Agreed. Especially with how open Archos is, this thing will be rooted very quickly and overclock of the CPU and GPU will most likely be a possibility. My 2 complaints is the pansy battery and the lower quality screen. I'd have much preferred a 1280x800.
No UK retailer seems to have them yet, and the Archos website seems to say out of stock until the 18th.
According to other data online, CPU is a Dual Core Rockchip RK3066 running at 1.6 GHz (Cortex A9), onboard capacity is class 6, and display is a 1024×600 7.0 inches LCD screen using TN technology with capacitive 5 points multitouch and 170 DPI.
For £130, is it a contender with the faster, better supported and better display Nexus 7? Not sure - just got the 16GB for a family member for £160, but the Archos has a microSD slot. I still argue with myself on a daily basis whether I would use a tablet when I have an SGS2 which does all I need. After playing with a Nexus 7 for two weeks, the answer would probably be no though.
The selling point of the Gamepad is the console like buttons/handles. $200 is a great price for a tablet that's made to actually make a profit. The Nexus 7 is a great tablet but no one can hit that price point without an ecosystem behind it to make the money back. My one qualm is that I wish the screen was 1280x800. Something better than only 170 ppi.
Exactly. I don't have any real need for a tablet (a 5.5" screen is big enough for me) but I sure could make room in my life for an open, portable gaming system that can handle, say, PSX emulation. I'm in the camp that thinks that physical controls make for a generally superior gaming experience.
Is 1024x600 and TN a little disappointing? Sure, but on the other hand, you're not gonna be spending a lot of time using this in portrait orientation, and when you're looking at 240p/480i content anyway, the difference between 600 and 800 vertical pixels doesn't really matter that much.
As long as the screen uses square pixels (i.e. has a 128:75 aspect ratio), and isn't the bizarre panel used on this one crummy Android tablet I have, where it's like they tried to shoehorn 1024x600 into a 16:9 aspect ratio, I'll be sorely tempted when it lands stateside.
Well put. And I'm tempted too. I had an original PSP which I "rooted" and used a bunch of emulators which and it was great. It was the best emulating device out there. I'm thinking this will take the cake.
Really? You don't find the larger device more comfortable to use when you're on the couch etc? Not to mention the improved battery life, if I spend a couple hours reading on my phone in addition to my normal usage I usually end up having to find a charger before bedtime.
I'm actually looking to step down from a 10" TF to a 7" or 8.9", much more comfortable for the kind of consumption I do on the tablet I think.
I know right? I've been playing some GBA emulators on my phone but my 2 big thumbs in front of a 4" screen mean almost no visibility. I miss my PSP and Gameboy Advanced for the hardware buttons alone.
the onscreen buttons have been killing me in super mario rpg, its so hard to hit two buttons next to each other at the same time... such as running and jumping
I played Zelda A Link to the Past on my SGS2 last summer holidays. It was fun. The slightly worse controls are offset by the ability to save whenever you want. Also, scyncing PS3/other bluetooth gamepads has become quite easy.
This Archos gamepad gives me the first reason I've ever had to spend $200 on a tablet.. Up until now it has just seemed like a waste. The Nexus 7 looks cool, but why would I bother to drop another $200 when I already carry around a 4.8" tablet with LTE (my SGS3)? It has ALL the functions of a tablet, and also has LTE and microSD, and makes telephone calls. The only tradeoff is a smaller screen.
A decent gaming controller for my SGS3 would cost me around $50, something I would probably buy anyway. But then I'd also want a battery bank to recharge my battery to full, after playing a few hours of emulators ($20). This is a device that allows me to do both of those.. it's very tempting.
$200 is nice
I think I'd still rather have a little game controller with a huge (10Wh) battery that I can carry around.. I'd pay $100 for that.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
24 Comments
Back to Article
CaptainDoug - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
It's the rk3066. Very similar to the 4212.piroroadkill - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
I have an RK3066 device, pretty nippy combination of CPU and GPU if you ask me, at a very low price.CaptainDoug - Monday, December 10, 2012 - link
Agreed. Especially with how open Archos is, this thing will be rooted very quickly and overclock of the CPU and GPU will most likely be a possibility. My 2 complaints is the pansy battery and the lower quality screen. I'd have much preferred a 1280x800.IanCutress - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
No UK retailer seems to have them yet, and the Archos website seems to say out of stock until the 18th.According to other data online, CPU is a Dual Core Rockchip RK3066 running at 1.6 GHz (Cortex A9), onboard capacity is class 6, and display is a 1024×600 7.0 inches LCD screen using TN technology with capacitive 5 points multitouch and 170 DPI.
For £130, is it a contender with the faster, better supported and better display Nexus 7? Not sure - just got the 16GB for a family member for £160, but the Archos has a microSD slot. I still argue with myself on a daily basis whether I would use a tablet when I have an SGS2 which does all I need. After playing with a Nexus 7 for two weeks, the answer would probably be no though.
