Archos 7 Home Tablet review

Upon first look is there anything not to love about the Archos 7 Home Tablet? It's .5-inches thick, has a seven-inch touchscreen, runs Android, and wait for it...only costs $199. It's all sounded pretty great to us since its CeBIT unveil, but then small, yet saddening details began to emerge about the device: it has a resistive touchscreen, lacks an accelerometer, and doesn't have access to the Android Market -- and worst of all, it runs Android 1.5. Sure, you get what you pay for, but can the Archos 7 rise above those shortcomings and persuade us to dig $199 out of our piggy banks? We've spent the last week with the tablet, so you'll just have to click on to find out.

Archos 7 Home Tablet review

Look and feel

There's no denying that the Archos 7 shares DNA with the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, and considering we've always liked the look of the 5 that's not a bad thing. The brushed metal back cover of the device feels comfortable in hand, and though it's plastic at the core it's still rather sturdy. It's cheap, but we wouldn't say it's cheap-feeling. Sure, on the build quality scale it isn't as rock-solid as the aluminum iPad, but the 7 Home Tablet has something the Apple's tablet certainly should: a kickstand. A skinny plastic stand can be pulled out of the back of the tablet to prop it up on a tablet or desk, which means not having to invest in fancy stands.

Size-wise, the tablet is actually ideal -- the seven-inch display isn't too wide, and at 8 x 4.2 x 0.5-inches it doesn't take up much room on a nightstand or in a small shoulder bag. And because it weighs less than a pound (13.7 ounces, to be exact), it was quite easy to hold up in bed to read an e-book or surf the web – it's noticeably lighter to hold up than the 1.5-pound iPad while lying down. It's actually closer in size and weight to the 10.2-ounce and .36-inch Amazon Kindle.

There's not much to report in the way of buttons and ports – Archos kept it relatively simple with a power switch and micro SD card slot along the top edge, and headphone / composite video out and mini USB sockets on the right side. There's a circular opening on the front of the tablet where you'd expect some sort of cam, but unfortunately, that's just a placeholder at this point. In the box, Archos includes a pair of pretty crappy earbuds, a standard mini USB to USB cable, and an AC adapter. Archos plans to sell the composite-out cable separately.

Screen and speakers

Obviously, the Archos 7's essence is its resistive seven-inch 800 x 480 display, and that's also where our complaints really begin. While we're happy to see Archos using a matte display, it still kicks back distracting reflections in certain lighting, and the viewing angles are rather narrow. Holding the tablet off-axis while trying to watch a clip of The Losers resulted in the inability to make out Jeffery Dean Morgan's face; when positioned upright the picture was rather bright and crisp. As for the touch layer, we understand it would have added dollar signs to slap on a capacitive screen, but with most Android phones sporting capacitive screens now, using the tablet felt like taking a trip back in time. Getting back in the habit of having to press harder on icons and the virtual keyboard took some time, as did remembering that it'd be easier to use a fingernail to move through narrower menus. The single-touch screen is responsive for a resistive tablet and accurately responds to finger touches; we just wish it was a different panel all together.

The key screen ingredient that's nowhere to be found? That'd be an accelerometer. The 7 doesn't have an accelerometer, and even worse not a software utility or hardware switch for switching the orientation of the screen. This one has had us scratching our heads for the last few days, and really we don't see the excuse for excluding this type of feature in a tablet -- unless Archos is morally opposed to vertical web page reading, which is highly unlikely since its Archos 5 is capable of it. Luckily, some apps just default to vertical orientation, like the preloaded Aldiko e-reading app, but there's no chance you'll be reading Engadget in vertical mode out of the box (although, we expect the typical Archos hacks to happen as soon as this thing ships).

The speakers flanking the display are actually quite loud. We put the Kings of Leon's Only By the Night on an microSD card and heard "Sex on Fire" loud and clear across our apartment – or about 24 feet away from where the Archos 7 was propped up on our living room table. Similarly, when we watched some on board video clips we were fairly impressed with the fullness of the sound coming from the tiny openings.

Android experience

In reality, the fact that the tablet runs an outdated Android 1.5 operating system will probably mean very little to the average consumer, but for us techies it means knowing that the software doesn't include quick search, the advanced battery usage indicator, multitouch support (not that it matters on this device) and a bunch of other recent additions. Archos can always push a firmware update to the device, but these firmware updates will not be able to administer an Android OS update. Sorry. That's really all we can say for this unfortunate reality.

