Blockbuster selling Archos 10 netbooks at retail stores, we're not sure why either

Looking for a place to buy a netbook? Have you tried any of the thousands of online shops that offer them? Oh, they don't look quite desperate enough for you? Perhaps you'd rather go somewhere that really needs your money: Blockbuster. Yes, the struggling video chain has made yet another partnership, this time with Archos to sell its Archos 10 10.2-inch netbook at 1,000 of its "select" retail outlets around these United States. The totally predictably spec'd (1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of Ram, 160GB HDD, etc.) netbook lacks any sort of special multimedia customization, and with no optical drive is completely unable to play any of the films you can rent from that same location (those are so obsolete anyway), but does at least come at a decent price: $299. Of course, you can get it right now at Amazon for the same exact moneys, and there you won't have to fend off any salesmen with hungry eyes. But, if you're looking for a little attention, this could be your big blue ticket.

[Hoof @ Jul 17th 2009 7:16AM]

Blockbuster is still around? Cool.

[rinum09 @ Jul 17th 2009 3:14PM]

and even cooler now there selling netbooks. Finally I can watch my DVDs on the go.....



huh? netbooks don't have what?

[KIFF @ Jul 17th 2009 7:23AM]

Well for the same price as buying online, I may as well buy from a store. Save the hassle of waiting a couple of days, provided they do have it in stock.

[bebop @ Jul 17th 2009 7:25AM]

Couldn't they have picked a nicer looking one?

[GadgetGeek @ Jul 17th 2009 4:33PM]

Agreed.

[Drew Green @ Jul 17th 2009 7:28AM]

Blockbuster... that's like Netflix in a building, right?

[JL @ Jul 17th 2009 7:40AM]

@Drew

ROFTL!!! That's an awesome one! Nice!

[RedSpdr @ Jul 17th 2009 9:29AM]

LOL +1223434 internetz 2 u

[LloydChiro @ Jul 17th 2009 9:56AM]

Yea, except you have drive there. And once you're there, you have to stand around for an hour while your wife has to pick through every single movie trying to commit to one to watch that evening.

[Jordan @ Jul 17th 2009 11:13AM]

haha, so true lloyd, so true.

[onemillionandtwo @ Jul 17th 2009 8:10AM]

Blockbuster is the new Circuit City!

[Josh Stapp @ Jul 17th 2009 8:01AM]

XD, why

[Paul @ Jul 17th 2009 8:09AM]

As a blockbuster employee..I sorta know why they are selling these, although I've just found out about this. So what I've been told is that blockbuster is going to start this kiosk thingy, in which you can download movies to a usb drive for a cheaper price(hopefully).

[Znuff @ Nov 11th 2009 3:32PM]

And you're going to watch those rented movies on a 10.2" screen?

[Paul @ Jul 17th 2009 12:05PM]

no, I already am watching them on my 3.5" ipod touch.lol

[Aaron C-T @ Jul 17th 2009 8:33PM]

@ Znuff: I've known plenty of college students to watch a movie on a laptop.

[BeyondtheTech @ Jul 17th 2009 8:39AM]

I think they have some sort of agreement or cahoots with Archos. Blockbuster's been "pushing hard" on their little portable media players, docks, and accessories.

[johnny ray @ Jul 17th 2009 9:20AM]

I almost feel bad for blockbuster...they were the rental giant! Maybe they should steal netflix's business model lol...i mean they already have the name recognition.

[Ariant85 @ Jul 18th 2009 2:55PM]

FK BBI, they could of merged with CC but instead killed CC. I had stock in CC, now every time i see a BB store I spit at their entrance. Death to BB.

[LloydChiro @ Jul 17th 2009 9:53AM]

$299 is about what I paid in late fees at Blockbuster before I quit going there, and I started receiving my rentals in the mail.

$5.99 to rent a new release, then $5.00 for a late fee. I should have just bought the movie.

[Alex Padilla @ Jul 17th 2009 10:43AM]

And this is why Blockbuster is predicted to fail epically this year.

[Crocostimpy @ Jul 17th 2009 11:06AM]

I stopped going to Blockbuster years ago when I found out they were getting movies reedited to remove content that they didn't like. Smells like too much censorship to me.

[Jordan @ Jul 17th 2009 11:12AM]

This is just stupid. Before I felt kinda bad for Blockbuster, they got caught up in a market that changed rapidly on them, now after this I just want them to go under already. Making moves like this makes them look even more pathetic. Really, who thought it was a good idea to make this move? Who is going to buy a computer from blockbuster?

[Eric @ Jul 17th 2009 11:31AM]

They're doing this because netbooks are in now and their desperate for business, most of which has been stolen from Netflix.

[Paul @ Jul 17th 2009 12:03PM]

netbooks are not in, there still isn't a clear definition of what they are...

[JPW @ Jul 17th 2009 11:38AM]

Start vending these out of a Redbox kiosk and then we'd really have something. . . .

Seriously, ARCHOS is too good a company not to have some wide US market penetration. Every single person who sees it gawks over the 605 WiFi handheld I use, then asks where they can get one.

[Erik @ Jul 17th 2009 1:01PM]

About the only places I've been able to find Archos in a brick-and-mortar store is either at these airport movie rental places or MAYBE Office Depot and the like.

[Brendan @ Jul 17th 2009 2:57PM]

old article...but still
http://archosfans.com/2008/07/24/blockbusters-download-kiosks-launching-in-august-in-the-usa/

[dkarageo @ Jul 17th 2009 7:57PM]

There's both a Blockbuster video store and Hollywood Video in my town, directly across the street from each other, yet the Stop n' Shop also right nearby with the Red Box dispenser trumps them both and likely steals much of their business. $1 a day rentals, you can't beat that.

Between the Red Box and my local public library, which has a HUGE DVD library, including new releases and TV shows, I haven't stepped in a Blockbuster in ages.

[Snake Robot Podium @ Jul 21st 2009 11:08AM]

Talk about selling the rope. Can this netbook do Amazon Unbox, Netflix streaming, Hulu, and iTunes?

[cstoy83 @ Jul 24th 2009 1:51PM]

How in the blue hell can ballbusters afford to buy things when they are in more debt then someone taking 4 mortgages on $.5 million house? They wonder why the owe so much. I am so glad I got off that ship before the rats did because they are closing the store I worked at. Netflix rules!