Archos 5 gets a reviewed "Good" at CNET

[Chengbin]

http://reviews.cnet.com/portable-video- ... uselArea.0

Gets a 6.6.

Very fair review. Everything said is about right.

[Gwagain]

Hi!

The guy didn't test the videos you can get in the "pirate" community in depth :P. But finally, he's got the same dissapointing feeling.

I don't know what to do with my device. I bought it in the Archos Web and I have no response from its technical support.

Worst of all, I'm not french, I'm spanish and I'm afraid they are going to delay its response in order to not let me send the device to them to get my money back and start playing cat-mouse game.

Arghhhhhh

S&CD

[wxiao]

Good review - it reflects quite well what people have been saying in this forum.

[perrin21]

Id agree, very accurate review.

heres a link for Charbax to look over the competition http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/app ... =mncol;lst

[Archos5Fan]

I don't understand giving negative points for a glossy design. Anyone who handles a matte design for any length of time knows that the matte finish will eventually wear down to a splotchy glossy finish at the most handled areas that can't be repaired to look matte ever again -- except to replace the worn part.

[perrin21]

I don't understand giving negative points for a glossy design. Anyone who handles a matte design for any length of time knows that the matte finish will eventually wear down to a splotchy glossy finish at the most handled areas that can't be repaired to look matte ever again -- except to replace the worn part.

Its very sexy but is a total fingerprint magnet, even more so than the chrome backs on ipods

[Archos5Fan]

Wipe the fingerprints off. No big deal (to me anyway). What I dislike are the worn to glossy spots (corners and edges) that will always look bad in contrast to the matte. It will look like an overused worn piece of gear.

[judgechuck]

I don't understand giving negative points for a glossy design. Anyone who handles a matte design for any length of time knows that the matte finish will eventually wear down to a splotchy glossy finish at the most handled areas that can't be repaired to look matte ever again -- except to replace the worn part.

Totally agree... That's entirely a point of personal preference... Obviously the reviewer doesn't like it, but how that can be extrapolated into a negative point is beyond me...

Personally, I love the look of my Archos 5 IMT... It's definitely one of the the most "high end" looking gadgets around. No part of it looks at all "cheap".

[Charbax]

All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one. What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site.

[BloodyIron]

All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one. What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site.

I've been watching cnet reviews for a long time. While they may be owned by CBS, I would not call shenanigans on their credibility just yet.

[Brent212]

All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one. What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site.

Ha ha. Oh man, so typical to simply dismiss anything negative a review says. All "the bad" arguments in that review were 100% spot on, IMO. I'm sure you can go through, list out each one, and say "that doesn't bother me", but the fact is those things DO bother most users who aren't blind fanboys in love with anything that says "archos" on it.

[eagle1]

All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one. What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site.

Charbax,

The bottom line:
The Archos 5 is a great video player, but it disappoints as a premium Android Internet tablet and GPS unit.

Tell me if you agree with that bottom line or not!
Just a Yes or NO will suffice.
I don't want to hear: "a future firmware update will fix ... bla bla bla Flash 10, bla bla bla Android 2.0, bla bla bla, just go with what's currently being offered as the review is based on this FACT!!

I agree with the review even though not enough details were reviewed regarding video playback (even if he's saying it is superb!).

Thanks.

[kramer28]

It's funny how Donald Bell states that the Archos 5 Android is a "pirate's" dream come true but even the MKV feature only seems reliable with episodic videos (tv shows).

[kiyu727]

I don't understand giving negative points for a glossy design. Anyone who handles a matte design for any length of time knows that the matte finish will eventually wear down to a splotchy glossy finish at the most handled areas that can't be repaired to look matte ever again -- except to replace the worn part.

A glossy desing makes sense if you dont need to touch the unit much à la PS3.
But the back of my Archos was always dirty like hell, you may not see it but ppl who sit opposite you think how you can hold this dirty device !


And wipping them off is not as easy as you stated, its like wipping oil with a handkerchief from glass.
you get most of it but in the end theres always some left which just makes you angry.

Though I totally agree, its a good media player (though has some certain bugs ..!) but for that price its not serving as it should

[Archos5Fan]

A microfiber cloth should take of fingerprints cleanly. The matte surface just traps and accumulates the oil so is much dirtier than it might appear. The matte surface starts to wear smooth then the unit just looks bad.

[kiyu727]

The negative points I agree with and I have enountered (and made me angry >:( ):

-every aspect of the Archos 5 is made to lure hard-core digital media nerds away from products like the Zune HD and the iPod Touch
-the whole thing is a smudge magnet
-declare various memory cards as being corrupted, yet recognize them after a reboot
-The integrated accelerometer is useful for reorienting Web pages but is slow to react
-YouTube worked fine, while sites such as Hulu, CNET TV, ABC, and Comedy Central, stalled the browser or played only the preroll advertising associated with the video
-Serious gamers will likely find products such as the Sony PSP or iPod Touch harder to resist.
-the majority of Android apps are not yet supported

YES Charbax, this is personal but still you cant say its a lie !
-the headphone jack is placed right where you would hold the device

[Gazza99]

All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one. What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site.

This is such an irrational response to a review that seems to resonate with most users of this forum.

"All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one." Firstly, why would a respected review site such as cnet allow a reviewer to post "pure random nonsense"? And if they can be debunked one by one, why don't you attempt to debunk them?

"What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site." This is just silly. Why would the reviewer say that the Archos 5 is a great video player and say that audio quality is on a par with the iPod Touch if the reviewer is such an iPod fanboy?

[Charbax]

All his "the bad" arguments are just pure random nonsense and can be debunked one by one. What you have there is an iPod fanboy reviewing for a big media site.

Charbax,

The bottom line:
The Archos 5 is a great video player, but it disappoints as a premium Android Internet tablet and GPS unit.

Tell me if you agree with that bottom line or not!
Just a Yes or NO will suffice.

NO.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet is everything else than a premium Android product. All the existing Android phones on the market cost more than $1500 over the 2-year contracts or more than $400 unlocked for absolutely no where near the same types of features.

The GPS unit thing is outdated, the new firmware fixes that. And demanding full GPS functionality on day 1 is absolutely not relevant. People that visit cnet usually pay more than the $249 for a similar sized GPS-only device and get many fewer features. So the GPS should be considered a freaking plus and not the core of the device. If you absolutely want GPS, then wait for the firmwares and software updates first, Archos even announced that full GPS Ndrive software is only going to be ready in the next 2-3 months.

[Archos5Fan]

Actually CNET rated it "Good". So when does Good = Fail ?

Yes, they had complaints and pet peeves about the device but who doesn't have complaints about a device when one reviews it critically?

[Charbax]

And if they can be debunked one by one, why don't you attempt to debunk them?

I have other things to do on a Wednesday night. It's not like I am frigging paid to serve as Archos promotter 24/7. But perhaps a bit later, Donald Bell will have his ass served to himself all over the comment section of his review (which seems to not even exist). Well, there is thankfully Google SideWiki to point out the complete lack of reason that is in this review. I haven't even read it though, I just see the frigging title, rating, and got the idea, Donald Bell is in his usual Archos bashing and Apple-fanboy mood.