Ron Ferguson GM and VP of Sales and Marketing
Archos
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If you have been a regular listener to the TechtalkRadio broadcast show, it is easy to figure out that I am a huge fan of the company Archos and it's products. I gained my first look at the Archos AV500 when Jim Barry from the Consumer Electronics Association stopped by during his National Media Tour and showed off some of the up and coming products. I was so impressed with the AV500 and how I could record my favorite shows off the television and carry them with me that my Wife Gloria and I made it our gift to each other for Valentines Day that year.
Since that purchase, we have also purchased the Archos 404 and Docking station and we're pretty sure the latest Archos, the Generation 6 line will also be added to our portable media collection. We'll probably use this new Archos device unlike the previous Personal Media Players due to the fact that it is so much more than what has been offered over the years. The product has continued to evolve and deliver a top notch experience with the Gen 5 line and now the new Generation 6 product. Archos is referring to this newest product as a IMT rather then a PMP, the IMT representing an Internet Media Tablet.
The new Generation 6 Archos 5 and Archos 7 offer larger capacity drives for storing more digital content as well as Wi-Fi found in the previous 605 and 705 Wi-Fi units. The Generation 5 line will continue to be offered as a solution for Personal Media Players while the Generation 6 Archos 5 and Archos 7 as well as the Archos 5G will be available as the Internet Media Tablet solution.
The Generation 6 Archos 5 delivers storage sizes from 60gb to a whopping 250gb of storage. The look of the Archos 5 has been refined and features a black stainless steel body and 5" (Actual Size 4.8") touch screen for navigating around the screen. The Wi-Fi capability is not the only feature that makes this unit an Internet Media Tablet, 3.5g support is possible with the addition of a a dongle, air card, purchased 3.5g Plug in from Archos and Mini dock which can give users 24/7 access to the net where service is available. Browsing the web is easily handled with 800 pixel wide resolution and with the large 4.8" screen, zooming in and out to read a page is not needed to look at a site on the net. The Included Opera web browser also allows for viewing Flash 9 video.
The Archos 5 and Archos 7 feature a new component, the first devices to use the Texas Instruments ARM Cortex processor. According to our Guest Ron Ferguson on the Radio Show, "it really gives you the power of a PC, in the palm of your hand for uncompromised web surfing." Another great new feature that will be coming to the Archos 5 and Archos 7 is called TVPortation which can give users the ability to watch Live Home Base type television on the Archos with a Wi-Fi connection and the DVR Station or Archos TV+ base unit.
The experience doesn't end here, as Web Radio and Web Tv, Streaming Music, H.264 podcast playback and a slew of other features are also available. The Web Radio plug in was available on the previous generation units last May from Archos and the company found the plug in the short amount of time has become the second best selling plug-in . The Generation 6 Archos 7 offers larger sizes as well with capacity starting at 160gb and climbing to 320gb of space. For many, this could enable you to carry your entire media library with you. The unit, like the Archos 5, offers a new look and features to the IMT. One of the directions that Archos has ventured into is providing the best quality and experience when operating a PMP and not loading every program in the world on the unit. Users could purchase plug-ins and downloads to get more out of the systems. The same theory is used here with the Archos 5 and Archos 7 models as optional extras. For the user looking to have a device to record TV, download movies from partners such as Cinema Now or connect to the net, send email and playback content on the TV, even at 720p with an optional plug-in, the Archos 5 and Archos 7 should be a product you have to look at.
We talked with GM and VP of Sales and Marketing Ron Ferguson of Archos on the new IMT's from the company and how they are the next step from one of my favorite tech products. Listen to our Exclusive Interview on TechtalkRadio and found out how easy it is use the Archos products.
Since that purchase, we have also purchased the Archos 404 and Docking station and we're pretty sure the latest Archos, the Generation 6 line will also be added to our portable media collection. We'll probably use this new Archos device unlike the previous Personal Media Players due to the fact that it is so much more than what has been offered over the years. The product has continued to evolve and deliver a top notch experience with the Gen 5 line and now the new Generation 6 product. Archos is referring to this newest product as a IMT rather then a PMP, the IMT representing an Internet Media Tablet. 
