GMINI400 20 GB PLYR
1 Why buy an IPod
Bought it, love it!!!
Facing the media bias in favor of IPods, I thought I'd give a word for my Archos Gmini 400. There was about 6 months ago a full on article about how IPods will add the feature of picture viewing on their equipment. Big Deal!!! Archos has been selling multimedia player able to dipslay pics and view movies for a while now. The argument of the form factor is not valid anymore with the Gmini400 which is as small as an IPod. The truth is this little player does it all and more.
I strongly recommend it.
2 Archos Shrinks Down To Compete with King Apple
While all of Archos's products have been great, the gmini really raises the bar. With a bundle full of features including full movie and music playback, as well as games and picture viewing, the Gmini 400 beats all other units of its type. Also the fact that it has a compact flash slot leaves it with unlimited storage capabilities. I have transfered and watched many movies on the unit with no problem. Music transfer is suprisingly fast and battery life has been great as well. I really feel that the Gmini400 has really overcome any product out there and while the price is slightly greater then some other units, its well worth it!
3 Great for travel - plays MP3's and stores photos!
My partner and I are traveling for at least a year. I did many, many hours of research trying to find the best device that would both play MP3's and store photos. We've been traveling for 2 months now and the Gmini400 has been great. We bought some very portable travel speakers so now we can play listen to our music in all the various hotels we stay in. We have at least 70 albums on the Gmini and have been adding stuff as we travel. It sounds great.
We also take a ton of digital photos and it's super simple to download them to the Gmini because it has a CompactFlash card reader built in. You don't need to be near a computer. The color screen is not as quite good as the one on my camera and the pics come up a little slow but you can see the pics fine. Also you can plug it into a TV or computer to see them better.
We mainly wanted the MP3 player and photo storage but there are other cool features. There is a recorder so we can record our trip thoughts or whatever. You can play videos - although I can't seem to play the ones I've shot with my camera (Canon Powershot G5). There are some games (not so great but I play them occassionally to kill time when waiting for busses).
The battery may not be as long as some but we did a 11 hr bus ride and listened to it off and on a lot and it didn't die.
It seems sturdy too - I've dropped it on cement a couple times.
4 Best Archos to date... Same problems
This is Archos' best player to date. The size (physical) is spot on and the layout of the controls are perfect. These last few weeks have been a blast loading videos from my Tivo and DVD's onto the device. I've even connected the A/V out to the LCD display in the van. Kids love it! Everything stated in the below reviews is accurate and I won't restate them here.
Now the bad news. I'm an old time Archos buyer. I've had the Jukebox series players and now the GIMINI 400. The Jukebox players suffered from cheap electrical contacts and so does the GMINI. They fail under normal use. My player's down button failed in the third week and I am taking it back. I don't plan on getting another unit.
Archos needs to step up the internal qualitity on their builds. I anticipate that more people will also be getting their buttons repaired since this player can also function as a game device. If your buttons haven't failed yet, consider yourself lucky.
5 Better than the iPod, my iPod-weilding friend agree.
I got a Gmini 400 for christmas, and this thing is amazing. It is by far the best portable media device on earth. The screne is incredibly bright (it lights up my dark room at night). The interface is top-notch, and is extremely easy to use. You don't need to use any crappy program or iTunes to get your music on the Gmini 400, you just drag the files. Way better method. Picture viewing is a great little feature to have, mainly to impress your buddies. And when your buddies have an iPod Photo, whip out a video and make them say "whoa". I have the entire movie "Equilibrium" on my Gmini, and it is very viewable. There are a few minor draw-backs: The button-cursor on the screen scrolls slowly, so navigation is for the paitent. (Hopefully a firmware update will fix this). The buttons feel a little loose-ly mounted, but only when you fiddle with them, and not under normal use. No [good] case is yet available. The official case sucks, and no other cases are on the american market. I (ironically) use an iPod case that my friend gave to me, which fits the thing perfectly, so i'm happy with it.
get one, its the best
6 A very progressive device
I did a lot of research before purchasing an mp3 player. None of them are perfect. Every model seems to have it's own pitfall: short battery life, clunky design, poor supporting software, poor navigation pathways, etc... It is as if a ton of un-tested devices make it to shelves every year. So I decided after some time to purchase the Archos Gmini 400 and I am very pleased with it. This device is the closest thing to what the future will ultimately offer: full color screen, music, video, videogames, photos all on one small device (the only things missing are a cell phone, a touch screen and wireless internet). My computer recognized the device immediately and putting music on it is an simple as copying and pasting. The color screen is very attractive but I haven't figured out how to get the album art to be displayed yet. So far I have sampled the video capabilities on the Gmini. Watching video on the little screen is pretty amazing, so I can't complain. If you are that into video then the Archos AV420 sounds like a better solution for you (has a bigger screen). It comes with some pre-loaded jpegs. One of them is an image of a red-spotted newt. I have a few so that was a totally cool surprise and makes great wallpaper. I have read that Archos has poor customer service which is too bad. If they plan to make any ripples in the US market they are going to need to fix that. Americans like to know they are buying a from a friendly company. Hopefully Archos will expand and become more commercially available in the US. Their products are very dynamic and they seem to have a better grasp of the technologies potential. As someone who owns a lot of Apple's stock (but not an Ipod) I think Archos is great and hopefully will fuel other digital device suppliers to up their ante.
Pros (believe me, these outweigh the cons) :
- Small as an Ipod but offers a lot more features. (even more than the 2005 models).
- The sound is very good (I use Grado SR60s, you can hear everything in detail).
- Is recognized as an external drive on your PC and plays protected files (This is such a huge, huge plus in my books).
- Very attractive aluminum design (doesn't look like a hotel soap bar).
Cons:
- Should have been offered in a 40gb/60gb Model.
- Smallish Battery Life/ No removable battery.
- Buttons are stiff and navigating is rather unintuitive.
- Reformatting Video files (this approach needs fixed in future models).
*** Also I bought the carrying case that was listed on Archos site. It looks great and protects the device really well. The only down side to it is that it covers the car adaptor power port (this can be fixed by taking it to an dry cleaner, with a tailor, and have them cut a circular hole for the power cord.
