iPod touch Archos 605 over touch, for me at least. Here's why.

[ivan a rom]

This 2 day research project ended up with me choosing to get an Archos 605 over the touch.

-Price. 30 Gig @ 240 versus 8 Gig @ 300
Myspace is running a promotion with Archos, 20% off of the price.(This was a major deciding factor)

-Flash over wifi. I love youtube, but also some other streaming sites too.(movies etc. )

-SIZE The 605 is NOT that big.

-In all of the videos I have seen online, the UI is not complicated as many say it is.

-With size comes resolution, and it is a VERY nice screen.

-DVR capability. Adding shows like Conan overnight can help me get some sleep. There is also no moving the show from cable > PC > PMP. Less work for me. And no, I have no Tivo. And yes, I have factored in plug-in/accessory costs. Plus these shows are FREE! :cough:NBC ones included :cough:

The cons of not having a touch are not really an issue with me.

-I don't really use iTunes, and would NEVER use the wifi music store.

-Battery life is a non issue as I'd use the 605 by an outlet somewhere or
another 80% of the time.

-I like both UIs, but Archos' isn't much worse than the touch's.

All in all I was REALLY close to pulling the trigger on the touch. But the Archos is a better suit for me. I still think the touch has it's own niche, and it's good looks almost make me wish i was part of that niche...almost. Hopefully someone can bring me back to the light side.

 

[onionperson654]

I went though much the same thing a few weeks ago when I though that if the ipod didn't include Wi-Fi and safari I wouldn't be getting it (although I considered a hacked iphone). While I still think that the Archos 605 is a pretty amazing device (really, some people on these boards give it a lot of hits, but its really the only other device in the ipod touch's category), I've decided on the ipod touch, and I'll just respond to some of your points below with my own thinking (which is in agreement on a fair number of them).

This 2 day research project ended up with me choosing to get an Archos 605 over the touch.

-Price. 30 Gig @ 240 versus 8 Gig @ 300
Myspace is running a promotion with Archos, 20% off of the price.(This was a major deciding factor)

That's a great deal to get $60 off, although once you factor in at least $50 for the necessary internet and video codeces the prices are comparable.

For the 30g, it sure is an advantage, although you noted that you will be around a place to charge/synch your device fairly often, so 8gb might be enough.

-Flash over wifi. I love youtube, but also some other streaming sites too.(movies etc. )

Yeah, Apple dropped the ball here, and It's hard to see why they haven't picked it up again (deal with youtube?). That said, hopefully they will remedy this problem, or hackers will, although the Archos has this (and other codeces) point over the ipod.

Plus, there will be so many more ipod touch users that programs written for it will far outstrip Archos.

-SIZE The 605 is NOT that big.

I've had to convince others that the Archos 605 IS indeed pocketable, but it also is significantly larger. Plus, the buttons may make it cumbersome in a pocket, and a good case could put it over the edge. The ipod Touch, or better or worse, is amazingly tiny, almost as thin as the new nano.

It's too bad that Archos didn't use a smaller hard drive, and make the device the size of the screen and not have the extra edge and somewhat pointless buttons.

-In all of the videos I have seen online, the UI is not complicated as many say it is.

While its probably ok, word of mouth from owners can often hint at what videos loose. On this point, the Archos 605 looses hands down to the ipod touch, which has an amazing interface that makes using it a pleasure, not a chore.

-With size comes resolution, and it is a VERY nice screen.

Absolutely. If you were only/mostly going to use it for videos (one could also make a case for the larger 705) the screen resolution (800x480, maximum video 720x480, i.e. DVD quality) this could put it over the edge. Some say the iphones screen (hopefully the fixed ipod touches) is better on contrast and can look sharper, although I think this is a minority.

-DVR capability. Adding shows like Conan overnight can help me get some sleep. There is also no moving the show from cable > PC > PMP. Less work for me. And no, I have no Tivo. And yes, I have factored in plug-in/accessory costs. Plus these shows are FREE! :cough:NBC ones included :cough:

DVR capability is sweet, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a DVR with your system (in fact, its not a bad price for that alone). However, you're looking at the added cost of $100, so suddenly you've spent $400 total (still a deal if you need a DVR). That's why they're selling the base unit so cheap.

The cons of not having a touch are not really an issue with me.

