iPod Touch or Archos 605 wifi?

[Trulen]

Kay. Before anyone says ANYthing, bear this in mind: THERE SHALL BE NO FANBOYISM. ONLY MATURE DEBATE. Note: Mature does not mean cursing,sex, and drugs. It means that you actually think before you speak, and that includes thinking about the feelings of others. So before you say, "LOL IPOD SUX," or, "LONG LIVEZ IPOODZZZZZZZZZ," think about the intelligence level that you're about to portray.


Okay, we've got some competitors in the PMP world.
Edit: WIFI PMP world, anyways. There are many other worthy contenders in the PMP world.

The Archos 605 wifi
And
The Apple iPod Touch


I would personally say that the Archos 605 wifi is the better device, though there are many people who would prefer the Touch.

Reasons for my saying:

These are all to my knowledge


Pros Apple iPod Touch has over Archos 605 Wifi:
1. Pocketable
2. Abundant third-party support
3. Greater popularity factor. Just because it's iPod.
4. A bit better battery life.
5. Better supplied headphones

Pros Archos 605 Wifi has over Apple iPod Touch:
1. Nearly double the capacity (16 GB to 30 GB. Keep in mind that I'm talking about the 30GB Archos 605 and the 16GB Touch)
2. Less expensive (Though the Archos 605 can be bought from an online store for $280, you still must buy the $30 web plug-in. But still less considering the Touch is nearly $400)
3. Bigger screen. (3.5 inch compared with 4.3 inch)
4. Sharper quality web browsing (800x400 resolution compared to Touch's.. (Actually I don't know. But I know it's more than the Touch's))
5. More colors. Archos 605 has 16 million colors while Touch has 256,000 I believe. I may be wrong.
6. Better sound quality with headphones other than the supplied ones.
7. Not restricted to using iTunes. Can use the "Drag and Drop" method. (though some may consider this a con)
8. Can be used with a DVR station (though that'll run you about... 70-100 bucks!) to record just about anything. And output component quality video.
9. Can be used to record video with a special add-on. (which, again, costs money!)
10. Can use a Battery Dock Adapter to boost battery life, charge the 605, and do USB host (the ability to take files off of hard-drives (external, mind you) and even cameras). Also, the battery dock can do video out. But then again, this will run you $50!
11. Can stream files from your PC via HTTP and FTP (though I have no knowledge of how to do this)


As you can see, I've done more research on the Archos 605 than the iPod Touch, which could possibly make my pros inconclusive.



Your thoughts?

 

[sherwood3570]

I was between an Archos or Zune and bought the Zune. The only reason that kept me from buying the 605 was the size.

So if your'e going to be carrying it around more, I would be safe and pick up the Ipod.

 

[Trulen]

I was between an Archos or Zune and bought the Zune. The only reason that kept me from buying the 605 was the size.

So if your'e going to be carrying it around more, I would be safe and pick up the Ipod.

Ah. Size is no matter to me. I often wear clothe with large pockets, or many pockets ;P


But I do understand if you have to wear jeans that fit tightly on you or have no other means of carrying things along with the objects you already have, such as a cell phone and the likes.


But then that makes me wonder about girls.
Because man, they can fit the world in their purses.

Or at least the girls I know.

 

[naisatoh]

This is a great topic, especially since I believe the Apple iPod Touch and the Archos 605 are at the forefront of PMP technology. While both products have a lot to offer, I feel that comparing the two really comes down to style vs. substance. And after all things considered, I find myself preferring the Archos 605.

Style

At first glance, the Touch really hits the ground running.

With its minimalistic design and smoothed out edges, it's easy to see why some of us would choose the Touch based on looks alone. Combine that with a simple, yet visually stunning interface, it would be tough to take even a minute to consider its competition.