7 Gmini 400
The Archos Gmini 400 is not made out of aluminum, it just looks like aluminum. It is a stamped steel covering painted silver metallic. The quality of the hardware is top notch, as is the add on FM tuner module. I purchased an Iriver FM transmitter, it felt so cheaply made compared to the Archos hardware.
I am very satisfied with the Gmini 400. Highly recommended.
8 Owned Ipod and now Gmini 400
I returned my 20gb 4g ipod because i saw this model. Other than ease of use and build quality, the archos is better in every other better category. Does an ipod display pictures? play movies, record, and play games? I don't think so. At about the samae price, only 20something more expensive, the archos is a great value. It is a little hard to figure out at first, probably because I was used to the really easy to use ipod, but I got the hang of it really quickly. This thing is awesome, i don't know why it's not getting mmore attention. GET IT NOW.
9 Great Buy
I've owned the gmini for 3 weeks and I couldn't be happier about the purchase. When I was considering buying it some of my main concerns were about its size (the machine itself and its screen), and the battery life.
When I finally saw the gmini I was surprised since I expected something bulkier and bigger, so its size is - to my belief - ideal. The screen looks bigger than I imagined and you can see everything in a movie with great detail, It really amazed me how you can get such a great resolution out of something so small. I though everything in the movies would look really small but that's not the case. So if the screen is one of your concerns it really shouldn't be.
As for battery life, I really haven't had any issues with it, last time I tried it, it gave me 9.5 hours of music give or take, where as to video I really haven't tried it for more than 3.5 hours, but it will at least give you that on a consistent basis. It still had battery when I replugged it, so I'm sure it can give you more time.
As for its user interface and handling it, the basic things (playing movies/music, forwarding, volume) are really easy and intuitive to use, but some stuff (queing songs, playlists, repeat modes) you do have to check the manual for. On the other hand, putting files on it is a piece of cake, just plug the usb and open the drive from my computer, inside of it is a bunch of folders titled music, videos, photos, data.. so all you have to do is drag the material you want in your gmini to its corresponding folder; piece of cake.
While getting a dvd to divx or xvid format is time consuming and sometimes complicated ( NO software for doing this is included), if you do manage to get your hands on a divx or xvid movie the software included in the gmini will "edit" it so it can be played in your gmini with the click of a button (by edit I mean make it have the right size and frames per second - maximum of 640-480 size and a 30 fps, if you don't know what this is don't worry just open your divx file in the software and click start and it will do everything for you, if the movie you have already clears the requirements its obvious you don't need to use this software).
Overall considering your getting a portable device, the video feature is exellent for the gmini's size, you can really watch a movie no problem at all, and your also getting an exellent mp3 player, plus the extra features, it really is a great buy, I do hope this was helpful to you.
10 Won't be needing a new mp3 player for a long time...
In addition to all the reviews already written, I'd like to concur with everyone who thought this was the ultimate iPod-killer. The Gmini 400 is the same size as Apple's 40 GB iPod, but loaded with tons more extra features, as already told. I'd recommend this to anyone seeking an mp3 player within the iPod's budget range.
A few people have mentioned that a big downside is that it comes with no carrying case; I have recently purchased a case specially designed for the Archos Gmini 400 from Infusion Threads for $20, and since it was made for the Gmini, it works like a charm. It is slightly more expensive than most generic cases, but it'd clear cover lets you access the buttons and see the screen and all the ports are accessible without ever having to take it out.
(...)
I am very satisfied with my purchase! If you're deciding whether to choose this over an iPod, i'd say choose this any day!
11 The iPod's Worst Nightmare
I looked at the 4th generation iPod and the iPod mini and the new iPod shuffle. Then I studied the ARCHOS Gmini400 and its bigger brothers. My choice was clear after THOROUGH research.... and I mean THOROUGH! I read almost every review on the net. Check out CNET in English. If you can read French, try www.jbmm.net and take a deeper look at JJ's Gmini400 fan site: www.gmini400.com
The Pros:
-USB 2.0 (backward compatible with USB 1.0) and Mass storage device recognition under Windows, no need for iTunes, drivers or anyone's propietary software for this. Just plug and play to ANY windows computer and voila!
-FAST copying of music, pictures, videos, etc...
-Superb Video quality
-Excellent picture quality (CF card feature fantastic)
-EXCELLENT SOUND
-SHUFFLE feature
-fits in your pocket
-Universal power adaptor for UK, EUROPE, US/Latin America / China and all adapters INSIDE the box!!! YES!!!! loved this one because I do travel. A friend introduced me to this gadget after he traveled the Gobi desert with it ;)
The Cons:
-You cannot encode video directly from the source like you can with the ARCHOS AV400. You have to convert videos to MP4 formator gmini readable format so you can view them on this PVP.
Get DivX installed on your computer: http://www.divx.com
This will install the DivX codecs!
You will also need PocketDivX for this: http://divx.ppccool.com
Make sure to make a donation to these folks via the paypal link! They deserve it. Download their latest version!
-There was no screen protector inside the box. I had to go out and find one, then cut it and perfect fit it to the Gmini.
-There is no portable case for the gmini inside the box. I bought an iPod silicone case, then beautified it with "the knife". I am no surgeon, but the job looks good and now my Gmini is fully protected, not to mention... fully charged and siliconized!!!
Suggestions:
-Learn how to encode your movies on your computer and then copy them onto your Gmini400.
-Get yourself some decent and comfortable headphones. I personally use some newly designed earbuds by SONY that feel like heaven and sound like it.
-When connecting your Gmini400 to your computer, attach also the power connector because battery power is consumed at a high rate when connected to the USB port of your computer.
Conclusion:Advantages FAR OUTWEIGH the minor disadvantages!!!
GET YOURSELF a Gmini400 !!!!!!!!!! IT ROCKS!!!
And forget iPod!!! iPod won't let you play stuff you download from non-iTunes Download Stores, BIG WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12 Everything but the kitchen sink
I have been looking for a replacement for my Ipod for a few months since it broke down. I was interested in the other PVP's for their video capability but was reluctant to buy them because of their huge sizes.
I bought the Archos one night after reading about it in an article and reading the other reviews here. I am glad that I did. It is only 20 gig but cost only a fraction more than a Ipod with the same size harddrive.
