Electronics : Archos 605 WiFi 160GB Portable Media Player 4.3" Touch Screen

Rating: - Had big hopes for the Archos 605 but was extremely let down
I was undecided when it came to the Archos 605 wifi or the Apple Ipod Touch. After reading many reviews, I decided to go for the Archos as it had bigger storage capacity, seemed easier to load music/videos etc on, and seemed like fantastic value for money. I got my first Archos 605 about 7 months ago, and almost immediately i found it to be a very problematic device. The battery performance was poor, and it kept on freezing! Some times it wouldnt even turn on! After having it for a couple of weeks and for most of that time, not being able to use it, i took it back to the retailer i got it from, and had it replaced! Problem solved.......well no, not exactly! The second one also had the exact same problems, except this one would also switch itself on by itself, completely rendering it useless as when i'd go to use it, no power!! When it did have power....it would freeze-AGAIN!! Both times i contacted Archos and found them to be quite unhelpful saying that it would have to be returned and repaired! I've now had TWO archos' with similar problems and would not buy them again. I've since had the Archos refunded and got myself an Ipod Touch.......and am so happy with the Touch!

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Rating: - A Mixed Bag
The player itself is fantastic, but Archos should be prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act for marketing it as WiFi, when it isn't: it's WiFi compatible until you pay the price to download the web browser plug-in. It's also a scam that they advertise it as a multi-media player when, as with all previous Archos models (I had a 704 WiFi with which I've had endless problems), you again have to pay to download plug-ins to play most of your music and video files. At least this new model has widgets (provided you've paid for the internet plug-in). It's also pretty shabby that a device which is touted as being highly portable requires to be plugged in to a computer to recharge, It should come with a mains charger as standard. Don't bother with the earphones either - they're absolute rubbish! When it's working, it's a great piece of kit and excellent for whiling away a few hours at an airport lounge, with the ability to check your e-mails on the move as well.

As has been said by many, Archos customer support is probably the worst I've ever encountered from any company anywhere - period. They obviously never read any customer reviews or they'd have done something about it by now. Arrogant, rude and unfriendly are the key words here; to which you can also add, complete waste of time. If another company produced a similar product I'd buy it before ever buying another Archos again. Apple, are you reading this?

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Rating: - No support for this product
I recently bought this product after reading reviews and knowing full well that you need to purchase the web browser to utilise the product properly. Unfortuantly you can only purchase this once your product is registered. I have tried this many times over the last couple of weeks with no luck.Contacted Archos and had no response from hem after serveral tries.

trying to get a support from Archos is like getting blood from a stone. on the basis alone i would opt for an Ipod. The Archos is a great product but without any support it is nothing more than a simple MP3 player.

i am hoping this review may get their attention as it has really angered me how rubbish they really are.

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Rating: - Beauty is only skin deep
I thought long and hard before buying a media player, it came down to the Archos 605 80GB or an Apple Ipod-touch 32GB, I chose the Archos mainly because of the larger screen and 80Gb hard drive. On paper the Archos has a very rich list of features and I must admit I was very impressed when the unit arrived, it appears to be very well made with quite a substantial weight to it, perhaps slighly too heavy. After about 24hrs of owning the unit I started to have problems with crashing. When the unit does have problems it starts up in a kind of safe mode which offers you 3 options, Repair, Restore or Format. OK so its crashed lets hit repair.....nothing, ok how about restore....still nothing, guess what happens when you press Format, yep you guessed it absolutely nothing. The unit will just go blank for a few seconds and then return to the same screen with the same options, basically the unit will start to work when it's good and ready. I persevered with the unit for about 4 weeks until eventually it refused to work no matter what I tried. The company from market place Amazon passed me direct to the manufactuer.
Archos refused to replace the unit even though it was new, the alternative was to send it back to be repaired under waranty.
They don't arrange for collection so it cost £10 by TNT to return it.
After almost 4 weeks it was finally returned, minus my 2 plug-ins and slightly scratched!!!
I'm currently still trying to get my plug-ins back but due to a very buggy website I don't expect it to happen anytime soon.

If you think I've just been the unlucky one, well do a search on google and see for youself, its loaded with complaints about these units, all with more or less the same problems.

WHY WHY DIDN'T I GO FOR THE APPLE IPOD TOUCH!!

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Rating: - Superb!
I admit to being a total gadget freak, and I bought this little gem because I spend 3 hours a day on a train. Even with my gadget dedication, I sometimes find the gadgets I buy a little too complicated, and often end up not using them as they should be used. Imagine then, my delight, when I discovered how easy the Archos is to use. I set it up to record programmes I don't have time for in the evenings and watch them on the way to work in the mornings. I've converted DVDs and loaded them onto the Archos, and I took the entire season of Huff with me on holiday - in case of bad weather. Being able to watch a full-length movie on a relatively short plane journey helps the time pass that much quicker. I use my Archos 605 (160G) every day, and I wouldn't be without it now. It's an absolute doddle to use, and does exactly what it 'says on the tin'. If you like to watch TV and DVDs away from home, and you want something portable and adaptable to your needs, look no further. I absolutely love mine.