At IFA 2010, which I will film for you in HD quality, subscribe to my RSS feed of my other site http://ARMdevices.net, Archos will be demonstrating the whole new Generation 8 line of Android tablet devices.

At nearly 2 times faster performance using Texas Instruments new 45nm OMAP3630 processor at up to 1ghz, with new and improved electronics, faster and more RAM memory (probably, to be confirmed if up to 512MB RAM), 3D graphics and video bitrates playback support nearly 2 times faster and better, all the while, battery runtime is longer in a thinner and lighter design. Archos has added up to HD camcorders, hardware Android buttons for better UI navigation as well as fantastic built-in HDMI outputs and full sized USB host connectors.

Perhaps best of all, Archos Gen8 is super affordable:

Archos 28 : $99 for 4GB, 8GB version also available
Archos 32 : $149 for 8GB
Archos 43 : $199
Archos 70 : $279 for 16GB, 250GB version for $349
Archos 101 : $299 for 8GB, $349 for 16GB

28 is the basic QVGA 2.8″ model, comes with least amount of RAM, no cam, no Bluetooth and no composite video output. 32 adds a camcorder, Bluetooth and composite video output. 43 also ads HD camcorder, FWVGA screen resolution, HDMI output and even more RAM. 70 and 101 come with capacitive touch screens, front facing video-conferencing cameras and full sized USB host connectors and HDMI outputs.

So for much cheaper than what Apple provides to the market, Archos is providing much better performance, better features, better multimedia support, more choice to the consumer. Look forward to my full HD quality videos of these products to be published here from IFA in the days to come.

Questions to be answered by Archos hopefully soon:

- Is there going to be a 4.8″ or 5″ Android tablet version in this generation, and if yes when does it come and will it have a capacitive touch screen?

- Will Generation 7 Archos 5 Internet Tablet have a firmware upgrade to Android 2.2 after it has been provided to the upcoming Generation 8 players in the couple of months to come?

- Would Archos use a Pixel Qi screen on the Archos 101, at least as an option if that readable e-ink quality LCD screen becomes available in the months to come?

- Will Archos release 3G options for any or all of these Tablet sizes as least as an option and for what kind of premium? Could it be done for just $50 extra or less?

- Does full bitrates of all or most of MKV high profile movies found on BitTorrents on the Internet playback smoothly and perfectly on the LCD as well as on the HDMI output of these new players?

There are many more specs to be read on http://archos.com

Discuss this new generation in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewforum.php?f=63

Amazon.com has leaked a nice higher resolution image of the upcoming $149 Archos 32 (8GB) Android 2.2 compatible device, with 800MHZ ARM Cortex A8 45nm, OpenGL, DSP for full video/audio playback, VGA camcorder, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3.2″ 400×240 touchscreen, microphone, usb-host and more:

Look forward for Archos announcing the whole rest of the Archos Generation 8 lines of products during a press event scheduled for August 30th in Paris, a few days before the IFA consumer electronics show of Berlin, at which I plan to film all the videos of the best products shown which I will release here and on my other site http://ARMdevices.net from September 3-8th, so subscribe to the RSS.

You can discuss this product in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?p=244478#p244478

Those FCC guys are nice, they keep leaking every new Archos device even though they have been asked to keep the informations confidential.

Here is the new, cheapest Android 2.2 ARM Cortex A8 45nm device in the world! Probably to be launched at around $99, with WiFi b/g/n:

This is the Archos A28 Minidroid, comes with 2.8″ QVGA 320×240 screen, support for Android 2.2 and runs on 800mhz ARM Cortex A8 at 45nm OMAP3630 by Texas Instruments. The price is likely to be lower than the recently leaked $149 Archos 32, thus the price is possibly going to be announced for $99 for the lowest 8GB capacity version!