The Gmini 400 plays mp3 well and sounds great. The screen, although small is one of the clearest screen I've seen. Photos is clear and videos is smooth and colorfull. It is so amazing that I could read the subtitles in most movies' and animes' as long as the font is not really small.
The games so far is not really worth mentioning. It could play games but they are of the games for phones variety.
One thing that needs to be mentioned is that the software to convert videos does not sync the sound with the video properly. Sound always came a second ahead of video. Exp..you hear someone talk before you see the mouth move. This problem was solved by downloading the newest pocketDivx which have a setting already set for the Gmini 400. The program is free and has more functions than the one that came with the Gmini. The link is http://divx.ppccool.com/
Within the week that I recieved my player, I have shown it to a few of my coworkers and 3 of them decided that they wanted to buy one on the spot. One of them already owns a Ipod that he loves.
If you only need to play music, the ipod is better and easier to use but if you want a swiss army knife of portable entertainment that works well and is about the size of an Ipod then this is the perfect solution.
13 The best, most portable PVP, even w/ a Mac
I have the Gmini 400 and it is fantastic. I am extremely happy with this PVP. It has great screen, great sound, great size. The interface is easy enough, in no time you will be very adept with it. Of course, the only issue will be getting video/movies on the machine. You have to encode the movies before you can play them on the machine. Archos apparently puts great software on the Gmini to do this for you, only thing is you have to have a PC, so if you have a PC, you should use that, it is supposed to work great. I, however, have a Mac and was having a heck of time getting the movies to play right on the Gmini. The audio and video would be out of sync. I tried ffmpegX. It's shareware which is nice and it is extremely fast at encoding movies. However, not for the beginner and I never got the audio to sync right. After spending several hours, I finally plunked down the money and got Divx Pro from drdivx.com. Cost something like $19.99, with MP3 audio its like $6 more. You need the MP3 audio for Divx movies. Divx Pro is used through Quicktime, however you do need Quicktime Pro (lots of documentation on the website). You open the movie in Quicktime then export it and you then get the option Divx and you hit the options button for Divx Pro to come up. You can choose different options. I just use the portable video option, this gives you perfect video for the Gmini, video is fine and syncs perfectly with the video. Hopes with helps any Mac/Gmini peeps out there.
14 The Gmini 400, a very impressive device
This player is very impressive, you cannot really tell from the pictures but it is quite a show stopper. Here are a few reasons why I chose this above the iPod:
- same size and weight as the iPod
- plays videos on the LCD as well as TV
- acts a a photo wallet, with built-in support for getting images off of CF (and other cards through a compatibility add-on) cards
- good music quality
- "native" support in the OS, no driver needed to mount player on PCs on modern OSs like OS X and Win XP
- good battery life for a device this size
- supports games through Mophun engine (same engine used for most recent cell phones including NGage)
Here are some further details. Hopefully this helps you pare down the feature list to the things you really need.
Photo Wallet:
I travel frequently to India and other locations--most times I do not want to take a laptop with me but still carry my high mega-pixel camera. So the Gmini is exactly the right thing for me as I'd rather only carry one small pocket size device.
Video:
The device cannot record video so it should not be classified as a PVR (like the iRiver or Archos AV400). The Gmini, however, can be loaded with divx encoded files for playback on the LCD or a TV. This is handy for traveling or for just ferrying a movie from your computer to your bedroom TV or over to a friend's house.
Music:
The device supports the two formats I use most: mp3 and WMA. I do not really use OGG or APE so do not mind that these are not included. The sound quality is very good, though the equalizer is not really feature rich - only has bass and treble controls with an optional bass boost. I would have liked to see at least some presets. That being said, you won't really miss the equalizer unless you are using low quality earbuds. I use a pair of Sennheiser headphones (the HD 212 and HD 590) when at home and Sony Fonotopia ones at work. Your mileage may vary with the supplied headphones...
The Gmini also supports recording to WAV (compressed or not) through the built-in mic or an optional line in attachment. The built-in mic is sufficient for quick recordings but if you plan on doing a lot of bootlegging, get the line in attachment as it will produce better recordings (i.e. will allow you to avoid any device noises as well as move the mic to a higher location at a concert without letting go of your device).
Look and feel:
The device is really small--almost too small at times! The make is fairly good, the only plastic parts are the middle enclosure. The front and back silver as well as the buttons are all aluminum. While its not steel like the iPod, the aluminium actually makes the Gmini lighter and easier to carry around in a coat pocket. The buttons are very firm and responsive--great for sorting through music and navigating the device but not great for playing games (I prefer the gameboy feel personally and would rather have them be a little bit softer in feel).
Accessories:
The Gmini comes with headphones (earbuds), a line out for your TV, a universal adapter with attachments to use in Europe and other parts of the world. There is also an optional SD, MMC card attachment you can buy as well as the FM / Recorder attachment mentioned previously.
Here are some drawbacks to the device:
- would have preferred recording straight to mp3 as an option
- would be nice to have a carrying case included. I like my Gmini a lot and would not want it to get all scratched up :)
- FM and line-in recording attachment is a little pricey right now IMHO
- The mophun games on archos's site are a little expensive (for me anyways) at ~6.00 a game. It would be nice to have a variety pack of old classics like pacman, asteriods for cheap
- limited video codec support out of the box--you will likely have to reencode some of your videos to play properly on the device (archos provides some tools as well)
- no direct video recording to turn this into a full PVR (though if that made the device bigger, I'd support the decision to eliminate the feature)
- internal non-replacable battery (though I personally know which li-ion battery the Gmini uses and could replace it myself)
Overall the device is exceeding my expectations. While I'm wary of Archos as it is a non-local company and support has been a black mark for them, I also have owned enough devices to know that there is no perfect company (e.g. iPod battery issues, Rio quality issues, iRiver support issues). Archos has survived long enough now to make a mark for itself so here's hoping.
Also, there is a budding community for this device at www.gmini400.com, feel free to go there to get more advice or check out (sometimes unofficial) tricks, customizations and FAQs.
