Archos 10 Is the New Kid on the Block

With the netbook market increasingly growing, it's no surprise that more consumer electronics makers are releasing their very own netbook systems, pretty much offering the same specifications as most of the other such products on the market. The latest company to join the club is Archos, which has come up with a 10-inch netbook, based on Intel's highly successful Atom platform. The new Archos 10 is the company's first 10-inch device, which adds to a portfolio of media players, like the Archos 5. In addition, it appears that the new 10-inch netbook is just the first of many to come, as the manufacturer plans to further expand its lineup of small-sized portable computer systems.

 

The newest arrival in the world of netbook systems comes with a specified weight of 2.8 pounds and is expected to become available for a price tag starting at $399. The system features pretty much everything you would expect from a 10-inch netbook, with the Intel Atom N270 processor and 1GB of RAM memory. Packed with a 160GB hard drive and coming with a Microsoft Windows XP operating system, the Archos is also featured with wireless 802.11 b/g connectivity and has a built-in 1.3MP webcam.

 

The company didn't emphasize the netbook's exterior design, having featured it with a black matte chassis, which doesn't exactly stand out from the crowd. However, the overall system is fairly simple, as probably every netbook portable computer system should be. Both the trackpad and the keyboard are decently sized, while the 10.2-inch display is capable of delivering a resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels.

 

What the Archos lacks in design and style makes up in software bundle. This is probably where this netbook differentiates itself from all of its competitors, as it comes loaded with 100 dollars’ worth of applications, including Lotus Symphony Working Suite (which includes word processor and spreadsheet applications), XnView photo editor, Vtuner Web Radio & TV Player as well as BitDefender Antivirus 2009 and Parental Filter. In addition, the company has also made it possible for the Archos 10 users to benefit from a $50 credit in the company's Archos Media Club, consequently enabling them to download movies and TV shows directly through the Archos Media Club Website.

 

The Archos 10 is expected to become available through select retailers and the company's own website, in February for $399 with a 3-cell battery option and for $449 with a 6-cell battery.

 

The guys over at Laptop Magazine have already had a hands-on experience with the new netbook, also offering a video with the main features of the product.