As with every previous Archos Android Tablets, the Google Marketplace will for sure work just fine on this device. If it doesn’t come pre-installed on the device (because Google wouldn’t yet allow it to come pre-installed), there will most likely be an .apk that anyone can find on the Internet that takes 1 minute to install the full Google Marketplace with all the Google Apps on this device.

Consider its positioning on the market:
Archos A28 Minidroid (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen = $99
Archos A32 Minidroid (8GB), 3.2″ WQVGA touch screen = $149
Apple iPod Nano (8GB), 2″ QVGA non-touch screen = $149
Apple iPod Touch (8GB), 3.5″ HVGA capacitive touch screen = $199
Samsung YP-MB2 (8GB), 4″ WVGA capacitive touch screen Super AMOLED = $249
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone = $299
HTC Tatoo (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone = $299
Acer beTouch E110 (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone = $299
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone = $339
HTC Wildfire (8GB), 3.2″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone = $349
Samsung Galaxy S (8GB), 4″ WVGA capacitive touch screen Super AMOLED, with 3G/phone = $649
Apple iPhone 4 (16GB), 3.5″ Quad-HVGA capacitive touch screen, with 3G/phone = $760
Announced products, no pricing yet:
Acer beTouch E120 (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone
Acer beTouch E130 (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone
Dell Smoke (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone
T-Mobile Pulse Mini (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone
ZTE Smooth (8GB), 2.8″ QVGA touch screen, with 3G/phone

You can discuss this new product in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=36412

Source: fcc.gov
Found via: wirelessgoodness.com

Wow, check this out, this is the new cheapest Android ARM Cortex A8 device in the world. Archos Gen8 has hardware buttons for Android Menu, Home, Back and Search/OK functions!

Here are more pictures showing the hardware buttons and design of this new awesome $149 ARM Cortex A8 45nm based Android device. Consider, this is Android 2.2 experience with OpenGL acceleration starting below $149 without the need to signup for 2 year contracts with any carrier. 3G access can be had using Mifi or through Bluetooth tethering.

It has a volume rocker and some power/charging LED or buttons:

The headphones jack (which doubles as composite video output with the right cable), microphone emplacement (or input), another power button or LED and the mini-USB or micro-USB connector:

The user interface of Android on this $149 device is similar to the previous generation Archos 5 Internet Tablet, but consider that Archos is preparing Android 2.1 firmware upgradable to Android 2.2 for this device. See that the Archos Media Center features which allow full video and audio codecs playback is provided through the Archos Media Center Widget at the bottom of the Android user interface. The multimedia part available as the AMC widget is the core of Archos customization of the Android user interface.

The back seems to be easily openable, which may or may not provide access to an eventual MicroSD card slot that may or may not be present there on the back of the device, to be confirmed. It may just be the opening for the volume rocker buttons. Otherwise while $149 would be the price of the 8GB built-in storage version, I think it would be fair to estimate that for $199 one could get the 32GB version of this device.

You can discuss these pictures in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=36255

Source: fcc.gov
Found via: liliputing.com

That’s nearly 30% cheaper, more than $100 cheaper than the initial $379 retail price for it.

Starting August 2nd, Archos will support paid-for apps in their http://appslib.com Android applications store. Archos claims to be providing the worlds second largest Android applications marketplace after the official Google Marketplace. They claim to have over 2000 free apps available that have been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. Other manufacturers of Android devices are also using AppsLib such as Shuttle, Yifang, JWD, Aïgo, Daza and Ramos. Maybe Archos is giving out the AppsLib software for free for all other manufacturers to include, while Google is not yet allowing them all to include the official Google Marketplace.

While we do have Google Marketplace working unofficially since last November on our Archos 5 Internet Tablets, while I do think it is important for Archos and all other Android tablet manufacturers to demand from Google to provide them with officially pre-installed Google Marketplace on all devices, to demand also that Google provide support for Tablet centric versions of Android. I also think it is a good idea to provide alternative marketplaces to Android devices.

The suggestion I have for Archos is still following:

- They should provide a subscription plan for unlimited access to apps on AppsLib.

