Archos CEO: "Marketplace within weeks"

[Charbax]

Wow, cool. JBMM.fr and archoslounge.net have made a really cool interview which they are publishing new episodes each day. Today's episode has truly fascinating infos on our upcoming Google Marketplace firmware upgrade, Archos relations with Google, on upcoming cheaper Archos Android products, on the feasibility of Archos Smartbooks, Ubuntu netbooks and more.

Consider, this interview was made on October 22nd at the Archos headquarters in Paris by JBMM.fr and ArchosLounge.net, so the "within weeks" might mean "within days" at this point.

I am posting about this at: http://archosfans.com/2009/11/11/archos ... hin-weeks/

Help me get the many basics and logical deductions out of this interview and I will update my post.

Original in French: http://www.jbmm.fr/2009/11/11/episode-3 ... ransition/

Translated to English: http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... ransition/

[Charbax]

In my opinion, the talk about Netbooks being Intel and Microsoft based only, that could be a question of Archos having to play nice with those companies if Archos still wants to be featured for free at Windows7 showcase product launches (even Paul Otellini and Steve Ballmer praised Archos in recent keynote speeches), Archos 9 was basically the star of the recent Intel Developers Forum. So obviously, Archos has got to be careful with its announcements around the future of ARM based Linux netbooks.

[Charbax]

I made this page on the Wiki so volunteers can join in improving the Google Translation: http://wiki.archosfans.com/index.php?ti ... Lounge.net

[grenso]

I cant say I am more enlightened now than I was before I read the transcript for this interview. Theyway he talks (Henri) makes it sound like it is not a done deal.

Today, we have not yet Marketplace, but we nevertheless hope to have it and, anyway, we will continue to develop our AppsLib for all products Android will not necessarily Marketplace

\

There is no point in talking about Marketplace when the Archos 5 IT is currently messed up and we do not even have an update for the Donut. Yet some devices have upgrades already. Knowing Archos Android 2.0 might actually be incorporated into the next devices possibly the new devices they are showcasing in January 2010. Henri was being vague about some details not wanting to let the cat out of the bag. I guess he wants to control the flow of information especially when it comes to latest products.

[Charbax]

Ce qui importe dans Android, cÔÇÖest lÔÇÖouverture de la plateforme, cÔÇÖest lÔÇÖouverture ├á toutes les applications. AujourdÔÇÖhui, nous nÔÇÖavons pas encore Marketplace, mais nous avons cependant bon espoir de lÔÇÖavoir et, de toute mani├¿re, nous allons continuer de d├®velopper notre AppsLib car tous les produits Android ne seront pas forc├®ment Marketplace. Or, nous allons aller plus loin que les tablettes dÔÇÖaujourdÔÇÖhui, o├╣ nous sommes actuellement face ├á lÔÇÖiPod Touch, dans les m├¬mes prix (en gros entre 250 et 350 euros).

Pourquoi cÔÇÖest une grande rupture ? Je pense que nous pourrons faire de lÔÇÖAndroid entre 100 et 200 dollars en 2010. D├¿s janvier/f├®vrier, nous allons introduire de nouveaux produits qui ne seront pas des baladeurs 5 pouces, mais qui seront des produits diff├®renci├®s et ├á moins de 200 euros. Et je pense quÔÇÖen 2011, nous arriverons ├á passer la barre des 100 euros avec ce type de produits. Cela veut dire quÔÇÖAndroid va envahir toute une cat├®gorie de nouveaux march├®s : des cadres photos, des PMP de grands ├®crans, jusquÔÇÖaux radior├®veilsÔǪ
Android va donc nous permettre de d├®ployer une gamme beaucoup plus large.

Google Translation:

What is important in Android, is the opening of the platform is open to all applications. Today, we have not yet Marketplace, but we nevertheless hope to have it and, anyway, we will continue to develop our AppsLib for all products Android will not necessarily Marketplace. Now we will go further than the shelves today, where we are now faced with the iPod Touch in the same price (roughly between 250 and 350 euros).