Our bigger issue with the Android implementation is the lack of access to the Market. Yes, because of Google's restrictions the 7 doesn't have access the 50,000 apps designed for the operating system. Instead Archos has gone and created its own AppsLib store, which only has 1,000 approved apps at the moment. Even if Archos does plan to add 2,000 paid apps by the end of June, that's still a lot of missing apps! And to say the selection is lacking is an understatement. Some of our favorites were missing, including Seesmic, Slacker, Pandora, and Facebook. And though Archos preloads five apps – eBuddy, Aldiko, ColorNote, DailyNote, and Deezer -- there's no Gmail and YouTube, and obviously those aren't in the AppsLib store either. What does this all mean? It means you have to go out of your way to get your favorite apps on to the device. We managed to wrangle up Facebook, Seesmic, and Opera Mobile from AndroidFreeware.com. We also got Skyfire and Slacker by heading to their respective sites and grabbing them from there. But, yes, it's incredibly frustrating to have to go searching for the apps / .apks around the net, and it's even more frustrating is when they don't work quite right.

Beyond the app experience, web browsing is what you would expect from an Android device. The default browser was quick to load sites and was easy enough to navigate using the resistive touchscreen. Again, we wished here that we could turn the tablet and read Engadget vertically. We did try out Skyfire so we could actually play some YouTube videos, but the browser itself was sluggish and videos were quite laggy even when connected to a very strong WiFi signal. Speaking of video playback, as a personal media player the Archos 7 does a stand-up job. With H.264, Realvideo, and MPEG-4 codecs it supports .avi, .mp4, .mkv, .mov, and .flv files. A 720p clip of Up in the Air played back smoothly with no audio or video sync issues. And after you're done watching a video on the device, it also makes a decent e-reader with the Aldiko software – the app, though it takes a few seconds to open, defaults to a vertical orientation and on-screen swipes turn the pages. Since the book selection in Aldiko is lacking, we don't need to tell you we were wishing for Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook app, but that they aren't available in the AppsLib store.

Performance and battery life

The Archos 7's 600MHz ARM 9 processor and 128 MB of RAM aren't the fastest combo, but they aren't the slowest either. Most apps take four to five seconds to open, but moving through menus isn't sluggish like we found on the Entourage Edge. Sure, the operating system supports running multiple applications and processes in the background, but we're not sure you'd want to. When simultaneously running Twitdroid, eBuddy and the browser the tablet was quite laggy. It isn't painfully slow to wait for, but you come to anticipate the waiting time, and we're just not so into that. We certainly wish Archos just watched the snappy Dell Mini 5 in action, and put a 1GHz Snapdragon processor inside. We also noticed the tablet getting quite warm – we're told that may be a firmware issue, so we will update this review when the final firmware is available. Storage wise, the tablet packs 8GB of space, but the Micro SD slot supports up to 32GB cards.

If there's one thing we're content with on the performance side of things it'd be the battery life. On a video rundown test the Archos lasted for six hours and 45 minutes, with brightness set at 50 percent and WiFi on. That's not too shabby, and you can expect to get at least a few hours more of normal usage.

Wrap-up

The Archos 7 Home Tablet: 'tis really a story of you get what you pay for. We knew that the lack of an accelerometer, capacitive screen and access to the Android Market would be major downers, and, well, they were. Obviously, those things would jack up the price, and though the Archos 7 does some things decently, like play onboard videos and display e-books, for $199 we still wish it did more for the price, or was even cheaper. And depending on what you're looking for, you're hard earned cash may be better spent an iPod Touch, Sony Dash, or a Kindle or Nook. But look, if you're desperate to get your hands on a larger screen Android tablet and have $200 saved, the Archos 7 Home Tablet is really your only option at the moment, though we're hopeful that some of its soon-to-arrive competitors will impress us more.

[Johnny Rockets Posted May 13th 2010 1:55PM]

At Joanna:

"Yes, because of Google's restrictions the 7 doesn't have access the 50,000 apps designed for the operating system"

Eh, what?

Isn't Android totally free?

Can you elaborate on "Google's restrictions"?

[cocopuffs Posted May 13th 2010 3:06PM]

@Johnny Rockets it needs to have a camera accelerometer and hardware buttons they do that so when some one goes into the store and buys an app and finds out that it doesnt work on there archos 7 cuz it doesnt have a cam then they blame google and the reason its "free" is cuz u can create anything with it (apps) or make a tweak to make it run a custom ui on top of android unlike the iphones os if u where to do that and put it online they would hire teams of assassins to kill u

[Snowdog Posted May 13th 2010 4:24PM]

@cocopuffs

AFAIK google doesn't allow tablets (non cellphones) to access the standard Android Apps market. I have read several times they have never certified any non smartphone for Android Market.

Android isn't totally open like Linux, it is partially open. There are all kinds of Google rules to play by.

[StevenR Posted May 13th 2010 5:04PM]

@Snowdog
And it's so restricted that I have all the apps on my Archos 5IT that is also restricted - no it's not rooted.

Don't believe a word of it. In a week, there will be an apk for marketplace access. The apps that rely on the camera or accelerometer will not work, but that is to be expected. Some other apps won't work because they can't handle the screen size. Most will work.