-I don't really use iTunes, and would NEVER use the wifi music store.

-Battery life is a non issue as I'd use the 605 by an outlet somewhere or
another 80% of the time.

-I like both UIs, but Archos' isn't much worse than the touch's.

All in all I was REALLY close to pulling the trigger on the touch. But the Archos is a better suit for me. I still think the touch has it's own niche, and it's good looks almost make me wish i was part of that niche...almost. Hopefully someone can bring me back to the light side.

You've made a lot of good points, and the Archos 605 may well be the one for you. I've just got one final suggestion. If you can...

BUY BOTH. ok, not permenantly, but if you get the ipod touch at Costco or Best Buy you've got a least a month to bring it back, and there is no comparison like trying two things out side by side. Almost no one has done this (reviewers aside), so it could be immensly useful. If you can spare the $299 for a month, you'll not be losing anything else, except for maybe a restocking fee if you return the Archos 605, at which point the comparison would be useful.

As for me, while the Archos 605 is a great product, the tiny size and incredible user interface of the ipod touch win the day. After fiddiling with a mediocre (at best) interface with my Palm Pilot, I want a device that will feel wonderful to use and I can always have with me.

Best of luck with whatever you end up buying.

 

[colto]

I also had a big dilemma over the archos and the itouch. But I think battery could be a problem for you. If you are going to be attached to a wall outlet a lot of the time, then you have to carry the AC adapter. That makes it take up too much space to really be portable. It's such a hassle to get out cords, plug them in, hope they are long enough, unplug them, roll them up, pack them again...ugh. I would just buy a laptop if I had to deal with that. Then you get better screen resolution, flash/shockwave/directX/opengl support, bigger hard drive, better screen, better input device, better wifi, etc. I have a feeling a flash update or hack will come along anyway. Whenever the iPod Touch gets hacked, it's size, UI, and applications will blow the 605 out of the water. Plus the iTouch just looks so much sexier

 

[madmaxmedia]

I was actually just about to order via the Myspace discount, but ended up deciding to order an 8GB Touch from Target for a nice discount too (10% off, 4.4% Fatwallet cashback, free shipping to boot.)

The 605 is pocketable, but as onionperson said probably cumbersome (I wear jeans almost every day.) The 605 is actually a great improvement in size over other similar devices, but still not really close to the Touch.

The Touch is really a joy to use, from Coverflow to Safari to general interface. The Archos seems very functional, but not much more. The wifi battery life is reportedly very poor (1 hour?), which makes it even more amazing that the Safari-enabled, superthin iPod Touch lasts 4 hours or so on wifi.

I've also heard varying reports about the Archos screen. Some who have compared the iPhone to the Archos actually prefer the iPhone despite the difference in size and resolution. It's ironic I bring this up given the Touch's screen issues, but I do believe the screen issue will be resolved, and the Touch will ultimately have similar image quality as the Touch.

So there are pro's and cons either way. Storage is a big pro of the Archos, but I don't find myself needing to load that many movies and music at a time, since I am at my computer during work and can transfer stuff anytime I want. But someone with different day-to-day situation might find even the 30GB Archos too small in capacity.

EDIT- Enjoy your Archos and post your impressions!

 

[bousozoku]

...
As for me, while the Archos 605 is a great product, the tiny size and incredible user interface of the ipod touch win the day. After fiddiling with a mediocre (at best) interface with my Palm Pilot, I want a device that will feel wonderful to use and I can always have with me.
...

I was thinking the same things. The iPod touch could be bigger and have more storage and the Archos 605 could be smaller and easier to pocket but the iPod touch is just so simple to use and the other one isn't intuitive but it works.

I haven't bought anything but I had a birthday yesterday and now, I have the finances to make a choice. Maybe, I'll just buy potato chips instead.

 

[onionperson654]

I haven't bought anything but I had a birthday yesterday and now, I have the finances to make a choice. Maybe, I'll just buy potato chips instead.

Amazon.com: Lay Potato Chips Regular, 1.5 ounce bag (pack of 60) - $22.76

That's 1050 packs of chips, or one per day for 3 years.

Tasty! (although an ipod and a gym membership might be better for one's health)

 

[dukebound85]

well i like my touch. the archos looks nice as well but didnt consider it (since i didnt really know about it). however, i was considering a psp all tricked out instead of the touch but the whole package of the touch is just well cool. im glad i got it simply put.

