We hate to be the bringers of bad news, but it looks like the
Archos 9 might be serving as a bit of a morality tale, showing why and how PC hardware and software might not be quite ready for the large form factor tablet experience. That's not to say there aren't some plusses to the device pointed out by
UMPC Portal in its review, like the great build quality and style of the tablet, the sensitive, flush touchscreen, and some great connectivity, but the sum seems less than its parts. The primary blame can be laid at the feet of the 1.1GHz Atom Z510 processor, which is sluggish and single-threaded, and Windows 7 Starter, which is lacking in the standard Windows 7 tablet functionality. We don't know all the reasoning at play here, but the result is a slow computer with a hacked-on touchscreen keyboard at a $550 pricepoint that doesn't the hit handheld UMPC size sweetspot and can hardly stand against a netbook in cost or utility. Sounds kind of mean when we say it like that, doesn't it?
posted December 24th 2009 8:20PM
Who were they trying to sell this to?
An overpriced netbook(fail) with a 1.1GHz Atom(fail) and a crappy resistive touch screen(fail) with Win 7 Starter(fail) but awesome build quality(win!). Na.
@nowhereman
I would buy it if I didnt already have a T2010 (actually i would probably buy a t2020 but i digress). Why? Install windows 7pro (via academic alliance), overclock, and you would have yourself a sweet tablet with full tablet functionality
@Anphaser "the sensitive, flush touchscreen" They praised the touchscreen. Resistive screens are not inferior to capacitive, and they haven't been for quite some time.
Does that save this tablet? Not at all, I'm just tired of people assuming the touchscreen sucks just because it's listed as being resistive. This aint your daddy's Treo.
@(Unverified)
You must be new here. Any device that has resistive screens automatically sucks. It doesn't matter if those screens are responsive or not. Same goes for products made outside of Cupertino. If Apple doesn't manufacture it there is a really good chance it blows.
Back to this post ...
The fixes for this seem to be pretty simple. Start with the processor. The N330 is plenty powerful for a device like this. Throw on Windows 7 Home Premium and you would be rocking. Make these 2 changes, bring the price tag down $100 and you have a winner. A device that really competes with the Netbook crowd.
@cherryboom
It's Apple, of course it'll be a con.
@Anphaser It is not certain if Archos will use their own software to play the media or if they will choose to use Windows Media Center. They will have to work fast in order to get it ready, as they do not want any problems due to them rushing the decision, and the price is way too, speechless: http://bit.ly/archos-9-pmp-details
They need to get rid that most of that bezel .. at least on the sides so it's less wide. I really really hate bezels .. I hate bezels more than Steve Jobs hates buttons. Anyway .. I think that the rest of it is good as far as form factor. Just get rid of the bezel plus maybe add 3G and i'm sold. I don't even need to wait for the multi core ARM chips hitting the market.
Actually in addition to including 3G and minimizing the bezel (at least on the sides) they also need to scale the size down by about 20% or so (maintain that 2:1 aspect ratio though). I'm saying scale it down around 20% or so that it can fit in jeans pockets.
@nowhereman
The iSlate already pwns this dog. They are not going to cut it with a 1.1 GHz Atom processor and Windows 7 any version. The hardware concept is OK, but Windows 7 is not the way to go. Run Android on it.
@nowhereman
I really think tablet is too niche of a product. It's somewhere stuck between a smartphone--pocketable but reduce computer functions and a netbook--almost full function computer, not pocketable, but still portable. Really, everything you can do with a tablet, you can do with a netbook and much more. And this comment is coming from a guy who been using (still using) tablet PC (TC1100) for almost 5 years. I use it mostly for art and I will buy another one if this dies. If not for art, I wouldn't buy a tablet pc.
@Anphaser
If I may :
EVERYONE (including Engadget) said the touchscreen was awesome.
Responsive and precise.
Saying capacitive gooooood, resistive baaaaad, you make me think of the sheeps in the Animal farm.
You apparently have NO idea what so ever of what you're talking about, nor do you understand the technical issues that are at stake.
Nevertheless I don't get the starter Win7 ..
On the other hand I find it "funny" Engadget is so hard on win7 starter, when the major inconvenient is the restriction of multitasking, something they seemed to find perfectly OK on the iPhone 3G for exemple...
(And I don't think an Atom 1.1GhZ can powered tens of apps at the same time..)
@nowhereman - good idea, but needs more pinetrail and home premium.
not a big feat for a competitor or version 2.0 of this device.
Who were they trying to sell this to?
@nowhereman
Dammit. plz dwn rank this one >:-(
@nowhereman it's ok we all know engadget's comment system sucks
@AndroidRokz Yes.
1.1 Atom + Windows Starter... say no more...
For $550? I said SAY NO MORE.
@TareG Exactly what I said here: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/18/archos-9-tablet-and-its-windows-7-starter-edition-unboxed-video/
Those faults can be easily remedied without breaking the bank. One review is not the end all to a product.
painful review
at least its not the sony serious netbook with $1k price tag.
I'll give you that archos... I'll give you that...
Pinetrail + Home Basic
@JeremyBenthem I'd take an Atom 330 with Ion instead, Pinetrail cannot decode H.264 (and therefore HD Flash, ie youtube). But the battery life is already only so-so on this thing, a dual core Atom would probably kill it.
@Nitesh
correction, an ION would kill it, because it wouldn't even fit and introduces more power consumption than the 45nm [single-core] pinetrail
Archos produces nice hardware, fucks up software.
Since when is this news.
@3rdsun
I'm not sure how easily you can replace the cpu.
