Archos 5IT: It's Getting Better All the Time

Sure the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is a work in progress. Firmware updates are pushing out every 7-10 days, and there are reports of this or that not working. Youtube playback was broken for over a week because of a change that Google made to its API. Yet, Archos released a new firmware update 1.3.7 with a long list of fixes. Youtube is once again working. Plus, yesterday Fictionwise announced the release of ereader for Android. The software will read books purchased from either the ereader.com or fictionwise.com sites. The newsletter offers 15% off until November 22 when you use the promo code "ANDROID15." Ereader for Android is a very basic reading app, much more so than more advanced versions for Windows Mobile, for example. Aldiko is a more elegant eBook reader, but Ereader offers the opportunity to read the latest bestsellers and commercial publishers because, at least for now, those all come saddled with DRM. A real win for Aldiko would be to license the Adobe ePub DRM. Until then, I'll enjoy my ereader books on the Archos' big screen.

Posting from the Archos 5IT

By changing the default post editor on Blogger back to old style, I can type a blog post directly on the Archos tablet.

Archos Android update

As I continue to explore the Archos Android 5 Internet Tablet, I'm learning more and more about the device. Here's a couple of recent discoveries:

1. The FM radio app has a recording feature so that you can record over-the-air radio programs on the device as an audio file. Not sure what I'll do with that, but there it is.

2. Connecting with the Archos to a mac is a bit of process. Curiously, Archos removed from their FAQ the tidbit about connecting the USB cable as USB Network and connecting with SMB://192.168.42.1/media. I tried that and it does connect, but when I try to transfer a large file, such as a video, the file transfer hangs up. I had better luck by downloading andftp.apk onto the Archos device and connecting to my Mac via FTP. That requires a sharing setting be updated on the Mac's preferences panel.

3. Watching video is the killer app on this device. The slightly larger screen makes watching video a more enjoyable experience compared to an iPhone or iPod.

4. I found that there is an Android version of Documents to Go available for purchase for $29.99. I bought it because I'm that kind of a geek. I tried creating a Word document last night using the iGo Stowaway BT keyboard. Things started out well, but as I got to the bottom of the page, a character started repeating across the screen and then I was unable to delete the errant text. I'll be experimenting with that more later. Hopefully, it was just a glitch.

5. The forums at Archosfans.com is a great place to learn more about the Archos tablet.

The Mobile Office

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet works right out of the box with the iGo Stowaway bluetooth keyboard. I have a bluetooth mouse that I want to try as soon as it charges. But for now, the stylus will do. I have purchased the full version of Documents To Go for creating and editing Word and Excel documents.

Some things never change...

The platform may be new and unfamiliar, but some things remain the same.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet: It Doesn't Suck!

After reading and Watching Chippy at UMPCPortal.com review this device, I immediately wanted it. I'm on AT&T in the USA, and so far, there are no Android phones available on my carrier. Here was a device with a nice screen for viewing videos, a nice size flash drive for loading on music, plus a web browsing tablet and an ebook reader. I was hooked.

There's just one little problem. Even Chippy complained about the device crashing during his review. Amazon pulled the 160GB hard drive version calling it "under review." Reviewers got buggy units and panned the device. Not a dream launch for a smaller French company.

Though the device looks very polished and has some awesome features, it takes a bit of a technogeak to really enjoy this device. The user interface is nowhere near as polished as, say, an iPod. It is much like running Linux on a PC instead of running more familiar Windows or OS X.

Mine came without many of the apps that were supposed to come pre-installed. They were available for download at ftp://support.archos.com. I couldn't figure out a way to actually access the FTP site from my Archos unit as it arrived. After several unsuccesful attempts, I downloaded the software to my computer (a Mac) and copied the files over to the Archos by USB cable.

If you buy an Archos or want to learn more about it, check out the introduction videos on Archos.com. They tell you what to do to set up your device. When I first got it, I plugged in the USB cable and plugged the other end of the cable into a computer USB port to top off the battery. The device powered up when I plugged in the cable and asked if I wanted to mount as a drive on the host computer. I said no since I was using the computer as a power source only.

When the Archos powered up for the first time, it prompted me to download the latest firmware. You definitely want to run the firmware update. It cures many of the complaints that reviewers had about the Archos.

The Archos runs the Android version of Linux made popular by Google phones. But this is not a phone. It also lacks a camera and a compass. It doesn't come with all the Google Experience apps pre-installed that you would find on a Android phone. Many of them can be installed, however. You just have to go find them.

Because the Archos is a Linux device, the hard drive isn't formatted for Windows or Mac. It's formatted in Linux. The FAQ at Archos.com told me how to attach the Archos to a Mac. This was apparently new. You also need to select MTP mode when you connect the Archos to a Windows PC or else the Windows computer won't recognize the Archos as a media player. On a Windows computer, you can either sync media to the device using Windows Media Player or you can just drag and drop files or programs onto folders on the mounted Archos drive folder. You can also store files on a micro SD card on the Archos. I had no problem attaching to both a Mac and a Windows PC. I copied several different types of music files to it, including purchased AAC files from Apple Store (but not older protected AAC files). I copied some Apple Lossless files to it, but they wouldn't play. I also downloaded some Youtube videos onto my Windows PC using Keepvid.com and transfered them over by USB.

There are thousands of Android apps that can be installed on the Archos and many of them are free. The default way to install apps is a program called Appslib (Apps Library). This is probably the buggiest thing about the Archos as it stands right now. It takes a long time for the application list to refresh, and each time you install an app, the list has to refresh again. Thanks to JKontheRun.com, I found out about some other Android application libraries. [JKOTR]

Thankfully, Pandora, my favorite web streaming music site, works great on the Archos, but Kevin Tofel had to send me a link to the Pandora.apk file via Twitter. [App]

Chippy shows a video with the Archos streaming HD videos from m.youtube.com, but every time I tried it the screen froze. Then, I downloaded the Android youtube app called youtube.apk and it works great!

Twidroid is a twitter client that comes installed on the Archos. It works great.

Aldiko is an ebook reader that Chippy demonstrated by video. I downloaded it using Appslib.

The Archos doesn't have 3G wireless but it connects with Wifi and you can tether to a bluetooth phone. My Nokia E71 works great for this.

I'll post more later. This is all I've had time to play with. I hope this helps.