Issue #69
Last Update October 31, 2010
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Technology Archos 7 Home Tablet by David Katz July 10, 2010 Two trends have converged to create a new class of gadget, the Android tablet. The Google-created Android operating system has become popular with smart-phone manufacturers, with Android phones now outselling the iPhone, and the new class of tablet devices epitomized by the iPad is beginning to expand as new vendors come into the marketplace with their offerings. The Archos 7 Home Tablet is an early example of this trend.
Clearly designed as a home entertainment system, the Archos 7 has a 7 inch 800x480 HD (720p) screen that is large enough and clear enough to display photos and video in a satisfying manner. A slot for a micro SD card allow you to expand the built-in 8 GB storage to a maximum of 40 GB, more than enough for carrying around movies, your music library, and a slew of books. The device also allows you to surf the web and check your email if there is a wifi hotspot available. The built-in applications include a web browser, file manager, ebook reader, and web radio app, and access to the AppLibrary app store, where Archos promises you will find many more apps to expand the capabilities of the device. At $199, this appears to be a low-cost, light weight, flexible device that could compete with the iPad for many unsophisticated users.
As good as all this sounds, however, there a number of gotchas. The ebook app is restricted to .epub format, which means that downloading and inserting books in .pdf, .mobi or other formats requires a conversion, done on your desktop computer or someone else's web page. The video player recognizes a number of video formats, but not .avi, requiring more conversion if you want to display your home movies.
The real disappointments come when you try to use the Archos 7 as more than a media player. There is no camera, microphone or cellular modem. (For $199 or less, what do you expect?) The touch screen is VERY clunky to use, requiring a good deal of pressure with fingernail or stylus, making navigation or typing on the on-screen keyboard very awkward and inaccurate. The apps are poor, and, unfortunately, there is no access to Android Market, where most of the good apps reside. The AppsLib that the Archos connects to has a limited and not very interesting selection, and more than one downloaded app failed to work satisfactorily on the Archos. One of the things I enjoy about my iPhone is the Kindle app, enabling me to continue reading books I have bought for my Kindle even if I don't feel like carrying the eReader. The Android version of the Kindle app is unavailable for the Archos. Another useful app is Skype, but in the Android version (unavailable for this device) it required a cellular connection and won't run in a wifi only environment. What was Skype thinking? With a cellular connection, I don't really need Skype, which I use on my iPhone mainly for making calls when out of the country.
User manuals are basically nonexistent, especially for the preinstalled apps, leaving the purchaser to try to figure out how these work on his or her own.
By the way, my Archos stopped working altogether after about a month. Not good. Wait for a better tablet that can access Android Market, or save up and buy an iPad.
New York Stringer is published by NYStringer.com. For all communications, contact David Katz, Editor and Publisher, at david@nystringer.com