Review If you are Chinese then 2010 is the year of the tiger, but if you are a geek then it is the year of the slate or tablet. Obviously, most people are thinking about the iPad when they start banging on about such things, but the newest consumer targeted device of this ilk to hit the shops is the 9, the first attempt at a genuine UMPC device from French PMP maker Archos.
Slate of the art? The Archos 9 PCtablet
Of course, Archos machines have a long tradition of including functionality more usually associated with PCs than PMPs. These features include wireless connectivity, UPnP streaming, web browsing and e-mail access and it has even started to flirt with Android as an operating system. The 9 however purports to be a fully fledged PC rather than just a PMP with added PC-like functionality. Read the rest of this entry »
Review At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking we were re-running a review from last year – we originally put the Archos 5 through its paces in October 2008. The addition of two extra words to the end of the name may not sound that exciting initially, but while the Archos 5 Internet Tablet may look very similar to its predecessor there is one very significant change: it now runs Google Android.
Archos’ 5: homegrown OS out, Google Android in
Gone is Archos’ own – not exactly super swish – Linux-based OS and in its place sits Google’s Linux-based mobile operating system, the first time that it’s been seen in an official capacity on a shipping product that’s not a phone.
However, it’s probably worth getting this out of the way early on: not all Android devices are created equal. Yes, Android is an open source operating system that any manufacturer can download and install onto its hardware without paying a fee. However, don’t expect it come with all the applications you’re accustomed to seeing on phones from the likes of HTC, for example. Specifically, you won’t find Google’s suit of apps on there by default since Google doesn’t give those away for free. Read the rest of this entry »
