Archos Generation 8 prices and sizes

[HW_90]

http://translate.google.fr/translate?u= ... =&ie=UTF-8

1GHz, OpenGL and a 10" screen is tempting

edit: for barely reading it

[Harfainx]

"These tablets boarded Android"
Direct quote from the link, so it looks like I'll probably be picking up the 10" if/when it hits.

[mookon]

I fear that they will stop updating the Archos 5 for that reason...

And it needs a lot more updating before they can move to the next version:
1. Android 2.1-2.2 (In Froyo we should be able to perform system updates on our own... so we won't need Archos anymore)
2. Hardware acceleration - The TI drivers exist, Archos must integrate them, this device runs much slower than it should.
3. LANGUAGE SUPPORT!! the most important of all to me and many other users, THEY MUST SUPPORT HEBREW/ARABIC in Android before stopping updating this device.
4. Bugs - There are tons of bugs in this device, why should anyone buy another Android device from Archos if their last one was filled with bugs and errors.

[v_c]

Archos typically release new versions of their 'flagship' line (ie 504, 605, A5, A5A) once a year.

So what we are seeing should be no surprise. The A5A was unveiled in September '09, so it should not surprise anyone to see new models in approximately 5 months. Maybe they will push the date forward because of all the competition coming.

From the slide, it looks like maybe
2 x 3.x" models
1 x 5" model (replacement for A5A?)
2 x 7" models
1 x 10" model (the 'big slate' model that will compete with iPad, HP Slate, and all the other large-size slate models coming soon. Probably they will forget about their 9" Windows tablet since it has not been a success).

ALthough of course, the images could just be arbitrary ones to fit in with the '8 model' text in the slide

[SheilaHoff]

mookon said "I fear that they will stop updating the Archos 5 for that reason..."

I've often heard it said here in the forums that as long as Archos is updating new devices with Android there's no reason we wouldn't still reap the benefits on our A5A. It's all the same OS. Hopefully that's true.

[skylr616]

mookon said "I fear that they will stop updating the Archos 5 for that reason..."
I've often heard it said here in the forums that as long as Archos is updating new devices with Android there's no reason we wouldn't still reap the benefits on our A5A. It's all the same OS. Hopefully that's true.

Yeah, they would need to make a pretty serious departure from the A5A HW to stop updating the device. Possible, but I don't think its very likely.

[map002]

Hrm. I was hoping for more than a minor CPU bump and a new screen. Still, if Archos isn't revising the case design, that's about all the changes they can make in the existing A5 housing.

And yes, we've already seen one of the Gen 8 devices (the 7 Home) and yes, they are on the same codebase. Archos is not about to start making more work for it's already overworked Android dev team so, sorry, there will continue to be Android updates to all of the Archos Android devices (including the A5A) for the foreseeable future.

Michael

[skylr616]

The slide also indicates 3G and Multitouch... both will be appreciated by many.

[Falfa]

The two 7" models are probably going to be one with 3G and one without. Or perhaps one HDD and the other Flash.

[map002]

Well, given that they only depict one 5" model, I don't think SSD/HDD is the difference. I'd expect rather that it's the 7 Home and the 7 Internet Tablet.

Michael

[hauk]

Let there be no doubt that the players displayed on the slide will not all be appointed in this way (a single image shrunk)

Straight from the site. It's admittedly translated, but seems fairly clear. I doubt that we can take the picture as solid evidence for the distribution on models.

Regardless, speculate away! It's one of my favorite activities.

[Charbax]

Logically to reach 1ghz they will use the Texas Instruments OMAP3640 series of processors, which is a significant upgrade on OMAP3440 of the current generation. This is not only a matter of increase of mhz speed. OMAP3640 is built on a 45nm process instead of the 65nm process of the current processor, which means the processor is significantly smaller and uses a lot less power, which probably brings better battery runtime. You can watch my video comparing OMAP3630 with OMAP3430 http://armdevices.net/2010/02/23/texas- ... -omap3630/ The performance increase for 3D rendering with the new processor is more than 62% going from 92fps to 156fps on the same 3D rendering animation. I don't know if video decoding and encoding performance has been improved. And I don't know how much things like website rendering is improved, if it's just 25% faster based on 800mhz vs 1ghz or if it is more than that.

I do not know if OMAP3640 can do 1080p decoding and much higher HD video decoding bitrates. I don't know if OMAP3640 simplifies the integration of mini-HDMI output directly into the device. If Archos includes a camera, it could probably record 720p video (which would be really awesome, if a wireless microphone using Bluetooth or mini-jack input also can be used for good sound recording).

[saravkrish]

It's a long story, but the gist of it is that I ordered an A5A a month ago and Archos is yet to ship it. Should I cancel it and just wait for the new device? If I cancel the A5A, I would probably have to order the cheapest IMT instead of the A5A (reason is part of the long story).

What do you people think I should do? And why?

-Sarav

[SvenC]

An OLED screen would be nice.
.. and support for SSDs instead of normal HDDs (in lower GB range), in my mind MLC would be enough for a mediaplayer

[Theguru]

so does this mean, this will be an approved google device? and finally we will have full access to the google marketplace finally?

[AllenPapapetrou]

It's a long story, but the gist of it is that I ordered an A5A a month ago and Archos is yet to ship it. Should I cancel it and just wait for the new device? If I cancel the A5A, I would probably have to order the cheapest IMT instead of the A5A (reason is part of the long story).

What do you people think I should do? And why?

-Sarav

Hi Sarav,

How long are you willing to wait?

September? August? July?

I don't think we'll see them before July and it could be as late as September for some models.

Allen

[Charbax]

so does this mean, this will be an approved google device? and finally we will have full access to the google marketplace finally?

As soon as Google starts shipping Marketplace for Tablets, for sure. It should happen soon, New York Times just wrote "Google hopes to make its own apps marketplace available for new slate-like devices."

[Theguru]

i hope so..i really do...it would make the device alot more desirable

[nubbin77]

I really hope that some of these are compatible with the DVR station.

[skylr616]

With 3G some of these devices may be able to pass for "phones" and get google cert anyways.