Most helpful client reviews
42 of 46 persons found the following review helpful.
Overall Great, Except for the Most Notable Part of this Product: The Wireless!
By Dylan P.
Let’s start out with the Pros and Cons
Pros:
-Very responsive touch screen (no multitouch)
-Slim
-Good media player
-Aesthetically nice
-Android OS
Cons:
-Atrocious wireless reception (Achilles heel of this device)
-No native android market
-Comes with Android 2.1 installed
Now the dirt:
The point for me in getting this device was to be capable to connect to my university’s wireless internet to stream Pandora internet radio, and do standard web surfing while walking around campus. Unfortunately this device gets subpar wireless reception. This device will finelooking much only get stable internet reception if you may see the access point. For comparison, I’m sitting here on my Lenovo laptop which gets a signal strength of magnificent (full bars) from an access point a couple of floors under me, and this Archos 32 scarcely registers the signal. I can’t get any signal if I undertake to hold it in any comfortable and realistic way. Having “wireless n” in no way aids this device. For this reason I’m now in the routine of returning it.
Selling a device with the label “internet tablet” on it while the device gets poor wireless reception, is misleading selling in my opinion. A client service rep told me this when I inquired with regards to the poor wireless reception “this is just a Portable Media Player with Internet Capabilities.” Exactly, and they must market these as what Amazon puts on the product page “Archos 32 3.2-Inch Touch Screen with Android”.
Supposedly there will be a software upgrade sometime in the future that will enable Android 2.2. Only problem with this is that one of the main gains to Android 2.2 is flash help in the browser, but how is an individual supposed to experience that with fixed wireless reception.
Playing media that is physically on the device is genuinely where it accels. It has a slim form factor, has good sound quality, and may play beauteous much anything you throw at it. The only real gain to having the Android OS on it is the video games for which the accelerometer works well sufficient (at least for the demo racing game that comes preinstalled). Where Android hurts it is that the software may begin to lag a bit at times when all you want to do is listen to a heap of music. Of course the reason for this is when you go to the scheme monitor you find a bunch of programs that you’ve unknowingly had running in the background. Another thing is that it’s not completely Android supported so there is no Marketplace. However, with a little searching online, that may be effortlessly fixed 
The screen is not one thing spectacular, but it has a good sufficient solution that you most likely won’t be bothered by it, and the effigy quality is decent. The touchscreen is astoundingly very responsive. It’s only single touch, no multi touch, but you will find that it won’t inhibit you in any way, and is rather excellent. I had no difficulties typing on the onscreen keyboard, even with the screen in portrait mode. The device supports screen rotation through the accelerometer, but in order for the screen to respond to a shift in the way you’re keeping it, it many times requires a little shake, and seems to never respond immediately. It may be annoying but it’s livable.
Also a note on Archos client support; they are very quick to respond through emails. I was getting responses within a couple hours of my replies. Of course when I inquired with regards to my wireless strength issue, all it turned into was an argument regarding whether or not enterprise security effects signal strength (of course it doesn’t, but my support rep insisted on that being the problem). They also apparently don’t help all of the functionality of the Android OS (as in my case the Android OS supports connecting to a wpa2 enterprise network, but my aid rep kept insisting that I connect to a personal level network and that would in some way mysteriously solve my wireless problems-yeah right). Why ship a product with software you don’t support?
To Conclude, if you’re looking for a for a media player that just happens to be capable to connect to the internet then this is the device for you. If you’re looking for something where the main aim is accessing the internet (my case) then this is not for you, and you will only find yourself getting frustrated with it is inadequacies.
Update 12/28/10:
I’ve had my iPod touch for a couple of months now, and where this pmp must have been getting wireless reception but didn’t, my iPod is capable to get a signal just fine. Really just a poor hardware design on Archos part.
20 of 20 persons found the following review helpful.
Great way to undertake the Android experience
By Steven B. Combs
I’m an iPhone 4 user and a gadget freak. I’ve been wanting to undertake the Android experience, but didn’t want to spend the cash for the device and a 2-year contract to give it a shot. I’m likewise a runner and necessitated a device to take with me when running. This device fits the bill nicely. Not only do I get a outstanding media player, but I likewise get a Wi-Fi connected device that will concede me to browse the web, download podcasts and check my e-mail.
