Cowon Q5W goes on sale in US, shows off its premium skills

We knew the Cowon Q5W was coming to our fair shores this week, but now that it's here, we've got some fresh details that make that $549 pricetag seem downright reasonable. You're still looking at a 5-inch 800 x 400 touchscreen and Windows CE, but Cowon has really thrown down the gauntlet with codec support, including DivX, XviD, AVI, ASF, WMV9, MPEG4, OGM, Ogg, FLAC and APE -- and the browser supports Flash. There's also a "pen mode" for the interface and an optional WinCE Office Viewer that might let you actually get some work done. To top it all off, the entire UI appears to be skinnable, and Cowon says a version with GPS will also hit next month. Damn, looks like our love affair with the Archos 605 WiFi is over.

PS. Check the Cowon America product page for some of the best machine translation pickup lines we've ever seen.

[Thanks, Gibran]

[Jesse S @ Nov 29th 2007 6:28AM]

The A3 is coming soon, too...

I waited too long for this thing, I gave up. I went and got something else...

But if comes out with a flavor that has built-in GPS and a 160gig HDD, I'll get it.

[Kris S. @ Nov 29th 2007 6:30AM]

Cowon rocks.

[kaybee @ Nov 29th 2007 6:47AM]

What kind of browser does this thing sport for that WiFi? (Please tell me that it has a browser)

[Jesse S @ Nov 29th 2007 6:49AM]

Probably mobile IE. And what sucks is, Mobile Opera doesn't work on Windows CE...

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 5:34AM]

http://mozilla.org/projects/minimo/

[Matt @ Nov 29th 2007 6:51AM]

I just hope the UI isn't translated by the same team who made their website ^^

[D.L. @ Nov 29th 2007 6:51AM]

"Touch the 5 inch" is not something a guy brags about.

[Canglan @ Nov 29th 2007 7:16AM]

There's a typo in the news. The screen resolution is 800x480, not 800x400. :)

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 5:34AM]

Are you sure its not 740x480?

[Scooter @ Nov 29th 2007 7:53AM]

Sweet looking maching.
storage space? HDD? SDHC?
No recording input? e.g. from TV etc.

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 8:23AM]

Looks like there are 40 GB and 60 GB versions, which, if it's like other Cowon players, will be MSC.

It'll record .wav input up to 48 kHz, but not video, apparently.

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 8:36AM]

Also, the 40 GB version apparently will be $549 as the article says, but the 60 GB version will be $599. Ouch. :/

[Jesse S @ Nov 29th 2007 10:13AM]

It does do DVR recording, at least that is what someone on iaudiophile.com said in their forums. (They posted a chat between them and Cowon support.)

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 12:09PM]

Oh, that's cool, then, assuming the tech knew what he/she was talking about. :)

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 4:35AM]

will it DVR into H.264?

[Smacksmackums @ Nov 29th 2007 8:05AM]

Why no 802.11g?
Only b?

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 8:23AM]

It has g, at least according to the tech specs page.

[Smacksmackums @ Nov 29th 2007 8:37AM]

Ahh, indeed the specs page does list it with G. Thank you for pointing that out.

I was looking at the main overview page where it says this:

"What is wireless LAN?
A wireless local area network (in compliance with IEEE 802.11b spec.), linking of two or more devices within close proximity via 2.4GHz radio frequency at a rate up to 11Mbps."

Of course, that just points out my inability to read everything else. Thanks.

[MickLiq @ Nov 29th 2007 11:50AM]

Never mind G wireless...I want something like this with N wireless. This device sounds incredible, but why can't they have the highest speed wireless available when all the laptops do?

[Justin @ Nov 30th 2007 8:20AM]

The thing's already 600 bucks. On one hand, N would add another $50 at least, especially after markup, but on the other hand, after $600, who really cares about another $50?

The difference for most people, too, is that N is expensive to implement in their homes because they probably don't have it already. I know I don't, and I won't until it's a) standardized (guess that's another reason not to include it) and b) not as expensive.

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 8:36AM]

My favorite is that it says it has a 1.6 million color screen, but obviously that decimal point's in the wrong place. They did it all over the page, too, not just in one place, so I doubt it's a typo.

[Natedog @ Nov 29th 2007 9:02AM]

That's so beautiful...

But why is it getting increasingly harder these days to get info like storage space? It didn't even list it in the products main page(not that I saw anyway), I had to dig down to the specs page. Features are nice, but in the end, it's a music and video player. How much will it hold? (rhetorical question, I know it's 40/60GB)

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 9:39AM]

It is nice, but it's also way more than I want to pay for a PMP. Hell, the A3 is more than I want to pay, but it at least seems somewhat reasonable.

[Constable Odo @ Nov 30th 2007 12:58AM]

That seems to good to be true. Awesome specs.

[smokeMonkey @ Nov 29th 2007 9:52AM]

Hi

I have an D2 and I love it! I was thinking of replacing it with a Epson P5000 (storge viewer) as an all rounder Photo storage and media player (as it support divx and mp3). Now that the COWON Q5W is out and that you can connect your camera... well I want one :o)

I've read the Q5W stores and displays Nikon NEF RAW files, does anyone one know if it will work with Canon CR2 RAW format now or in the feature?