[HelghanSuperSniper Posted May 13th 2010 5:45PM]

@Snowdog But you use the market4archos .apk and but Google apps on the Archos, it will access ALL Google apps in the marketplace. Paid and Free. I mention this because up until recently, only the free apps could be downloaded to non supported devices if the marketplace was working on them. But Google changed something on their end a week or two ago and I can access and buy apps from the marketplace direct from my Archos 5 Android.

[cocopuffs Posted May 13th 2010 6:59PM]

@Snowdog Well I kno there are some tablets that day they have market access u just have to look on YouTube for them but anyways if that was true then they wouldn't say that it did have it lol

[Snowdog Posted May 13th 2010 7:22PM]

@HelghanSuperSniper

Someone asked about restrictions so I pointed it out.

Yes someone will release a hacked package to get the market on the Archos7, but that doesn't mean it isn't restricted. That is just like saying you can do whatever you want with your iPad, you just have to jailbreak it.

[Johnny Rockets Posted May 13th 2010 8:08PM]

@Snowdog

"AFAIK google doesn't allow tablets (non cellphones) to access the standard Android Apps market. I have read several times they have never certified any non smartphone for Android Market.

Android isn't totally open like Linux, it is partially open. There are all kinds of Google rules to play by."

----

Can you post a link to these rules? I've never seen any official Google-posted rules that Android device makers have to abide by.

[Snowdog Posted May 13th 2010 8:32PM]

@Johnny Rockets
http://www.visionmobile.com/blog/2010/04/is-android-evil/

[timotim Posted May 13th 2010 2:37PM]

Nothing about this device impressed me, not even the kickstand.

[anon2040 Posted May 13th 2010 3:20PM]

Pretty sure the losers isnt on dvd yet... How'd you get that movie LOL

[Gifted Posted May 13th 2010 3:47PM]

This is why i took back the archos 5 all the same probs hell i had to hack it to get the market place on there but that just made everything bad from there on out

[missionsparta Posted May 13th 2010 3:49PM]

Can everyone just down-grade all 10,000 of CHARBAX'S ARCHOS STOCK-HOLDER OWING PROPAGANDA ? I am tired of having to sift through his 10,000 comments based on his tilted, financially backed views, that are mainly based on fiction; just so I can read the 4 posts that are actually discussing these things legitimately. They have built crap for years, little man. You should have sold off all you stock when their quality went to crap about 6 years ago. We get it.... you are losing your life savings by pouring it all into a company that cares little about it's customers. Sorry you made a bad choice, but the rest of us don't want to hear your Spin Doctoring for this excuse of a company. We don't buy it for one minute so you are completely wasting your time. Go pedal that crap over at your Archos Positive News only forum that you created to run a Nazi-Archos regime over anyone that attempts to post the truth about the horrible quality of these products.

[StevenR Posted May 13th 2010 5:10PM]

@missionsparta
Huh? I'm more upset by the whining Apple fanboys than charbox. Yes, he's partisan but also generally knowledgeable and accurate.

I have no financial ax to grind. I bought an Archos because Apple didn't have ANYTHING in this space and STILL doesn't, as far as I'm concerned. Until REAL multitasking and a REAL open development environment are available, the iPad is just a locked down PMP (like the Archos 605 - oh waitr there's a DEV KIT for that).

Apple lost ANY respect I may have had for them when they went away from an open system and to the dark side of closed source. The IIE was the last machine they made that made sense.

Sorry - my first laptop was a Zenith 171 with two 5-1/4" drives from back before most of you were born - back when, it you wanted an app YOU WROTE IT.

[hey buddy Posted May 14th 2010 10:00PM]

@StevenR These aren't those days, and this tablet is a great media player but forget about all your tech talk and concerns, this isn't even acceptable as a geek's device.

And my first computer was an Apple ][+, so I understand your smear, but it just doesn't make sense: OS X is tweaky as hell if you need it to be and Apple devices get jailbroken as easily as they can be - there's a huge grey area for people to run around and play in if they want to.

[serialtoon Posted May 13th 2010 3:50PM]

Oh Joanna, whats with all the "umm", "umm", "umm"...Come on darling. You are much more talented than that ;-)

[Zeak Posted May 13th 2010 5:55PM]

Not worth it's money...sort of (c)

[ecsw Posted May 13th 2010 6:21PM]

can't wait to buy one.

