Uninspired Archos 10 netbook announced

Archos is totally getting in on the netbook game with the announcement of their own branded model (actually just a re-packaged Hasee MJ125), the Archos 10. This little 10.2-incher (with 1024 x 600 resolution) is going to pack a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, with a 3-cell battery, WiFi, and three USB ports -- nothing to get too excited about, for sure, but we'll wait with breath bated for word on pricing and availability.

[Via DAPreview]

[nak @ Jan 14th 2009 2:16AM]

Another day... another netbook.

I think the only company really benefiting from this fad is Intel selling Atom CPUs.

[Charbax @ Jan 14th 2009 3:36AM]

Intel is loosing money compared to selling much more expensive Intel dual-core and other fancy processors like they did before the OLPC came in and told consumers that they should expect prices and power consumption halved every 18 months instead of features and power consumption increasing.

[Adam @ Jan 14th 2009 9:07AM]

@charbox

If you think intel is losing money on Atom CPUs you're very wrong. Atoms are very high profit margin.

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 14th 2009 2:24AM]

I wonder what the battery life will be. Knowing Archos it won't be very good.

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 14th 2009 2:27AM]

Meh, it's just a stencil netbook that Archos slapped their names on.

http://trans-asia2003.tripod.com/hasee/eemj125u.htm

[archos705user @ Jan 14th 2009 2:43AM]

Let me guess.. They'll charge you to use the web browser and any useful codecs, 90% of the icons on the desktop will be chargeable extras, the battery life will be "changeable" and the hard drive serial number will be hard coded meaning you can't replace it and it'll fail a month after the guarantee runs out.. I'm not bitter!

[everunman @ Jan 14th 2009 5:58AM]

LMAO, awesome, its funny cause its true!

[Ravnos @ Jan 14th 2009 4:54PM]

Yeah, there's a lot to dislike about Archos and their players. I mostly tolerate the bullshit with my 605 because it's the only PMP that comes close to what I want. 160GB (or bigger), a 4.x" 800x480 screen, and the ability to just drag and drop my music on it like a hard drive are all requirements for me at this point. If their out of the box codec support was better, and the parts were user-replaceable, it would be pretty much perfect, and the first company to pull this off will get my money. (Something like the Pandora handheld, but minus the game controls and plus a big ass hard drive would be ideal.) Unfortunately, Archos doesn't get that I didn't buy my 605 because it was great, but that the alternatives were somehow worse.

(Cowon actually meets a lot of those checkboxes, too, but for me the hard drive capacity was more important than codec support. So close, Cowon. The pendulum could have easily swung the other way.)

[archos705user @ Jan 14th 2009 6:04PM]

My biggest complaint was that they tighten the awful security hole in the new firmware to prevent hdd replacement AND the ability to install extra software (ssh daemon, alternative desktop) but didn't actually fix any significant problems.. like the fact it crashes frequently when suspending, or the fancy "cuts the last 5 minutes of your video" feature. I use mine to view recordings made by my Tivo.. I have a tool that downloads the clip from the Tivo, Xvids it, then sends it up to the archos via the SMB file server over wifi.. It just has such terrible performance for files it claims to support. The cowon ran Wince5 prof, which meant atleast I could write/use my own software. the Archos doesn't even let me fix the problems it has. It really is only a very simple Linux box, after all.. Pitty they've forgotten about it.. they're hardware patch support is terrible

[pika2000 @ Jan 14th 2009 2:51AM]

Another mediocore clone with all the wrong approach (10" screen instead of smaller form factor, short battery life, HDD instead of SSD, and XP). Next thing we know, battery life of netbooks will be no better than gaming notebooks (~2hours at best), defeating the purpose of the the low power atom.

[Chin-Poh @ Jan 14th 2009 3:08AM]

God please, no more netbooks with the same tired specs, 1.6ghz Atom, 160gb HDD, 1024x600 resolution screen, etc. Some more netbook companies, break the mold please! But maybe its impossible to do so without breaking out of the $300-500 netbook price zone.

