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Archos 605 is A-OK aside from extra expenses

(Toronto Sun online)

We have finally arrived at an important and historical moment in the evolution of handheld entertainment, friends: The ability to watch videos of prison inmates dancing to Michael Jackson tunes, 14-year-old kids crashing their parents' brand-new Mustangs and monkeys sniffing their own butts and falling out of trees, all in the palm of your hand.

One of the biggest drawbacks to most portable media players and Internet-friendly smartphones is that they don't support video playback from sites like YouTube, Google Video and their ilk. What's the point of having a device that can both play video and access the Internet if I can't use it to get my daily fix of shut-ins posting movies of their rabbits starring in an all-bunny version of 24?

Enter the Archos 605 WiFi. While the Archos name might not be familiar to some, the France-based company has earned a solid re****tion for its line of full-featured, easy-to-use portable media players, handheld devices that can store and play back a variety of video, music and photo formats.

OUT NEXT MONTH

This latest addition to the Archos family, due in retail stores early next month, builds on the strengths of its predecessors and adds a few new bells and whistles. Still, it lacks some features that would make it the be-all and end-all of handheld audio-video jukeboxes.

Like the Archos 604 WiFi, which we gave a thumbs-up to several months back, the slightly sleeker 605 WiFi features a big, bright 4.3-in. touchscreen (now boasting an even higher resolution), great for watching movies on the go or flipping through digital photo albums. Getting your flicks, pics and tunes onto the device is as simple as plugging it into your Windows, Mac or Linux-based PC and transferring the files onto the 605's hard drive, which comes in 30 GB, 80 GB and 160 GB (holy!) configurations, as well as a flash memory-based 4 GB model.

One of the biggest shortcomings of the 604 was that you couldn't use its built-in web browser and WiFi capabilities to surf most video sharing sites.

The 605's Web browser, on the other hand, will work with flash-based websites -- finally, a full-fledged YouTube experience on a handheld device! -- but this functionality will now cost you extra, since the 605's web browser is only available as a US$30 download through the company's website.

GRRRR!

This is one of the only major problems with the 605. Out of the box, it will play most common video formats, but some require the purchase of downloadable plug-ins from the Archos website. If you want to watch .mov files, it'll cost you extra. Listening to the AAC audio format is extra. Internet radio is extra.

EXTRA, EXTRA!!

The aforementioned web browser, which was included on earlier models, is extra. And one of the device's coolest features -- recording video directly from a camcorder, cable box or other source -- will require the purchase of the US$99 DVR station. And no, the 604's DVR station won't work with the 605.

This nickel-and-diming is a little annoying, especially when it comes to the previously free web browser. But if you don't plan to use any of these features, or you're okay with paying a little more, the Archos 605 WiFi is hard to beat as an all-in-one, on-the-go media player.

And really, can you put a price on the ability to watch simian shenanigans from just about anywhere? No, you cannot.

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Archos 605 WiFi portable media player

Available in September for $399 and up, depending on configuration. More info at archos.com

Verdict: This slick and solid portable media player is one of the best of its kind, but power users who want to get maximum functionality out of the wee beastie will need to shell out for software add-ons at US$20 to $30 a pop.

For more info: www.archos.com

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YES, I'd welcome this as a Foro gift for Xmas.  Thanks!