Why is a big break? I think we can make the Android 100 to $ 200 in 2010. In January / February, we will introduce new products that are not 5 inches of players, but will be differentiated products and less than 200 euros. And I think in 2011 we get to spend the 100 euros with such products. This means qu'Android will invade an entire class of new markets photo frames, PMP of large screens, even clock radios ...
Android will therefore enable us to deploy a much broader range.

[Charbax]

AL&JBMM : Pourtant, si on comprends bien cette logique pour un radio r├®veil, pourquoi pour un Archos 5IT ?
HC : La relation avec Google est excellente, mais il manque certaines caract├®ristiques telles que les boutons d├®di├®s ├á lÔÇÖinterface Android ; tous les produits agr├®├®s ont ces boutons.
Comme nous sommes en avance de phase sur le d├®veloppement dÔÇÖAndroid, Google craint que les grands ├®crans aboutissent ├á des produits lents. Ils souhaitent donc attendre Eclair (Ndlr : la prochaine version dÔÇÖAndroid qui fait suite ├á Cupcake et Donut) et son int├®gration graphique int├®gr├®e.
En attendant, nous avons d├╗ construire lÔÇÖAppsLib ├á toute vitesseÔǪ

AL&JBMM : Vous lÔÇÖavez vraiment appris au dernier moment ?
HC : Les pourparlers laissaient penser que nous aurions acc├¿s au MarketplaceÔǪ

AL&JBMM : On parle beaucoup de lÔÇÖabsence de boussole et de cam├®raÔǪ
HC : Je ne peux pas r├®pondre ├á la place de Google. Mais je peux en revanche vous dire que nous allons sortir tr├¿s bient├┤t des produits avec cam├®ra et boussole. Je ne peux pas vous en dire plusÔǪ

Google Translation with my corrections on the translation:

AL & JBMM: But if we understand this logic to a clock radio, why 5IT for Archos?
HC: The relationship with Google is great, but it lacks some features such as dedicated buttons for the Android interface, all approved products have these buttons.
As we phase advance on the development of Android, Google is concerned that large displays lead to slower product. They want to wait for Eclair (Editor's note: the next version of Android that follows Donut and Cupcake) and its integration integrated graphics.
Meanwhile, we had to build AppsLib at full speed ...

AL & JBMM: You've really learned it at the last moment?
HC: The talks gave the impression that we would have access to the Marketplace ...

AL & JBMM: Much is said about the lack of compass and camera ...
HC: I can not answer on behalf of Google. But I can tell you however that we will very soon release products with camera and compass. I can not tell you more ...

[Charbax]

AL&JBMM : Des chinois annoncent pourtant des produits compatibles avec le Marketplace alors quÔÇÖils nÔÇÖont pas de cam├®raÔǪ
HC : Les chinois annoncent tout ce quÔÇÖils veulent. Ils auront Android Market parce quÔÇÖils lÔÇÖauront mis sur leur produit, sans lÔÇÖaccord de Google. Archos pourrait tr├¿s bien mettre ├®galement Android Market sur ses produits si nous nÔÇÖ├®tions pas respectueux des lois.
Les chinois font des t├®l├®phones compatibles iPhones, avec les applications de lÔÇÖiPhone dessusÔǪ Les protections nÔÇÖont pas r├®sist├® longtemps. On trouve toutes ces bidouilles sur InternetÔǪ

Archos veut ├®videmment faire des produits Marketplace et on en fera. CÔÇÖest une question de quelques mois, voire de semaines.
Mais, en parall├¿le, sur les produits ├®loign├®s du monde de la t├®l├®phonie, on y trouvera ├®galement de lÔÇÖAndroid, notamment dans les produits dÔÇÖentr├®e de gamme. Ce qui nous permettra dÔÇÖajouter de nouvelles ├®tag├¿res ├á notre magasin. Au sein dÔÇÖune m├¬me ├®tag├¿re, les produits se phagocytent entre eux, cÔÇÖest donc int├®ressant pour nous dÔÇÖajouter de nouvelles ├®tag├¿res.
Ainsi, en plus de notre ├®tag├¿re mp3/mp4, nous avons d├®sormais lÔÇÖ├®tag├¿re du netbook, un peu diff├®rente de celles des PC portables. Il y a ├®galement celle des t├®l├®phones, qui est extr├¬mement int├®ressante mais difficile ├á conqu├®rir, mais vous savez d├®j├á que nous avons des vell├®it├®s de faire un t├®l├®phone. Nous persistons et jÔÇÖesp├¿re quÔÇÖon va signerÔǪ