Thanks in advance.

[kr @ Nov 29th 2007 10:55PM]

I have a D2 as well...best...PMP...ever.

[jin @ Nov 29th 2007 10:42AM]

We should be getting the review unit in today. We'll take some unboxing pictures. Review should be posted either this weekend or Monday at http://gadgetaholic.com

[404error @ Nov 29th 2007 2:39PM]

This has to be one of the only times I'm happy someone is plugging their website. Thanks for the heads up.

[j0nkatz @ Nov 29th 2007 1:59PM]

Awesome!
This thing would be great for listening to all my AAC files!
Oh wait... nevermind.

[Justin @ Nov 29th 2007 2:56PM]

I'm so very sorry that you hamstrung yourself with an iPod, but you can convert those files to some other format quite easily, thereby allowing you to throw off the shackles and see what a real PMP can do.

[Scott @ Nov 29th 2007 12:49PM]

Wow with those specs it starts entering the UMPC realm of specs, but running with CE 5.0 it should scream without all the overhead that XP/Vista place on the hardware. Just seem that $549 for a supercharged PDA is a little high.

[hawks4372 @ Nov 29th 2007 7:48PM]

Now the big question: this or the Archos 605 WiFi and why?

[jin @ Nov 30th 2007 12:14PM]

hawk4372, I will compare it against the 605 and report on the pros and cons. The unit should be coming in any time now. Hopefully, Mr. UPS comes soon.

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 4:35AM]

Not Archos.. its made by cheese eating surrender monkeys

[BigDaddyM @ Nov 29th 2007 1:06PM]

I have an Archos 605WiFi (160) and I am ver tempted. I wished the HDD was teh same because my drive is 100Gbs full and with all those codecs, more media is available that I would wnat to put on this thing. However, the device does seem amazing! The GPS version might be possibly enough to get me to switch... If I didn;t already have an Archos, I would get the GPS version without hesitation...
M

[Muu @ Nov 29th 2007 1:15PM]

Wonder how decent the screen is (not resolution, but brightness/contrast wise). I always liked the PSP for its size, until I actually compared it to stuff on an ipod... If this thing can keep up with great size and great color, I might have to give it a try.

[Alex M @ Nov 29th 2007 4:38PM]

ogg...nice. perfect for torrent freaks :D

[Alex M @ Nov 29th 2007 4:43PM]

whoops I meant ogm

[Fada @ Nov 29th 2007 11:10PM]

Now its just for the IAudio X5 replacement to surface.

[mexdodge @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:56AM]

i have a creative vision: widescreen (60GB) and love it, but my tivo only offers me files in mp4 ready for ipod, if i want it converted to avi i have to add an extra step which is a pain in the ass. If this one plays AVI(divx,xvid) like my Creative and H.264 and MP4, they just sold an extra one and im selling my creative to my barber.

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 5:13AM]

H.264 at 30fps > 640x480 is a *must* for PMP.

[smokeMonkey @ Dec 3rd 2007 6:59AM]

For those who are interested in what RAW the device supports, here's low-down (source: cowon jetAudio Dev Team):

Nikon - NEF D1X, D40, D40X, D50, D70, D70s, D80, E5700
Nikon - TIFF D2Hs, E5700,
Canon - CR2 1DMk2, 5D, 20D, 30D, 350D, 400D
Canon - CRW 10D, 300D, D60
Olympus - ORF E-1, E-300, E-330, E-400, E-410, E-500, SP-550
Pentax - PEF DL, K10D, K100D,
Fuji - RAF S2Pro, S3Pro, S6500,
Konica(Minolta) - MRW 5D, 7D,
Sony - SR2 R1
Sony - ARW A100
Sigma - X3F SD14
Adobe - DNG Fuji S6500, Nikon D200, Nikon D70, Olympus E-330, Olympus E-500, Pentax istD, Pentax K10D, Samsung GX-10, Sony R1

[Tom @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:33PM]

I just bought an Archos 605 WiFi 160 GB!

Overall, I'm very pleased: it can read several formats (including downloaded YouTube .flv videos, and Nikon D200 NEF)

but... I'm dismayed by their 'cheapness' charging extra for:
- WebBrowser PlugIn
- Vob/DVD videos reader PlugIn
- podcast player PlugIn
- AV out ports
- AV in ports
- USB host ports

These extras put about US$ 200 above the unit US$ 400 retail price.

And, if you live outside US, they charge US$ 1 = 1 Euro for the PlugIns download!!!

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 5:34AM]

that's cheese eating surrender monkeys for ya

[Tom Taborda @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:37PM]

More about Archos 605 WiFi:

Also extra, the AC battery charger.

Charging through the Unit's USB port takes about 24hs to fully charge the batteries

:-(

[PaladinZ06 @ Dec 12th 2007 6:37PM]

Some interesting info about the GPS add-on:

http://www.jetmall.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=386

[Gregory House @ Dec 18th 2007 5:14AM]

Will a future version have Firewire800?

(no! I don't have a mac)