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I bought this to replace a Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Shadowy) that had been stolen. I really liked my Zen, but I wanted to explore what original stuff had advance out in the time since I bought it. This led me to getting the Archos 605 80GB instead, mainly because of the optional TV hookups. I've never liked to contemplate movies or TV shows (or even music videos) on my PC monitor because I can't relax and devour something passive while I'm at my computer. I'd also never musty the Zen's video capabilities worthy because the cloak was too shrimp. The Archos 605, on the other hand, could be curved up to a TV (with the DVR set or other accessories--I bought the DVR position), which would allow me to observe downloaded TV shows and movies in comfort--and even better, with other people (it's difficult to crowd around a computer desk to study a movie), plus I'd be able to gape stuff on the go with its larger veil.
The wifi access, web browser plug-in and PDF reader also helped sell me on the Archos 605. I particularly looked forward to being able to read ebooks in PDF format.
So when I ordered the Archos 605, I was thinking of it as an MP3 "with benefits."
When the Archos 605 arrived, I found out that its cloak was totally colossal enough to leer video comfortably. Shortly after I got it, I watched two and a half seasons of Weeds on it. It's improbable! I can carry a TV display into the kitchen to grab a snack, etc. When I'm home alone, I'm even able to rely on the built-in speaker--for TV shows, I don't need incredible sound quality; I unbiased need to be able to hear what they're saying. It's very cool; I'm very addicted. 
Like I said, I bought the DVR space with it. I had wondered how a video file from the Archos would beget up enlarged on a TV conceal, but no worries--the describe quality is righteous (we have a 32" plot) . I've recorded some stuff from our TiVo onto the Archos, and the narrate quality is agreeable in that direction, too. Since we do have a TiVo, I haven't extinct the Archos as a DVR (with the downloaded TV listings and scheduled recordings), so I can't say how easy that is to consume, but it's definitely easy to manually portray something, and I was jubilant to stare that I could exclaim it how long to relate for.
As an MP3 player, it's not as honorable as the Zen, simply because it's not, primarily, an MP3.
One procedure the Zen (and probably most other MP3 players) is a better MP3 player than the Archos is that if you power the Archos 605 off while you're playing music, it doesn't automatically launch up where you left off when you turn it relieve on. Instead you boot up to the main cover, and then you have to tap the "resume" icon; otherwise nothing happens. In this intention it's less "trip and go" than my Zen was; sometimes if I'm only going to be driving for a few minutes (like a hop from the grocery store to the gas dwelling), I won't bother starting it up at all. Also, the draw you lock the controls takes a few seconds longer than the Zen did. With the Zen, you impartial slid the switch to the lock plot. With the Archos, you occupy down the TV button until the lock icon appears on the conceal.
If you're playing from a playlist when you turn the unit off, and then you hit "resume" after you turn it help on, it doesn't seem to resume the playlist--it does indeed play the song you were on, but it's playing it from the album instead of the playlist, so the next song after that is the next song on the album, not the next song on the playlist. Possibly this is glitch that will be fixed in a firmware update (or perhaps has been--I haven't updated my firmware in a couple weeks) .
Finally, changing the play mode (normal, stagger, order one, narrate all), takes a lot more navigating around than it did on the Zen. It really shouldn't occupy that many clicks.
Sound-wise, the Archos is superb as the Zen was, and its drawbacks as an MP3 player aren't so onerous that I'd assume buying a separate MP3 player. The Archos does well enough.
The PDF reader, however, turned out to be a disappointment. First, it takes several (loooong) seconds to go to the next page. Second, there's no intention to bookmark where you are so that you can acquire up where you left off. I figured I could impartial remember what page I was on and consume the Go To Page feature to net wait on to it, but the Go To Page feature uses a slider, which is nowhere arrive as quickly as if they'd let me type in a page number, and it takes a long freaking time for it to then load that page. Ugh. So this thing definitely hasn't replaced my Palm Tungsten for e-reading.
