Archos 605 WiFi (80 GB) Digital Media Player

This is my second archos. Besides being an adequate MP3 player, this is an entertainment unit for the road. What makes these devices cool is that they are basically a portable Tivo unit, when combined with the right docking station(sold separately). The storage capacity is the same as some Tivo's.

I know, who wants to watch a whole feature film on such a small screen? But you don't have to. With the cords from the docking station, you can playback in the car(if it has AV jacks) or to any TV. Essentially, you can load many of your favorite movies on the device and take them with you anywhere. No more lugging around all those DVDs.

Syncing to Windows media player seems less buggy than with previous versions. Although, a firmware update is mandatory out of the box, otherwise if you load songs and then do the update, you will have to re-load all the MP3s.

The wifi addition is cool, but you have to purchase an opera browser(not included) to take advantage of it($30).

Pros: cool form factor, touch screen, massive storage capacity, TV docking station and remote really cool with this version. Volume controls improved on this version. Improved data input due to touch screen, really helps.

Cons: must purchase software add-ons to take advantage of full capabilities of device, accessories are expensive and necessary for even basic functions(ie, charging on the road, movie loading, TV recording, etc.) Lost the mic and voice recording on this version. SD card expansion is only on lower capacity versions.

I like these devices, and recommend them. I think the OS is different, and viva la diference.

Update 1/13/08: The browser plug-in is a must have, and is very functional. The device is set-up to view google videos full screen. I was impressed how quickly the videos converted to the format, and there were no drops or lags in viewing. With the browser plug-in, now you can view your local TV channel line-up which is updated regularly, you can download free opera widgets, such as a calendar, a calculator, a weather forecaster, etc. The browser really makes this device sing.