Archos Gmini 400 vs Ipod 20G 4G??

[andyloc]

Hi was gonna get a 4G ipod 20Gb version, been looking round the web and saw this

http://www.archos.com/products/overview/gmini_400_tech_specs.html

virtually same size as ipod, same 20Gb, same wieght virtually, also plays games from archos site!!!, same price virtually. But this has a colour screen and plays Mpeg 4 movies such as DivX and Xvid. Yes I know it only has a 220X176 pixel display whch is smaller than my Ipaq 2210 but for photo displaying, it even has a Compact flash slot which you can also use an adapter for SD,MS,SM etc in.

this seems a good unit to me and has put the brakes on me ordering my 4G 20Gb ipod.

any1 got any comments on this please?

love to hear before I go for either one
Cheers
LOC

[bhoward43]

base your decision on this:

the ipod is a MUSIC PLAYER, the archos does that and more. so if you want just a kick ### music player, get the ipod. if you want some added fun, get the archos. but i'd also consider this. with all those other features the archos has, they are probably trying to hide an inferior product by making it seem flashy.


"iPod plus a color screen! watch movies! play games! view pictures! yay! buy me!"


thats all i can see. apple put all their eggs in one basket, and those eggs turned out to be a wonderful omelette. the archos spread it out, giving me one undercooked egg yolk. thats how i see it.

[andyloc]

I understand and take on board your comments, I have seen and played with a ipod for a while and it was really nice I have to say.

I have just discovered the Gmini, I know what you mean lots of eggs=inferior product but is it?

I realise that the ipod is really good at what it does there is no doubting that, but is theGmini as good nearly at what ipod does and some? Yes the video is good idea, and it seems watchable, the photo bit is a good idea as well, a memory card slot is also a great idea.

It just seems to do a lot more than the ipod and probably as good, I am not an audiophile so the sound is prob the same on both for me.

the Gmini is also only slightly thicker than the 20Gb ipod and I thought the ipod was marvelous when I picked it up size wise.

thanks for your comments, anyne else?

LOC

[andyloc]

the only other thing is thatthe ipod has many accesories for it. If I got the ipod I was gonna get a cardock FM thing for use in my car staright away, this is the ultimate add on for me.

anyne else have any comments please?

cheers

[smirf83]

I just wanna say that if you get an ipod, then there is plenty of support available for you for any problems you have or if you need to know how to do a certain thing. I do not know how much support Archos has, but this is something that you should take into consideration.

[andyloc]

yes I agree with that comment as well thanks smirf83, Also the cheapest I can find the Gmini 400 currently is ??248 I live in UK, so it is more expensive than the ipod.

I would love to here from someone who has one of the Gmini 400's, I want to know whatthe size is like compared to an ipod? I have held the 4th Gen 20Gb ipod and couldnt belive how small it actually is, what I want tis a comparision with this and the Gmini 400.

anyone?

cheers

[honeybee1236]

You may be out of luck for comparison pictures but the dimensions of the two players shows that they are about the same size:
Gmini 20GB - 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.7 & 5.64 oz
iPod 20GB - 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.57 & 5.6 oz

Whenever your out again why don't you stop by a store that sells the Gmini and look at it in person. This may help you decide which player to get once you see it and hold it in your hands.

[andyloc]

hard to find in stores here in the UK. The ipod have just started to sell in the last few months through retailer stores, befre this it was only size on pages and pictures which never gives a real reflection, until I held an ipod, thought it was great.

what to a Gmini 400 but may be out of luck

mmmmm

[honeybee1236]

Yea, I know, pictures on a page will never do it justice. When I was looking to buy a HD player, after my reseach I finally had to go to a store that sold them and physically look at them to make my final decision as to which player to purchase. A visual comparison is what helped me make that final decision.

[andyloc]

I have emailed Archos about the battery as well, I know Apple now do a replacement at a cost, was wondering if Archos do. anyone found any reviews, comments, pics of the Gmini 400 yet?