See, I love my 13" MBP, but why would a similarly sized apple tablet be so awesome, this tablet form factor is a bit unwieldy
@(Unverified)
I don't know either... but everyone and their brother seems to be making a tablet these days.
Is everyone making tablets because the threat of Apple making a tablet? Or is Apple making a tablet because everyone else is?
@Michael Scrip I remember there being an article here(http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/02/barrons-analyst-handled-apple-tablet-says-competitors-have-pa/) that states that several manufacturers were waiting for Apple to make a tablet first before they went to market with one. I think because either Apple isn't really making one, or just taking their sweet time simply because they can. Everyone else is rushing one out first to simply try and beat apple to the punch.
@XChrisX >> "Everyone else is rushing one out first to simply try and beat apple to the punch."
They may introduces a device before Apple... but the said thing for these other manufacturers is... Apple is well ahead of them in terms of delivering content. If these deals with publishers go through... digital versions of magazines and newspapers will be on their way to an Apple device.
Lots of companies make electronic devices... but Apple has the iTunes store.
I'm pretty sure Apple won't be making a web-only tablet like the JooJoo... or a full-on computer like this Archos. They will make a slick device, and leverage their position in the music and video industries... and upcoming book and magazine publishers... to provide something that other electronics manufacturers can deliver.
If there's something that history has taught us... it's not just the device... it's the eco-system.
@Michael Scrip
Correction... "to provide something that other electronics manufacturers *can't* deliver."
@(Unverified) I think some of the rumors have indicated a 7" screen for the Apple tablet rather than 9"..... I had dismissed that thinking that a 7" tablet would be too small, but maybe there's something to that form factor that makes it the right size (larger than an iPod Touch/iPhone screen, but not so big that the device becomes too unwieldy). I recall the older tablet rumors from last year also indicated Apple experimenting with a variety of form factors and sizes, so who knows what we'll end up with in the end.
@Michael Scrip
Michael, tablets have been around for years. I don't get why you think Apple have anything to do with this.
Solution? Ubuntu Netbook Remix.
@Nitesh Yeah. I don't get why you'd stick Windows 7 (no matter if its a "Starter" version) on a UMPC. UNR would be nice. Maybe Moblin, well I've never tried it, but it looks quite nice, certainly light enough for this.
@Nitesh
more like Ubuntu MID Edition
@JeremyBenthem Hah, forgot about that. I'm pretty familiar with Netbook Remix, but not MID edition. Have you used it?
@Nitesh
no to be honest, but I believe one is based off the other anyway, so it'd be similar but the MID edition is obviously more catered to touchscreen
Faster processor would mean a fan would be required, to crease cost, bulkiness. Go complain to Intel if you don't like the processor.
If you don't like Windows 7 starter edition, go complain to Microsoft. You can Upgrade from starter to ultimate for a price (I think $80 to $120). Just PAY if you want to upgrade the OS. Why should Archos be blamed for making the worlds cheapest and only 8.9" thin Windows 7 tablet.
I didn't read this review and I haven't tested the Archos 9 yet, but I can already tell that the review is most likely bogus.
Also, if you prefer SSD to hard drives, PAY for it. Archos could release a SSD ultimate double RAM version for $799. I much prefer the basic $400-something version.
@Charbax
You used to be a decent shill, now you're just kinda sad.
Check again, the price is nowhere near $400. If it was this might be worth a look.
@jon You check again. Archos products are always available towards 20% below the msrp pricing once all the resellers have it in stock. Thus $500 quickly becomes $400.
Archos is not like acer, apple or asus, they don't dictate to resellers at wat prices the devices should be sold at.
@Charbax
Right now it's not available at all. Oh wait, amazon uk has it for 460 GBP.
Yeah that's basically $400.
And it's not $500 either, it starts at $550. Oh you wanted us to turn on the gps? That's another $39.95 please.
I was interested in this product, if this thing actually had the specs they said it would, for the price they said it would, I would have ordered one already.
@Charbax Why would you throw Ultimate on a thing with a processer this weak? Like I said before, a light/mobile OS would be much better for this. Archos made an Android version of the 5 series, why not throw Android on this?
@Charbax
Sir Charbax, what are you going to do about my Archos 5 250GB FREQUENT 'file corrupted' errors?
It seems like I'm doomed with it. I get that like 50 times a day.
And you've started again, coming in here and trying to persuade people about the great and marvelous the PATHETIC Archos company
@xirsteon Your Archos 5 250GB has a hard drive, it got corrupted probably because you disconnected it without safely disconnecting it, in the middle of file transfers. That is not Archos fault, obviously.
Simply go into the drive recovery mode, once you have backed up all your data elsewhere, and hit the "Error Check", if that doesn't fix it then you can hit the "Format disk" option and re-install the latest firmware.
@NYNY I wouldn't want to put Windows 7 Premium Ultimate on it. But it seems a bunch of other complainers would want that. If they want to pay $80 extra for the Windows 7 upgrade, that is up to them.
Ah, Charbax.
I have to say that, while large, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the $2500 x86 handhelds. Windows though, of course it's going to be sluggish, that's the downside of going x86 over ARM on small devices. That plus the price. And the heat and power.
I know you are complaining about the Windows 7 starter, but you know, they do have Anytime upgrade and its seamless to boost it to Home Premium.
Of course if Apple comes out with a +$1000 tablet with a non-desktop OS it will of course be wonderful..
@Ioncloud9 $3,000 for an ultra thin Apple, you say? Sign me.... No. Just, no.
Not including the tablet functionality when selling what is essentially a tablet ... FAIL.
Sorry Archos, I'm a fan and all, but WTF?
its christmas eve so don't be mean engadget