Hi,
After 6 months of waiting I'm finally going to buy my Archos 43. But I'm still not sure if it's worth buying. I read a lot of bad things about the Archos 43. Is there still someone happy with the device? What are the biggest problems? Does someone have no problems with the device?
I just like to know because I really want to be sure.
Is it worth buying?
Re: Is it worth buying?
I've had mine for about 3 weeks now and I love it.
But I suppose it depends on what you are expecting.
I was looking at a new MP3 player and wanted something "more".
I liked the IPod-touch - but didn't like Apple or their lack of support for Micro-SD slot expansion.
I did NOT want a monthly cellphone bill.
The 43 is great.
Sure, it doesn't have the capacitive multi-touch screen. But with my fat-fingers - using a stylus (or just a pen-cap) on the resistive screen is truly FINE.
Audio playback is great - although I swapped out the supplied MP3 player and am now checking out the Winamp app.
Video playback is phenomenal. I spent the $14 and got the firmware upgrade so the supplied video-player will support just about every format there is.
I rarely ever fire up the home theater system now - with built in Samba file-sharing, I can navigate the 43 directly to my ripped DVD's and play them back through the 43 and my Sennheiser headphones.
Yes, you have to add the support for the Android market.
And yes, without a GPS in the device, some apps don't work.
So - for me, it's an awesome purchase.
It absolutely sips at the battery - I get hours and hours of active web-surfing over Wifi - and hours and hours of video playback (or music) without even a dent in the battery.
The Wifi support seems good to me. And - I'm using Optimum cable at home so I have access to Optimum Wifi hotspots everywhere.
Good luck to you with your decision.
My alternative was to buy an Android phone off EBay and simply never setup the phone service and use it's Wifi and OS.
However, the 43's screen size is so much bigger than most phones - and overall, it is so much lighter and thinner that for me, it was a no-brainer.
As with anything, your own mileage may vary.
But I suppose it depends on what you are expecting.
I was looking at a new MP3 player and wanted something "more".
I liked the IPod-touch - but didn't like Apple or their lack of support for Micro-SD slot expansion.
I did NOT want a monthly cellphone bill.
The 43 is great.
Sure, it doesn't have the capacitive multi-touch screen. But with my fat-fingers - using a stylus (or just a pen-cap) on the resistive screen is truly FINE.
Audio playback is great - although I swapped out the supplied MP3 player and am now checking out the Winamp app.
Video playback is phenomenal. I spent the $14 and got the firmware upgrade so the supplied video-player will support just about every format there is.
I rarely ever fire up the home theater system now - with built in Samba file-sharing, I can navigate the 43 directly to my ripped DVD's and play them back through the 43 and my Sennheiser headphones.
Yes, you have to add the support for the Android market.
And yes, without a GPS in the device, some apps don't work.
So - for me, it's an awesome purchase.
It absolutely sips at the battery - I get hours and hours of active web-surfing over Wifi - and hours and hours of video playback (or music) without even a dent in the battery.
The Wifi support seems good to me. And - I'm using Optimum cable at home so I have access to Optimum Wifi hotspots everywhere.
Good luck to you with your decision.
My alternative was to buy an Android phone off EBay and simply never setup the phone service and use it's Wifi and OS.
However, the 43's screen size is so much bigger than most phones - and overall, it is so much lighter and thinner that for me, it was a no-brainer.
As with anything, your own mileage may vary.
Re: Is it worth buying?
Thanks for the reply!
I don't expect to much. I'm also looking for a mp3 but then with something more. That the screen isn't capacitive is also fine for me as long as it works.
It's so sad that there are so many bad reviews about the device.
I don't expect to much. I'm also looking for a mp3 but then with something more. That the screen isn't capacitive is also fine for me as long as it works.
It's so sad that there are so many bad reviews about the device.
Re: Is it worth buying?
Just keep that in your mind that most of the reports here are from some people who have problems and try to look for help. There still have a lot of people who love this device and never have problem and never say nothing or no need to say anything because they don't need any help and I am mostly one them, I love my A43.
Re: Is it worth buying?
Hi, I'm writing this messag from my own 43! I have to get used to write a message. I can say i love it!
Re: Is it worth buying?