[swy32x]

Hey guys, check out the promo video for the Archos Gmini here (http://www.engadget.com/entry/3352683147171125)

[andyloc]

Well I have done loads and loads of searching and here are some Gmini vs Ipod size shots and loads of others of the Gmini 400. gives a good comparision of them all

let me have your comments please so I can decide

http://austinv.com/cpg121/thumbnails.php?album=118&page=2

LOC

[baggss]

While the color screen looks nice, the layout of buttons etc seems, well, a bit poorly thought out. Looks like they want it to look like a Gameboy or something. It may work nice, but ergonomically, I think it's gonna suck. One of the nice things about the iPod is you can do everything with one hand. In fact it's hard NOT to do everything with one hand.

Just my opinion though...

[i_am_petro]

i'm totally with baggss on this...except, i think my gameboy is designed better!

[Darrell]

I got an Archos AV400 a few weeks ago. But I never loaded any songs into it, just movies. The iPod is still my music player and I never leave home without it.

[andyloc]

mmm, I understand that the iPOD is THE MP3 player and has a marvelous control system, i agree I have tried this. The reason for the button layout on the Gmini 400 is becasue it can also play games. I dont think it looks too bad, no where near the looks of the iPOD tho I agree.

Did you look at the pics? I am impressed with the size, although there are no depth comparisions with the Ipod, the Gmini is slightly thicker than the ipod.

I was set on the ipod, but then seen this, it does what an ipod can do and more, yes it doesnt look as good and the control system isnt as good, but it does have positives over the ipod.

for people thathave Archos video devices (Darrell) what is the conversation process like to allow it to play? say from a owned DVD to a playable file on the Gmini/AV400

thx

[bdb]

The video is divX, go to www.divx-digest.com for guides on how to make it. You'll have to encode it with the right tiny size and low-framerate specs for the Gmini.

You are aware of the battery life while viewing video, aren't you? Its only a few hours, IIRC.

BB

[andyloc]

I thought there was some software that came with the Gmini to help you do this, was wondering on any screenshots/ease of use of it.

I am aware of the battery life and this is also an issue for me, I believe the iPOD now has 12hrs, whereas Gmini is stated at 10hrs for music or 5hrs for video. I have emailed Archos and asked about battery replacements for the Gmini as per iPOD swap out warranty thats now available

[baggss]

Originally posted by andyloc
mmm, I understand that the iPOD is THE MP3 player and has a marvelous control system, i agree I have tried this. The reason for the button layout on the Gmini 400 is becasue it can also play games. I dont think it looks too bad, no where near the looks of the iPOD tho I agree.

Did you look at the pics? I am impressed with the size, although there are no depth comparisions with the Ipod, the Gmini is slightly thicker than the ipod.

I was set on the ipod, but then seen this, it does what an ipod can do and more, yes it doesnt look as good and the control system isnt as good, but it does have positives over the ipod.

for people thathave Archos video devices (Darrell) what is the conversation process like to allow it to play? say from a owned DVD to a playable file on the Gmini/AV400

thx

What I'm hearing here is that people find it attractive because it plays movies and games. As such, that is fine. If you are buying it to do those things then it is probably a great buy. If that is, however, the case, then comparing it to the iPod which is STRICTLY an MP3 player is no a good comparison. In my mind, these two products are not even in the same class, except that Gmimi happens to play music as well. If those positives (Games/Movies) are MOE important to you then having a dedicated, easy to use DAP, then great. Most of us who bought/buy iPods are not looking for all the extra bells and whistles and are happ with just the music aspect of the iPod.

[andyloc]

ok I take your comments on board, what I'm looking at though is yes I am after a unit that will have all my music in one place, ie iPOD, also want it to be a removable disk for carrying files to and fro.

What I am saying is that the Gmini can play music as per iPOD + some extra things "for free" sort of speak. its virtually the same size, and so my thinking was "why not" as it can do more than the iPOD thats all. I was gonna get the iPOD so I was not looing for soemthing that could play games, paly movies but something has sprung up and is the same size as the iPOD. I didnt even consider the other Archos stuffas they are just too damn large for my liking.

I already have a PPC, and Ipaq 2210 so movies go on there. But why not go for the extra "for free" over the iPOD music only, thats all I am trying to ask, thanks for your comments keep m coming

what did every1 theink of the pics in comparision? I posted a link to?

