Archos replied to a users questions (partially german)

[gerraldo]

Just found this on amazon.de: http://www.amazon.de/product-reviews/B003COZM2C/

---------------------------------------------
Statement ARCHOS 7 HT Akkulaufzeit/Tastatur

Sehr geehrter Herr Guennewig,
um die Akkulaufzeit zu erh├Âhen, bzw. die volle Leistung zu erhalten, ist es sehr wichtig, dass das Display gesperrt wird (hierzu bitte den Einschaltriegel nach rechts schieben), hierdurch wir ein einschalten des Ger├ñtes
verhindert. Des Weiteren versuchen diverse Applikationen auf das Internet zuzugreifen, wie zum Beispiel Twitter, oder das automatische abrufen von E-Mails. Je nachdem welche Apps. Sie installiert haben, kann dies nat├╝rlich auch andere Anwendungen betreffen.
Hierdurch wird der Standby Modus ausgesetzt und das Gerät schaltet sich ein.
Dies ben├Âtigt zus├ñtzlichen Strom der die Akkulaufzeit negativ beeinflusst. Hierzu ist eine individuelle Einstellung der betreffenden Anwendungen notwendig.

Die Tastatur sollte nach einer Neukalibrierung wieder einwandfrei funktionieren.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

ARCHOS Deutschland GmbH
-----------------------------------------------

Thus standby mode is deferred and the unit turns on. (by updating apps and widgets)

It seems we can forget about a fix for the wake ups... :(

[map002]

Yup. Android is designed so that if the user chooses to install certain applications that request certain permissions, the device will wake from sleep and update itself periodically.

The way to prevent this from happening is to not install/uninstall applications that have that permission. You should be able to find this information in Settings/Applications/Manage applications, then go through your applications looking for Permissions/ -!- System tools/Prevent device from sleeping.

Michael

[gerraldo]

Yup. Android is designed so that if the user chooses to install certain applications that request certain permissions, the device will wake from sleep and update itself periodically.

The way to prevent this from happening is to not install/uninstall applications that have that permission. You should be able to find this information in Settings/Applications/Manage applications, then go through your applications looking for Permissions/ -!- System tools/Prevent device from sleeping.

Michael

Yeah, OK, maybe, but this is a ridiculous behaviour for a phone OS!!! This is not just "design", this is "BAD design"... :(

When you suspend your unit, it should logically lock all buttons + the touchscreen (and just turn on, if you perform a special routine - press special buttons, do a swipe etc.).

Who needs/wants a phone or tablet that turns on (out of suspend) in your pocket by itself (for updating or whatever)!? Such a "suspend mode" is totally useless!!! :(

[map002]

Pretty much, yeah. But most phones don't spend much energy on 3G connections and Android is much better at managing connections via 3G than via WiFi.

Michael

[Himself]

I had a look at dmesg output via better terminal emulator and it's all about suspending and resuming, most of the debug entries relate to wi-fi and the network driver. Not sure what all the log entries mean but it seems like there are so many pending requests for network access that the buffer is used up and the device wakes to clear the buffer. Or it could be related to something else entirely. :)

[Diknak]

I think there should be two separate functions:

Prevent device from sleeping - good
Wake device from sleeping - bad

The video player doesn't go to sleep, thank god. You could consider that BAD design if it went to sleep after a minute while watching a video.

[map002]

Well, all I can tell you is that in the era of push email and crackberries, many people wouldn't buy a phone that wouldn't tell then new email had arrived, even if the device is sleeping.

Perhaps next year, as Android finds it's way onto more tablets without 3G, it will better able to handle these things on non-phone devices.

Michael

[Diknak]

Well, all I can tell you is that in the era of push email and crackberries, many people wouldn't buy a phone that wouldn't tell then new email had arrived, even if the device is sleeping.

Perhaps next year, as Android finds it's way onto more tablets without 3G, it will better able to handle these things on non-phone devices.

Michael

I can agree with that, but I think it should be in a settings option to give the user final say over the matter. That would make the most sense.

[map002]

For a phone OS, Android gives users a remarkable amount of configurablity. For a PC OS, not so much. Again, that too may change as being a Tablet OS becomes a more official part of Android's brief.

And of course that's not likely to help the A7 HT unless hackers do something astounding and deliver Gingerbread in the future.

Michael