Archos 604 Wi-Fi Update: The CNET Review
We featured the Archos 604 Wi-Fi here a few days ago, together with its sibling the 604. It’s out in the market now and CNET has got a production unit of the Wi-Fi version that they reviewed.
James Kim, who we recognize from his days with Leo Laporte on the now defunct but personal favorite TechTV (remember TechTV?), did a really good job of scrutinizing the 604 Wi-Fi, from enumerating its nifty features that earned it an excellent 8 out of 10 points, to uncovering its less-than-stellar shortcomings.
The verdict: the 604 Wi-Fi is close to being a great PMP device. Kim said “the 604 Wi-Fi is seemingly the answer to many mobile users’ idealistic dreams. Video, music, and photos packed into a compact multimedia powerhouse, with a screen big enough to surf the Web effectively. The device is impressive.â€?
Among its topnotch features: the awesome video playback, good touchscreen experience, removable battery, built-in kickstand and speaker, and vibrant widescreen display. For a hundred dollars more you can get the optional DVR station which allows you to record from TV or other video sources. Why, for another $150 more you can have this “plug-in mini-cam� which essentially turns your 604 into a hard-drive based videocam.
It’s called the Archos Helmet Camcorder and it gives you on-the-go recording capability to shoot your next worldwide YouTube hit.
But the Archos 604 Wi-Fi has its shortcomings, alas. 30GB is not exactly capacious these days; you have to buy optional kits to record audio and video; bundled accessories are kinda weak; and a few other minor quibbles.
The major gripes however pertain to its processor and surfing speed. For a device this feature-packed the processor used is sluggish. And the Web-surfing, while acceptable, is more of a click-and-wait experience. And don’t forget: with Wi-Fi on, some gremlins gonna sip your juice faster than you can say WTF.
[Via: CNET]
archos, 604, wi-fi, pmp, video, photo
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