The Archos 5 Internet Tablet - Other Features

The music player on the Archos 5 functions like most others on MP3 players. You can create playlists, view album art, and listen in shuffle and repeat modes. Several audio formats, such as MP3, WMA (protected and unprotected), AAC, WAV, and more are supported.

You can listen to music without interruption in the background as you surf the web or perform other tasks. There is also an airplane mode that lets you keep the player on, but disables the wireless signal to avoid interference with the plane’s instruments. Radio fans will be pleased to know that there is a FM radio receiver that even shows song titles.

The video playing capabilities might be the best feature on the device. Not only is the screen large, with excellent graphics capability, but you can even buy an accessory to allow you to play 720p content directly on the Archos 5. Best of all are the formats supported by the player. You can view AVI, WMV, MPEG-4, or H.264 files, the latter with an optional plug-in.

Gamers will also enjoy playing Flash games on the Internet tablet. You can download games from the Archos site or other sources. Another form of entertainment is the included photo viewer, which allows you to transfer photos directly to the Archos 5 for viewing. You can create slideshows and add music as well. Of course, the lack of multi-touch gestures for zooming is a real downer, and the overall speed of the photo viewer tends to lag a lot.

For frequent travelers, the Archos 5 comes with integrated GPS. Unfortunately, you will have to pay an extra $39 to activate the maps for turn-by-turn directions. Also, as with other features on the Internet Tablet, the GPS is also sluggish, especially when trying to get reception. This is one feature that might provide more frustration than usability.

The final notable feature is the integration of Android apps. Taking a swipe at the iPod Touch’s app-friendly model, the Archos 5 comes loaded with some Google Android apps that are useful, such as ones for Twitter, Craigslist, Wikipedia, instant messaging, PDF viewing, and more. While these do add some value to the device, they are severely lacking when compared to the multitude of apps offered by the iPod Touch. This could be corrected over time, though, as more Android apps become functional on the Archos 5.

In the end, is the Archos 5 Internet Tablet worth its price? Most likely, it is not; while it does have tons of features, many are unrefined. A sluggish touch-screen, frustrating GPS, lack of multi-touch gestures, and an underwhelming supply of Android apps are just some of the negatives to the device. While it does excel in supporting various audio and video formats, that really doesn’t justify its high price. You are better off looking at an iPod Touch, or waiting for a more refined edition of the Archos Internet Tablet to be released.