15 Cool Product -Horrible Customer Support
Anyone considering purchasing this or any Archos product should be aware that based on my experience (4 Archos jukeboxes) their quality control is spotty at best. This used to be bearable because they used to have a fairly liberal warranty policy and would repair or exchange defective products no questions asked. That has changed. Now you have to go through an elaborate process of providing documentation of purchase, mailing the unit back at your own expense, insured, and waiting in silence while they decide what to do. In my case the little joystick that is the key control of the AV320 fell off. When I returned the unit to them for repair (they would not simply send me the part) they decided to keep the 80 gb hard drive I had installed in my AV320. Because they claim installing the drive voided the warranty they now say that they will not return MY drive to me unless I pay them $125 for the repair. Won't take back the replacement they sent me, won't send me a replacement part, won't give me my property back. Worst customer service I've ever seen. I think it would be a serious mistake to buy anything from them.
16 I'm in love with this thing
First, sorry about my english...
I was thinking about buying an ipod, so I did my home work, searching internet, reading material about it. I started to see that some simple things couldn't be done with the ipod and could with the Archos Gmini. Here is a few points observed:
1-The Archos Gmini doesn't need drivers!Just plug andd be happy!
2-Archos Gmini plays video (divx and mpeg). Some divx I even hadnt to convert to Archos format.
3-Archos Gmini is a hard drive! You can do everything like a normal drive. Just plug to your computer!
4-The Gmini color display is even better than I tought! Beauty!
5-You can put all your pictures from your compactflash directly into the gmini.
6-Ipod has a cool look but Archos gmini isn't so behind..You can say to your friends that have an ipod that you think before you buy something.
My botton line is:
Who buys an ipod didnt think about it, just bought because is an Apple bealtiful thing.
Archos gmini 400 is the smartest choice because can do more with less. Archos gmini 400 has a heart!
17 Love my Gmini
I recently got my Gmini 400 as a present and absolutely love it. I have copied over all my music from my PC in .wma format with no worries, I have put some video on and have copied over all my digital pictures. All of this was super simple to do - just plug the Gmini into my computer and copy away.
So far music quality is great, the videos are fantastic. Photo playback could be a little quicker and better, but hey, that's not why I got the device. It's nice to have the photos there as a backup and so that I can show family and friends when I want to.
I have seen where some people say the interface is difficult to use. I don't really agree. I know there are things there I don't know about yet, but hey most anyone can work it out.
Of course there are some extra things I would like - better playlist functions, like I get in Windows Media Player, and perhaps better syncing of devices - maybe these are even there and I haven't found them yet.
Overall I love it. Great device and I would highly recommend.
18 Perfect!
I recieved this product for Christmas, and I am completely blown away by it. I took it out of the box, turned it on, and played around with it for about five minutes. I checked out the videos and audio samples that were already on the player. Then I hooked it into my computer, where it was recognized as an external hard drive. This was a brilliant move by Archos. You just simply open the folder that the Gmini is assigned, and drop your files in to the designated folder. I had 1400 songs on my computer, and they were all on my Gmini within 15 minutes of opening the package. I had to convert the video files on my computer to the format the Gmini uses, and there were no problems with that. The included conversion software worked wonderfully. After converting the files, they transferred smoothly to the Gmini. They look fairly good on the screen, while not DVD quality, they still look great and are easy to enjoy. I havn't really used the photo feature much, although I did transfer a few images to the Gmini just to see how they looked. The images looked about the same as they did when they were on my computer. The games aren't great, but they can provide with a limited amount of entertainment. With that said however, the Gmini is not a device designed to play games. Overall, the Gmini 400 is a wonderful product that almost flawlessly earns this 5-star rating.
19 For those who want more than an IPOD!
Ipod costs $300, gmini costs $50 more...what did i get for the extra $50?
1. backup important shots straight from my DSLR though CF port
2. around 10 full length watchable movies (each 500mb)
3. digital photo wallet
20 Music and photos in a convenient small device
I had been waiting for a way to carry both music and photos conveniently, especially when travelling. The Gmini 400's small size and combined functions seemed like a good way to get started with my first jukebox.
After 2 days of getting acquainted:
- I had 5 years of digital pics installed in the first hour
- found it transparent to copy music files from Windows Explorer onto the 400
- am comfortable with the interface. It is "sensible" most of the time, and I have not had many occasions to refer to the documentation
- the screen is bright and easy to read, at least if one is nearsighted
- have been enjoying shuffle play all day ever since
- found the web update to 1.3.x very smooth and easy
- ready for international use, with a multivoltage adapter and even some plug converters included
Why not 5*'s?
- small is beautiful, but longer play would be nice
- the basic match to WinXP is very good, but I still have not figured out the Mediaplayer 10 sync function. For my needs this is immaterial...is easy to simply copy files. But neither Archos nor Microsoft seem to include instructions that are accessible enough to me on the sync process. (...and I am familiar with syncing on iPaqs, etc.)
- I am finding the playlist function obtuse and hard to understand. OK, it is very easy to open a playlist and play the list. However, I like to just shuffle play all the songs on the 400 and every now and then, decide to add the current song to a playlist. Still have not figured out how to do that.
- I will use this as a general slideshow device on TVs. The initial setup was quite easy, and I appreciate that both PAL and NTSC are included. At first the image on my 10 year old home TV was jittery and less than satisfying. I discovered however that playing it through the receiver works perfectly. The receiver must amplify the video signal a bit before it goes on to the TV.
- Another irritant on playlists is that when I do manage to update a playlist and save it...it keeps adding another .m3u extension...so I end up with files like playlist.m3u.m3u.m3u. Strange. I just go back to the playlist in the browser and rename the file to cut off the redundant extensions.
- reading the other reviews...I'll be shopping for a case and screen protectors
So...in the first few days I have found a few items that are obtuse or confusing. However, as a newbie on these things...I feel 100% pleased with the basic ability to carry both a nice photo library and a nice music library and the ease of accessing both of these. Setting up the 400 to play on my stereo was a snap, with the RCA jack cables already included. And the smooth Windows integration means my basic file maintenance is easy. If I get tired of moving or changing things on the Gmini itself...just mount it on the USB port and have at it from a full size keyboard. Very easy.