Google Translation with my corrections on the translation:

AL & JBMM: The Chinese, however, announce products compatible with the Marketplace so they do not have a camera ...
HC: The Chinese announced all they want. They will have Android Market because they would have placed it on their product without the consent of Google. Archos could also very well put Android Market on their products if we were not law-abiding.
The Chinese make iPhones compatible phones, with applications over the iPhone ... The protections do not last long. There are all these hacks on the Internet ...

Archos does of course want to make products with Marketplace and we will. It is a matter of months or even weeks.
But in parallel, the products away from the world of telephony, will also contain Android, including products at entry level. This will allow us to add new shelves in our store. Within the same shelf products will engulf them, so it's interesting for us to add new shelves.
Thus, in addition to our mp3/mp4 shelf, we now have the netbook shelf, somewhat different from those of laptops. There is also the phones, which is extremely interesting but difficult to win, but you already know that we have ambitions to make a phone. We continue and hopefully we will sign ...

[JRBTempe]

I cant say I am more enlightened now than I was before I read the transcript for this interview. Theyway he talks (Henri) makes it sound like it is not a done deal.

Yeah, even with Charbax's corrections to the Google translation, I don't see anything that indicates this is imminent... next year sometime seems more realistic unless they plan to skip over 1.6 entirely. I think they need to devote more time to working out all of the bugs in the existing firmware before they bite off more than they can chew with Android 2.0, personally...

[j2eubank]

Months or weeks........ pretty wide open but promising none the less.

[kendrid]

Months or weeks........ pretty wide open but promising none the less.

That is what smart companies do - promise features that might not ever happen.

Worde to the wise - do buy the A5A expecting this to happen. If you are on the fence wait until you actually see the Google marketplace on the Archos products. Otherwise it's marketing talk to get people to hope they deliver.

[grenso]

I say Marketplace will be released in the next Archos Android device and NOT Archos 5IT!

[findapollo]

Didn't something like this happen with the iPhone originally? Something was available on the second model and so many of the first model owners complained that they...oh right, it was a price drop and they issued credits.

Either way, if they do come out with a second version in a few months and it has Anroid 2.0, Marketplace, camera & compass, I'm sure we'll all be pretty sad for a few days. And we'll surely complain loudly if they stop giving us firmware at that point (probably speculation completely on our part). The hardware cannot be different enough in 3 months, though, to say the A5A isn't compatible (the ARM11 architecture is well planned and compatible for a long time). So we will all know it's possible to have 2.0 and beyond no matter what happens (and the hackers will cook something up for us).

Oh, and I did get a response from tech support about a week ago that we can expect 1.6, but he hadn't heard anything about 2.0. It only came out a couple days ago, right? And that's just the Google version, not OHA's, right? So pleez, let's just try to enjoy the devices now. I recommend watching a movie...I watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium last night and it'll just make you smile, appreciate your device and forget that you don't have Google apps.

[AllenPapapetrou]

I say Marketplace will be released in the next Archos Android device and NOT Archos 5IT!

I say you're full of it. And my opinion of your statement has the same sentient value as your statement.

[Andrex]

Yo, I did my best to make the interview conform the English language. I wasn't 100% on some parts so it may differ in some places in literal, explicit meaning, but I think it reads a lot better. And the beauty of Wikis is that someone with a better understanding of the original interview than me can just edit and improve what's already there.

[jfowl31]

I say Marketplace will be released in the next Archos Android device and NOT Archos 5IT!

I say you're full of it. And my opinion of your statement has the same sentient value as your statement.

I'm only replying to tag this thread... BUT Mr. Papapetrou, you might want to rethink how strongly you speak on behalf of Archos.