I haven't feeble the web browser or wireless mighty. It seemed beautiful boring the times I have, and there's no "tap feedback" in the Notify Portal, so when you tap on a link, you often don't know whether the tap has registered or not because the camouflage stays the same while the Archos (slooooowly) downloads the data for the next veil. That's frustrating. The web wasn't as frustrating as the Whisper Portal; I objective haven't had grand of a need to utilize it.
Another downside is that there aren't any cases for it that will protect the unit while allowing you screech, immediate access to it, the contrivance the skin I had for my Zen did. Instead it comes with a padded, envelope-like case that you have to spin the unit completely out of if you want to employ it. (To be radiant, it's grand better than the cloth pouch that came with the Zen.) Leather case options are itsy-bitsy, and all the ones I've seen require you to begin the case in order to opinion the shroud or access the navigation. The one from Archos won't even let you turn it off with the case closed, which isn't very handy if you're listening to audio and want to shut it off fast.
I don't know how many hours I'm getting out of my battery. I did listen to music for 10 hours on a current road pace without it giving out on me, but I didn't preserve going to stare how remarkable more I could secure out of it. I've also watched a couple hours of video without it running out of juice--and again, I ended up dropping it in the DVR state (which charges it) before it did hasten out, so all I can say about the battery is that it's lasting long enough for my needs.
Despite the caveats I've listed above, I Adore my Archos 605. I appreciate being able to engage TV shows and movies with me everywhere. I cherish that I can finally peek bootleg concerts and other stuff I've downloaded on the "gargantuan mask." It's easy to expend. The DVR plot is easy to expend. The two work together seamlessly. The Archos holds a ton off stuff. It plays my music. It lets me browse the web if I need to.
I'm blissful with it, definitely. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that future firmware updates will acquire me even happier with it.
I have owned this method for about a month now (after waiting for quite a few weeks for the backorders on Amazon to hold) . Overall I am cheerful with it, but I cannot say I endorse it whole-heartedly. There are enough tiny quirks and annoyances that I would caution anyone thinking of buying one to reconsider before clicking that Rob button.
Don't salvage me wrong: the nice features are very nice indeed. The mask is intellectual and sure and the capacity can't be beat. The UI is aesthetic and the wi-fi works well. As others have addressed all of these points, I'll concentrate on the things I found somewhat surprising upon opening the box. The quirks range from minor annoyances to serious issues, ranked below accordingly.
- The audio is indeed *much* too grievous. It's dazzling for calm situations, and usually not awful if the particular audio track is recorded at a high level. However, I have tried to study positive movies on a commuter state (with what I would call a moderate noise level) and the audio track is completely indecipherable at max volume. If you're going to exercise this out in public (and isn't that the point of the whole plan? ), you're going to need noise-cancelling headphones at a minimum.
- This is a portable way, but I would not call it a "pocket" plan. It has some serious heft to it (especially the 160 gb version) and it's beautiful mountainous. Fortunately, most of the blueprint is taken up by the cover, which makes it more worthwhile; unexcited, this is not at all something you stash in your shirt pocket.
- Plenty of others have mentioned the short battery life, but it bears repeating. This is especially essential since the battery is non-removable, so you're completely stuck with it unless you're using some external power. I obtain it reasonable for most uses, but don't forget to recharge at the ruin of every day or it will become a doorstop on your next commute.
- Generally the OS works well, but sometimes loads very slowly (hourglass or splash veil for quite a few seconds) and occasionally outright crashes. I have had to reset the blueprint a handful of times already.
- The audio track on tall video files (2+ hour movies) can obtain out of synch with the characterize if you jump around too worthy using the controls. This is especially unlit because there is absolutely NO "resume" functionality, so you are forced to load the file from the beginning and jump forward if you are resuming watching a file.
- The touchscreen works well overall, but the smaller buttons can be fairly difficult to press. (The pop-up USB activation button sometimes requires some serious button-mashing in particular.)
