Archos is branching out into notebook territory with this new product

May 13, 2014 06:58 GMT  ·  By

In need of a new laptop but you don’t have a lot of cash to spare? No need to worry, there’s something in the sea for you, too.

French device manufacturer Archos is trying its hand at building notebooks now, so it has launched a budget $170 / €124 notebook with a 10-inch display running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean software.

The new product is being called the ArcBook and although Android notebooks are quite unusual, the extremely low price-tag might make it an appealing offer to some.

The specification list has ups and downs. For example, Archos has bundled the device with a pretty huge 8000 mAh battery which is expected to provide up to 9 hours of battery life. That’s one of its positive feats.

On the downside of things, the lappy has very low resolution and a relatively unimpressive processor. Not to mention that it runs the older version of Android and not KitKat.

To go into specifics, the ArcBook comes with a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen display with just 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. Under the hood there is a 1.2 GHz Rockchip RK3168 ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core CPU, fitted with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot).

Other specs include Wi-Fi, 2 USB 2.0 ports, stereo speakers and a 3.5 mm audio jack, a frontal webcam and a built-in mic.

The ArcBook comes with a full QWERTY keyboard complete with Android function keys and a touchpad with support for single-finger input and one-finger clicks only.

Another interesting aspect to note about this apparition is the ArcBook is actually a Google certified device, so customers will be able to gain access to the Google Play Store. Surely you’ll be able to install apps like Office Suite Pro 6 on the lappy and get productive with it, too.

The ArcBook could find many uses, but for those of you hoping to find Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and the likes, you’d better reorient yourself and buy a budget Windows notebook/tablet.

Nevertheless, you won’t be able to find one as cheap as the $170 / €124 ArcBook, even if the prices for Windows-based devices are starting to get lower and lower.

As for Android notebooks, Lenovo is also offering its 10-inch IdeaPad A10 for purchase and soon enough we’ll be seeing HP unveil a 14-inch Android notebook powered by an NVIDIA Tegra processor. The device is called the SlateBook 14 and might show up at the next Google I/O.

Archos ArcBook Android Laptop (4 Images)

The ArcBook is a cheap Android laptop
The ArcBook is a cheap Android laptopThe ArcBook is a cheap Android laptop
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