Archos Gmini 220 20 GB MP3 Jukebox / Recorder / Photo Wallet-Viewer with Compact Flash Reader
By: Archos Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 66
More Information
 On: 2008-01-17
I bought it as a MP3 player, but also was looking for portable hard disk.
I use it for three years so far.
Pros:
1. Cheep for provided capasity.
2. Very good battery life.
3. Excellent sound.
4. CF reader.
Cons:
1. Can not be charged from USB.
2. Terrible buttons. Hard/irresponsible :-(
 On: 2007-02-12
I wanted to like this device. The form factor, long battery life, and ability to load music without special software are great. Unfortunately, my primary reason for purchasing the Gmini 220 was to use it as a backup for the photos I took on my digital camera.
Let me start with the good things. I got the device home (not from Amazon), pulled it out of the box, charged it up and plugged it in to my computer. It showed up instantly and I was able to copy MP3s and playlists directly to the Gmini without even having to read the manual. The music sounded great and it usually plays for more than 5 hours on a charge.
The navigation is a little clunky and theres a noticeable delay when transitioning from one track to the next, but once youve organized your music into playlists and queued them up, all you have to do is sit back and listen because the Gmini will play for hours...
Having dispensed with the basics, I read through the manual and moved on to the primary purpose for which I had purchased the Gmini; backing up photos from my digital camera. Copying files from a flash card couldnt be simpler. When you plug in the card, the Gmini automatically offers you options to copy or move files from the inserted card. It couldnt be easier. Unfortunately, upon returning to my computer, I discovered that about 1 in 7 of the images copied to the Gmini were corrupted.
I tried copying instead of moving the files. The files on the Gmini were corrupt, while the ones on the CF card were not. I was never able to contact technical support via phone, but after my third email, I received a response. The support rep pleaded with me not to return the unit and explained that they were working on the problem and would have a new firmware to address the issue soon. The rep went on to assure me that if I was not satisfied, Archos would accept a return of the unit for a refund.
About 30 days later, a new firmware was released. As far as I could tell, it did nothing to fix the problem. Another firmware was released 5 days later. Still no fix. By this time, I could no longer return the Gmini to the store where I had purchased it, but I continued posting whatever I could determine about the problem to the support forums. At this point, the corruption occurred at exactly the same location (30 bytes after the header) in every mangled file.
After two months of essentially one-sided conversation with the support folks, I requested a refund. There was no response to my request. I posted my request in the customer service forum and was told that Archos did not refund directly to consumers and that my only recourse would be to return the unit to the store where I had purchased it.
Buyer beware.
On: 2007-02-11
I got my Gmini 220 in summer of 2005, when iPods were doing the circuit and they had yet to come out with the ability to see color photos. I was ecstatic about it and did not mind the fact that it was not color. The bulky-ness of it is not that attractive but could be worse. The fact that MusicMatch Jukebox sucks means nothing to me because I dont and havent been able to sync with it, instead I use it as other users do and pretend its a hard drive.
The biggest downfall has to be the battery which for me last only about 4 or 5 hours. The fact that I cant replace it just makes me sad and theres hardly any point to hooking it up to my car because out of 3 possible bars of battery, it will quickly go to 1 bar and very soon just stop playing.
But really above all, its small, you can show pictures to your friends, you can have people ask you if its a Zune, and no one knows really what it is so they wont steal it.
On: 2006-08-27
The screen on the gmini stopped working after 8 months (within the 1 year warranty). It took 2 weeks to contact Archos to recieve an RMA number to mail it for repair. It then took 7 weeks to have it repaired and returned.
I was first told that I would have to pay for the new screen (not covered under warranty). I was referred to customer service to settle the problem. I was told to fax a copy of the receipt(tech support had the receipt with the unit). The customer support person was fired during this process (the voice mailbox was full). I finally spoke with someone in tech support who had some authority to finally repair it...Im so afraid to EVER have to have the unit repaired again. Dont try the website...it took 2 weeks for someone to repond to me there. I wont buy another Archos product because of this experience.
On: 2005-09-16
Well, I wont claim this is a perfect product, I have used
iPod 20GB, Creative Zen Extra 40gb, iRiver PMP-140(40GB),
iRiver H10 5GB/20GB. By far I consider archos is the
best among all.
I dont like iPod or Creative. Dont get me wrong, they are
find products, but I just hate the way they organize the
music purly by the information stored inside the MP3 files.
I like to organize my songs by directories and sub-directories,
and maybe sub-directories under sub-directories, just like a
hard drive. But in iPod and Creative I feel like all my albums
are spreaded all over the table, I have to scroll down several
pages to locate an album. Not to mention the information stored
inside the songs is not always accurate. In some languages,
the same word can have different codes. Like chinese has Big5
and GB, so the same singer published by TaiWan and Mainland
china will appear under two names! And the two names are not
always together!
