Archos 704 (Archos)
Archos has come a long way in the last few years, and the Archos 704 could provide the fuel for the next few.
The 704 is like a quadruple threat and more. This device is a multimedia player that can stream television programs from your PC, get on the Internet, show photos and play DVDs and Mp3s. It also offers a DVR dock that allows users to record and playback TV shows. The playback features allow you to play on the TV or the Archos screen. The 704 has a huge 7-inch viewing screen and offers WiFi as well.
The 704 is pretty husky, weighing a full 22 ounces. With the girth comes a 7-inch, 800×480 pixel touch screen display and a 80GB hard drive. It has the ability to record, but users will have to buy additional hardware to use the recording features. Also, the 704 uses the Opera browser, which isn’t supported by some web sites. It also doesn’t use Flash or Java. Overall, this is an ambitious effort for Archos, which should get better as long as they keep gassing up the 704 in years to come.
(Archos.com; $549)