As purchased the device came with Android 2.1. An update to 2.2 (FroYo) was available without delay and I installed. Glad I did. Much snappier performance. You ought to do this before you do anything else. I then side-loaded an app that installed various Google Apps and provided access to the Android Marketplace. A simple Google Search for “archos android marketplace install” must provide you with the instructions. It genuinely is a simple process.
I’m a Mac user so the next thing I did was install the free DoubleTwist software. This software will sync up your iTunes library and movies. Worked well and if you want to pay for Wi-Fi syncing services, that is available likewise in the Android Marketplace.
Here’s a little list of the free apps from the Marketplace I commend installing without delay that will demonstrate the device’s capabilities:
* Angry Birds (of course)
* Listen (Podcast manager and downloader)
* Amazon Kindle (Book Reader)
* RadioTime (Online radio streaming)
As for the resistive touch screen, don’t suppose multi-touch capability nor capacitive touch performance; however, it does the job. The device is somewhat responsive but may get a bit sluggish when multitasking, but this is very rare. I love the size! The 3.2″ screen (thus the Archos 32 moniker), is a good size for my use. If you want to watch movies, might I commend the Archos 43 for it is more prominent screen size and video out.
Lastly, let me talk about the price…AMAZING! I purchased this device on sale for $129.00. You may get the less costly Archos 28 for less than $100! This makes the Archos series a very reasonable way to experience the Android experience and keep a secondary device for times when an iPhone might be a bit bulky or you don’t want to danger damage. I can’t say sufficient in regards to this device and it comes as a highly commended gadget!
24 of 27 persons found the following review helpful.
Ignore the complainers
By boydboy
Ok. I hemmed and hawed for rather a while on these Archos tablets. I had my sights set on the 43, but got raring and purchased the 32. Guess what… I’m not at all disappointed. This is a sweet little piece of technology. I wish it had a speaker and an SD card slot, but for $129.99 I can’t complain.
Don’t worry in regards to the touch screen being TFT. Typing is not an issue… it’s with regards to as bad as typing on your GPS device (about the same size screen!). Sometimes you miss, but it’s not like the world comes to an end… that’s what the backspace button is for! Don’t suppose it to be a full-size keyboard and you’ll be fine! Whenever I have to type more than a short web address or my login information, I just tilt it 90 degrees and use it landscape. It’s as simple as that.
Screen resolution? I may still read the text at font size 6 and most of the time with the web sites exclusively zoomed out, I may make out what it’s saying. Is it as good as the ipod? No… but I doubt you’ll ever observe unless you scrutinize them side-by-side. Movie playback is fantastic.
No google market place access, which is not Archos’ fault. But hey, look around and you’ll find they’ve already freed an apk hack for froyo to solve that. Works great. I used to have an Compaq Ipaq… this does everything that device employed to do (except handwriting recognition… but hey, there’s probably an app for that) but better and faster. I wouldn’t call it a productivity tool, but it’s finelooking close once you install a good deal of of those apps that let you view office documents and pdfs (all free).
Camera isn’t amazing, but once you hold this thing in your hands, you’ll know why: it is sooo thin! (no room for auto-focus) It does fine, however, for the quick pic here or there and posting it right away to your facebook or attaching it to an email. It’s good sufficient for the barcode scanner to work most of the time… just make sure you have sufficient light on the barcode and it’ll scan it.
Wifi reception? Well, I was sitting in the middle of a parkinglot, a good 100 yards away from a Perkins and picked up their wifi signal. Come on… you can’t be too disturb in regards to that??? I have reception from my wireless N router anyplace in the house.
All in all, I am actually impressed with this little device… I love it! No regrets… and I am sooo happy that I didn’t have to break down and get an ipod to get the PMP+internet experience I’ve been looking for. I didn’t say anything in regards to how it looks yet! Duh… it looks outstanding and feels solid. Nice shiny finish to it (yeah… can’t genuinely use it in direct sunlight, but that’s true for most devices…go find numerous shade!).
Buy it with selfassurance and realize that numerous persons just gotta have something to complain about. 
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