- The unit comes with two plastic styli to exhaust on the touchscreen, but there's absolutely nowhere to store them. (i.e. they don't place to the design as is the case with graceful powerful every other stylus-using arrangement.) It's nice having a stylus but this screams "Lose me."
- The PDF browser is *extremely* stupid. It can recall upwards of 30 seconds to procedure each individual page, and any small navigation or zooming can cause it to redraw forever again. Not to mention it seems like they are honest "printing" the bellow to a PostScript file and then displaying it, so protective "print only" watermarks actually note up on the mask. I was looking forward to this feature for browsing scans of some graphic novels, but the load times originate this far too frustrating to be practical.
- The DVR function is somewhat of a joke. I'm not even certain why they include the "TV Guide" and timer functionality, since it won't characterize anything unless your TV and cable box are on the factual channel at the factual time. It will characterize TV shows, but I'm not determined what functionality the "DVR" adds since it's sparkling distinguished the same as unbiased connecting the intention and pressing relate when your display is on.
- On a related tag, the optional "DVR Spot" is also somewhat of a joke. I contemplate it flirts with deceptive advertising to tag a design as a "TV recorder" when it doesn't even bag a cable signal. It's really honest a docking plot with some additonal outputs, and doesn't acquire around the fact that you have to manually place your TV and cable anyway.
- The manual that explains the functions of the procedure is corrupt in many places. For example, the placement and function of the LEDs is completely different than the method. (In fact, for some inexplicable reason the HDD light is on the *back* of the contrivance, so you never really seek it.) I suspect they gash and pasted the blueprint from another diagram (the 04 series? ) and didn't update. Somewhat minor, but there are enough functions on the scheme that this is annoying when trying to learn them all.
All in all, you might procure this blueprint useful if the above quirks don't really bother you. It's quiet fairly nice to have on a long commute, but it's not quite the "wonder scheme" that some have painted it to be.
While I'll probably never employ this as an MP3 player (I have smaller devices for that), it makes one nice video player. I've been playing with one for a itsy-bitsy while and here are my impressions thus far:
Positives:
1) The video. Wow!!! I doubt there is anything this well-kept and crisp out there that is this minute and portable. The video looks unbelievable and I've yet to have any hardware run while viewing it.
2) 160GB. That is massive and honest the true size for carrying around video.
3) Intuitive user interface. I've got a Zune for my mp3's and I often gather that complicated (and irritating) to navigate around but this is quite easy to figure out. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to accumulate this to work the blueprint you want it to. Navigating around a movie is amazing as well because it is so easy to discontinue, quick forward, or do anything else you would want to do on a video player.
4) Responsive Touch-Screen. Using the touch shroud was quite easy... I don't deem I even touched the buttons on the side noteworthy. I had no spot even though I've got some thick fingers.
5) Sound quality. This thing sounds tall some with nice earphones. I can peruse why some might employ it as an mp3 player as well. It sounds awesome!
Negatives:
1) No standard USB Connection on the design? Arrive on, if you are going to be this substantial then give us a standard USB interface, please. For one, it is smaller than this ending. Also, if we are approach a computer we can spend the USB to charge it without having to carry the proprietary cable around. USB is unbiased sooooo... universal... I'm flabbergasted anytime somebody doesn't include a USB connection.
2) Battery. First, this isn't removable so you can't carry a spare pack around. But it doesn't last that long when playing video. This wouldn't be too remarkable of a distress if it had a USB connection because there is always a plan to charge it that intention. But if the battery doesn't last as long as a laptop... there isn't great point.
3) Browser is not worthy. You can download video from Youtube and a few other sites but you can't fair pick up out on the web and grab stuff. I've read you can recall a browser to do this, but something decent should have reach with the map. If you are going to have Wi-Fi, why not fabricate it as functional as possible?
So, if you are willing to shell out the cash this is an gracious design for video. I'd have other preferences for music but this is quite gracious of handling that as well.
