Check out their first look article and their video at http://dennis.cerosmedia.com/iGIZMO/1D48c0e443939f0012.cde

Thanks to user gmiddlemass in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17097

Donald Bell at Cnet just received an Archos 5 60GB that he is going to review shortly at http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10035835-1.html

I think he is saying a couple things that I don’t really think are correct:

- While the new Archos 5 glossy screen is more prone to fingerprints and smudge marks then the Archos 605 WiFi matte screen, it’s still more viewable in direct sunlight and outdoors then the Archos 605 WiFi screen.

- The Archos 5 does look like a million bucks all the time. That smudge thing is overrated, people don’t look at the back of the device, they look at the screen, and this screen is pure awesome.

- His guessing about iPod Touch screen being more scratch resistant is unscientific.

- He misses the button hold switch, however it could happen that the Power button could be configured to be used as a button hold switch. For example Archos could probably implement 1 click on Power button to Hold and it turns off the screen until it is pushed again (saving battery). Two quick presses on Power button, or one longer press on power button (like holding it in for 2 seconds) could put the device in standby mode (it would also go automatically into standby mode if nothing is going on for a certain amount of seconds while in Hold mode), while an even longer hold on the button (could be 5 seconds) or 3 quick clicks on the power button could then do a complete power down.

I will ask Archos what their exact plan is with the Hold functionality, since the firmware is still in a beta version and that the standby/resume from suspended mode are not yet implemented. They already use one small click on power button to come back from the Hold mode. So no reason I think that it shouldn’t also let you go into Hold mode. At least let the user choose if they want to be able to use it for that.

- Donald Bell at Cnet might not know that the 120GB and 250GB models have the audio output mini jack connector located at another position on the device. It is an electronics and interference issue for Archos where to put it on a device, it comes down to hard drive size and placement of the other electronics. Also, the placement of the mini-jack connector doesn’t matter if you are going to be using the FM Remote Control.

Showing the speed and compatibility of the Opera browser in this Archos 5 product that is being released right now. It has a 4 times faster ARM Cortex processor by Texas Instruments, which significantly increases the browsing experience making this a full Internet Media Tablet experience. In this video review I am showing and testing many different graphics heavy websites.

The intro music is by http://maf464.free.fr and it is used with permission.

DivX HD 1280×720 3.5mbit/s: Play, Download (206mb)
DivX SD 640×360 1.2mbit/s: Play, Download (74mb)

Flash versions: Dailymotion, Viddler, Blip, Sumo, Google, Yahoo, Metacafe, Vsocial, Youtube, Revver, Vimeo

You can discuss this video at http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17009

ArchosLounge.net just posted a huge 18 page review of the new Archos 5 at http://www.archoslounge.net/Archos-5-le-test,8296.html.

The review is in french but you can find lots of pictures, lots of nice videos including some like this one in HD quality on Vimeo, that looks and sounds like the 2001 Space Odyssey.

Also check their 21 minute long video on Dailymotion of them browsing around on many different websites. Browsing is really fast, although the latest firmware still is beta. Even AJAX sites like the AJAX versions of Gmail, Netvibes, Google Maps, all those sites work now in a pretty usable way!

Here’s a nice video from ArchosLounge.net showing the Interface:

The new much improved AJAX and Javascripts support I think could make the device compatible with more Opera Widgets, as well as special widgets for customized versions of Google Maps and stuff like Meebo for Instant Messaging could be done now.

Showing the quality of the design, of the screen in this HD video. Also showing how you can browse in HD using the HDMI output on your HDTV. Comparing the size of the Archos 5 screen with the Archos 605 WiFi, the Archos 5 screen is 25% bigger while the device is smaller, its quality is even higher and it’s clearer and brighter. See how you can use the Archos 5 screen as a mouse pad when outputting the Interface to the TV.

The intro music is by http://maf464.free.fr and it is used with permission.

DivX HD 1280×720 3.5mbit/s: Play, Download (250mb)
DivX SD 640×360 1.2mbit/s: Play, Download (90mb)

Flash versions: Dailymotion, Blip, Google, Viddler, Sumo, Youtube, Metacafe, Revver

Check out this screen, it is pure awesome!!! It looks awesome in the metro, in the bus, in the train, pretty viewable outdoors in the sunlight. Everyone was looking at me at the train station and asking about what it was, it looks awesome and will amaze everyone up to about 100 meters around you. A bigger screen in a smaller device, that’s pretty awesome.

This video is just the initial unboxing. Check for more videos coming up on all the new faster features, showing the web browsing speed, the new awesome looking DVR Station with HDMI output and more in the next parts of this review.

DivX HD 1280×720 3.5mbit/s: Play, Download (70mb)

Flash versions: Dailymotion, Yahoo, Viddler, Google, Sumo, Vsocial, Putfile, Blip, Youtube, Revver, Vimeo

Each new product from this personal media player maker arrives with sweet new features worthy of inclusion into the hearts and minds of gadget geeks everywhere. But it must be reaching a ceiling of ingenuity with the new Archos 5 Internet Mobile Tablet — it’s just so darn cool I cannot imagine what the company could possibly come up with next.

 

(…)

 

This product is cool as cool can be — until Archos decides it will redefine cool.

Posted by Lowell Conn, For Canwest News Service at http://canada.com

The online package tracking system is saying that I should receive the Archos 5 250GB with the DVR Station IMT here tomorrow morning. Check back for my initial video impressions, DivX HD quality product demonstrations, website speed testing, including AJAX and Flash speed and compatibillity testing.

Post your requests for features to be filmed in the video reviews in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewforum.php?f=35

Forum user jakethecatuk has already received his unit and is reporting about it in this thread: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=16868

http://archoslounge.net should have their review up in the next few hours.

http://jbmm.fr as well.

http://svmlemag.fr has posted a short review with a video.

http://lemondeinformatique.fr says the Archos 5 demonstrates Texas Instrument’s answer to the Intel Atom processor.

http://mobinaute.com posted some nice pictures: