We also recorded a lower quality version of the keynote that we broadcast live during the event on the 11th of June in Paris at http://archosfans.com/2009/06/11/archos-event-video-recorded/ on which, if you fast forward till after the 57th minute of the first part of the video, you can follow our 3-hour live video coverage from the Archos showcase of the new products.
Please digg this story here: http://digg.com/linux_unix/Archos_to_release_500GB_Ubuntu_netbook (the more people know about this 500GB Archos netbook, the faster Archos will release it worldwide not only in France and the faster Archos will decide to dedicate the maximum amounts of marketing efforts for it)
This is pretty awesome. Archos releases the Archos 10 Ubuntu edition, with a 500GB hard drive, 2GB RAM and a 6-cell battery built-in. Running Ubuntu 9.04. All for not much more than the Archos 10 with Windows XP, 160GB and 1GB of RAM: available for 375€ at french retailer Surcouf.
Based on the current MSRP pricing, the Archos 10 with Windows XP is 349€ and the Archos 10 Ubuntu edition is launched with an MSRP of 375€, thus a difference at launch of only 26€. Again, when converting Euros to US$ prices, consider that European prices always include about 20% in VAT taxes. Thus the Archos 10 Ubuntu might only cost about $25 more even though it has got 3x more storage and 2x more RAM than the version with Windows XP. Thus you could expect to find the Archos 10 Ubuntu with 500GB hard drive, 2GB RAM and a 6-cell battery at around $350 in the US at the cheapest resellers (based on my calculations, if Archos soon releases it in the US as well).
Last year, Archos had released an English dubbed version of the keynote. So we will wait and see and perhaps soon Archos will also record a voice-dubbed English version of this keynote video and we will post you the link to it in a new post here if that happens.
CrOvax and Ulrich from http://frandroid.com are Android fans at the Archos event in Paris, reporting about their reaction to the fact that Archos is not zet showing the Android device/devices publicly but only a bit talking about them at this point, and annoncing only officially about the Archos Android September event that will be coming up.
About the price, you have to consider that EU prices in Euro include an average of 20-25% VAT taxes that people have to pay in Europe. So the US price often is about the same amount just in US dollars. I also think that I remember clearly that Archos announced this as a 450€ or 500 US dollar device. So converting the Euro price to US dollars is not the correct way to guess the US targetted suggested retail price for this product. Thus expect this to be sold unlocked cheaper than 500 US dollars in the USA, thus cheaper than the current price of an unsubsidized iphone (599 US dollars). Also consider than until the release, Archos may find HSDPA networking partners in many countries around the world to ship this product to consumers at a subsidized price (for example I’m just guessing 199 US dollars) when bundling it with a long term HSDPA data service package for it.
Today Archos had representatives from Intel and Microsoft on stage, so Archos could not use this event to also show their fully in-house developed Archos Android product or line of products. Sadly. We will have to wait a bit more to see more of that. But Archos CEO Henri Crohas started his Keynote speaking about the Android line of products and giving us some details, basically saying that it’s going to be awesome.
Archos explained a bit of how it is working now in terms of R&D and development work. Archos still has their core engineering team working on the Android device/devices to be unveiled on or before September the 15th at another event. All the while, Archos is able to release Intel and Microsoft based products and position themselves very well on the market, in partnership with engineers and manufacturers in China, in partnership with Intel and Microsoft as well.
Until Archos will release the official high quality video from Henri Crohas the CEO of Archos’s Keynote [edit 18th June: Archos has released the officially dubbed version of the official keynote video] with guests on stage such as Alain Madelain President of the World Fund on Digital Solidarity for the Archos 9classmate launch, Presidents of Intel France and Microsoft France as well launching the new line of Archos Intel/Microsoft products, you can see here the 2 hour long video that we broadcast live from Paris today filmed using an Archos 10′s built-in Webcam using ustream.tv. You can scroll this video forward to 57 minute to see the English speaking live video coverage from the Archos showcase of all the new products, including interviews of Archos representatives, discussions among the Archos bloggers and more :
There is also a second part of this broadcast, where we continue to go up close with the products:
HD hands-on videos are being uploaded right now. If my Hotel’s internet upload is fast enough, you will have the videos posted early tomorrow morning. Otherwise I will upload them during the next couple of days.
Archos Android products will be shown later, in September, by the 15th of September 2009, Archos will have the Android event with one or more Android products shown. Sorry, I thought that Archos was going to show the Android products at this event.
Thanks to BenMars for borrowing his Archos 10 laptop to enable us to do this live video streaming from the event today!