At 4.3" x 2.4" x 0.31" and weighing in at 120 grams (I apologize for mixing English with Metric unites), the Touch is considerably smaller than the Archos 605, whose dimensions are 4.8'' x 3.2'' x 0.6" and 190 grams for smaller models. The smaller size of the Touch lends to better portability, but what it adds to fitting in pockets, it takes away from screen size. With a 4.3 inch widescreen, the Archos 605 commands 0.8 inch advantage over the Touch.

Substance

The Touch and the 605 share many core features. Aside from the obvious ability to play music and video, both include Wi-Fi support, touchscreen interface, and photo organization. However, it's in the additional features that sets the two products apart.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Touch is its 3rd party support. With YouTube and Starbucks music at your control, you have the freedom to view your favorite online videos and download your favorite music anywhere you want. Of course, if you don't normally browse YouTube or if you're not much of a coffee drinker, you might not have much use for these additional features that come standard with your Touch purchase.

The Archos 605 has chosen to take its product in a different direction, offering a DVR Station as a separate purchase. With the DVR Station, we can watch content from the 605 on the television, and more importantly, record content from the television onto the 605. With infrared support, the DVR Station can be set to turn on your TV at a certain time, change the channel to the desired program, and turn off the TV when it's all done. Also, with downloadable TV programming schedules, setting the DVR is simple and intuitive.

Nitty Gritty

There are a few details that really sell the 605. First of all, the video support on the Touch is limited to .m4v, .mp4, .mov, and .mpg video formats without room for expandability. The 605, on the other hand, comes with .mpg and .wmv support, but has expandability to .m4v, .mp4, .mov, .vob, and .ps support, though at a price.

In addition to purchasing video support, the Archos 605 requires the consumer to shell out extra bucks to take advantage of what it has to offer. You have to purchase the web-browser plug-in ($30), optional DVR Station ($100), optional helmet camera ($150), etc. Although this may be seen as a negative, it helps lower cost of the original product. For those who may not need a helmet cam or extra video plug-ins, they don't have to pay extra for features they will never use.

Taking price into consideration, the 16GB Touch retails for roughly $500, while a stripped down 30GB Archos 605 retails for only $300. Taking the additional products into consideration:

Archos 605 ($300) + DVR Station ($100) + Web Support ($30) + extra video support ($40) = roughly $470

After some of the main accessories taken into account, a 30GB Archos 605 still costs slightly less than a 16GB Apple Touch.

Conclusion

Of course all of these features really depends on how you're planning to use your PMP. If you're looking for something that will allow for easy transport, or if you have hundreds of videos in your YouTube "favorites" folder, the Touch might be for you. What the Touch sacrifices in space, it makes up with its partnership with YouTube. However, if you're looking for a product that will serve as a recorder as well as a player, you might want to look into the Archos.

Your PMP really needs to fit your lifestyle. Since I'll be spending most of my time in a hospital, I don't have much use for the Touch's portability. And since I watch a lot of television, it would be useful if I had a product that could record my favorite shows while I'm at work. Finally, since I go to school 2000 miles from home, I'll be doing most of PMP watching on a plane where I'll have plenty of luggage to store my Archos.

 

[Wiily Good]

With out knowing much about the Archos 605, it looks to me something suited towards the "hard-core" music listeners, if that even is a term. I would think that the people who own the 80GB and 160GB PMPs AND ACTUALLY USE THEM, they don't just use them as a fashion accessory, would buy the Archos 605 as their casual listening player/video player. It has a bigger screen and memory than the iPod Touch so it is very well suited to video playing.

The iPod Touch, to my way of thinking is more competing with the iPod Nano. To me its the top Nano in Apples line of PMPs. They don't have heaps of storage space and are more for light music (and by that I mean over 1500 songs) and light video watching. The iPod touch definately appeals to the "in" crowd who NEED the flashiest, latest, slickest, stylish device.

Just my thoughts anyway.

 

[ARav989]

The iPod Touch is the better of the two for me. as an individual, heres why.