And it sounds great.
ps...have now had the Gmini 400 for a couple of weeks...and overall satisfaction has increased.
pps...this toy keeps growing on me...now several weeks later. I found a nice snug fitting case that was neoprene with a large clear plastic cover at an office superstore, allowing access to all of the controls. Punched a small hole for the audio jack. However...I worry that it insulates too much. The 400 heats up a lot when on power and on USB, and am fretting the high temps will damage the electronics or the batttery. Have ditched the case. Battery life may have already been compromised, but most of it seems to still be there.
http://www.gmini400.com/ offers some good tips.
21 cool but not cool enough
I received my gmini thinking I could download all of my video from my computer and also was thinking that it had the same video recording feature as its bigger brother, the av420, and i would be able to record straight off the VCR. I was wrong but that is okay. The thing that I really have a problem with is that you have to dub any video you may have into the format of the player. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that it will only dub from an .avi format with mp3 audio with special codecs. The videos that I was able to download into the device were cut by the program for what it said were errors. out of 13 GB of video I was hoping to download the software was only able to dub a gig or two and only one of my video clips was fully intact. As an MP3 player the Gmini is great and since it costs as much as any other MP3 player on the market but also plays video it is a bargain, but it would be cooler if they would just download a version of Windows Media Player that can just handle any kind of video and fit it to the screen. The new generation of multi media players are coming out and I say just wait for them.
22 Finally, something worth upgrading to!
I purchased one of the first available hard drive jukebox system (Creative Jukebox) 5 or 6 six years ago. About two years ago, I began to look for an upgrade but didn't find anything that convinced me it was worth the $300+ to upgrade. After all, my Jukebox still play musics just fine, although it was huge compared to all the newer model. The Gmini 400 finally convinced me.
When looking for an upgrade, these were my main priorities in order: 1. play musics in MP3 and WMA format, 2. Portable hard drive, 3. portable image storage, 4. image viewer, 5. small size, 6. voice recording, 7. radio. I'm glad to say that the GMINI met all these needs, although one required an extra accessory. I won't go in to details about the system since it would just be a repeat of the other review.
In conclusion, as an avid amateur photography, the Gmini couldn't be more perfect for me. It allows me to listen to music while out shooting in those magic hours. It also gives me the capability to store my images out in the field, not to mention recording my note. And finally, I have a portable portfolio to show off my work. The only thing I could ask for would be support for some of the common RAW file format and a scroll button for navigation.
23 The Gmini Rocks!
Tehe *beaming* I'm pretty happy. Since I'm leaving early for Christmas, I got my presents from my half of my folks (the other half being in Italy). So I got two KILLER presents, a beautiful, warm coat for my the cold weather of Europe (looks like the highs in The Netherlands and Switzerland are in the 40s), AND I got an Archos Gmini!
If you're looking for a portable MP3 player, skip the iPod, get a Gmini. This thing rocks. Not only does it have all the functions of an iPod at a slightly smaller, more portable size, but I can transfer photos from my camera and store them on the Gmini while I'm in Europe, and it also allows me to play movies through your television.
So if all goes well, I'll have the Extended Edition of Return of the King ripped and uploaded to my Gmini. That way I can watch it while I'm flying to Europe while others have to suffer with the inflight movie. ;)
Course the only downside is that it has an internal battery that lasts ten hours with audio and five hours with video... I'm not sure that's long enough. I forget how long is the extended ROTK.
Ah well... I like to sleep on International flights anyways.
As I was learning about the Gmini, I learned a wee bit about another cool feature Andrew told me about. You can use it as a personal recorder. So tonight, I recorded "Wild Kitty." The sound quality sucks, but you can listen to it as the featured MP3 for today. The quality is poor (I haven't learned how adjustable it is yet), but it's fun nonetheless.
24 A True iPod Killer
I was in the market for a new MP3 player, and when I read the specs of this thing I was fascinated by the possibility of carrying around my own personal video player. I had been messing around with video editing for a while(mixing my own DVDs, etc.), so being able to watch DVDs on the go seemed very cool.
I've seen some opinions knocking the interface as unintuitive, but it's really very easy to pick up and play around with. There are a few features that you're gonna have to read the manual/quickstart to find out, but overall it's pretty clean.
The features they packed into this little pocket-sized unit are amazing. As an MP3 player, it reads ID3 tags and album art without a hitch--displaying them while you listen to the music(the screen goes blank after a few minutes to save on battery). It's also pretty easy to record audio clips via the built-in mic.
As a video player, it plays DivX and XviD encoded AVI files with MP3 audio encoding smoothly without any stuttering. Finding out how to encode DVDs in a format the player could use took a bit of work(hint: use FlasKMPEG), but after downloading all the freely available tools it's pretty straightforward. The video looks sweet on the 2.2 inch screen; if you think you can't watch a movie on something that small, think again!
I can't really say much about its photo viewing or game playing capabilities; I tried playing around with them but I really don't use them. The fact that you can copy files of a flash card via the built-in slot is pretty cool; if I had a digital camera being able to dump pics off the camera at any time without the laptop would be ideal. I tried the sample games; the best I can say is that they're cute. The video/audio on them is pretty good though.
The only big downside I see is that it really needs a case to protect the screen, but it doesn't come with one. I picked up a cheap GameBoy case though and that works just fine. The battery life is a bit short too(5 hours for video/10 hours for audio), but it's good enough for me.
Overall, I don't know why anyone would want to choose an iPod over this. User interface is important, but when I can get a decent UI AND movies AND photos AND games AND recorder along with my MP3s AND it's cheaper to boot...there's just no contest! It's just the best portable MP3 jukebox player I've seen.
25 Bye Bye Apple Ipod!
I bought the Archos Gmini 400 to replace by 10 GB 3rd generation Apple Ipod that I've had for over a year. I wasn't sure what to expect with this thing, but it turns out to be great. Unlike my Ipod which I only ended up using in the car because of its limited features of only being able to play music, I carry the Gmini everywhere I go since I can not only listen to music, but also record stuff or play videos.
