player that is better suited for home use (Archos Gmini 500 40 GB)

Member Name: geek_squad

Product:	Archos Gmini 500 40 GB
Date:	03/07/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good sound quality, user friendly, able to support photo and video, big display screen, compatible w

Disadvantages: Lacks radio function, quite heavy, poor battery life

The Archos Gmini 500 would be more of a video player rather than a music player. Although it is quite heavy and bulky. It is ideal to make the compromise if you regularly watch video.

At first glance the huge screen justifies the additional weight, the compact controls are conveniently placed on the right hand side of the display screen. The high quality screen makes it ideal for both watching videos and viewing photos. It also has a output for video signals that allow you to create slide shows and also watch movies, on your television.
When using the supplied headphones, the sound quality is good. Upon using an additional pair of headphones a slight increase in audio clarity was noticeable. Even when using the headphones at the maximum volume for an extended period, it is still safe for your ear.

It is compatible with a number if audio file formats such as WMA, WAV and MP3. The file transfer speeds are excellent, on average taking a mere 2 seconds to transfer 10 megabytes of audio files.
Its rechargeable batteries are removable on average it provides about 15 hours and 30 minutes of continuous playback of audio files from a charge that takes about 2 hours. When watching video the battery life would only provide an average of 5 hours of video playback, which is not great for a player that is this large. It can be charged either through the mains or via USB.

The device is generally easy to use and get used to. It is compatible with both PCs and Macs, there is also a great software supplied with it. Sadly, it does not have radio capability, however it does feature a clock and voice recorder. In terms of construction, this device is quite durable and should be able to withstand the occasional drop.

Summary: media player that is suited for home entertainment

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