Archos G9 101 8GB Android tablet

CES 2012 Week Over the years, Archos has pitched much of its kit at the impecunious rather than the technically demanding. However, some of its Android devices like the 43 media player have appealed to both camps. Now it’s trying to repeat the trick with the G9 series of Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablets. Archos G9 Android …

[Vic]

I won't be recommending Archos again

I've got an Archos 70 Internet Tablet, and for 6 months, I thought it was the dog's danglies.

Then, all of a sudden, it's decided it needs a new licence to play the videos I've been playing since I got it. So to carry on doing what I bought it for, I have to shell out more money.

It's only $10, but I *really* dislike bait-and-switch tactics. So, for the sake of a few quid, Archos have bought themselves some very bad press.

Vic.

[dotdavid]

Agreed

My last experience of Archos was trying to operate the (admittedly probably cheap) MP3 player my Dad had bought in an airport somewhere (don't you just love having to support family's inadvised tech purchases?).

The UI was atrocious (looked like a rebranded Chinese job) but what made it worse was it wouldn't play any of the WMA files my Dad had ripped all his CDs to. Fine, you could argue it's a horrible Windows-specific format but my Dad didn't know it would make a difference when he clicked "Copy" in Windows Media Player. There was no support online.

I certainly won't be buying any of their stuff in future.

[DrXym]

At least Archos is back in the fold once more. There was a while where they rolled their own Android 2.x derivative and their own marketplace app (AppsLib) and people had to screw around manually getting the Google apps on the device. At least by tracking the mainline Android you get a well thought out, tested user interface on your OS, lots of apps and hopefully that allows Archos to concentrate on the stuff they know best.

[Efros]

Impecunious???

Are you effing kidding, Archos stuff is notoriously pricey and comes with lots of nickel and dime shit.

[tmTM]

1Ghz

The tablet was designed for a 1.5 Ghz chip, the lower clock speed is apparently due to TI not being able to get the clock speed up.

A 1.5 Ghz version will be released later, although I doube they'd wait til next year to kick it out, by then it'll be vastly outclassed by all the Tegra 3 tablets that will be knocking around.

[Stewart Cunningham]

"who actually takes photos with a 10in tablet"

Me, a lot. Whiteboards, Flipcharts, before and after wiring layouts, things that my crappy phone cam just wont focus on. I'm more likely to use the photos on the tablets bigger screen anyway.

If your phone can handle these sorts of tasks then that's fine, but mine isn't up to the job and I have no plans to upgrade.

[Danny 14]

wut?

your phone wont focus but a tablet will? Jesus what phone are you using since they will probably have identical optics (hah!) and identical sensors. Never had an issue using phone for identical jobs to you (omnia, omnia pro, galaxy S2 - yup I like samsungs).

[Stewart Cunningham]

Samsungs generally have pretty good cameras though. My old Tocco was a lot better than this cheap but fast ZTE (camera is the only crap bit).

[zedthegreat]

HDMI

Does anyone know what does the HDMI connection then show on a TV? Is it exact mirroring? If so does that stop you watching (for example) iPlayer on the TV via HDMI due to DRM type stuff? (Suppose my question is relevant to an Android Tab but particularly this one as I want it!)

[Stewart Cunningham]

All the tegra 2 tabs i've used mirror onto the telly and some can do 1080p on the telly only. Either way all worked with iPlayer

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd rather have a 2nd hand iPad 1st gen.

The 3G option is quite clever but would have been better if they left a gap big enough to fit most of the USB dongles rather than making you pay extra. If you have to pay extra you may as well get it built in to your iPad / other tablet.

[DrXym]

What use is that?

"I'd rather have a 2nd hand iPad 1st gen."

Except no iPad will play virtually any video format thrown at it. They may deign to play video formats in the exact container and codec profile that Apple approves but that's it. You don't even get VLC these days for the rest.

"The 3G option is quite clever but would have been better if they left a gap big enough to fit most of the USB dongles rather than making you pay extra. If you have to pay extra you may as well get it built in to your iPad / other tablet."

3G dongles appear in lots of shapes and (usually bulbous) sizes. I assume you could just insert a USB extension cable to accommodate some random 3G key. The tablet recognizing it is another matter. Because Android runs over a Linux kernel, means there is a sporting chance that a driver could be compiled to support popular 3G models but it would be a QA nightmare for Archos to test them, and why bother when they sell their own key for considerably less than most tablets demand for 3G enabled models.

[Danny 14]

aye?

no archos will either. You'll need to update the firmware (good luck in 6 months time) then buy a licence. Possibly root it and install whatever you can find.

Nah, dont bother.

[DrXym]

Depends what their dongle is

I doubt Archos developed their 3G dongle from scratch so there is a sporting chance it's just a ZTE or Huwaei device underneath. Which might mean that the tablet will work with other dongles in the same family of chipsets. It might even be that Archos kept their options open and provide drivers for several modem chipsets so they can change as they see fit.

Maybe they don't do any of this but it should be easy enough for someone to grab a USB extension cable and plug in some random 3G modems and see what if anything actually happens.

[Bill 2]

For your own sakes please don't make the same mistake I did

and buy anything from Archos. You will regret it - perhaps not immediately; but, like Vic, you will at some point realise that your purchase is a little disappointing and you should have spent your money more wisely with a company that looks after its customers a little better.

[Anonymous Coward]

>> Except no iPad will play virtually any video format thrown at it. They may deign to play video formats in the exact container and codec profile that Apple approves but that's it. You don't even get VLC these days for the rest.

Except NO... there are various apps you can download for iOS to play other media formats.

3G dongles appear in lots of shapes and (usually bulbous) sizes. I assume you could just insert a USB extension cable to accommodate some random 3G key.

Fail... if you read the article it says it only works with their own 3G dongle. I am sure it's not rocket science that they could have allowed it to support 'most' USB dongles - I have had a fair selection over the last few years and most are around the same size.

[Big_Ted]

Oh dear

You forget that those dongles usually install software onto your laptop or whatever that is written by the manufactorer to make it owrk.

Archos would have to write a special script to modify Android to allw the hardware to work plus the dongle makers would have to breate all new firmware and software as well.

This way you get a dongle that will take a SIM card in it that is not locked to any mobile network without the need to pay to unlock it as well.....

Wish people would think first before they assume anything that works on windows will work with anything else as well....

[Vic]

> Archos would have to write a special script to modify Android

Probably not. The real trick would be *not* to run anything that modifies Android...

> Wish people would think first before they assume anything that works on

> windows will work with anything else as well....

When it comes to anything but WinModems, I usually find Linux supports them more easily than does Windows. Certainly the ones I've got were a piece of cake in Linux.

I don't know how many modem drivers the Android kernel has, but it could have as many as it wants (it is a LInux kernel, after all).

Vic.

[nemo20000]

Pay your money, take your choice

Maybe it’s a generational thing, but the AV300 I got back when they were cutting edge in 2004 (and which I upgraded to 80GB!) was a fantastic device, and is still useful.

Got an Archos 70 for my five year old at Christmas and I’ve been impressed with it (for the money).

One has to bear in mind that an Archos is a PMP that happens to run Android – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a general purpose Android device (they often have too little app storage or RAM) but they’re superb PMPs.

[Anonymous Coward]

I think these manufacturers would be better either building 3G in (like the 3G iPad models) or leaving it out and going wifi only. It will have 'cost' Archos a bit to add it which people who never need it are paying for and many people would use a mifi or connect via their mobile phone anyway.

[Steve King]

iPad comparison

Sorry to feed the trolls, but this won't sell to those who would otherwise buy iPads (and vice versa).

This is a £250 tablet, with a £50 upgrade to 3g if you want it. The equivalent iPad is £499 (plus the cost of adding things like adaptors for reading SD cards).

I got the Archos 80 G9 (saving another £50 compared with the 10" model). I compared it with a friends iPad2 last week, and I could certainly do more of what I want to do with the Archos than I would be able to do with the iPad, unless I was prepare to shell out more money for software and pay for (and carry around) a bag of wires and adaptors.

So for me, I spent £280 all in against what I estimate would have been around £600 for an iPad2 and the required bits. Out in the real world, that difference will feed my family for 2-3 weeks.

We don't choose between an Apple product and another one. The Apple product is not something that we consider, in the same way that I wouldn't bother to test drive a BMW M5 if I want to replace my Ford Galaxy.

This isn't flame bait - if you are wealthy, have limited commitments and can live with the restrictions, you go ahead and buy the Apple device. But when I read a review of a £200-300 tablet, I don't care how it compares with an iPad at twice the price - it is irrelevant - I just need to know how it compares to other similarly priced tablets.

To answer an earlier comment, I personally wouldn't choose a secondhand iPad, given the number of friends who have had to throw 1-2 year old iThings away following battery problems. If you have had better luck, then I hope it continues.

[Danny 14]

indeed

I heartily recommend a ford SMAX to replace your galaxy - we did. The eldest can still sit in the rear and unless you are a giant most adults can too.

[All names Taken]

Ah!

Yes!

I've figured it out now, 70% = a little more than crap?

[npo4]

Vega

The Advent Vega would be a cheaper Honeycomb device, but it is unofficial.

[Guillermo Lo Coco]

Nothing compares to ASUS SL101 Slider.

That with a newer 12" Oled Screen and Tegra3 will rock!

[Big_Ted]

But the current slider is £400 plus

add 12 inch OLED and price will go up anther £200 plus

no camparison then as this is a £250 tablet not a £4-600 one......

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd still rather have a second hand iPad 1 than this - probably for about the same money.

[Dominic Connor, Quant Headhunter]

Archos

I have an Archos 10i and it's a dog, no access to the Appmarket, the USB just died, apparently that's a "known problem", and my advice is do not ever believe the price you see for an Archos, they are masters of "bait and switch", locking their machines so that things that seem "included" in the price suddenly demand that you pay for them.

Avoid.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bought an Archos 101 about six months ago on the basis El Reg's glowing reviews. It was *okay*. After a few weeks I foolishly slid a phonebook out from underneath it on a table, and the drop of about an inch and a half caused the screen to shatter into a million little pieces. No worries, thought I, probably not covered by the warranty but not a biggie to get it repaired. Sadly, nae dice, Archos had stopped repairing damaged screens. Three hundred quid down the crapper. Hope this one is more robust for the sake of those buying it, but it won't be me...