I'll try to keep it short.

a) Received Archos 5 (60 GB) along with its DVR station from Amazon.com (USA).

b) Noticed the firmware is 1.0.54 *BETA*. WTF !!!

c) Since i'm mostly into streaming videos, went straight to attempt to connect to my AP (after adding the MAC address into AP since i have MAC Address Control turned on). I CANNOT CONNECT because the "connect" button is grayed out. My SSID is set to not broadcast, so probably firmware can't handle hidden SSID (i've had this issue with earlier Archos 604 firmware). So made SSID to broadcast and now the "connect" button is there to click. Clicked on it, and after bizzillion retries, I CANNOT CONNECT. Keep saying Connection Failed !!!

d) Oh wait, there was ONCE, yes, out of bizzillion retries, i was able to connect once. JOY!!! Then went straight to File utility to browse the network hosts. Waited for like ~15 mins. Still looking for network hosts. Then waited for ~30 more mins. Still looking for network hosts.

e) WTF !!!

Just to make sure this is just not in my head, i brought out my 604 and 605. Dusted them off, and did the same networking connect and looking for file servers in my network. EVERYTHING JUST WORKS with 604 and 605 !!!

But Archos 5, with this *BETA* firmware that came with the unit, SIMPLY WILL NOT WORK IN NETWORKING.

Oh, did i mention, during that "bizzillon" network connection retries, the Archos 5 *REBOOTED* all on its own for like "bizzillion" times???

Maybe i got a BAD HARDWARE?

Am i the only isolated, looser with Archos 5 ???

Oh, and i tried copying a ~4.5 GB file to Archos 5 (from Ubuntu, with Archos 5 set as PC Hard Drive USB mode), and at about ~4.0 GB, the copying stops with file too large error message.

URGH !!!

What sort of filesystem is it running in Archos 5 ??? And how is it supposed to play 720p HD file???

I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS.

Just upgraded to 1.0.76.

THE DAMN FIRMWARE VERSION still shows it as BETA !!!

WTF !!!

:evil:

And my networking STILL DOES NOT WORK !!!

While 604 and 605 in the same wifi network at home with same AP, same everything except the different Archos PMP, THEY ALL WORK.

Archos 5 DOES NOT.

DAMN IT !!!

I have not had this much trouble with 604 and 605, EVER !!!

And yes, 1.0.76 *BETA* still crashes during networking.

Unbelievable !!!

I wonder Amazon accepts returns.

I can't believe i'm actually considering returning this model of Archos, that i've been SO PATIENTLY waiting to get my hands on.

I passed on iPhone and iPod Touch, so i can get Archos 5.

I've been such a HUGE FAN of Archos, since 604 and 605, i'm REALLY REALLY REALLY pissed off !!!

ARCHOS HAS REALLY LET ME DOWN with Archos 5.

And i'm not about to own Archos "5.5" hardware. This constant hardware roll has to stop, with very little ROI !!!

Are you done?

I think so.

Really disappointed.

Should have waited little longer for this hardware and firmware to get ironed out.

Anyway, took some pictures as momento, before getting ready to return Archos 5 and DVR docking station back to Amazon.

Also shows how well 604 and 605 is working in networking, but NOT the Archos 5, in the same wifi network, with same AP.

Good thing i didn't open the DVR docking station box.

I am having the exact same problem, but I went to my parents and connected to their secure network with no problems. I don't understand why it won't connect to mine. U said u had problems with it connecting to one of your other archos products before? how long did it take archos to do an update to fix it? what kind of a router do u have? I havent been able to connect it once on my own network

So, with Archos 604, only networking issue i had was, connecting to a HIDDEN SSID. Archos 604 had a firmware update (i think was in the next roll/revision), and immediately fixed it. Since then Archos 604 JUST WORKS.

Archos 605, I have and had NO PROBLEM with networking.

And now, here's Archos 5. 1.0.54 *BETA* that came with the unit cannot connect to HIDDEN SSID. And watch out, here comes 1.0.76 that in its release notes says it has fixed that problem. NOT !!! Still cannot connect to HIDDEN SSID. Anyway, i'm not going to get all worked up for nothing.

Archos 5 and its DVR docking station is getting returned tomorrow to Amazon.

I recommend, EVERYONE THAT BOUGHT ARCHOS 5 FROM AMAZON.COM TO RETURN YOUR ARCHOS 5.

Maybe this will help Archos 5 not release a crapy BETA (or is it really ALPHA) product before actually been debugged properly.

