Archos

Archos is a French company created in 1988 by Henri Crohas (Archos is an anagram of Crohas). The company initially positioned on the decoders of television (set-up box) and the external hard drives for the microcomputers of mark Amiga, before launching out in 1996 on the data-processing peripherals provided in white mark for the large manufacturers. It is at the end of years 1990 that the company put on its own brand. Today, it conceives, manufactures and distributes a whole of peripherals mobile computing, mainly of the walkmen. Carried by the currency “ One The Go ” it seeks to push always further the innovation and the miniaturization from its products.

The main competitors of Archos are Apple and the Asian manufacturers like IRiver, Creative, Cowon and Samsung.

Products

The company was made famous for its innovation around the walkmen. It is one of the first to market a reader MP3 provided with a Hard drive of 6 Go. It is also pionnière of the introduction of the video with the output of model AV300 in June 2003, then of its direct successor, the AV400, left one year later. With the PMA400, Archos extends its activity by proposing the first multimedia player acting as PDA with hard drive. The company continues to manufacture readers MP3 not dedicated to the video like Archos 104, however the mark concentrates its efforts on the marketing of walkmans specialized in the video, like Generation 4.

The products of Archos are mainly “TV centric”, but they have also products “PC centric”, i.e. from which the contents come from centric Internet and “IP”, able to connect itself by themselves (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to come). Archos markets also a walkman able to receive the Digital terrestrial television (TNT) directly under the name of " AV700 TV".

The Archos products are mainly sold in Europe, but the zones Asia and E. - U. is brought to experience a strong development, in particular thanks to partnerships signed with operators of satellite network, who provide abundant contents to their subscribers. At the end of 2004, the operator of Satellite television American Echostar invested 10 million dollars in the Archos company in exchange of a participation of 26% in the long term. PocketDish is the mark under which the walkmans of Archos are sold in the USA by the network Dish d' Echostar.

List products

Reader MP3

Jukebox 6000, Gmini XS 200, Gmini XS 202s, Gmini XS 100, Gmini 220, Gmini 100, Gmini SP

Portable video player (PMP)

Multi-media Jukebox, AV 100, AV 300, AV 400, AV 500, AV 700,AV 700TV (Wandering video able to record Digital terrestrial television strolls some) Gmini 400, Gmini 402, Gmini 402 Camcorder, Gmini 500,AV 404,AV 504,AV 604,AV 605 wifi, AV 405.

Generation 4

The walkmans vidéos Archos fourth generation have screens of quality (16 million colors) and relatively broad (4.3"). The 404 is sufficiently compact to return in any pocket, the 504,604 intended for a public film enthusiast have more their place in a bag or a pocket of jacket… By the 4G, Archos joined the policy of its Apple competitor, by proposing the accessories in options (not delivered) that the user can get on Internet after the purchase.

List various products of generation 4: Archos 704 wifi, Archos 704 TV, Archos 604, Archos 604 wifi, Archos 504, Archos 404 Archos 404 camwood, Archos 204, Archos 104.

Generation 5

The walkmans of the fifth generation of archos one tendency has to become wandering (wifi) and with being available for everyone (between 60€ for one 105 and 300€ for one 605).

List various products:

- Archos 705 WiFi : To see the things into large! Allows to look at vidéos, of surfer on the Net (contained flash authorized), to listen to music, to look at its photographs, of reading files since its connected computer and recording the TV via Dvr Station optional thanks to the guide of the programs available directly on the screen of Archos. The 705WiFi has a touchscreen high-resolution of 7" either 18cm of diagonal and has a resolution of 800x480. Thanks to its WiFi connection, the 705WiFi can be connected to a gate media gathering the prestigious partners of Archos (like TF1, the FNAC, Dailymotion…) and the access to a true shop of online contents has thus. The user will be able also surfer on the Web after having acquéri it Plug-in Web (30€) which allows a perfect navigation into full screen with the end with the fingers or the provided stylets. Available in 80 & 160go. Price: From 300 Euro to more than 600

- Archos 605 WiFi : Combination of the best functionalities for a video walkman. Archos 605WiFi is declined in version 4go (Flash), 30go, 40go, 80go, 120go, 160go. This range gives access to the fabric via a public terminal wifi or quite simply at home. The 605 also makes it possible to read contents of a PC in Streaming. You can benefit from a gate media made up of the prestigious partners of Archos (like TF1, Fnac, Dailymotion) and you will have an online shop thus allowing you to rent or buy contents. You will be able also to record the television or any source of video via the DVR optional Station (99€) and to record via the guide of the programs available directly on Archos. Price: 4go: 199€; 30go: 299€; 80go: 399€; 160go: 499€. The other capacities of hard drive are available in specific online shops.

- Archos 405 : Model returning to the base of the PMP: Music, Photograph, Video. Its limited memory (2go) will enable you to carry only the strict minimum with you. When with its dimensions, they are ideal to transport the apparatus everywhere. The 405 will also enable you to record the TV via the DVR optional Station.

- Archos 105 : The small new one of Archos, the price was privileged compared to the design. Its aggressive price (99€) and its dimensions worthy of Nano will charm the fans of music. The no-claims bonus from this 105 is the reading of video. Of course, to look at a film on its screen of 1.8" will not be easy, but for reading clips or bands advertisements, it is perfect. Disk space: 2go.

- Archos TV+ Aiming at competing with the Apple TV (which was a large bide, while passing), ArchosTV+ (available to the sale in October), has a complete connector industry allowing the recording of the TV, surfing on Internet. Surfing is done thanks to a remote control having a keyboard to type the addresses Web. It has an hard drive of 80 or 250go. In short, it is Archos coupled with the DVR Station. Level connector industry, the ATV+ types a great blow: it has an exit HDMI to view its vidéos in HD on a compatible television set. Archos TV+ has Media Center very. Archos TV+ is connected to Internet and the computer of the house via Ethernet or WiFi. The recording of the TV is simplified by the Guide of the programs which makes it possible to have a program TV directly on the TV and thus simply to click on " Enregistrer" when the program was chosen.

Personal assistant

LDC 400 (Pocket Assisting Media) the LDC range was definitively given up by Archos.

Financial results

In 2005, this company with fact a Turnover of 103,1 million euros. The company is with dimensions in Bourse.

See too

Rockbox

External bonds

Official site of Archos

Random links: