If there’s anything I’ve questioned doing (speaking in context to my blog articles, of course) recently, it would be possibly giving the Archos 605 Wi-fi less credit than it deserves. I concluded with the statement that it made a great personal media player, but its design simply wasn’t good enough – or “acceptable”, as the chief-reviewer over at APH Networks would say of my photos (I’m working on improving). Perhaps Archos themselves already had seen such a statement coming, and so created the Archos 705 Wi-fi – basically the Archos 605 Wi-fi, with a few more perks. In comparison to the iPod Touch, I think it’s got three advantages.

Source: http://www.pmptoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/official-archos-705.jpg

Aesthetics

Where the Archos 605 Wi-fi failed (epically, arguably) the Archos 705 picks up. Featuring a sweet, practically button-less design, the Archos 705 Wi-fi is a bit bulkier dimension-wise, but it’s still button-less. In case you were wondering, it’s button-less. Comparable to, oh, say…the iPod Touch. To true gadget-lovers, this is an important feature, as superficial as it sounds – aesthetics and industrial design mean everything when it comes to a good piece of gadgetry.

Storage

I can hardly put more emphasis on my point here – who cares about drive speed (enthusiasts, please skip the next few sentences as I know you will most certainly disagree) in personal media players? I won’t lie to you – the differences are certainly noticeable even for regular consumers like myself, but does an 80GB-outfitted Archos 705 Wi-fi sound better, or would it be a measly 32GB iPod Touch? Earth to consumer – the Archos 705 Wi-fi costs less, too (at Future Shop, anyway). The only difference being that the Archos 705 Wi-fi might be a bit slower when it comes to loading songs or videos, but we’re talking in seconds here, nothing near the minute range. If you want value, go for the Archos 705 Wi-fi.

Source: http://www.pmptoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/archos_705_review.jpg

Screen

Practically everyone’s been gushing about the iPod Touch’s screen – so what, the Archos 605 Wi-fi’s got a bigger screen – and that’s only around two-thirds the size of the Archos 705 Wi-fi’s screen. Sitting at a whopping 7″, it dominates the front end of the Archos 705 Wi-fi and ensures an excellent movie-watching experience – much better than killing your eyes on a cell phone or an iPod screen (not that it still isn’t harmful to the eye – just somewhat less).

The Archos 705 Wi-fi does stack up pretty well against the iPod Touch, and thanks to its competitively-beautiful design, it can even compete with the iPod Touch in the aesthetics category. Whether you’re a movie-goer, just want to get something different, or are not a big fan of Apple, the Archos 705 Wi-fi is an excellent alternative (not to mention it’s got all the standards, such as wi-fi, a friendly GUI, downloadable flash widgets, etc, etc).

Other iPod Touch Alternatives:

1. Olympus M:Robe 500i
2. Archos 605 Wi-fi
3. Cowon Q5W
4. Archos 705
5. Samsung P2

Runner Ups:

• Cowon iAudio X7
• iRiver Clix 2
• Microsoft Zune

The Archos 605 Wi-fi was ahead of its time – in fact, it may not look the mould, but it’s actually nearing its first birthday. Archos actually has made a solid name for itself as being a pretty popular iPod alternative, and it would very well have been the iPod killer had it not been for one thing hindering it from achieving its full potential.

Source: http://www.trendygadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/archos-605.jpg

It’s got a touch screen, already qualifying it to be an iPod Touch competitor. Speaking of its screen, it’s 800x480px, giving it a dramatic boost over the iPod Touch’s meazly 480x320px. It also comes with two styluses, keeping those fingerprints off the screen. Heck, it’s got arguably stronger wi-fi capabilities than the iPod Touch does. It comes in 30GB and 80GB variants – so what the heck is keeping it from stomping on Apple? Two things.

1. Marketing

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/images/pics/adyearend.jpg

Apple’s ingenius marketing schemes can’t be beat. And you definitely can’t hope to succeed in the Personal Media Player market without a strong marketing campaign; due to the fact that I’ve never seen a single one of Archos’ commercials, I’m going to assume that there is none (pretty ignorant, but I do watch a lot of TV). There also isn’t a major selling point; with the iPod Touch, it’s the gestures and the form factor, but with the Archos 605 wi-fi, it’s…nothing. Speaking of form factor, we come to our second point…

2. Aesthetics

After getting my hands on one of these ducklings, I realized that it was an ugly one. I didn’t actually go out to buy one, mind you – I did it the conspicuous consumer’s way and went to Future Shop to try it out.

• It’s huge.
  • I’m not even the pickiest person here: as long as it fits in any of my pockets, I’ll be fine with it. Too bad it doesn’t – it’s dimensions are amazingly huge and its really thick. Er, AnythingbutiPod would call it “clunky”, and I’m going to have to agree with that.
• It’s ugly.
  • Not that I’m shallow about it, but it really isn’t a looker. The Archos 605 Wi-fi goes for the “retro” 1980s styled look with rectangular buttons on the side. Why the heck would you need buttons if there is a touch screen? You should only need one button, and that’s to get to the iPod Touch menu.
• It’s got nothing on the iPod.
  • Combining these two features and contrasting them with the iPod Touch really kills it. The iPod Touch is well-known for its sleek, slim, flawless design. Where the iPod whispers elegance, the Archos 605 Wi-fi shouts clunk. Where the iPod can be looked upon, the Archos 605 Wi-fi can’t. I’m sorry to be the one to say this, but even if it was a universal remote control that came at half a bill, I’d still have to pass on such a horribly-designed unit.

Source: http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/06/15/archos_605_3.jpg

So will the Archos 605 Wi-fi be a great iPod Touch alternative? Yes, and no. It’s got the stuff on paper, but it really doesn’t have anything that can compare to the iPod Touch in the looks department, I’m afraid. Archos, please revise the design and I think we might have ourselves a winner. Er, if you want, you could send me a sample and I’d be more than happy to help suggest improvements. Haha, stick around for the next iPod Touch alternative, folks.

Oops, forgot to mention, you can usually find this device for less than $300. Not a bad deal, to be honest.

Other iPod Touch Alternatives:

1. Olympus M:Robe 500i
2. Archos 605 Wi-fi
3. Cowon Q5W
4. Archos 706
5. Samsung P2

Runner Ups:

• Cowon iAudio X7
• iRiver Clix 2
• Microsoft Zune