PDA

View Full Version : The Archos Pocket Media Assistant? Is this the TH55's heir apparent?

dmale7
03-07-2005, 08:55 PM
What do you guys think of the device?

http://www.archos.com/products/overview/pma_400.html

It looks good and seems to have a lot potential. I'm concerned about battery life, though.
Karim
03-07-2005, 09:49 PM
Oh ****. That's slick. I'm afraid we'll be seeing a lot of this kind of thing, though.
jjesusfreak01
03-07-2005, 10:02 PM
It looks nice on first glance, but there is a big fatal flaw. It has NO card slots.
DanT
03-07-2005, 10:08 PM
What would you need a card slot for with 30GB capacity?
Fishie_Flop
03-07-2005, 10:09 PM
Yeah with a card slot it would be great to ofload and watch digicam pics on the road as well.
DanT
03-07-2005, 10:19 PM
Wouldn't that usb 2.0 device port do the off-load job?
Yuriv
03-07-2005, 10:21 PM
Looks pretty good to me too, but I think the screen would be a big problem. It is only 320 x 480 resolution, and is in a 4:3 configuration. I think that one of the things that the Sony PSP got right was usingn the widescreen format.
That being said, this device does seem to be tailored to record broadcast TV and play it on the go, and most TV remains in the 4:3 configuration.
Karim
03-07-2005, 10:23 PM
Looks pretty good to me too, but I think the screen would be a big problem. It is only 320 x 480 resolution, and is in a 4:3 configuration. I think that one of the things that the Sony PSP got right was usingn the widescreen format.
That being said, this device does seem to be tailored to record broadcast TV and play it on the go, and most TV remains in the 4:3 configuration.

The resolution you state for it is even bigger than it really is, lol.

Wouldn't that usb 2.0 device port do the off-load job?

Exactly what I was thinking.
DanT
03-07-2005, 10:24 PM
It's 320x240, half of TH55 resolution.
Yuriv
03-07-2005, 10:30 PM
oops...meant to say 320x240 (QVGA) - that was my point :)
JJF01
03-07-2005, 11:02 PM
I guess if it runs Linux, there is the possibility of being able to dump photos off of a camera. It would have to act as a host, and someone would have to write the drivers for it. USB is only good for PC transfer unless it has host drivers. Linux makes it possible, but that doesnt mean its been done. The Epson P-2000 is not a PDA, but it can display all major picture formats (including Nikon RAW) on its beautiful VGA screen (my dad has one, I can verify the screen is beyond compare). It can also play MP3s, and a few different types of video (Including MP4). It has the best battery life of any device in its class, and has both CF and SD card slots.
kp*
03-08-2005, 03:54 AM
It looks kind of big, and no Bluetooth?
Not even close.
Cheechwhiz
03-08-2005, 07:14 AM
Stuff like this on the horizon is why I am not all that workrd up over Sony dumping the Clie line.
My NX60 and TH were big jumps over the PalmIIIc and xe that I started with. Something will come along. Maybe even something new from Sony.
COmedic04
03-08-2005, 08:25 AM
Looks initially good, but after I saw the screen, I promptly closed the tab (ah, Firefox, how I love thee..). When I upgraded from my SJ22 to the TH55, I vowed that I'd never use another device that didn't AT LEAST have 320x480 resolution. Much smaller and it feels like you need a magnifying glass to enjoy it!! This is the only reason I haven't bought a Treo 650; 320x320 is much better than the initial 160x60, but no good enough for me. No thanks, I'll wait longer for something better to come along.
dmale7
03-08-2005, 08:39 AM
I feel you COmedic04. I like the TH55 screen size, too and that is also why I'm not down with the treo. What would be cool for me would be for Apple to jump into the PDA/PMA biz again. Palm Os on an Ipod like pda with a large oleg screen with WiFi and bluetooth and anywhere from 5-40 Gb. Coupled with a th55-like battery life it would be SICK!
billegal
03-08-2005, 09:36 AM
9.9 ounces! That sucker will weigh you down. At 6.5 ounces, the TH55 just works for me. Even it could stand to be a little lighter.

Look at the Sharp Zaurus 6000SL. Think thinner and imagine huge flash cards. That would be worth having.
CliePet
03-08-2005, 10:04 AM
> I guess if it runs Linux, there is the possibility of being able to dump photos off of a camera.
It also needs the proper hardware to be a USB host (in this case both a USB client/slave and a USB host/master -- this combination is called "USB-to-Go" and is relatively rare)

Other Archos devices do have CF and other card readers either on the device or as a separate plugin.

re: comparison with TH-55
Apples and Oranges. I really enjoy the Archos line for large capacity movie playback (easy to record & go). However if you get used to the higher resolution 480x320 movies that can play on the TH-55, you probably won't be satisfied with these kind of players.

Linux PDA software still needs a way to go too...
BTW: you can run Linux on older Archos devices too
Archos has a great track record of constant updates and incremental improvements -- so the future is bright.
Cyker
03-08-2005, 10:58 AM
Personally I thought it looked pretty ugly...
Pdaman
03-08-2005, 11:16 AM
It is heavy and battery life could be much better. However 30gb of memory and pretty good media options are looking promising, even screen is from ***. Let say that i would buy vz90 rather than that, because i don't need so much memory like 30gb and vz-90 has much better screen and battery life!