I have had mine since last November and in my case using the A43 as an mp3 player its great, as a video player its great, I dont like the resistive screen, it fits in the pocket well, typing on it sux, the wifi isn't as sensitive as I would like, battery life on it is excellent, it plays Angry Birds and all the other games I put on it very well, I dont really care for internet surfing because of the lack of the pinch to zoom feature, for email it just as good as any of them. IMHO... 
Re: Is it worth buying?
Icelandic wrote:Hi, I'm writing this messag from my own 43! I have to get used to write a message. I can say i love it!
You made a good choice. There are not many pocketable internet tablets at this low cost. Since it is not a phone you have no worry about some malware dialing expensive numbers. A separate bluetooth GPS will work if you need that function. Other additions are a cheap Nintendo stylus and a 16 GB uSD card for your music/movie collection.
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Psycho29388
- Archos Novice
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:17 am
Re: Is it worth buying?
Yeah I love this tablet aswell, sure it's touch screen isn't the best but you can use a stylus to fix that.
I have antivirus, imo chat, and tons of other apps running in the background and I still have 50 MBs of ram left so no issues there, just make sure to give the device a rest after 2-3 days or else it will become pretty slow.
For the price I paid for the 8 GB version you can't beat it, period.
I have antivirus, imo chat, and tons of other apps running in the background and I still have 50 MBs of ram left so no issues there, just make sure to give the device a rest after 2-3 days or else it will become pretty slow.
For the price I paid for the 8 GB version you can't beat it, period.
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coffee-turtle
- Archos Novice
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:14 pm
Re: Is it worth buying?
I also am a big fan of my Archos 43IT. It handles all my mobile needs.
Check this thread and get some more good reasons:
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=54130
Check this thread and get some more good reasons:
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=54130
Re: Is it worth buying?
I agree with Racky; I have neglected this site since I bought mine back in April. Before April I was here every day, trying to figure out if it was worth buying. Since I have had great success with mine, in contrast to many experiences, I enjoy the A43IT very much, and I don't spend much time here.
I just installed Comic Viewer, very cool.
Unlike many reports of the resistive screen being a bad thing, I actually see it as a bonus. Once you understand how to use it properly, you can draw on much better than a capacitive screen can offer. Plus minute selections are easier. So it doesn't have to be a negative.
I guess the battery could last longer, but seeing as how I can charge it in anything, including my PVR, I just plug it in whenever not in use.
Only a couple of high-end applications and games fail, but there are so many that work, I'm happy.
Hopefully a few good reviews will help Archos sales. I think they've made some decent products.
G-DROID
I just installed Comic Viewer, very cool.
Unlike many reports of the resistive screen being a bad thing, I actually see it as a bonus. Once you understand how to use it properly, you can draw on much better than a capacitive screen can offer. Plus minute selections are easier. So it doesn't have to be a negative.
I guess the battery could last longer, but seeing as how I can charge it in anything, including my PVR, I just plug it in whenever not in use.
Only a couple of high-end applications and games fail, but there are so many that work, I'm happy.
Hopefully a few good reviews will help Archos sales. I think they've made some decent products.
G-DROID
G-DROID
Re: Is it worth buying?
I came to this forum to figure out the same thing. Glad to see people giving it good reviews. I've been a long time archos owner (and still use my 101 daily) but kind of miss my A5A for the portability. So I was thinking of looking into a A43, but I'm not sure yet.
Since I would look to buy one off the second hand market (here, CL, or the Bay), I started thinking...
Why not get a used cell phone with a 4.3 inch screen, like a Droid X or an EVO. Seeing some good deals out there for some phones with a bad ESN, which would be fine with me. The Droid X gives you a capacitive screen and GPS. And I really like the fact that I can replace the battery on a cell phone. Always been a big pet peeve of mine on several of the Archos models that I've owned over the years. I'm sure the Evo has all of this as well, just haven't looked into it yet.
What advantages does the A43 have over something like that?
Since I would look to buy one off the second hand market (here, CL, or the Bay), I started thinking...
Why not get a used cell phone with a 4.3 inch screen, like a Droid X or an EVO. Seeing some good deals out there for some phones with a bad ESN, which would be fine with me. The Droid X gives you a capacitive screen and GPS. And I really like the fact that I can replace the battery on a cell phone. Always been a big pet peeve of mine on several of the Archos models that I've owned over the years. I'm sure the Evo has all of this as well, just haven't looked into it yet.