 

[Evangelion]

-SIZE The 605 is NOT that big.

It's wider, taller, thicker and about twice as heavy as the touch is. Yes, I would say that the size is an issue.

-Battery life is a non issue as I'd use the 605 by an outlet somewhere or another 80% of the time.

Do you carry the charger with you wherever you go?

All in all I was REALLY close to pulling the trigger on the touch. But the Archos is a better suit for me.

That's the way to do it: find out what you want, and buy the product that best fits your needs.

But, as I already commented on Ars Technica, I really don't get the design of the Archos. Well, I don't get the design of just about all the other players out there. Looking at the Archos, I can see these things:

- Pointless product-names ("Arhos 605 WiFi audio video player. 05 series") staring the user with in the eyes. Yes, thank you for constantly reminding me what product I purchased. Just in case I forget.

- 6 dual-action buttons with symbols. How come Apple manages just fine with so few buttons?

- Is that grill in the bottom a speaker? Is there really any point in a speaker like that?

- Oh look, three LEDs in the left side of the device, telling me something that I don't really need to know. But LEDs are cool, right?

 

[gloss]

The Archos is very cool, and I may well have gotten one if I hadn't been so enamored with the aesthetics of the iPt. Good luck with yours, and let us know how it works out for you. Pics would be nice so we can really get a feel for the size. Also, let us know how responsive the UI is.

 

[jlbrown23]

-SIZE The 605 is NOT that big.

Do the math(actually multiply H, W, D) on that - the 605 is THREE TIMES THE VOLUME of the Touch. I would say that is a LOT bigger, especialy for something you carry around in your pocket. And if you think that the interface is the most important part of a device(I do, but this is less important to some), then the choice is easy.

But you do have a good point with the Flash and the capacity. For the capacity that will change as flash memory gets cheaper, but it doesn't yet. For Flash and other browser functionality, I hope that Apple or some hacker will help out, but for now the Touch doesn't have it(or ra & wm streaming either). But the Safari browser is amazing on the touch - very usuable.

I'd recommend getting your hands on both in person to make the best choice - the interface for the Touch just blew me away, and that's hard to quantify unless you actually see it and feel it yourself.

 

[ivan a rom]

I hadn't heard about 1 hour of battery life on wifi. I'll need to look into that.

Thing is, the 605 is mainly for uni, so the charger will be with me in a backpack. So if I'm looking at 3.5-4 hours of wifi I'll go for it. Anything less will make me reconsider.

 

[powderblue17]

You gotta admit though that the archos is about the geekiest looking device since Microsoft's UMPC and all the other PMP's. I'm an admitted computer geek as a Network Admin and even I wouldn't be caught dead with something like that in public. It's just one of those inbetween devices which I think turns most people off including myself. I know a lot of people on here cry about the Touch not having a hard drive but if they were to include a hard drive it would get bigger and start to become one of those inbetween devices which doesn't appeal to most people. The iPod classic doesn't count because it stays in pocket most of the time while this and the Touch are meant to be looked at to be used. Lets be honest the very fact we are reading MacRumors pretty much means we are geeks and while one of these inbetween devices might appeal to some of us I don't think it does to the mass consumer. Let's just look at the ugly history of Microsoft' UMPS and all the other PMP's to see that.

 

[clevin]

I see only advantage of touch is the looks. Which,indeed, is very significant. Touch has poor functionality, indeed.

 

[Evangelion]

I see only advantage of touch is the looks.

it's also smaller and lighter.

Touch has poor functionality, indeed.

how so?

 

[clevin]

it's also smaller and lighter.
how so?

functionality? Go check archos' production page. Obviously it can do much more than touch can.

I think "smaller" is among "looks"?

And yes, touch is 4.2 once, arches is 5.3

 

[madmaxmedia]

functionality? Go check archos' production page. Obviously it can do much more than touch can.

I think "smaller" is among "looks"?

And yes, touch is 4.2 once, arches is 5.3

I'm only splitting hairs for sake of discussion. But size is a bit different than just looks, as it affects utility of the device for many. I know I will always have the Touch in my pocket, with something like the 605 I'm not so sure (I was very close to ordering the Archos.)

