Before going any further, we should mention that the Archos 7 is not a replacement model for the very popular Archos 605 player which is primarily a portable media (mp3 and video) player. While it packs many of the features of a portable media player, the new Archos 7 is also a very competent Internet device.
From the looks of its features, the new Archos 7 can be considered a formidable alternative to the legendary iPod touch. One of the most notable features is its huge 7″ TFT touch screen. The huge screen elevates the experience of browsing the web and watching videos on a portable device. To top it off, the screen is actually an HD screen, capable of streaming 720p videos (like those on LCD HD TVs).
Although the iPod Touch is a very impressive device, let’s face it, the experience of watching videos and browsing the web on it is similar to performing those tasks on a cell phone. For that reason, the Archos 7 plans to offer consumers a ‘true’ portable media player. Another impressive feature of this new device is that it can surf the web over Wi-Fi and 3G (and even 3.5G) networks. This is a huge step up from conventional devices in its class.
Despite its sixteen, the Archos 7 is still very portable, measuring 7.5 x 0.6 x 4.3 inches and weighing 1.4 pounds. It has a bronze/brown outer casing that looks very classy. Video playback on this device was very good, and the touch screen was much more responsive than previous models. At the time this article was written, the device was selling for around $240 each.