The Gmini's user interface may not be as fancy or simple as the Ipod's scroll wheel, but the Gmini is not that difficult to use, and it's rather easy to use once you get used to it and learn the controls. The Gmini is sort of like a little Windows computer itself, so if you are good with a Windows PC, you'll have no problems navigating around with the Gmini. If you are a Mac user and need things to be as simple as possible, then you may have some problems learning the controls. I like the fact that I don't have to use any junk software on my computer to transfer the files over to the Gmini. I just connect the Gmini to the USB cable and copy them straight over as if it were another hard drive.
The screen on the Gmini is quite stellar, and it almost looks like a small laptop screen it is so bright. I also like the look of the Gmini over the Ipod also, it is nice to not have to worry about getting scratches each time you touch the thing, unlike the Ipod which scratches up rather easily with its polished back casing that ends up looking pretty bad after a while. Just to be safe I put a PDA screen protector over the screen of my Gmini to protect it, and I also use the case for the Ipod with my Gmini since it is the same size and fits perfectly.
It is very easy to play music with this thing, and it's also easy to create play lists or delete files on the go. One very cool feature is the album art that shows when you play your music. I recommend downloading Musicmatch Jukebox Plus and using their super tagging feature which fixes your MP3 tags, and it also adds the album art into the tags for you which are perfect for the Gmini.
The Gmini works very well as a recorder, even though you can sometimes infrequently hear the hard drive spinning. This thing is perfect to take around with you and record your friends making fools of themselves at parties, or to record a concert you go to.
If you want to put videos on the Gmini, it does take some time encoding them in the proper format, but it's not too hard to do if you are computer savvy. It is cool to be able to watch videos on the Gmini or to use the included cable to watch them on your TV. It is sort of like carrying around a DVD player or VCR in your pocket if you go over to a friend's house. I've also used my Gmini to put photos on from my compact flash card, and this is also a breeze.
Unlike Apple who appears to not care about customers who purchased previous models and they try to make you buy a new model when in reality they could release a firmware update with the same features included. It appears that Archos routinely has been releasing updates for the Gmini, and they have just recently released their third firmware update (1.3) the other day. This update can easily be downloaded from their website onto your Gmini as a portable hard drive and it's rather simple to update.
If you are somebody who wants what everybody else has or if you are trying to fit in with your friends who aren't very tech savvy, and if you buy into all the hype and advertising generated by a corporate giant, then go buy yourself an Ipod. If you want to stand out and be cooler than those friends with those feature lacking Ipods, and if you know how to use a Windows computer and don't need things to be as simple as possible, go buy yourself an Archos Gmini 400. You'll be much happier with the extra features you get, and you won't be feeding more money to the giant that is Apple, who purposely leaves features off of their Ipods, only so they can release new models later on with features they should have had a while ago. I am going to be selling my old Ipod on eBay, and I won't miss it or Apple one bit.
26 Jack of all Trades, Master of None
Archis Gmini 400 is a great device with many capabilities. Gmini 400 is one of the best choices if you compare its features to competitors. Certainly, it is not as beautiful and intuitive as an Ipod, but it does so much more. Its music features are not as extensive as Iriver mp3 players, but it is so much smaller and has video capabilities. Its video mode is not as advanced as many other devices designed as entertainment centers (such as those that can record live TV), but Gmini 400 is much cheaper and it still has a beautiful color screen. The fact that Gmini 400 is the second best choice in many categories makes it a very strong overall choice. It is a Jack-of-all-trades, and being a master of none is not necessarily a weakness if you are looking for a broad set of features.
I bought Gemini 400 a week ago from Amazon, and put it to a good test since then, because I was not sure if I wanted to keep it or send it back. Gmini is a small device that looks like a game boy. The box comes with connection cables, headphones, charger and a multi-jack adaptor. No carrying case is included, and the last time I checked, Archos did not have one for sale. It looks well-built overall, although, to my dismay, the browsing button was a fit flimsy. The charger is unbelievable light and it works for input voltages from 100 V to 240 V, perfect for international travelers. Archos also included handsomely made plugs to be used in Europe and Britain. A full charge takes about 3 hours. One of the great things is that you don't have to wait until the batteries are completely drained before you can charge your device. I did not test how long the batteries last (the company claims 10 hours with music only and 5 hours with video, and the latest firmware update claims significant improvement over battery life), but if you fiddle too much with the screen (and, believe me, you should if you want to learn how to use it), they will obviously drain quickly. I think it is easily possible to get 8 or 9 hours if you only listen to music on your Gmini 400, but this may not be enough for some users who demand more battery life, especially considering that there are alternative products with longer battery life.
Gmini has an ingenious system of file manipulation: Similar to the previous versions of Windows explorer, two windows appear when you want to copy or move files, when you add songs to a playlist, or when you copy photos to the device. Therefore, you can use it as a back-up hard drive, but 20 GB hard drive space (about 18 when formatted) may not be sufficient for people with a lot fo music files and movies to store on the device. I think Archos should have offered a 40 GB version as well.
Gmini 400 becomes ready to use a few seconds after you turn it on, even when the hard drive is full of music and other files. I heard horror stories with other mp3 players that took 20 minutes to switch on, and this is a big deal for me. Operating system in the device looks stable (Gmini 400 crashed only once since I bought it). When I received it, I immediately updated the firmware to the latest version (1.2), which is extremely easy to do. I suggest you do the same before putting any files on Gmini. This is not the easiest mp3 player to use, but learning to use it is not rocket science either. Reading the included manual carefully (there is a more detailed manual on the hard drive of Gmini) is not a bad investment considering how much it increases your enjoyment.
I am not an "audiophile", but Gmini 400 sounds very good. The included headphones, as you can guess, are completely useless. Transferring music is very quick with a USB 2.0 connection. My files (11 GB) took less than half hour to transfer. You can adjust bass, treble, and deep bass on your device but no equalizers are included. One of the best features of Gmini is that Windows XP recognizes it as an external hard drive (you will need to install drivers for other operating systems). Then, you can copy your music files (and other files of course) onto Gmini 400 without using any software (but, if you wish, it is also possible to use Windows Media Player 9 to syncronize files). At this point, you have two choices: either browse through your music using your own folder structure (if you organized your music well) or let Gmini 400 detect your ID tags and organize the music based on Artist, Album, Title, Genre, and Year. Recognizing ID tags (you need to do this every time you add new music) takes about 15 seconds for my 11 GB of music. I had one minor problem. Gmini did not recognize Blues as a genre, and replaced "Blues" in ID tags with "0". Everything else worked fine. When you skip to another song without waiting to the end, Gmini searches its hard drive for a short while, but if you are listening to an album or a playlist, it does not include any extra silence between tracks. This should work great for classical music listeners. Finally, you can easily create playlists in the fly.