[Charbax @ Jan 14th 2009 3:40AM]

intel doesn't allow any companies to bread from the mold. Intel enforces those molds on all Intel Atom based products. Those are in fact approved reference designs. If netbooks suddently get too many features, it would canibalize Intel's higher end laptop market, which still is 80% or so of the laptop market, although it will rapidly be decreased. That's why Intel is pushing for more features and higher prices for the reference designs with the next Z generation of Intel Atom. microsoft also puts restrictions on hardware specifications if people want to use Windows XP.

[superhobo @ Jan 14th 2009 3:44AM]

Sell it for $200 and crash the market or something.

[Félix @ Jan 14th 2009 4:31AM]

kinda disappointing...
After the Archos 5, which was nice and original, this was supposed to be a major announcement.
Instead you get a crappy netbook.
better be goddamn cheap.

[beerendan @ Jan 14th 2009 5:14AM]

Such a letdown - for such an innovative company to spew out a generic netbook is pretty lame - I'm a proud owner of an Archos 105 and 605 WiFi, but this is taking the mick - they better have some sort of extremely special media interface or something in the works - and at least they should have stuck to their principles and opted for a Linux operating system - this really is an Archos badge slapped onto possibly one of the dullest netbooks out there. Well... here's hoping the further info will be something to renew my faith in the company.

[ZZ @ Jan 14th 2009 6:30AM]

Hasee Q130

[Richard @ Jan 14th 2009 6:32AM]

Why don't they just focus on their production and distribution of the current products. I ordered the Archos 7 two months ago and I was just informed I wont have it until the end of February. The Archos 7 is much more interesting and innovating than the Archos 10. Really dont get it.

[fgl82 @ Jan 14th 2009 8:34AM]

"1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM"
"1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM "
"1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM "

Blargh!!! Come on! Every netbook has the same specs!

If I was an Enagdget Blogger I would be sick of writing about these computers!

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 14th 2009 9:23AM]

As an Archos fanboy, I'm ashamed.

[eric @ Jan 14th 2009 10:16AM]

Wow, this is an interesting development.
Hasee is a Chinese company that is known for making super super low cost computers/laptops. They've always been known for making "dodgy" (low quality) laptops but made up for the fact by making them really cheap. Some people won't even by them because they're too cheap. They also have/had dodgy marketing.
Although I think things are changing with the company. I think this deal with Archos is going to help get the changes started.

[Byrdman @ Jan 14th 2009 10:51AM]

Even if these companies are locked in to certain configurations by Intel, they still need to do something to make their product stand out from the crowd. The best netbooks in my opinion are the HP Mini 1000 and 2140, Lenovo S10, Acer Aspire One, and EEE 1000H. These are all very good and are different from the rest of the crowd (at least they were when they came out). The rest at this point are all pretty much cheap rebadges or just plain crappy. Start including some unique feature and maybe there would be more excitement on the netbook front.

[Prestor John @ Jan 14th 2009 11:48AM]

Knowing archos, they will charge you to update drivers and for full functionality. Want wi-fi working? 25 dollars. Want to watch a h.264 movie? that'll be 35 dollars.

Want the function key and ctrl key in their proper spots? That'll be a full 50 dollars.

[dgrambo @ Jan 14th 2009 12:53PM]

Hey Archos, I have an idea.. How about you create a custom firmware that will block users from replacing the internal drive. This way users will be required to send the unit back to you for repair$ ! What do you think?

[saveusjeebus @ Jan 15th 2009 2:13PM]

LoL @ all the Archos bashing. I remember years ago me and my friend both buying an old archos 20 gig media player, which could actually play video on it's 1.5" or so screen. This put it light years ahead of the ipod, even though it weighed twice as much. All I remember was not enjoying it very much, the software being intolerably awful, no movies playing correctly, and an early product death. Apparently, not much has changed :)