Reviewing the Archos 605 WiFi Portable Media Player

I've always been one of those techies that like to go against the grain. Probably because that's the way my father was with his own tech purchases when we were growing up. Remember Computer Shopper Magazine? Well, my dad would always buy the "no name" company computer builds because smaller brands tend to save consumers money.

Either way, when it came time to replace my trusty iRiver 40 GB, I refused to go with the iPod Touch out of principle. I wanted to be daring and try a new brand like I had when I bet on iRiver. That's when I found the Archos 605 WiFi on Amazon for only $170.00 and sprung for it. Now if you look at its specs, the 605 is very impressive. The player sports a full-color 4.3-inch touch screen (800 x 480 picture resolution), large hard drive between 30 GB and 160 GB depending on your needs, PDF viewer, and WiFi capability that rivals any other portable handheld device. It has a lot of add-ons that you can purchase to make the Archos experience even better, including extended video file support and full Opera browser.

It is a bit of a pain that you have to purchase each of these, but seeing how cheap the player is in itself, you will end up saving a few dollars compared to rival products. What's pretty nifty about this player is that it has the ability to record your TV shows using a DVR docking station. Now, if you have the compatible hardware for your TV, this makes the purchase of an Archos 605 player an obvious choice. With the high resolution offered by the unit, you won't be sorry you're viewing your shows on this instead of the television! The way the Archos stores files is also presented in a very sleek and logical manner.

To import data, you can hook up through a basic USB 2.0 connection (cable provided) and directly drag and drop into the player's hard drive. Or, if it is video or music you are transferring, you can use Windows Media 11's sync function to quickly move your media onto the Archos. When unattached to the computer, your player has a hard drive view mode that allows you to directly manipulate files by renaming them or moving them into different folders. You can't do this on any other player as easily.

The 605 WiFi is not a small player, but it is not overly large and can still fit into your purse or back pocket. It is meant for video enthusiasts and WiFi users more than music aficionados but the beauty of Archos is that it's flexible enough to accommodate everyone. If you're looking for something that will serve like both a handheld PDA and media player, the Archos 605 WiFi is your choice.