- With opt-out, the app developper can decide not to be part of the plan and still only provide paid-for only access to their apps. Or even to provide only a rebate for unlimited plan subscribers.

I think many Android users would pay $3 per month for unlimited access to plenty plenty of Android apps. And I believe many of the best app developers will make more money on a subscription plan with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of subscribers than they do on selling few hundreds or few thousands of pay-to-own licences.

I think also current developers who offer free apps on the current AppsLib and Google Marketplace, would then also be able to be part of the payments from subscriptions. Suddenly, overnight, Archos could make a business model for all those developers of great free apps.

I think Archos would attract many more paid-for app developers to submit their apps in AppsLib if there is a subscription model involved. Archos needs to be transparent about how much they pay each of the developers based on statistics of downloads/installs, eventually also statistics of usage (if there is a not-too-intrusive way for Archos to count how much each of the apps are actually used by users, each user having to opt-in on their Android device to allow Archos to monitor usage of their apps to pay developers more precisely their due share from the subscription plan).

I think Archos could then also provide users with recommendations for which apps to try to install. “If you liked these apps (which you already installed and are using often), then we recommend you check these ones out as well” and that should uniquely be based on Archos stats for how much each app is downloaded/installed vs uninstalled and eventually on how much it is used.

Included in that subscription plan, free updates of course on all the apps.

That would be a way for Archos to differentiate their AppsLib from Google Marketplace. Users of any of the existing 20+ million Android smartphones on the market would also be able to download and subscribe to apps through AppsLib. At least, until Google implements themselves this same app subscription plan idea. Eventually, I would like one subscription for apps, one for music, one for movies, one for TV. Overall all subscriptions should not amount to more than $10 per month, and thus all should give me unlimited access to all contents on my Android devices.

Archos is now releasing what may look to be one of the only or cheapest Intel Atom D510 Dual Core based 13.3″ 1366×768 Netbooks with 6-cell battery, 1.6kg weight, Windows 7 Home Premium and a slim form factor. It is released now available in Europe at 399€ (including the 20% EU VAT taxes, the US dollar pricing equivalent is thus $384 in the USA for this laptop without the European VAT taxes) on Archos official web store.

Here are the specs:

PROCESSOR Intel® Atom D510 Dual Core (1 MB L2 cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
SYSTEM MEMORY 1GB DDR2 667/800 MHz
SCREEN 13.3” WXGA 16:9 format
RESOLUTION 1366 x 768 pixels
HARD DRIVE Capacity : 1601 GB SATA
2.5” format
COMMUNICATION Ethernet : RJ 45 Fast Ethernet 10/100 port
WiFi: PCI-E card, IEEE 802.11b/g/n supported
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR compliant)
AUDIO Intel High Definition Audio Interface
2 built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
FRONT & SIDE PORTS 3×USB 2.0
1×VGA output
1×MMC/SD/SDHC memory card reader
1×Power adapter/charger connector
1×Mic input
1×Audio output
1×RJ-45 LAN
1×RJ-11 port
BATTERY 6 cells
WEBCAM Integrated 1.3MP webcam
DIMENSIONS Avg. 333 mm x 230 mm x 27 mm (13,1” x 9,1” x 1,06”)
WEIGHT Avg. 1.6 kg
PACKAGE INCLUDES ARCHOS 133 PC (UK, DE or FR keyboard), Battery, AC Adapter with Power Cord, Quick Start Guide.