CaptainDoug - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
The selling point of the Gamepad is the console like buttons/handles. $200 is a great price for a tablet that's made to actually make a profit. The Nexus 7 is a great tablet but no one can hit that price point without an ecosystem behind it to make the money back. My one qualm is that I wish the screen was 1280x800. Something better than only 170 ppi.Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
Exactly. I don't have any real need for a tablet (a 5.5" screen is big enough for me) but I sure could make room in my life for an open, portable gaming system that can handle, say, PSX emulation. I'm in the camp that thinks that physical controls make for a generally superior gaming experience.Is 1024x600 and TN a little disappointing? Sure, but on the other hand, you're not gonna be spending a lot of time using this in portrait orientation, and when you're looking at 240p/480i content anyway, the difference between 600 and 800 vertical pixels doesn't really matter that much.
As long as the screen uses square pixels (i.e. has a 128:75 aspect ratio), and isn't the bizarre panel used on this one crummy Android tablet I have, where it's like they tried to shoehorn 1024x600 into a 16:9 aspect ratio, I'll be sorely tempted when it lands stateside.
CaptainDoug - Monday, December 10, 2012 - link
Well put. And I'm tempted too. I had an original PSP which I "rooted" and used a bunch of emulators which and it was great. It was the best emulating device out there. I'm thinking this will take the cake.Impulses - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
Really? You don't find the larger device more comfortable to use when you're on the couch etc? Not to mention the improved battery life, if I spend a couple hours reading on my phone in addition to my normal usage I usually end up having to find a charger before bedtime.I'm actually looking to step down from a 10" TF to a 7" or 8.9", much more comfortable for the kind of consumption I do on the tablet I think.
MadMan007 - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
They say timing is everything. Releasing a gaming tablet in Q1 *after* the holiday shopping season is pretty stupid.Zink - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
This isn't the kind of product that would often be given as a gift anyways. Better Q1 than Q2 is another way of looking at it.SetiroN - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
A gaming device not a typical christmas gift. Right.hirschma - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
AFAIK, January is the biggest month for videogame sales. Kids spend their holiday cash/giftcards then.MadMan007 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - link
Selling it in November and December does not prevent selling it in January. The inverse is not true though. :)thesavvymage - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
This would be absolutely PERFECT for handheld emulators! bring back some good ol snes memoriesCaptainDoug - Thursday, December 6, 2012 - link
I know right? I've been playing some GBA emulators on my phone but my 2 big thumbs in front of a 4" screen mean almost no visibility. I miss my PSP and Gameboy Advanced for the hardware buttons alone.kmmatney - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
I just can't get used to on-screen controls, but a Wii-mote works nicely on my iPad for emulated games.thesavvymage - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
the onscreen buttons have been killing me in super mario rpg, its so hard to hit two buttons next to each other at the same time... such as running and jumpingDeath666Angel - Saturday, December 8, 2012 - link
I played Zelda A Link to the Past on my SGS2 last summer holidays. It was fun. The slightly worse controls are offset by the ability to save whenever you want. Also, scyncing PS3/other bluetooth gamepads has become quite easy.CaptainDoug - Monday, December 10, 2012 - link
Save states are a god-send.thesavvymage - Monday, December 10, 2012 - link
to be honest, i dont like them. I'm tempted to save in places where youre not meant to save, and I prefer to only use the in-game savesbleh0 - Friday, December 7, 2012 - link
There are no battery life estimates.I really would love to game on something like this for a decent amount of time. The ppi while not stellar is good enough.
CaptainDoug - Monday, December 10, 2012 - link
If you go to arcatablets.com they have a review. Look slike 4 1/2 hours of video play back and only 2 1/2 to 3 hours of HD gaming. Not very good.flyingpants1 - Friday, December 14, 2012 - link
This Archos gamepad gives me the first reason I've ever had to spend $200 on a tablet.. Up until now it has just seemed like a waste. The Nexus 7 looks cool, but why would I bother to drop another $200 when I already carry around a 4.8" tablet with LTE (my SGS3)? It has ALL the functions of a tablet, and also has LTE and microSD, and makes telephone calls. The only tradeoff is a smaller screen.A decent gaming controller for my SGS3 would cost me around $50, something I would probably buy anyway. But then I'd also want a battery bank to recharge my battery to full, after playing a few hours of emulators ($20). This is a device that allows me to do both of those.. it's very tempting.
$200 is nice
I think I'd still rather have a little game controller with a huge (10Wh) battery that I can carry around.. I'd pay $100 for that.
flyingpants1 - Friday, December 14, 2012 - link
Oops. $200 is a nice price point but I'll probably wait until they hit around $150.