An Alternative to Apple

When consumers think of portable media devices made by a company whose name starts with 'A', "Archos" might not come to mind.

Despite manufacturing some of the first MP3 players available to the public, their products continue to be overshadowed by the increasingly popular iPod.

Archos is only now realizing that to stay afloat of the market they helped to pioneer, they must come up with products that can match any device produced by Apple. Archos may have found the answer to their prayers in the 605 WiFi media player.

The Archos 605 WiFi is a medium capacity touch screen multimedia player that also provides access to the Internet. It has a 4.3-inch touch screen with video and audio recording capabilities. The 605 WiFi also comes complete with a built-in PDF and photo viewer, kick stand, and can be used as a wireless file server. There is also an optional DVR that allows users to record live television shows for later viewing. (Source: nytimes.com)

Archos believes that the most appealing feature of their 605 is the WiFi. The 605 can browse the Internet, download audio and video and play back videos from popular online media services like CinemaNow and YouTube.

For an extra $30, consumers can also purchase a web browser that handles Adobe's Flash media format and displays web pages just as they would appear on a PC screen. This signifies a huge advantage for Archos, as most other portable media devices display oddly-shaped web pages. (Source: gizmodo.com)

The Archos 605 WiFi is available with the following hard drive options:

• 4 gigabytes of free space for an extra $230
• 30 gigabytes of free space for an extra $300
• 160 gigabytes of free space for an extra $400

There is even an optional remote control with a full-functioning keyboard, if the user finds difficulty using the standard touch screen option. (Source: nytimes.com)