Found via: ArchosLounge.net and Slashgear.com

Version 2.0.15 – June 3rd, 2010

Display: add accelerated 3D openGL support
Fullscreen: add statusbar notification when an application is requesting fullscreen with ability to enable fullscreen for this application. Fullscreen enabling/disabling can be performed through power menu (on long power button press).
Archos media center: faster display
Thinkfree: v2.0 with full edit features
Thinkfree: can now be un-installed by user. Note that sometimes during this process an invalid shortcut might remain on the home screen. If this happens this shortcut can be removed by a long press and drag towards tray trash icon.
Display: add transparency to notification tray background

Version 1.9.10 – June 3rd, 2010

Video: fix some MJPG files not playing correctly
Audio: add support for .M4B files
Audio: improve speaker sound quality
Tethering: fix user password support and do not filter devices pretending not to be phones (e.g. Windows Mobile)
Internationalization: add Hebrew glyphs in font and corresponding virtual keyboard layout
Location: fix location manager sometimes preventing device suspend
System: better management of background applications under high memory pressure.

you can discuss here
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=34032

roy

Jack Bauer is using an Archos to play the video evidence in the latest episode of US TV show 24:

You can watch an animated gif showing one of the parts where the Archos is used in the episode at: http://i42.tinypic.com/jh8toz.gif (9mb)

Thanks to forum user yardie4life for posting these.

The Archos is used a bit in the opening credits of 24 Season 8 Episode 21 and again towards the end of the episode, when he shows the evidence to the journalist. The Archos logo is hidden (Archos can’t afford such product placement), and it seems they make it look like it has an SD card reader on top, when in fact it only has a MicroSD card reader underneath.

You can discuss this in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=33212

The prices are said to be $100 to $350, the sizes 3″ to 10″, ARM Cortex processor from 800mhz to 1ghz, with multi-touch and 3D acceleration.

My guesses are, based on this slide presented by Henri Crohas in China:

2x Archos 3 Android Gen8: starting at $100, what would the second 3″ model be about?
1x Archos 5 Android Gen8: starting at $200?
2x Archos 7 Android Gen8: $200-300? Why two 7″ models?
1x Archos 10 Android Gen8: $350? Pixel Qi dual-mode screen (my huge wish, so it can be readable for e-books and run 50h on the battery)?

The slide mentions multi-touch, a big question would be, does Archos now use Capacitive touch-screens? The the case of 3″ and 7″, might it be that the second skew is to provide a cheap resistive choice as well as a $50 to $100 more expensive capacitive type? The thing about capacitive screen is this, as far as I understand, and as far as one can find by just looking at what’s available on the market, it might be capacitive screens are really much more expensive and hard to come by in sizes other than some very definite sizes decided to be mass manufactured by the smart phone industry.

OpenGL acceleration and multi-touch features are clearly stated in the slide. Which may mean that Android 2.1 support is pretty much for surely available. Another hardware feature would be interesting to know about would be how well those devices will integrate 3G connectivity. We know Archos does Bluetooth tethering well, and one can buy a Mifi for WiFi to 3G tethering, how about Archos building 3G modems directly into skews of those Android tablet devices, and how about them making sure that power is managed in a way so that Voice-over-IP and other instant messaging over IP applications can constantly be active and stand-by on 3G and WiFi connections.

Logically to reach 1ghz they will use the Texas Instruments OMAP3640 series of processors, which is a significant upgrade on OMAP3440 of the current generation. This is not only a matter of increase of mhz speed. OMAP3640 is built on a 45nm process instead of the 65nm process of the current processor, which means the processor is significantly smaller and uses a lot less power, which probably brings better battery runtime. You can watch my video comparing OMAP3630 with OMAP3430. The performance increase for 3D rendering with the new processor is more than 62% going from 92fps to 156fps on the same 3D rendering animation. I don’t know if video decoding and encoding performance has been improved. And I don’t know how much things like website rendering is improved, if it’s just 25% faster based on 800mhz vs 1ghz or if it is more than that.

I do not know if OMAP3640 can do 1080p decoding and much higher HD video decoding bitrates. I don’t know if OMAP3640 simplifies the integration of mini-HDMI output directly into the device. If Archos includes a camera, it could probably record 720p video which would be really awesome, if a wireless microphone using Bluetooth or mini-jack input also can be used for good sound recording.

You can discuss this news in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=32392

Source: p5w.net
Found via: archoslounge.net

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