The video capabilities of Gmini 400 are limited. You cannot record from TV or any other external source. You have to transfer video files to Gmini using your computer. It is certainly possible to watch an entire movie, but the screen is a bit too small for my tastes. However, you can connect Gmini to your TV and watch your movie on TV screen. Gmini is able to play only specific types of movie files. Requirements (30 or less fps, less than a certain resolution, etc) seem extensive at first. However, Archos included a utility in the hard drive of Gmini. After you install this utility, converting your movies to the format Gmini likes is very easy. You do not have to know anything about this procedure, since almost everything is automated in the process.
The photo mode works nicely. You can transfer your photos directly from your digital camera into Gmini. You do not even need a cable for that (as opposed to other mp3 players). You simply plug your compact flash card into Gmini and it recognizes it automatically. This is also much better than Ipod photo because you do not have to use your computer to place these files on the device. If you go on a trip with the intent to take a lot of pictures, but you do not want to carry your notebook computer, Gmini offers a perfect solution.
Gmini also lets you play games, although I am not interested in this very much. I feel like extensive gaming on this device can ruin the buttons in the long run. Five games were included on my Gmini, and three of them were demos. You can buy games directly from Archos if you pay an additional $6 for each.
You can record voice using Gmini but it does not encode your files into mp3. Also, the sound of the hard drive is clearly audible during the beginning of the recording. You can also record from analog sources using the line in connection. You can even edit these songs on Gmini, but this is nothing fancy. You can simply cut out sections from the beginning and the end of the file. If you would like to listen to and record from the radio, you will have to buy an optional accessory: the remote control. The Amazon website sells Gmini and the remote as a bundle. I think the remote is worth the extra money you pay for it not only because adds radio capabilities, but also it reduced battery consumption of the main unit. You do not have to turn on the screen on the main unit every time you want to search or skip a song. Also, the remote has a microphone to record voice. If you do not want to hear the hard drive on your voice recording, you will need the remote. When you record a song from the radio using the remote control, you have the option of "retro-recording", which lets you capture 30 seconds of the broadcast before you actually pressed the record button-a very useful feature, I believe. You can also edit recordings from the radio right on your Gmini. One problem with the remote is that the record button is placed too conveniently. It is easy to accidentally press the button.
I did not have an encounter with the Archos support yet, but it seems they are at least updating the firmware for Gmini 400 quite frequently (in relative terms, of course). In any case, make sure you buy one from a reputable place with a good return policy (like Amazon, which also has the best price as I am writing this). After thinking about it a lot, I decided to keep my Gmini 400. If you only want an mp3 player with plenty of extra musical features (equalizers, etc.), Gmini 400 may not be the best choice. If you want a very simple device that does nothing but plays mp3s, Gmini is not a great choice, either. However, if you like a little bit of everything, Gmini looks like a great choice. When you add the color screen, the photo and movie features, and the small size of this device, Gmini 400 becomes a strong contender. Good luck finding the right player for you.
27 Archos Gmini is perfect for now.
OK, do you have a cell phone? A Nokia perhaps? Well, this Archos Gmini 400 is smaller, yes smaller. Here's how I found the Archos...
I initially wanted a very large capacity MP3 player. So, after 5-6 months of researching and waiting, I settled on the DMC Xclef 500. Why? Well, it has 80GB of space. And the newer models have 100GB. But so what? I got the Xclef and it stunk. Super heavy. Super big, yes it was like having 3 ritter candy bars (or 3 CD jewel cases). Don't even think about returning the Xclef. If you've had it for 10 days, including Sat/Sun, forget it. And if you can fed-ex it back to them in that short of time, they assess a 15% restocking fee. Yes, $54 just to return it, no shipping returned. DMC is terrible. Thinking of getting the Xclef 800? Beware! It's battery life might be half of what they claim, if you are lucky. And they say that if you do not "condition" it the way they want you to over the course of like 10 hours, it's not warranted.
Thus, I began my search again. I stumbled into a CompUSA, and there sat a beautiful $599 Archos Video player/recorder. Yes, smaller than the Xclef, and it plays and records videos. Not the same capacity, but so what.
So, I thought, surly the Gmini 400 is as small. Was I wrong! It's smaller. But about the size of an original Ninetendo game controller. And cooler. You don't need proprietary software or drivers to install it (if you have W2K pro or XP home/pro). Just plug it into your USB 1.1 or 2.0 port and wa-la! Once you copy all 20GB of songs into the device (drag and drop), just turn on, navigate to the folder and begin playing. Yes, this supports Windows media player 10 sync, just sync with Windows Media Player just like iTunes from iPod. Or, sync with iTunes like it was an iPod!!! This gmini has all the features. And look at the price! I already downloaded 3 games on the archos.com website, too easy to install. Just drag into the root of the gmini and it self installs. Anyhow, if you want a good 20GB MP3 player that also plays MPEG-4 (ripped DVDs) movies, get it. Get it just to have a 20GB USB drive that plays games and songs and movies. Don't wait for the 40GB, as that hard disk may be twin platter. If so, they'll have to rebuild the case and probably won't offer it. Archos is definitely the best in the business.
Lastly, I ended up buying the Archos from Amazon.com because they had a competitive price, and usually get it shipped out immediately. I chose the USP ground method and it got to me 5 days after I placed the order (including Sat/Sun). Now, that's some quick delivery time.
28 Bought it, used it, It ROCKS!
First off don't listen to reviewers who just looked at the package in the store and never bought it, that makes me mad they have no basis to review a product. I've had the Gmini for a while now and this thing rocks! It's not just an Mp3 player, but it stores and allows you to view photos and videos, has decent games, and at 20GB it's big enough to handle a ton if data. You might read about people who knock it for its size, but I purchased an ipod case made by Case Logic and it fits perfectly..It's virtually the same size as an ipod.
