Windows tablet has 32GB, swappable five-hour battery

Archos announced an 8.9-inch Windows 7 tablet that matches the price of iOS or Android competitors while providing more storage. The $499 Archos 9 includes a 32GB solid state disk (SSD), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, five-hour battery life, and 1080p HD video playback, the company says.

Archos tweeted this week to announce its Archos 9 (right) as “all new.” We’d take issue with that statement, given that an original Archos 9 made its debut in June 2009 with substantially the same specifications.

 

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All that appears to be really new here is that Archos has replaced the device’s previous rotating hard disk drive (originally offered in 60GB, 80GB, or 120GB capacities) with a 32GB SSD. This means the $499 tablet offers twice the storage of Apple’s iPad 2 and Android tablets at the same price point. (Its 1GB of RAM is twice what the iPad 2 reportedly comes with, too.)

At first blush, then, the Archos 9 makes a strong case for acquiring a Windows 7 tablet. Unfortunately, its 8.9-inch screen (with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels) employs resistive touch instead of the capacitive multi-touch buyers are coming to expect.

Archos does supplement the touchscreen with a trackpoint mouse, plus left and right mouse buttons. The 9 also includes a 1.3-megapixel webcam, a built-in leg stand, and a USB 2.0 port, according to the company MCITP Online Training.

The Archos 9 is still powered by Intel’s Atom Z515 processor, which has a 1.2GHz clock speed and a 1.4-Watt TDP. Intel’s SCH US15W companion chip has built-in graphics and is claimed by Archos to provide 1080p video.

The 9 has a single USB 2.0 port, a built-in microphone, and stereo speakers, but connecting to an external display requires an optional port replicator. As shown, this gadget has a VGA port, two additional USB ports, a 10/100 Ethernet port, plus headphone and microphone jacks.

Competing iOS and Android tablets generally have fixed batteries. In comparison, the Archos 9 has a removable battery that lasts up to five hours and may be replaced by a spare, according to the company.Specifications listed by Archos for the 9 include:

* Processor — Intel Atom Z515 clocked at 1.2GHz
* Chipset — Intel SCH US15W
* Memory — 1GB of DDR2 RAM (expandability not specified)
* Storage — 32GB SSD
* Display — 8.9-inch resistive touchscreen with 1024 x 600 resolution
* Camera — 1.3 megapixel webcam
* Wireless:
o LAN — 802.11b/g
o PAN — Bluetooth
* Other I/O:
o 1 x USB 2.0
o Headphone jack
o Docking station connector (dock adds 2 x USB 2.0, 10/100 Ethernet, mic input, VGA output)
* Battery — Lithium-polymer; lasts for approx. 5 hours
* Dimensions — 10 x 5.27 x 0.63 inches (256 x 134 x 16mm)
* Weight — 1.76 pounds (800g)