I had huge problem with iRiver PMP-140. The damn thing automatically
switch between play and fast forward, it doesnt play 192 bit.
Finally I had to return it.
iRiver H10 5GB is a nice product, but a little too expensive
considering its small disk size, and it doesnt connect to PC
smoothly, some day it gets connected with no problem, some day
it doesnt, there are weird ways to solve the problem on internet,
just google it.
iRiver H10 20GB is OK, but transferring songs is super slow,
especially on a celeron processor, plus, the battery is not
interchangable, and you cant just plug it in any computer
and expect it to be connected -- you need to log in as an
administrator to install software, This is going to be a
problem for people like me who doesnt have administrator
privilege on a office PC.
OK, so how do I like this Archos 220? First, the compact flash
card reader is the best! I am a photo enthusiast. I take tons
of photos with my Nikon D70. With gmini 220, I literally take
with me a 20GB harddisk! I can transfer my photos to the Gmini
220 anytime I want. Got memory stick? no problem, buy the 4-in-1
compact flash card adaptor and you are good to go! Dont trust
the so called "USB-on-the-fly" thing, First you to carry a cable
or a card reader with you, second it doesnt work with all cameras,
Third, most "USB-on-the-fly" supports only USB1.1 host, the transfer
speed is terribly slow. I tried the one on that iRiver PMP-140, it
literally takes 15 seconds to transfer one picture file -- you will
probably run out of battery before you finish transferring files.
On my Gmini 220, One 3Mb photo takes less than 1 second. I spent a
vacation to Vegas and Grand Canyon a few weeks ago, where I took over
1GB photos, all photos were transferred to my gmini220 and carried
back safely, no problem at all!
I also like the way gmini connects to PC: no software required,
no installation, no need to log in as an administrator. When you
connect to a PC, it becomes a hard drive automatically. copying
files to 220 is just like copying files from one disk to another.
I did have connection problem on one of my older Dell PC, but it
connects perfectly on my all other newer PCs and laptops. According
to archos website, they suggest you to upgrade BIOS, I yet to try
that out.
It has dual organization methods of your music library. You can
browse your music files through directory structure, just like what
you would do on a PC hard drive, or, if you prefer, you can use ARC
library, which is similar to windows Media player, search your library
by singer, album etc.
The screen of gmini220 is bigger than other MP3 players, although it
is black/while, but I found it is very practical, Ive never wanted
to view my photo or video in a tiny little screen, why do I need
a color screen?
But as I said, it is not perfect. here are something that I think
archos should improve:
1 The factory-installed battery really sucks, they should use higher
capacity battery and make it interchangable
2 There is ZERO customer serivce, they dont reply your email and their
phone line is always busy
3 No carrying case, my screen got scratched the 2nd day I got it.
4 Its a little bit ugly, not a main issue for guys like me, but
probably your girl friend wont like it.
5 If only it is 40GB ...
6 It does support Asia languages like Chinese, but you can disply
either GB or Big5, not both. That is annoying but not a disaster,
some Big5 characters still gets displayed correctly under GB system
(vice verse).
Overall I like the gmini 220 and would recommend it to any of my friends.
I did hear a lot of complaint about this unit on internet, but strangely,
I personally have no problem with mine at all, probably I am lucky? dont
know, will report later if I encounter problems.
On: 2005-07-20
I bought this little thing last summer because of the Compact Flash slot. I am a photographer and I liked the idea to use the unit as digital wallet. Since I got the unit I had an enormous amount of problems. Archos released four Firmware updates and one USB 2 update in just 6 months. The Gmini 220 is full of bugs (as all the other Archos product - they have firmware update for basically everything they sell). It freeze without reason and produce corrupted pictures. I lost tons of pictures because of the Gmini 220. I wish I had bought an Ipod. On top of all these problems last month I sent the unit for repair because the battery was death in less than 1 year. They email me after 10 day that the unit had to be replaced. Since then, they disappeared. No mail, no calls. After many calls (long distance, no 1.800 number) someone told me that the unit was not in stock and I had to wait at least two weeks for a replacement. It is more than one month and still I have not my Gmini back. Think carefully before buy from Archos. They are unprofessional.
On: 2005-06-27
I bought my Archos G Mini 120 with a bit of hesitation... the reviews didnt seem the best. However, I recieved it and happily discovered it even came with the software to record audio. All the features were only $160, a steal when you compare it to the $300 Ipod. And, Ipods dont support WMA format. The G Mini definitely fits in your pocket, weighs 8 oz., (which by the way is less than half a pound, so you people who said it was too heavy and bulky arent even close) and went at least 8 hours on the battery. I accidentally downgraded the software, and that caused some problems, needless to say, but I fixed it by going back to the present software. It holds around 4,000 mp3 songs, but cant view pictures or other types of files - it only stores them. Still, I say its a good buy, my only complaint is that its hard to make a playlist (tedious) and to browse.
by: Anonymous On: 2005-03-29
okay i bought the archos gmini 120 as an alternative of the extremely over priced ipod. and since im 15 and had to pay for it myself it seemed logical to buy an mp3 player that offered a great amount of space and features for a fraction of the cost of an ipod that i couldnt afford. so i got the gmini and immeditly opened it and tried to get it running... well 6 days of trying later it still wasnt working. the plugins are immposible to use and no one knows how to make it work. not only does it not work with itunes or just work period its huge and cannot fit in your pocket if you tried... so if you have bought this return it and get something that works...