Transportation-I am ALWAYS on the move. when im traveling with my family, i have my ipod nano playing because their conversations are dull. and when im alone walking around my neighborhood, or with friends, i have my iPod nano playing. The Touch is just so much more compact then the Archos and like said somewhere above "pocketable".

capabilities- I have no need for so many add ons that cost more money. i dont need anything to record TV because in my spare time, i dont watch TV. i listen to my iPod. the add ons for the archos dont agree with my interests, while the Touch does.

Looks- its sad to say but to me, looks really do matter. when i get it (my birthday which is less then two weeks away) i know i will be gloating and showing it off to my friends. lol but who wouldnt? look at that thing.

so ya..all in all. iPod Touch > Archos

 

[naisatoh]

With out knowing much about the Archos 605, it looks to me something suited towards the "hard-core" music listeners, if that even is a term. I would think that the people who own the 80GB and 160GB PMPs AND ACTUALLY USE THEM, they don't just use them as a fashion accessory, would buy the Archos 605 as their casual listening player/video player. It has a bigger screen and memory than the iPod Touch so it is very well suited to video playing.

I remember back when the "old school" 4G iPods used to hold up to 60GB of music without photo or video playback. Even today, the iPod Classic can carry up to 160GB. What I have trouble understanding is why the Classic has so much memory while the Touch, which is made for video playback, is limited to a mere 16GB. I suppose they wanted to keep the product slim, but sacrificing so much space for looks was, in my opinion, a poor decision.

The iPod Touch is the better of the two for me, as an individual; here's why.

Transportation - I am ALWAYS on the move. When I'm traveling with my family, I have my iPod Nano playing because their conversations are dull. And when I'm alone walking around my neighborhood, or with friends, i have my iPod Nano playing. The Touch is just so much more compact then the Archos and like said somewhere above "pocketable".

Looks - It's sad to say but to me, looks really do matter. When I get my Touch (my birthday is less than two weeks away), I know I will be gloating and showing it off to my friends. LOL but who wouldn't? Look at that thing.

Point taken. But of course, like I said in my earlier post, it really comes down to who you are and how you plan to use your PMP. Just like a hard-core music listener would put their entire CD collection on their iPods, I can see hard-core movie lovers putting full seasons of their favorite TV shows on their PMPs. But if casual listening and watching is more your thing, and you prefer its style over the 605's substance, the Touch is definitely for you.

 

[Trulen]

@Naisatoh

I'm not sure if you hit this point about Youtube, but the 605 DOES do youtube. It's predecessors of the '04 series, however, don't.

But the 605 even does full screen youtube videos.

But I'm not an avid Youtube fan.
Quicker for me to download the .flv file and convert it to an avi.

And also, it supports Divx (or is it Xvid...) naturally!
Which... Er... Is what most of the movies you... "Aquire" are in. Another hour less converting.

But blast.
With the money you'd spend on either, you could pretty much be almost-close to an Xobx 360 or PS3.

There's something to consider.

 

[naisatoh]

I'm not sure if you hit this point about Youtube, but the 605 DOES do youtube. It's predecessors of the '04 series, however, don't.

But the 605 even does full screen youtube videos.

Interesting.. I had no idea that the 605 supported full screen streaming video. However, the point I was trying to make about YouTube was the dedicated channel located on iPod's home screen as well as the specialized menu made exclusively for Apple. The Archos, on the other hand, requires you to still navigate to the regular YouTube homepage and find your videos there.

But blast.
With the money you'd spend on either, you could pretty much be almost-close to an Xbox 360 or PS3.

LOL.. that's true.. but I still think I'd rather have the Archos 605..

 

[Hybrid]

The Archos is more of A:" Im gonna take yee on a plane Archos"
Where as with the touch its an Ipod and an Media player.Its great because it works great as just an ipod, beccause the size is nice and its pretty good for videos.
If i could afford i would get the ipod personnaly for im a potable kinda guy. I want to be able to carry it around in my pocket.
But the Archos is much better for plane trips and stuff because of its size and it abiltiy to record TV.