[cocopuffs Posted May 13th 2010 6:37PM]

@cherryboom Iphone is and android is r so fucking diff they have fetures that r close but how can u compair an app centric phone os to a menu related phone and say there the same? Seriosly man stop insulting like that I'm actualy typing this on an itouch and I can tell u that the iPhone os is for like lil babys y f*cking make a phone os easy to use I don't care how easy it is as long as it can do the shit any phone can do and more then good if the iPhone was such a grate thing I think it would be growing super fast...hey guess what android is it's growing so much faster than iPhone os and u still have the ball to say that iPhone is better? I guess the rest of the country doesn't say that's true jackass

[AdamWill Posted May 13th 2010 6:40PM]

I'm still wondering why Engadget hasn't reviewed the SmartQ V7, which is very similar except it's already been out for months. And it triple-boots Ubuntu, Android (2.1 is available) and WinCE, which is, well, fun to twiddle with.

I rather like mine. One thing that just kills Android on it for me, though, is Android (not just the V7, Android itself - all versions) doesn't support ad-hoc wifi. No phone-as-wifi-router tethering for Android tablets, sadly. It also doesn't appear to support Bluetooth DUN (as the system receiving the internet connection rather than the system providing it), so you can't do it that way either. Ah, well.

[ounkeo Posted May 13th 2010 6:47PM]

Actually it isn't slightly larger than an HD2. It's quite a bit larger. A 5" screen phone would be perfect. Absolutely perfect as a tablet.

I don't know about that Archos though. Not sure why I'd even buy that when my HD2 is signifigantly faster, more portable and has the same resolution.

It simply isn't compelling.

[Dan12345 Posted May 14th 2010 12:22AM]

I wish they would use a screen of the same quality as the iPad. Or an OLED screen, which would be even better. They could have it as an option, for people who wanted to pay more.

I sure love the fact that it supports all those video codecs. Converting stuff to run on an iPhone/iPad is such an incredible pain.

[hey buddy Posted May 14th 2010 9:56PM]

@Dan12345 A capacitive, OLED screen that size in 2010? You'd likely be paying a LOT more...

[Trickymaster Posted May 14th 2010 2:07AM]

"you're hard earned cash" Fail

It is "your hard earned cash" and I think G4TV had a review about the Archos months ago, if not last year.

[Firehazel Posted May 19th 2010 5:46PM]

@Trickymaster Different device. That was the Archos 5 IMT, this is the Archos 7 Home Tablet.

[Oh superphone Posted May 14th 2010 7:26AM]

Hopefult ulthis resitive touch screen I as good a the storms

[Hiruko Posted May 14th 2010 1:22PM]

The RAM memory can be upgraded to 256-512??, ( in the 5 or 7 inch model??) like a netbook??
If we can get the Sowftware upgrade( Andoid 2.1) , get a an utily to rotate and put more ram , we have a pretty good unit here for 200 bugs

Ty

[Firehazel Posted May 19th 2010 5:47PM]

@Hiruko No, you cannot upgrade the RAM. Sorry.

[jek Posted May 16th 2010 5:01PM]

Weatherman has a point about all of the things missing from this tablet. It's definitely not quite what I want because of those reasons as well. However I just want to mention a few of the things that they have done that I think are going in the right direction as far as tablets go.
First, I like the widescreen shape rather than the more squared off Ipad. Second, although I like capacitive touch screens better, The matte finish makes much more sense for a devise like this (or a phone for that matter) that may be used as an e-reader. Finally, it doesn't use Itunes for everything! I use an Ipod but I seriously can't stand that program.
All in all I'm hopeful for the future of Android tablets.

[trigga126 Posted May 18th 2010 10:59PM]

it's now available for order at the archos store

http://store.archos.com/

[atrac Posted May 23rd 2010 12:44AM]

Anyone actually own one of these yet????

[fanacdw Posted May 23rd 2010 11:22AM]

I just got mine; but no TV out function! Will likely return it.

[kiezel Posted May 25th 2010 3:07AM]

That girl in the video should be fired. Terrible.

[desertdude Posted May 25th 2010 7:29AM]

@futurerheza
I +'sd you because I felt bad

[phntM Posted May 25th 2010 9:45AM]

put 3G in it, and we are talking...

[chuckdaly Posted May 25th 2010 2:44PM]

The Archos 7 home Tablet is the first of a new product category(Available in the US) needed in the marketplace. The iPad is too large and too expensive to be purchased solely as an entertainment device. The iPod Touch and Android smartphones have too small a screen for extended ebook reading, or video viewing. So, here you have an perfectly sized Ebook reader, versatile movie/music player, and adequate web browser. Besides the lack of an HDMI output, it has everything you should want and expect out of a $200, 7" entertainment tablet.

[compking Posted May 25th 2010 4:10PM]

Instant fail

[fivs Posted May 27th 2010 5:04PM]

F F F F FAIL

[rsuryase Posted Jul 17th 2010 4:16PM]

I purchased this product and it's really SLOW, video playback is not as smooth as the old Archos 7. Several CPU apps shows it's only 200 MHz but people say that's when it's idle. I can't believe it's actually 600MHz.