Archos 20 GB USB 2.0 MP3 Jukebox Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, if your buddy has an Ipod and you want to be cool like him/her then look elsewhere.The Archos is nearly twice as heavy, twice as thick and is a bit of an ugly duckling next to the Ipod.
With that said, it should also be mentioned that the Archos battery life is twice as long and you can get the same size capacity HD for less then half the price of the Ipod.
I have heard complaints about Archos quality, but I know plenty of people that have had theres for 2 years with out a bit of trouble.I have only had mine a few days, so I can not say how long term reliability is, but I will say that this unit is well constructed, although not the most ergonomic.
Very important is to replace the Archos OS with the free Rockbox OS.Just do a search and you will find it.Simply install the Rockbox OS to the HD like you would a song folder and the Archos will recognize it.With Rockbox installed, the Archos is very customizeable and the sound quality is superior to most postable MP3 players.
I would suggest this player to anyone who will pimarily use it in their car, sitting in their favorite chair, or hooked up to a Stereo system.I would not recomend this player to someone who plans on using it in "active" situations.Not that I feel the quality is not up to par, but because of the bulk.
At a higher price I would rate this unit as a 4 becuase the buttons feel a slightly cheap and the weight and size is above average.for the price it is 5 for 5!
UPDATE FEB 3, 2003
The more I use it the more I like it!Flashing rockbox to the Archos Rom decreases system turn on from about 12 seconds to 3 seconds.I really like the build quality and I have changed my mind about the buttons being "cheap".I think everything has a real solid feel and I think it is a great player.It is still bulky of course, but that is a tradeoff I am willing to take for the price.I would not except low quality and I have not had to with this player.GREAT!

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Product Description:
The Archos 20 GB MP3 Jukebox Player/Recorder Special Edition is an updated version of the original Archos portable MP3 Jukebox. You can record up to 300 hours of top quality music in MP3 format directly from any audio source--real-time and on-the-fly. Record directly from a stereo, CD player, portable radio, or microphone via the stereo line-in jack without needing a computer. It is also features a voice recorder with a built-in microphone that you can use to record music or other sounds from any analog or digital sources at bit-rates up to 160 kbps. When you're finished, you can copy your recordings to your PC without any specialized software.
The Archos Jukebox Recorder/Player has a real-time MP3 encoder, plus an MP3 Player and 20 GB hard drive that connects to a computer through an ultra-fast USB 2.0 interface with transfer data speeds up to 480 Mbps. No special software is required to download MP3 songs. Just drag and drop MP3 files using Windows Explorer. Merge your entire collection of MP3's and CD's into one hand-held device. Slip it into your pocket, and listen to all your favorite music wherever you go!
The Archos 20 GB MP3 Jukebox Player Recorder Special Edition can be used as an optional hard disk to store all your data, images, software, etc. With a simple click on the Archos website, you can upgrade the firmware and get additional software extensions.
PC and Mac System Requirements: PC: Pentium 233 MHz or higher. Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended). CD-ROM Drive with digital audio extraction support. Mac: OS 9.2 or X. iMac, G3 or higher. USB Manager version 1.2 or higher.
This product comes with a 1 year warranty on parts and labor.