The ARCHOS 604 wifi is the portable multi-media player to beat the band.

The slim and durable casing of the Archos 604 wifi houses a performance packed wonder. It is small enough to go everywhere. I love this device!

Originally, I was in the market for an mp3 player that would allow me to listen to books downloaded from the free NetLibrary website. I tried many MP3 players from manufacturers like Samsung, iRiver, ipod, Zune and Sandisk. The problem was that none of them really worked well with downloaded audio books. It is imperative to have a progressive scan feature that allows you to quickly find your place in a 13 hour book. Another obstacle of NetLibrary audio books is that they are protected with the Microsoft DRM. The ipod and Zune will not play these DRM protected files. Bookmarks are also a beneficial feature.

You can imagine how frustrated that I was after trying all of these players without finding a single one that handled audio books effectively. In December, I came across the Archos 604 in Sam’s Club. The price tag was pretty steep at $350.00. However, the Archos offered so much more functionality! I decided that I had been a good girl all year and that Santa would certainly want me to have this shiny bauble. So I whipped out Santa’s little helper (Master Card) and took my new toy home to play.

Why is it so great?

Disk capacity:
The Archos hard drive has a capacity of 30 Gigabytes. Most of the flash players that have 4 gigabyte capacities have price tags of over $200.00. If you are going to spend that kind of money you might as well spend the extra $150.00 to get the 30 Gigabytes and the added functionality.

Video:
The Archos has an incredible screen. It is large enough to actually watch a video The resolution is great and the picture is crisp and clear. Just about the coolest feature of this device is that unprotected DVD files (.VOB) can be copied to and played on the device. No conversion routines are necessary. ($20.00 plug-in is required to do this). Many file types are supported.

Display/Controls
The 604 has a touch sensitive screen and it also has button controls. The touch sensitive screen makes this a very intuitive and easy to use device. I never use the buttons. It comes with two stylus pens. I just use my finger since it is always attached and hard to loose.

Audio Books
In my opinion, the Archos 604 is the perfect device for listening to audio books from Netlibrary. The 604 offers a touch sensitive progressive scan feature. Book marking is available and there is never a problem with accessing DRM files.

WiFi
This is a feature that I never use. The biggest advantage is that streaming video files can be accessed from a server making video access unlimited. Files can also be shared from a WiFi network.

TV:
TV programs can be recorded to the Archos much like a TiVo arrangement. This requires an accessory adapter ($99.00)

Helmet Cam:
This is an accessory that I purchased from Amazon. The helmet cam is a video camera that records directly to the Archos device. It is amazing. The price for the camera is $130.00 online.

Photos/Music
These capabilities are standard


What is not so great?

Although the 604 is a magnificent device it is not without drawbacks. The biggest problem that I have is the maximum sound level. Archos conforms to a European standard that restricts the output volume. This is very irritating to me since I have a hearing impairment. The way that I get around it is to use a cassette tape adapter in my car to listen to books/music using my car’s speaker system.

Another restriction that I hope Archos will rectify in future firmware updates is that it does not support subtitles. Again, since I am hearing impaired this would help considerably. Other manufacturers do support subtitles so I know that it is possible.

The third and last disadvantage you have probably already surmised. The purchase of this device is bare bones. If you want plugins and accessories, you are going to have to pay extra for them. Archos claims that this helps keep the cost of the basic system low.

The Bottom Line:
If you want the very best multi-media portable player available today then the Archos 604 wifi is the device for you. The price is high, but the benefits and functionally makes it well worth the investment.