Another cool feature is the movies, if you can "acquire" movies on your computer then you can convert them to a format that the Gmini uses and then watch movies on this little awesome machine. Tell me how cool this is, recently on a cross country flight I watched the movie The Italian Job which I downloaded, converted, and copied to the Gmini. I had plenty of battery to watch the movie and listen to music the rest of the way. The guy next to me was watching and then at the end of the flight he was asking all about the Gmini and how he could get one.
The Mp3 player is also very cool. You can create playlists on the fly, as well as break you music collection down by artist, album, genre, year it was released, song name. Playlists are very cool because they take up very little space on the hard drive, but they allow you to do so much. For example I have 3 different playlists for when I workout...One for running which is upbeat and has songs that I really get into which take my mind off of running ;)... another is for lifting which contains much more aggressive music that gets me all fired up!...and the third one is my cool down music that I play as I'm walking or stretching. Very cool.
I purchased 2 great accessories for the Gmini. The first was a 3 in 1 case made by Case Logic, model # MPC7. This thing can be used as a belt pack, as an arm band, or detach all the straps and the case has a hand strap. It's very nice and convenient. The other cool accessory is made by Irock and it is a device that plugs into the cigarette lighter of your car and into the headphone jack of the Gmini and basically broadcasts your Mp3's over a radio station that you tune your car's stereo to. It's very cool cause now your Gmini is locked and loaded for long road trips! Just watch out if you accidentally play that aggressive workout playlist while you drive you might develop a case of ROAD RAGE!!!
The photo function is very handy for me as well because I have a 4 month old daughter and love to show off pictures of her all of the time. One of her pictures is also set as the wallpaper of the Gmini! The CF reader is a nice function to have as well. I have a Canon A75 which uses a CF card and I've just messed around a little bit with this but you can take all of the pictures from the CF card and transfer them to the Gmini and then continue taking pictures. Very handy if you shoot tons of pictures, or are like me a little paranoid to take a ton because you are worried that your card will be full when the perfect picture moment comes along.
Anyway, I am rambling. Forget the ipod photo, or other ipods the Gmini is well worth your money and has features that leave the ipod in the dust (mainly the movies). If you don't have any desire to watch movies or play entertaining games then the ipod and Gmini are very similar and it probably comes down to personal preference. Archos has created a real winner here; I don't believe you will be disappointed.
29 It's okay - not great
I've been looking to replace my 1G iPod for a while, and since I am an avid digital photographer, I wanted something to use as photo storage. When the Gmini came out, I thought it had all of the features I wanted, at a reasonable price point - enough to make me switch. However, I was ultimately disappointed in this across the board.
1. The interface is very clumsy - too many buttons, too many menus to navigate. Like another reviewer noted, the screen seems to be positioned for maximum scratching. It's bigger than an iPod, without a substantially bigger screen.
2. The CF slot is very limiting, since I use a variety of media - SmartMedia, Memory Sticks, etc. So, I'd still need to carry around a laptop, if I was using multiple media types.
3. The picture display was not too good - hard to see in bright daylight, and the images loaded very slowly.
4. No case, no dock.
I went back to my local BestBuy about 6 times - I think they thought I was casing the joint - but I didn't buy it, and boy, am I glad I waited. The iPod Photo is exactly what I wanted - and while it's more expensive - there is certainly much more bang for the buck.
1. The 60 GB is $200 more, but you've got three times the storage size, a dock, a case and an interface to a TV or any display that runs off of an S-video connection.
2. The interface is incredibly easy - nothing beats the Click-Wheel.
3. For $35, the Belkin media transfer bridge allows me the freedom to use any form of media I want because it connects directly to the camera.
4. Pictures loaded into the iPod through iTunes display instantaneously in near-true, brilliant color. Yes, yes - I know that I can't look at the shots I just transferred from a memory card, but since spend a lot of time cropping and color correcting, this doesn't seem particularly important to me. I also fully expect that there will be a third party app soon that will enable viewing downloads from cards fairly soon.
5. Video - never on my list to begin with. Why would I want to watch video on such a tiny little screen? A nice feature, but one I don't see as particularly important.
In short - the Gmini is a nice unit - a reasonable alternative if you don't want to spend the additional $$ for the iPod Photo.
30 Gmini400
I bought the Gmini400 after doing a lot of research on many different MP3 players.
After doing this research, I found that the Gmini was, by far, the best value if you want a function loaded device. I travel a lot so some of the key selling points for me were the video and the plug and play capability. The video playback is great and better looking than I expected from the small screen. I've been converting my DVD's to Divx format with some free software I got off the net and they look great.
The PnP capability is great too. Unlike the IPOD, this thing can be plugged into any computer without adding software and it just shows up as an external hard drive. I've used it on 6 different computers with no problems at all. Just drag and drop files from/to yours and your friends' PC's.
Bottom line is this thing is way better priced over IPOD's competitor, the IPOD photo, and it has a lot more features - voice recorder, video, plug and play, plus everything the IPOD does.
I'd highly recommend this to anyone.
31 The player is awesome, if it would mount on my computer
I bought the Gmini the other day and I was pleased how it looked and the size of the player. The player was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The screen is very bright and the music plays fine. I connected it to a G5 running 10.3.5 and it mounted fine. I transfered a folder of my music and everything went fine. I dragged the drive into the trash to unmount it but after plugging it back in it would not mount anymore. I tried it on my pc running windows xp and I got an unrecognized usb device and an error that the device malfunctioned. I tried it on 3 other macs and 2 other pcs but it will not mount on anything. Its a great player but I only have 20 songs on it and I'm unable to put anymore on at this moment. Archos phone support is not toll free and I waited 30 minutes before I finally hung up. Repeated calls after that gave me a message that I should leave my name, number and description but I haven't recieved a call back from them yet. The player is great but pretty worthless if I can't connect to my computers.
32 The Archos Gmini 400
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.
33 a real IPOD killer?
I was very happy to try out this new product from Archos, it met all my expectations and then some! An IPOD killer, well there is no doubt that IPOD is good, looks fancy and all that, but for me, it is falling behind on the technology bit. Archos creates amazing equipments that kicks ass. Are you tired of IPOD, I-river and so on...buy this one, it is great!