NOTE: I LOVE MY ARCHOS 604 AND 605. THEY JUST WORK. Those Archos products are GREAT. ARCHOS 5? NOT !!! And i'm willing to wait. Thus i'm returning my Archos 5 for time being. I'm not much of a patient person i guess. But then again, i have never had this much trouble with previous Archos PMP products before.

I feel like Archos is using users out there for QA. You are just one of users to catch another...another...and another bug.
What the .... heck? :)

Returning it back won't make the things any better at all... as this is most probably the problem with the beta firmware, definitely not the hardware, & would be fixed in the next updates. Just let the current rush-of-things & frustration cool down...at least wait for a few days... I know, a lot of people (including me) are frustrated with the beta's, Archos didn't get it right with this, u said rightly, it's rather an alpha or a pre-beta than a beta ..... but personally i am also very impatient, and would not have waited for the Archos to make everything perfect before i laid my hands on this.. so for the moment im content to make use of whatever is working & hope for the best..

If you don't want to wait another week or two for firmware that fixes WiFi stabillity bug. Then just return it and stop crying.

Archos let you play with the device while still in beta, if you don't want to put up with that, then just wait till the stable firmware is out before buying. Amazon and some others shipped limited quantities of it even though the firmware is still in beta state. That's cause they couldn't wait to ship them out and they figured people that pre-ordered it very very early must be hard core fans that can put up with waiting days or weeks for more stable firmware to be out.

Archos and all the resellers will be selling and shipping many times more units once the firmware is stable. Engadget, Gizmodo, PCmag, Stuff, T3 and Cnet won't post their reviews before the firmware is stable.

You could have checked this forum before buying it to see that the firmware was still in beta and that the WiFi disconnection bug is being reported.

Thanks Charbax!

So, what do you think? Do you think the problem mostly or all of it, centered around firmware fixes, and not with the Archos 5 hardware i got?

I was wondering if i just got my Archos 5 from a bad batch.

You know more than anyone about what's going on in Archos.

So, if you recommend that i hang on to the Archos 5 for little longer, then i can do that.

After all, next to you, i'm the next bigger Archos fan !!!

Charbax, can you help this one?

Archos 5 do not support copying video file >4 GBytes ?

FAT32 system in the works, I guess.

Yup I am definitely sure that the WiFi disconnection bug is going to be fixed by firmware. That's probably the worse bug that there is right now. You can't have an Internet Media Tablet disconnect its WiFi (perhaps something to do with browsing cache filling up and memory leak or something), and that you need to reboot the unit to reconnect to a WiFi again. For sure they are going to fix that in the next firmware update.

Other things I think they are going to add in firmware within the next month or so is Standby resume mode, so when you click Power button it goes in quick standby, and when you click power button again it will take only 2 seconds to come back, no need for full 15 second bootup every time you use the unit. Also they will add that when you click on the power button while listening to music, it will function as the Hold button. So then touch screen is locked until you click the power button again to unlock it.

Also within a month or so they will probably release the USB HSDPA Dongle support which will hopefully work with every USB HSDPA Dongles worldwide. As well as USB Keyboard and Mouse support is going to be fantastic in my opinion. At that point I might even throw out my Dual core laptop and use my Archos connected using HDMI to my HDTV as my main Internet browsing and video playing device instead of laptops and desktops both at home and while on-the-go.

How would anyone who doesnt sit readin every message on this board know this? No real reviews in the outside of this site (and none of your reviews mentions the Beta firmware?). If someone sold you a brand new car, then said "the engines in mate, but we'll install the steering wheel next month" after you'd paid for it, I doubt you'd be thanking them for letting you have it a month early.



I doubt Amazon were making any assumptions of the sort. They more likely went - "heres the stock from Archos - lets ship it". I doubt Amazon worry themselves over checking that the firmware isnt beta, and contemplating if fanboys would want it regardless. They (rightfully) assume that as they have a boxed product that its ready to sell, unless theres a specific street date for it.

I'm so looking forward to getting my 5 - I just hope I dont get it and immediately wish I hadnt sold my 605.......

When did you order it and where? Chances are that place is not shipping yet on purpose cause they are waiting for the stable firmware to fix that WiFi disconnection until reboot bug.

I'm not going to talk about that in my video reviews, cause then those video reviews would be outdated in about a week when the firmware update is released. I don't want to delete my videos from Youtube, then I loose all the ranking and that's just bad for search optimization. In all my videos I link to this forum, from here people can read about the latest beta firmware and its bugs.