They have a BIG tendency to promise things and not deliver. It goes all the way back (for me... I'm sure further for others) to the 605 when they PROMISED a slingbox type functionality that never happened.

I have a 5, and all in all I'm fairly happy with it, now that I know what to expect and what not to, but its nowhere near what it was claimed to be when it was announced... even after a year of updates.

Even Henri Crohas himself in this interview talks about how Archos HOPES to release products IN THE FUTURE with the Marketplace on it. He talks about how Google doesn't like certain things about the 5IT...... Basically, all I'm saying is that if Archos can get a "with Google" designation, I'll be overjoyed and MAYBE even buy one. But DON'T hold your breath, and CERTAINLY don't go around sticking your foot in your mouth losing all credibility like the site owner here. Charbax used to be a good source for info on Archos products, but it takes so long now to try and sort through all the fanboy bullshit and get to anything with concrete evidence that its pointless to even read anything he writes.

So for now, everyone just HOPE that Archos and Google can come to some sort of agreement to get Marketplace onto the 5IT and get rid of the apparently sucky Appslib program. I've got an HTC Hero, and I can't imagine it without Marketplace. It seems like just a moderately nice phone without it. I mean how else would I fill 7 HOMESCREENS without the Google badge on the back???

[Charbax]

HTC Hero is an overpriced piece of crap phone, with a tiny low resolution screen, no HD video playback, no HDMI output, not even divx playback, no storage options and it runs on a crappy old and slow ARM11 processor.

Archos decided not to just do such a lame crappy hardware as HTC, that sells with 2-year contracts for over $2500.

Thus money on the table to get Archos is 10 times cheaper than your smartphone.

Now, that choice meant Archos couldn't get Marketplace on Android 1.5 in October, but would have to wait for the integration on Android 1.6 upgrades in November or December, or perhaps 2.0 upgrade in January or February.

That was the absolute right choice, get a non-crap product on the market early with 1.5, and work on integrating WVGA versions of Android as they are available.

Though obviously that choice means there will be a bunch of lame trolls, bashers, fanboys of competitors who will keep trolling and bashing all the way until the updates are official.

Yeah, as if Google is going to announce Archos to have the only and first wvga medium density marketplace of the whole world month before the updates are actually released. That would have been the only way to shut the trolls early. Google just doesn't care about anti Archos trolls, they've got other priorities.

[Andrex]

Hardware is nothing without software, please remember that when bashing other devices in the Android family. The HTC HD2 is one of the best phones (if not the best) hardware-wise, but almost no one wants it because it runs Windows Mobile.

Point is, criticizing other Android devices for their hardware isn't going to go anywhere productive, and just sounds like childish fanboy bickering. To be honest, Archos should have most likely waited for 1.6 and official WVGA support. If that would thus include the Market had they waited, all the more reason for them to have delayed the launch. I'm very impressed by what Archos accomplished with the A5IT but would have been more impressed had they waited, fixed the bugs that have been patched from launch until now, and had Google's apps. But that's just my two cents, as someone who's been following Android and on-again-off-again been developing for it since November 2007.

*Disclaimer: I own no Android device and am constantly weighing my options, be they phone or non-phone.

[archosandroid]

hahaha.....Good one!

[Charbax]

Hardware is nothing without software

Sure, Android software is so awesome, it makes even crap hardware interesting and useful. Yet, it is very well known fact that HTC has made crappy and boring Android hardware. Android does make it a good product, but that is only until many better hardware products are available, yet another argument for it being totally stupid to sign a contract for 2 years on a HTC Android hardware. Basically, any other manufacturer is better than HTC. And Archos is just so far ahead of anyone else when it comes to harware. In fact Archos is far ahead of even Google's schedule for releasing software for more screen resolutions and for more hardware features.

[jfowl31]

As I said... All this is, is a tag for me to come back later and read this thread and laugh.

I think I might bump it to the top once a month to remind everyone about the misquoted "Marketplace within weeks" title.

I bet I'm still bumping it in June/July.... and I bet there's still no marketplace, and still no Google badge on any Archos 5IT.