The UI of the Touch is prettier as well, but also easier to use (not that the Archos UI isn't functional, I'm sure it is.) I've read in reviews that the Archos comes with a stylus (but no stylus holder in the unit), and some of the on-screen controls can be a little small (but in general can be used without the stylus.) The Touch UI not only looks pretty, but was wonderfully designed IMO.

Out of the box, the Archos is lacking in some functionalities that I'd have to pay for (AAC, H.264, web browser), adding the the total price. It does have some features that I do very much like though, such as much better movie format support.

The battery life is worse than the Touch, which makes me wonder how a HD-based Touch would do in that department (considering how much larger the 605 is, and still has worse battery life.)

 

[onionperson654]

This review just came out:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/20/AR2007092001290.html


To provide a more balanced perspective, a Cnet review (slightly higher score than ipod touch (8.7 vs 8.3)):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/20/AR2007092001290.html

 

[gloss]

So it sounds like it's basically the device it seems to be - the technophile's dream, albeit lacking in the finish department. Surprise.

 

[gkarris]

So it sounds like it's basically the device it seems to be - the technophile's dream, albeit lacking in the finish department. Surprise.

Yep. Depends on what you want. Do you want:

A portable media device?

or

An iPod?

 

[gloss]

Yep. Depends on what you want. Do you want:

A portable media device?

or

An iPod?

That's a bit harsh. I'm perfectly happy transcoding my video library in the first place, as I want to resize all the files down to native resolution for the device anyway - tossing them over to h.264 at the same time is no skin off my back. Plus the Archos can't touch the Touch's portability and ease of use.

The Archos has more raw capability (if you're willing to pay) but trades off elegance, battery life, and pocketability.

 

[Evangelion]

functionality? Go check archos' production page. Obviously it can do much more than touch can.

the argument was that ipod has limited features, not "archos has lots of features". archos might have more features than the touch does, but that does not mean that touch is crap in this area.

I think "smaller" is among "looks"?

nope. or are you saying that small is automatically good looking? when talking about portable gear, size and weight are a separate (and VERY important) characteristic of the device. a device can be small but ugly (some of those small playes from creative come to mind), and some other can be big but good looking.

And yes, touch is 4.2 once, arches is 5.3

the weight of archos goes up all the way to 290g (iirc), while touch is 120g..

 

[ivan a rom]

The weight wouldn't really be a huge issue, I'm going with 30 Gig, it's lighter than the 160. I'm hoping to get it in about a week, and I'll definitely post impressions.

On another note, I have NEVER had an iPod, so all of my music is mp3 and ALL of my movies are mp4. Plus I plan on recording some movies at night. I dunno, some people are pretty hostile towards the 605. I have played with the touch for a while, and I will say that it's thinness is nice, but 15mm isn't very thick at all.

My phone's bottom half is only 13.5mm, and thats 1.5mm thinner than the player.

I will go to the Apple store again, to trade in my gf's 3g nano for a red one or a touch, so I will be playing with it again.

 

[onionperson654]

The weight wouldn't really be a huge issue, I'm going with 30 Gig, it's lighter than the 160. I'm hoping to get it in about a week, and I'll definitely post impressions.

On another note, I have NEVER had an iPod, so all of my music is mp3 and ALL of my movies are mp4. Plus I plan on recording some movies at night. I dunno, some people are pretty hostile towards the 605. I have played with the touch for a while, and I will say that it's thinness is nice, but 15mm isn't very thick at all.

My phone's bottom half is only 13.5mm, and thats 1.5mm thinner than the player.

I will go to the Apple store again, to trade in my gf's 3g nano for a red one or a touch, so I will be playing with it again.

Great to hear! Best of luck.

I think that its worth mentioning at this point that the comparison comes because the ipod touch and Archos 605 are really in a category of their own, both being great products that far outstrip anything that could call itself competition.

 

[ivan a rom]

Great to hear! Best of luck.

I think that its worth mentioning at this point that the comparison comes because the ipod touch and Archos 605 are really in a category of their own, both being great products that far outstrip anything that could call itself competition.

I'm buying you an e-beer

 

[clevin]

the argument was that ipod has limited features, not "archos has lots of features". archos might have more features than the touch does, but that does not mean that touch is crap in this area.

it is, why not? it only plays certain codec of videos, plus music and browser, what do you call that? good functionality? compare to what?