News - Archos 9 ushers in age of Windows 7 UMPCs

[HEXUS]

Intel Atom-powered UMPC with 8.9in touchscreen and Microsoft's Windows 7 to launch later this year.

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[scaryjim]

Sounds absolutely fantastic, apart from

Adding to its all-round usefulness is a built-in webcam, two USB ports, Ethernet, and a dual DVB-T tuner.

What? I have to have a TV license if I want to buy one? If they do a cheaper version without the tuner I'll bite their hands off for it because this is *exactly* where I've been wanting netbooks to go for the last 6 months...

[TheAnimus]

Who dosen't have a TV license in their home, yet has a spare £400 for something that isn't that pratical in lacking its keyboard.

This looks like its a good origami project device. But i fear it won't have multitouch.

Until you have multitouch using an on screen keyboard can be quite trying!

[Arthran]

swap the tuner with an in built 3g connection (our simcard of choice ofc) and i will BITE YOUR HANDS OFF!

Also change the screen slightly so its 1024*720, thus its 720 HD compatable... that would be nice

[Funkstar]

Would be nice if this could sense the orientation, just like the iPhone and HTC Diamond Touch (2).

Presumably you can add a USB keyboard too. An official accessory to turn this into a netbook would be an idea. I think I would certainally consider this one.

[scaryjim]

Who dosen't have a TV license in their home, yet has a spare £400 for something that isn't that pratical in lacking its keyboard.

What does how much money you have to spend on IT equipment have to do with whether you have a TV license? I don't watch broadcast TV, so I don't have a TV license. Money has nothing to do with it.

Anyway, a TV license is currently £142.50 a year, so actually it makes *more* sense: if you don't spend money on a TV license you're more likely to be able to afford one of these

And the device is completely practical. I wouldn't want to type a PhD thesis on one, but that's not what I'd buy one for. I'd buy it for light web browsing, using it as a media player, reviewing minutes & agendas on my way to business meetings, and taking occasional hand-written notes in those meetings. This would fit that usage pattern perfectly (quite apart from the fact that Windows 7's touch interface should also let me play Diablo II on it ). Given that it has 2 USB ports, I could always attach an external keyboard to it if I wanted to, say, type up my notes on the train on the way home...

[TheAnimus]

But you could just buy a regular netbook then, or a regular tablet.

This is a 'media' tablet, so has those features to differentiate it.

[scaryjim]

But you could just buy a regular netbook then, or a regular tablet.

I could, but they both have an extraneous keyboard that I don't really need, and netbook-tablets have those nasty twisting screens that I'm always sure will fall off after a year and a day of use. Plus, this is significantly thinner and lighter than a regular netbook, which matters to me.
I've spent the last six months wishing that someone would take Atom and make what is essentially a 7" - 9" x86 PDA with full Windows 7. Well, now someone has

AFAIK, most media players don't have a TV tuner. I can see how having it boosts the claim for this device as a media tablet, and I'm sure it'll be a huge selling point for some people, but it certainly doesn't need one. Surely there has to be room for a slightly cheaper version of this device without the TV tuner...

[Funkstar]

The Archos 9 is essentially an extension of their surrent lineup. The Archos 7 has DVB-T tuners as well. So with this they are taking the feature set of the lower model and building on that.

Even though it is, don't think of this as a Windows media tablet, just think of it as a very large Archos media tablet that just happens to be much, much more flexible than their previous locked down hardware.

It would be interesting if this was the start of their new platform of devices, so the next generation of the Archos 5 and 7 were also effectively MIDs too. That would be pretty damned awesome. I've been a fan of Archos players for ages now (have an AV500 and a 605wifi) but a true MID with a decent Archos interface on top would be great. Especially having the ability to hack it up. XBMC in your pocket anyone? or GBPVR? or MediaPortal?

Nice.

edit http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/v...een-impresses/

Apparently it does have a SIM slot for 3G

edit2 and some more information and links: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/a...dows-7-tablet/

[Arthran]

as long as it has a decent antenea in to pick up tv signal, otherwise your going to have to plug it into the wall to record tv with it to then watch later

[Flibb]

For keyboard add
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5fKLtnyk6I

[scaryjim]

The Archos 9 is essentially an extension of their surrent lineup. The Archos 7 has DVB-T tuners as well. So with this they are taking the feature set of the lower model and building on that.

Fair enough, I stand corrected. Wonder how easy it would be to disable / remove the tuner (and whether TV Licensing would believe me about it )

It would be interesting if this was the start of their new platform of devices, so the next generation of the Archos 5 and 7 were also effectively MIDs too. That would be pretty damned awesome.

Cannot agree enough, particularly if they managed to maintain the 1024 x 600 res in a 7" - that would be even closer to perfection for me. As it is I still think this might be the portable device that finally gets me to part with my money - unless, of course, a competitor does a stripped down version without the TV Tuner or someone brings out an Ion / Yukon / Congo version...

[Arthran]

either way, i want one now

[digit]

I love the idea of this, just add a laptop style foam padded sleve for transport and your set

[fezfezed]

Just bang in a touch screen purchased from a HK based gadget retailler to an eeepc 701 and your sorted Device looks good though, but the TV tuner may not be a needed feature for myself as I commute via tube alot.