Archos404
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Archos 404 PMP reviewed
After putting the Archos 604 through its paces, the folks at CNET have now thankfully seen fit to give the PMP's smaller, squarer sibling, the 404, a once-over as well. As with the the 604, they were especially impressed with the 404's video capabilities, offering support for MPEG-4 ASP up to 720x480 @ 30fps, WMV9, WM DRM and -- despite no stated support from Archos -- DivX, which they say works "flawlessly." Of course, you'll have to settle for watching all that on a 3.5-inch 4:3 screen as opposed to the 4.3-inch widescreen display on the 604. A fair trade-off for portability, although CNET says that the smaller screen is lacking in more than size, with a more pixelated image and less vibrant colors than the 604's. They also lamented the absence of the all important kickstand as well as the lack of a removable battery, both of which the 604 has. So unless you really need that extra bit of pocketability, it seems you may want to spring the extra fifty bucks and snag yourself the widscreen model.[Thanks, Old Surinam]
