Archos Gmini 400 Review

The Archos Gmini400 which was released at the end of August 2004, is a hard drive based digital audio player which sports a 2.2-inch color LCD display and a 20GB hard drive.

Summary

The Archos Gmini400 definitely falls somewhere between being a high quality digital audio player, a solid portable video player and an okay digital photo display device. It is not very user friendly in the beginning, owing to a dizzying array of features and menu choices. If that can be mastered however, without tossing the Gmini400 out the window, you have a very solid portable entertainment device on your hands which will provide many hours of fun.

 

This type of device is best suited for those who want to take their entire media collection with them on the road for access at anytime.  Those considering the Gmini400 for just one function, like digital audio playback, would be more suited to getting a device specifically focused on that niche. Overall, the Gmini400 is a cool device which will draw attention when you pull it out of your pocket.

Introduction

 

Archos is by far the pioneer of portable video player technology. They’ve set a standard in the industry for high quality, fully functional portable video and audio players which appeal to early adaptors and those looking for a stylish, useful device to carry their media with. One of Archos latest entries into this category is the Gmini400.

Archos states in their August press release, the the Gmini 400 is a “revolutionary new hard drive-based digital audio player…advanced features such as video playback, photo viewing and gaming for the ultimate portable entertainment experience.” It is a compact device which Archos CEO Henri Crohas says follows a tradition in which his company “continues to evolve its audio players to ensure consumers can enjoy far more than music…at an unmatched price.”

Does the Gmini400, a digital audio player pulling triple duty as a digital photo display device and portable video player, live up to the hype? What is it about the Gmini400 that makes it a potential rock star worth your time and money? Read on to find out.

 

Features and Design

 

The Archos Gmini400 which was released at the end of August 2004, is a hard drive based digital audio player which sports a 2.2-inch color LCD display and a 20GB hard drive. It measures 4.2” x 2.4” x 0.7” and weighs 5.6 ounces. Its chief features include playing multiple audio and video file formats, displaying digital photos, playing video games and acting as a portable storage device. The suggested retail price of the Gmini400 is $399.95.

From the moment you first lay eyes on the Gmini400, you know Archos was serious in designing something very cool. This portable player has a very hip look to it, with a silver aluminum shell and horizontal design making it stand out from many other portable electronics devices. It easily rests in the palm of your hand, feeling ultra light and slightly cool to the touch. The Gmini400’s front plate is where all of the control action takes place. Spread logically around the 262,000-color, 220×176 pixel LCD are the on and off, multi-use and navigation buttons, two buttons related to game control and three buttons for various functions. The primary navigation button provides four degrees of control and is large enough for most thumbs.

On the left and top sides of the Gmini400 sit the interface ports. There is a multi-connect jack that supports headphones and A/V cables, a Compact Flash slot which supports Type I and II cards, a USB 2.0 input and the input for an included power adaptor.  There is also a small series of holes for the voice recording function.

 

The Archos Gmini looks very stylish with easy button layout

 

Features and Design Cont’d

 

Starting up the Gmini400 is as easy as holding down the on switch for a few seconds. After a quick boot up, you are greeted by a cheerfully colorful display which shows nine icons, the version number of the firmware, current sound volume and current time. Navigation through the screen is easy with the multi-directional button and selections are confirmed with a press of the on button.

Since the Gmini400 provides multi-menu options and sub-menus to choose from as you are selecting media or games to play, it is important to familiarize yourself with how each button responds. Failure to do this can result in a somewhat frustrating experience. Archos did provide a colorful sheet which falls into the lines of a "quick start" guide, but it is necessary to dig through the tiny, four language user guide (or access the more complete guide in PDF format which is stored on the Gmini400) to get more of a full understanding of each button’s function under different conditions.

 

Another shortfall of the Gmini400 in providing information relative to using the software stored on the device’s hard drive. A number of useful programs exist, including MusicMatch, Windows Media Player and a program to convert videos to a format suitable for playback on the Archos. Without digging through the contents of the folders on the Gmini400 however, you might not ever know they were there.

 

Other features built into the Gmini400, besides the aforementioned ones, are broken down across several categories. For the digital audio functions, music (supported playback file formats are MP3, WMA and WAV) can be recorded through the line in audio port (this is actually the A/V out port, but an included converter does an inversion for analog audio). Music files can be organized through built-in management software and viewed by artist, title, genre and year through support of ID3 tags. Building a playlist on the go is also a supported function.

 

In regards to video playback, the Gmini400 can display video on the television in addition to the built-in LCD display. An important note about video support on the Gmini400