5.5 oz. MPEG-4/Audio Portable From Archos

An anonymous reader writes "Several manufacturers produce hard drive-based MPEG-4 portables now, but to date they are all big and heavy devices weighing in at around 3/4 of a pound. Archos just announced the Gmini 400, a 20GB video/audio player that comes in at the iPod's dimensions and light 5.6 ounces. Presently shipping, I guess they are ready now for the iPod Video in case that player ever becomes more that a /. myth."

Comments

This looks really nice, but...

[Sheetrock]

What kind of lifespan can one expect from these type of devices?

Given the failure rate of IDE in PC computers, where one imagines they've got more than enough space and manufacturing experience going for them, I wonder how long these mini-HDDs will last even without being subjected to drops.

Especially at $400, which seems almost a bargain for this technology.

WHY VIDEO?

[rampant mac]

I keep seeing iPod competitors coming out with video playback devices and I have to wonder... WHY?

The reason the iPod does so well is because of one principle: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Want to play a song? Mash the huge button on the front of the iPod. That's it.

Other than people riding a train to work (or other stationary activity), who would actually use their device for video playback? I can't use it when I run, I can't use it when I do household chores (vacuuming, cleaning, etc), I can't use it when I draw or paint... What exactly is the point?

It would really surprise me if Apple released a video iPod.

Re:WHY VIDEO?

[Chris Carollo]

What exactly is the point?

I've got an Archos 340 and I use it primarly when traveling. Any plane flight now includes a selection of my favorite movies and TV shows, paused when I want, with high-quality sound. Plus I can listen to music if the mood strikes me. Yes, I could use a laptop for movie playback, but it's considerably more bulky and has worse battery life.

Re:The rotating machinery has got to go

[Jeff DeMaagd]

mpared to the flash-based players. That's the future.

Never send rotating machinery to do an IC's job.

The future, but, don't try to leap there too quickly unless you have, and lots of it. 1GB CF card costs $100.

I think it is useless to consider whether something is "advanced" enough to be cool or something. The right tool for the right job, and while small hard drives are less than ideal, if a 20GB laptop hard drive costs less than $100 and a 1GB Flash card costs $100, which do you honestly think most people will choose for most situations?

The iPod is fine, no flash-based player at a similar size can store 20 to 40GB of anything yet.

CF is also pretty slow and has orders of magnitude fewer rewrites.

still cant get it right ...

[jest3r]

Thankfully Archos seems to moving in the right direction; away from the behemoth awkward looking players of the past.

However, why on earth would they release a portable video player with a display only slightly larger than the iPod's (2.2 inch vs. 2 inch)? Even the gameboy has a bigger screen (2.9 inch). There is alot of wasted realestate on the new Archos which could have been used for a bigger display.

Sony should add video and audio playback capabilities to the upcoming 4.5 inch w i d e s c r e e n PSP. That would truely be an iPod killer.

Mpeg 4, huh?

[pldms]

So looking at the specs in the review I see mpeg4 sp video, but in an avi container and no aac audio. Which is misleading, to say the least.

I was bitten by this recently when I bought and 'mpeg 4' dvd player, which was nothing of the sort. Would it play mpeg 4 files? Nope.

I'm surprised that mpeg and iso seem to be offering little guidance on this. Is isn't helping them when players badged 'mpeg4' don't seem to be able to play the format.

(sorry - pet peeve :-)