What advantages does the A43 have over something like that?
Re: Is it worth buying?
That's not a bad idea; I had thought of that myself while I was making my decision. But at that time the phone option was allot more expensive. What sold me was when Best Buy picked it up. It meant I could buy it locally with no risk. The question is: for $250, can you get a Droid X or equivalent for that price? Maybe, but I wonder how confident I would be in a used phone. Tough choice. Plus, I've seen the 43 for as low as $179.
Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.
Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.
G-DROID
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Psycho29388
- Archos Novice
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:17 am
Re: Is it worth buying?
I was thinking of just getting a phone aswell, but every one i looked at was higher than $200 and the only ones that were not were ones that you had to buy a contract with which would equal $250.
My A43 8 Gb cost me $145, if you can find a android tablet with a 4.3 inch capacitive screen, better camera and specs for the same price/a little more then ill be damned.
My A43 8 Gb cost me $145, if you can find a android tablet with a 4.3 inch capacitive screen, better camera and specs for the same price/a little more then ill be damned.
Re: Is it worth buying?
If you're talking new, then the A43 is going to be cheaper for sure, but I have no problem buying used. Just need to make sure that it's in perfect condition. Craigslist here in Chicago is flooded with phones, so I'm going to go that route. I think I'll get the Droid X for sure as I like the specs, and I like that it has hard buttons for the Android controls.
Re: Is it worth buying?
I too like my 43. A phone is a good option too. Used will probably not have any warranty. I'm sending my 43 in this week because the car slot broke but I will sure miss it while it's gone. I looked at the phone option when I bought it but a year ago prices were too much. Now if I could get the used phone I might go that way because of a better camera and more app space.
Re: Is it worth buying?
Okay - I just picked up a Droid X off of Craigslist. So far, this thing is pretty sweet. The screen is amazingly crisp, and I like the capacitive screen over the resistive on the Archos. They're both 480x854 pixels, so should be similar there. I should point out that while I've played around with the a43, I've never owned one. So most of my comparison comes from the A5A that I used heavily for a couple years.
It's also blazing fast. The processor is 1ghz and has 512 MB of RAM.
Other things that it has that are very nice additions are GPS and a camera. The camera is 8 megapixels, so the quality is pretty good. The GPS picks up quick (main gripe on the A5A that I owned), and I've been using it paired up with Copilot, which I bough off the market for $5. I also bought a car mount for $17, and it's really solid.
Still paying around with it, but so far, I like what I see. Battery life isn't the greatest, but I plan on picking up a spare for a few bucks. Also, seems like low volume is an Archos trademark. Always had issues watching movies on a plane. Haven't flown yet with this, but don't think it'll be a problem. Watched a movie on the way downtown and had the volume at about 30%.
It's hard for me to diss Archos after owning their products all these years. Started way back with the PocketDish, and have bought every new generation since then (still have and use my 101). But when it comes to the smaller screen size media players, I think getting the Droid X is the way to go. By the way, bought it used but in perfect condition. Has a bad ESN so I can't activate the phone part (but wasn't planning on it anyway). Bought it for $85. If I was looking to buy something new, then the a43 would be the obvious choice. The A43 specs are pretty impressive in their own right, and blow away the A5A that I had before without a doubt.
It's also blazing fast. The processor is 1ghz and has 512 MB of RAM.
Other things that it has that are very nice additions are GPS and a camera. The camera is 8 megapixels, so the quality is pretty good. The GPS picks up quick (main gripe on the A5A that I owned), and I've been using it paired up with Copilot, which I bough off the market for $5. I also bought a car mount for $17, and it's really solid.
Still paying around with it, but so far, I like what I see. Battery life isn't the greatest, but I plan on picking up a spare for a few bucks. Also, seems like low volume is an Archos trademark. Always had issues watching movies on a plane. Haven't flown yet with this, but don't think it'll be a problem. Watched a movie on the way downtown and had the volume at about 30%.
It's hard for me to diss Archos after owning their products all these years. Started way back with the PocketDish, and have bought every new generation since then (still have and use my 101). But when it comes to the smaller screen size media players, I think getting the Droid X is the way to go. By the way, bought it used but in perfect condition. Has a bad ESN so I can't activate the phone part (but wasn't planning on it anyway). Bought it for $85. If I was looking to buy something new, then the a43 would be the obvious choice. The A43 specs are pretty impressive in their own right, and blow away the A5A that I had before without a doubt.