LOC

[baggss]

Originally posted by andyloc
ok I take your comments on board, what I'm looking at though is yes I am after a unit that will have all my music in one place, ie iPOD, also want it to be a removable disk for carrying files to and fro.

What I am saying is that the Gmini can play music as per iPOD + some extra things "for free" sort of speak. its virtually the same size, and so my thinking was "why not" as it can do more than the iPOD thats all. I was gonna get the iPOD so I was not looing for soemthing that could play games, paly movies but something has sprung up and is the same size as the iPOD. I didnt even consider the other Archos stuffas they are just too damn large for my liking.

I already have a PPC, and Ipaq 2210 so movies go on there. But why not go for the extra "for free" over the iPOD music only, thats all I am trying to ask, thanks for your comments keep m coming

what did every1 theink of the pics in comparision? I posted a link to?

LOC

If your looking at the "extras" that the Gmini has, then we are back to the Jack of all trades, master of none argument. This ends up being a very subjective issue from that point of view. I don't happen to WANT a DAP that does all of the "extras" that you seem to like. If I want to watch movies, I have a portable DVD player and 2 laptops. If I want to play games, I'll borrow my kids Gameboy. I wanted a DAP that was going to be excellent at what it does, and the iPod fits that bill to a tee (the fact that it is made by Apple is icing on the cake).

The pics were nice, but that was where my comments about ergonomics came from. I just can't imagine actually watching a Movie/Video/whatever on a tiny screen like that. Again, if it works for you, it works for you....

[Darrell]

Originally posted by andyloc
mmm, I understand that the iPOD is THE MP3 player and has a marvelous control system, i agree I have tried this. The reason for the button layout on the Gmini 400 is becasue it can also play games. I dont think it looks too bad, no where near the looks of the iPOD tho I agree.

Did you look at the pics? I am impressed with the size, although there are no depth comparisions with the Ipod, the Gmini is slightly thicker than the ipod.

I was set on the ipod, but then seen this, it does what an ipod can do and more, yes it doesnt look as good and the control system isnt as good, but it does have positives over the ipod.

for people thathave Archos video devices (Darrell) what is the conversation process like to allow it to play? say from a owned DVD to a playable file on the Gmini/AV400

thx
You convert DVDs into DivX format. It compresses the file so you can put in more. Watching movies on the Archos AV400 is great and in fairness, the sound os not bad at all. However, you will notice the quality difference when you watch the movies on your TV. But the portability is its main strength.
When listening to music, it displays the album art, which I don't find the need to so again, I just use my Archos for watching movies and my iPod for music.
About the battery life. I tested the AV400 and it played movies for 4hrs straight. More if you just play music but I haven't tested that yet.

[andyloc]

I am not an audipphile, I love to listen to music, but re: if one is bette than other it hard for me to choose, I would imagine that the iPOD and the Gmini to my ears would sound the same with the same bitrate MP3 - no?

[andyloc]

Darrell I understand that the format is DivX, but can you go over the procdure specific to the Archos, I have read a bit of the manual and understand that there is an "overlay" program for Gmini/AV devices that come with the Gmini, have you any screenshots or advice on these please

[Darrell]

andyloc
The process is very straightforward and the learning curve is smooth. Yes the application is in the Archos harddrive and you can run it from there. Basically, you just choose the qualiy you want and follow the steps. Sorry I don't have screenshots but what's in the manual is basically it. Hope this helps...

[Darrell]

andyloc
The process is very straightforward and the learning curve is smooth. Yes the application is in the Archos harddrive and you can run it from there. Basically, you just choose the qualiy you want and follow the steps. Sorry I don't have screenshots but what's in the manual is basically it. Hope this helps...

[andyloc]

ok The Gmini is looking better and better for me, ony trouble is the accessories. I was going to get an iPOD and get a card dock FM for use in the car for my B/Day.

There doesnt seem to be many accessories available for the Gmini, I would also want a case straight away as well.

Is there any third party accessory dealers online in the UK anywhere?

cheers