Archos Gmini 400 20 GB Digital Audio/Video Jukebox Review

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(More customer reviews)First a little background info on me.I am 18 and a sophomore in college.I have wanted an mp3 player for a while, but could not justify the cost for just music.I spent weeks reading about all sorts of players, but all of them were mostly the same.Then I saw the gmini, and after reading lots of opinions, I decided to purchase it.I also have a LOT of friends who own iPods, so I have seen and used them.

When people see me holding the Archos Gmini 400 (gmini) they often say "Is that an iPod?"iPods are all the rage lately and people can't seem to get enough of them, but why?For those of you who don't know much about an iPod, here it is in a gist:

MP3/AAC player
Games
Portable Hard Drive
Black and White Screen
Unique Touch Interface

The games are limited to basic black and white games, still fun, but they get old.It plays MP3 and AAC, and is the only player to support songs purchased in itunes.However the portable hard drive feature can get a bit confusing.You CANNOT upload your songs from an iPod.You can only upload DATA off of it.You can upload songs if you store them as data... but then you can't play them from the iPod.So don't expect to use it to transfer songs between computers or even to just save space on your hard drive by deleting your music once it's on the iPod.You can play it off the iPod to your computer, but you won't be able to retrieve the actual song files, so when the iPod dies, you're out of luck.

Now, onto the gmini.It is the same size as an iPod, and it plays MP3's, that is about all they have in common.The gmini has the following features:

MP3/WMA/WAV music playback
MP4 Video Playback (Divx and Xvid)
Games
Photo Viewer
CF Card Reader
AV out for viewing on a TV
Audio in for recording
Mic for recording
Color screen
Portable Hard Drive

The gmini has a much larger feature set, for only a small amount more, but what are the trade offs?The battery lives are similar.The 4G iPod is about 12 hours, while the gmini is 10 for music.The iPod, right now, is very stylish.It's white, it's sleek, and it has no buttons.The gmini, is, well, not.It looks almost like a shrunken gameboy with more chrome.I have to admit however that it is not as ugly as the pictures make it look online, and does feel nice in your hands.The fit and finish of the gmini is just not as good as an iPod.I've handled many iPods and they are all smooth and perfect.The gmini has some spots where it just doesn't look as good.The buttons have space around them, which are likely to attract dust, and it just doesn't seem as modern as an iPod with it's click wheel.What you give up for looks is gained back, and more so, by the features.

Screen/Video Play Back

The screen is amazing.Though it is not the best resolution wise, it has great color, contrast, and brightness.Horizontal viewing is limited (it turns blue if you move too far to the side) but this device is really only meant for one person to use, so this doesn't matter.The movies, if encoded to the right format and a resolution about the size of the screen, play back extremely smooth.If you use a higher resolution for playback on a television then the FPS drop and it becomes choppy at times, but it is still watchable.The video feature is the big draw over the iPod, but there is more.Here is a general summary of everything there is to know about the gmini.

OS

The OS is much like windows 3.1.If you have ever used windows, you will know how to use this OS.You can navigate through folders, or it can organize your songs into categories based on the ID3 tags.If you want to know how to use more advanced features, like copying from a CF card to the hard drive, a quick glance at the manual will solve all your problems.

Photo Viewing

What can I say, other than it is there.It isn't astounding, but it works.The pictures load slowly (at least mine did, at 1600*1200 resolution in jpeg format) and when you zoom in, it seems as though the gmini lowers the quality of the image.However, it works and is useful for showing off shots of last nights get together, etc.Also, having the CF slot is a really useful feature.Did your camera fill up?No problem, dump the pics in the gmini and keep on shooting, I wish I had this at the NYC auto show.

Music Playback

You can create play lists on the fly, open existing play lists, browse by ID3 tags or the file system, and it all works just fine.You can even play all your music files at random, which is what I do most of the time.The only part that is annoying is finding the song you want in a long list of titles.I have terrible memory when it comes to names of bands, so I usually just know the title of the song.When searching through thousands, it gets annoying without an iPod like wheel.You need to sit there holding the dpad down, which takes some time.It does speed up as it goes along, but then you end up passing where you wanted to go, etc.It isn't that big of a deal, but if I could change one thing, I would change it to touch interface instead of buttons.How is the sound itself?Good.

Games

The games are based off of the mophun game engine, which is mostly used for cell phones.You can get a lot of 80's like games which are a fun distraction, but do get boring if overly played.I hear there is a 3D rally game coming out this Fall though (2004).The only downside is you cannot play music and play a game at the same time.Overall a nice extra feature to have.

Portable Hard Drive

Connecting the gmini to a PC could not be any easier.Here it is, step by step:

Plug in the USB cable

BAM, you're done.You get a new drive letter under "My Computer" (in windows, and it's similar for mac) and then you just drag and drop your files onto the gmini.The gmini archives all the new files when you disconnect the usb cable, so there is no need to use proprietary software.No drivers, no hassle.You can even upload all your data, music, video, whatever, off of it at any time to any computer.When you decide to put some video onto it, the video converters actually come on the hard drive, and you can install them right from the gmini.Having the gmini is like having a 20gb jump drive.You'll never use a floppy again.For that matter, you won't even use a CD.

General Downsides:

The included headphones are not too great, but when have included headphones been any good?
Style is not the greatest thing ever, though it is made of Aluminum which is pretty neat.
The screen is extremely prone to scratches, and there is no included case, or one you can buy, at the time of this review (10.7.04)
No replaceable battery (neither does the iPod)
Buttons instead of a scroll wheel, or similar touch interface.

Overall, I think it depends on what you want.Do you want a device simply to listen to music, and show off to friends?An iPod will work for that.Or, do you want something that is actually useful?Music, movies, games, CF reader, Real Portable Hard drive, for slightly more than an iPod.Everyone has an iPod, why not try something new?In my opinion, this is the best "player" on the market right now.It crosses the lines between MP3 player, and Portable Media Center.

.Recommended.

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Product Description:
Archos Gmini400 goes way beyond music to bring long awaited features such as a color LCD for viewing photos and videos, a built-in CompactFlash reader for storing photos and data, and the ability to play games. Listen to and record up to 300* hours of music - that's 5,000* songs! Play MP3, WMA, and WAV music files compatible with major on-line music stores. Organize songs with the ARCHOS ARCLibrary and view by artist, genre, title and year (ID3 compatible). Record from any standard audio source with high-quality stereo sound. Make playlists directly on the device no computer needed! Be the DJ at your next party by connecting the Gmini400 to a stereo to play all your favorite tunes. Use the Microphone for voice recordings. The Gmini400 may be used as an additional hard drive on your computer (PC or Macintosh).Photo viewer -JPEG (except progressives) or BMP - Download JPEG images through CompactFlash slotVideo playback -MPEG-4 SP with MP3 or ADPCM stereo sound, up to 640x400 @ 30 f/s, AVI file format. Reads XviD and DivX 4.0 & 5.0. Play Music Video in MPEG-4Display -2.2 LCD 220x176 pixels, 262 000 colours and TV output.AV connections -Stereo analog Line In (via adapter included). Composite Video/ Earphone / Analog Line Out jack. Built-in microphone.Battery life -Up to 10 hours for music or 5 hours for video on built-in LCD System requirements -PC -Pentium III 800 MHz or higher, Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000 or XP. 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended) with USB port and CD-ROM drive / Mac -9.2 or X (10.2.4) USB Manager version 1.2 or higher with USB port and CD-ROM drive Size -4.2 x 2.4 x 0.7 / Weighs 5.64 ounces

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