no leisure to test a product endowed with the final firmware, interface is in boom since the Generation 5, even if it is still far from attaining the perfection of that of an iPhone.

Menus are clear, broad enough be easily accessible for to the finger and group acquires a satisfactory reactivity. Various animations in menus also show that Archos finally seems to have understood marketing interest to have a visually nice interface.

Always so many accessories: You hoped for fewer accessories in the range of Archos? Lost!

With this generation of multimedia Internet bars, the list of accessories still stretches out: DVR STATION DVR Snap-on Tiny Warehouse Battery Dock Helmet Cam GPS because holder FM REMOTE Archos 5S Carrying puts DVB-T Snap-on

The possessors of walkmans 5G will not however be disoriented, it is roughly the same thing! They still mourn the absence of the harbour USB Host but which please, they did not listen to us;-D.

Besides the ARL SIENNE FM REMOTE who does again its big return, big secondary novelty (who will a little keep people waiting) is irrefutably TV SNAP-ON. Indeed, the new walkmans 6G will be able to benefit from reception TNT with all what goes well (recording in format MPEG2 (undoubtedly)). It will be necessary to wait for the test of the thingy to say to you about it more.

For the rest, DVR STATION earns finally a harbour HDMI and other accessories remain unfortunately identical obviously (notably Helmet Cam whose quality of recording does not improve).

Archos 5:

• spreads out of 60 in 250Go
• 127,5 x 78,3 x 12,9 mm (for version 60Go) 250gr
• 127 x 78,8 x 19,4 mm (for version 120 / 250Go) 300gr
• from 350 to 500 euro TTC

Archos 7:

• A range of Archos 7 which spreads out of 160 in 320Go
• 190 x 110 x 16 mm 640 gr
• from 450 to 550 euro TTC

Side price, if 350 euro of entrance of range can throw into a panic, the comparison with the 5G turns however in favour of the new comers: for 350 euro, the client indeed gets Archos 5 endowed with 60 Go, of plugin Web and of the plugin free WebTV&Radio

plugin HD: Afterwards of long years of waiting, here is finally! Difficult to make turn of HD on such small machines
However, it is already possible to envisage a disappointment: limitation in 24 pictures by seconds, while most cameras HD offer not less than 25 frames per second. In a picture near the standard IMPALEMENT / Secam was attained. Suddenly, it will indeed be necessary to re-encode because of the single picture! Besides, no support of mp4, format very spread in middle damage. For MKV and AVCHD the 7G will be waited

Of course WMV HD is supported well. It is because it was well necessary to be able to give a support HD DRMISABLE. It is a not too bad format at the level of video quality, but too little spread in interested middle (possessors of cameras HD wanting to view rush fast their). Be patient, you will have to re-encode!

Video recording: On this point, Archos disappoints. The video recording via DVR STATION always stays in 640/480. It is bluntly ashamed at the time when household begins replacing their TV with HD. To see, if a m j firmware will not be able to come to improve all this!

First observation: If they smell to break the first disappointment, unavoidable when it is a question of making choices, it seems to us that Archos took option rather welcome of lopping in the range: exit the waiting 606, 406, etc. place in two simple possibilities: a version 5, or 7. If this last will replace 705, Archos 5 represents the ship from now on admiral of our small French society. This role had been devolved in 605, successfully at first, but alas Archos could not been able to follow request. Let us hope that he leaves in another way with this number 5!

Second observation: design is from now on of bet! 7 years after the iPod 1G, who planted a first corner in this domain and up to the iPhone 3G taken out some weeks ago, Archos has to start finally on the page it is from now on made thing, and has - priori of a nice way even if our two chaps are not going to revolutionise the world of design. Anyhow, Archos is situated at the level of competition, and it is already a nice battle of winning! And what to say about this interface, the first pictures of which flatter the eye finally? From this point of view, these two bars are already successes!

To see more photos it is here: Archos 5 and 7: the comparo with one 605

Source: Archos 5 and 7: a new range for Archos!

For any technical question thank you for returning you on the forum

• Forum of news last of Apple
• Forum dedicated to applications for iPhone and iPod Touch.
• A problem with your iPod or your iPhone? Return you on "I broke everything!!"