My new toy

This is my latest toy, a full fledged portable media player: the Archos 605 WiFi. A 30 GB, portable audio-video player with 4.3 " LCD display. And this is the clincher, it is WiFi enabled, which means anywhere you can access a wireless network, this baby can browse the Internet. Right in the palm of your hand (ie., if you have big hands.) Yes, it's big, bigger than the normal mp3 / portable media player. But what you get for that is a screen with 800x480 pixels - amazing video and photo quality, better Internet experience (no more squinting to read that text).

So, first let me point out the good stuff:

• BIG Screen - translates to better video, photo-viewing and web browsing experience
• WiFi - browse the web, share music Peer 2 Peer (P2P)
• DVR - Digital Video Recording: record your TV program, connect to your TV, browse the web and see the videos on the TV screen.**
• Supports Flash - you can watch youtube videos.
• It's plug and play, connect to your computer and you're good to go - you don't need custom software (read iTunes) to be installed, get your player registered, and go through the whole drill to transfer songs / videos.
• The touch screen.

Now for the bad parts:

• Size - it's huge, compared to the nifty iPods and Zunes, and other media players
• Sound quality - it is at best, passable. Can't compare to the iPod
• All the accessories, if you can call the parts needed for achieving full functionality that, come at an extra cost. That means that after spending $280 for the player, you've got to buy the plug-ins, the DVR etc. so that you can browse the web, listen to podcasts etc. (and we're talking about $150 plus).
• The Aesthetics - not the Archos' strong point: the Apple iTouch wins this hands down.
• Custom USB cable. You can't use the normal USB cable that you bought from the shop on the corner.

So, for the inevitable comparison with the Apple iTouch, I'll let this youtube video (which, by the way, you cannot watch on the iTouch, ha!!) do the talking.
Archos 605 WiFi Vs iTouch comparison video

Conclusion - if you want a better video, photo and browsing experience, look no further. It's bulky, the sound quality is passable, but it's got a lot of wicked features which can kiss some iTouch ass.