August 31, 2008 – FRENCH personal media player (PMP) manufacturer Archos has delivered on its pledge to build wireless broadband Internet access into its products (Inflight Online, June 11), announcing a new range of “Internet media tablets”.

The company, which provides the hardware basis for part of the IMS Company’s range of handheld IFE players, has introduced three devices designed to provide mobile access to the Internet, television and other digital media.

“These products are true Internet multimedia platforms, using WiFi or HSDPA for connectivity,” says Archos chief executive Henry Crohas. “For the first time the user can have an always-on connection to the Internet via a handheld device. What’s more, our television expertise will also allow the users to enjoy their multimedia entertainment and the Internet on their home televisions.”

The Archos 5 and 7 feature high-resolution 5in and 7in touchscreens respectively, up to 320Gb of memory, and plug-in HSDPA megabit-rated cellular connectivity; the 5g has the latter permanently built in. All three are driven by the power-saving ARM Cortex microprocessor, which, among other things, allows Web pages to be displayed full-size. Other capabilities include Web video, TV and radio streaming, and email and search engine applications.

The tablets offer access to nearly a thousand Web TV channels, over 10,000 Web radio stations and 100,000 podcasts from a wide variety of broadcasters worldwide. Archos’ own Media Club makes the contents of a large library of music, films, documentaries and games available for rental or purchase.

They also support several ways of interfacing with other devices, including PCs and televisions. A film stored on a PC, for instance, can be streamed wirelessly to the Archos tablet for immediate viewing. The optional DVR Station offers an easy way to record TV programmes for viewing on either the tablet or the in-house television. Conversely, content held on the tablet or downloaded from the Internet can be viewed on the television set. And the TVportation plug-in supports the broadcast of live television programming to a tablet anywhere in the world via a WiFi connection.

All three devices are now available from selected retailers and via the Archos Website (archos.com). The USB dongle to support HSDPA on the Archos 5 and 7 is due to be available from the fourth quarter of the year.