Re: Is it worth buying?
If you buy it, just know going in that it is not a truly polished hardware fit for Froyo (android 2.2). Some of the killer apps such as skype w/ video & certain VOIP applications (AKA GOOGLE VOICE) don't work natively at all and you need work-arounds. If those are the dealbreakers.. look elsewhere. If not, be happy you can get a cheap tablet that will last last least 1-2 years w/o being a lemon or obsolete (although obsolescence timeline is defined ultimately by the consumer & industry). IMO, the 16gb version should be (UPDATED MSRP q4 2011) $150-$180 by now.. 8gb should be $99ish or phased out. Time to look to the future replacing it w/ a 5" tablet G9.
Re: Is it worth buying?
I am also very happy with my 43IT, after 8 months of usage. However there are some things I want to have:
- Gingerbread
- better EQ
- pinch-to-zoom(=fake multi-touch)
These things are possible with one single-update, may be Archos some time will do it. Now I would give 43IT 4 stars out of five and if 2+ of the things mentioned above come out, I would give it even 5 stars. Will I buy another one if my breaks(Falls in to the water etc.)? No, because my next Android ~4"-device will be a phone. However I would really like to stay with Archos, because I am really used to Archos apps(especially video). So, Archos, release a multimedia phone, please.
- Gingerbread
- better EQ
- pinch-to-zoom(=fake multi-touch)
These things are possible with one single-update, may be Archos some time will do it. Now I would give 43IT 4 stars out of five and if 2+ of the things mentioned above come out, I would give it even 5 stars. Will I buy another one if my breaks(Falls in to the water etc.)? No, because my next Android ~4"-device will be a phone. However I would really like to stay with Archos, because I am really used to Archos apps(especially video). So, Archos, release a multimedia phone, please.
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Psycho29388
- Archos Novice
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:17 am
Re: Is it worth buying?
If they make a Gen9 tablet based on the Archos 43 then it would be best to have a capacitive touchscreen, a Stereo speaker, doubled ram, atleast a 5 MP camera with 2x better quality than the current one, 1.5 ghz cpu, and atleast 16 GB storage memory built in. Then put the price at around $180-$250.
Re: Is it worth buying?
I'm personally quite happy I spent about a week reading over all the reviews for different Archos, Ipod Touch, Samsung Galaxy, and Cowons. There's a nice comparison of Droid Tablet's here: Wiki
Buying a Droid tablet was extremely important to me, because Google has their shit together most of the time, and understands the importance of wifi, bluetooth, and a huge range of video codec support. Google likes to spoil their customers rotten, thank you Google. Also I'm sure this statement is debatable, but I think iTunes sucks a hard one.
Regarding the response to the screen of the A43 and needing a stylus for most things, including typing... Well I wouldn't know anything about that. I did so much reading about so many people saying the same thing about not enjoying typing on the A43 that I splurged and got a bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo when I ordered it. This is exceptionally awesome when you hook it up to your HDTV... and possibly even more awesome when you dual boot to a Linux distro. ^_^
Worth buying? Yeah. Best for what it's for? Absolutely.
The only thing out right now I would say is better than the A43 is the Samsung Galaxy 5.0, it has front and rear camera for video chat on skype and GPS, however it doesn't have an HDMI port. A43 for the win.
Buying a Droid tablet was extremely important to me, because Google has their shit together most of the time, and understands the importance of wifi, bluetooth, and a huge range of video codec support. Google likes to spoil their customers rotten, thank you Google. Also I'm sure this statement is debatable, but I think iTunes sucks a hard one.
Regarding the response to the screen of the A43 and needing a stylus for most things, including typing... Well I wouldn't know anything about that. I did so much reading about so many people saying the same thing about not enjoying typing on the A43 that I splurged and got a bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo when I ordered it. This is exceptionally awesome when you hook it up to your HDTV... and possibly even more awesome when you dual boot to a Linux distro. ^_^
Worth buying? Yeah. Best for what it's for? Absolutely.
The only thing out right now I would say is better than the A43 is the Samsung Galaxy 5.0, it has front and rear camera for video chat on skype and GPS, however it doesn't have an HDMI port. A43 for the win.