It started out with Archos 70b, the 7 inch color e-reader that was up for pre-order in Europe back in December 2010. Well it’s a new year now and Archos has decided to introduce the e-reader in the United States. But then, whether it’s the time gap or the distance but there is a slight change in the e-book reader’s nomenclature. It’s now known as Archos 70c.
Interestingly, there are no pictures available though the device is up for pre-order at JR.com for $149. Also, with no pictures to act as a reference point, there is no definite way to point out if the two European and US versions of the Archos e-reader are the same.
Specification wise, there is however not much to differentiate one from the other. Like the 70c e-reader includes a 7 inch TFT resistive touchscreen having a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. It is powered by a 600 MHz processor while on board storage is quite generous (by e-reader standards) at 4 GB. However, if you still need more, you can make good use of the SD card slot.
The rest of the spec story includes Wi-Fi, built-in speakers, a headphone jack as well as an accelerometer. Battery life is a decent 10 hours of e-reading on a single full charge while the OS is Android 2.1.
And lastly, the Archos 70c is one of those devices that slots in the tablet and e-reader combo segment. Its e-reader credentials lies in the fact that it of course allows its users to read e-books via its 7 inch LCD display. Users will be able to manage their library and save bookmarks along with others things that one expects out of their e-book reading device. But then, the 70c is also about playing videos and music or displaying pictures and slideshows. One will also be able to browse the web and download apps. So with this set of functionalities on offer, it’s right in the segment of the Nook Color except the presence of the two buttons on the two side bezels that perhaps give the game away of it being an e-reader after all. Also, it’s almost a certainty, someone somewhere is already up to developing a hack that would transform the Archos 70c into a full fledged tablet. This would be interesting since the Archos 70c is already more affordable than the Nook Color.
via engadget
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.