On: 2005-01-19
I received this mp3 player as a gift from my wife Christmas of 2004. I debated between this player and the ipod. Eventually, I told her to buy the gmini 220 and she purchased one new off ebay. I regret that decision every day. From day one the unit has never operated properly in regards to its primary function, playing mp3s. I will relate my experiences with this player and the horrible company behind it below:
When my wife gave me the player, I greedily opened it and set about loading it with mp3s. This unit is extremely easy to load as both Mac and Windows machines (I own both) recognize it as an external hard drive. Just drag and drop. I loaded it with 4 gigs of mp3s, made sure it was charged, and set off listening to songs. The player played for approximately 5 minutes and then crashed, shutting itself off. I thought this was strange, but I restarted it and it did the same thing repeatedly.
By now I realized that the player needed "fixing." I downloaded the latest firmware from Archos and loaded it on the player. Still the same problem. I reformated the hard drive (following the advice of the Archos website). Still the same problem. I realized that the error must lie in the internals of the player. Now begins the terrible odyssey.
I emailed customer support because the website did not list a service number. A week passed and I got no reply. I emailed again after looking up the customer relations head, Terry Perrin, on the Better Business Bureau website and threatening to file a complaint. I got a reply this time giving me the customer support number. I called. I was informed that the player needs repair. They informed me that because it was purchased new on ebay they would not honor their warranty for an admittedly faulty player. They furthermore wanted $65 to fix a problem that they cannot identify. They also promised to email me information on how to send in the player for repair. I never received the email. I emailed them again letting them know that I would let all consumers know about their customer relations department and the quality of their product. I am now following through on my promise. The gmini now sits beside my computer as Im writing this as a useless mp3 player but a good 20 gig external usb hard drive.
So, what do you need to know:
1. The product has known problems.
2. The company will not honor their warranty if you buy on ebay.
3. The technical support number is long distance and you must make threats to receive answers to your emails.
4. This company does not support its products and does not care that consumers make an investment of several hundred dollars in their products.
5. Buy the ipod.
On: 2005-01-04
I cant stand the radio anymore so decided to get this for daily car commute. Every song I own in one spot without changing discs. Im still working on playing it to the car stereo (tape adapter I think), but here are some impressions after 2 weeks.
Pros 1. Simple transfer of Compact Flash to the Gmini220 through provided port.
2. Simple recognition on Mac G4 through keyboard USB or a PC USB running Windows XP. Acts as a hard-drive very simply.
Stores anything you can put on it.
3. Can view jpg in low or RAW format on 2.5" screen.
4. Plays music to headphones or other sources via headphone jack. RCA plugs are provided to play direct to audio source or record from one.
5. Easy navigation when you figure it out. When playing music the buttons are familiar. When browsing the hard drive off of the computer the buttons are up-down, left-right, select, menu, back, etc.
6. Although the manual doesnt promise much functionality when using iTunes to download, Id disagree. Im using iTunes to convert files, then open up Musicmatch to (View) (Portable Device) and then update the ArcLibrary. Musicmatch wasnt recognizing any info or tags but iTunes does.
7. 6-28-05) and going strong. I found a jack to plug directly into my Pioneer car deck and its wonderful!!
Cons -
1. Kind of touchy. I had a corrupted hard-drive that would not recognize any changes on the Arclibrary, essential for genre, album, artist view outside of the general browser function.
I called tech-support and was advised to backup all my files, re-format the hard-drive as a fat32 format (right click on your JUKEBOX drive when its plugged into the computer and select Format) Downloaded the recent firmware 1.13, unseated and installed the new firmware, then dumped everything back onto it. Easy, and Ive never tried something like that before.
2. Battery anywhere from 3-5 hours maybe. So So
3. FM Transmitter is terrible option, tried and sorry for it.
4. If you lose functions sporadically, check the setup Arclibrary may have turned off. Turn it back on & youre OK.
5. 6-28-05) New Foo Fighters as .wma files wont play from Gmini to headphones but plays via the computer on a media player.
Great functions really for the price, far more than Ive discovered with other products.
 On: 2004-12-21
I purchased the Archos120 through Amazon.com several months ago. I use it a bit as an MP3 player on long plane rides, but I use it primarily to capture and store the images on my cameras Compact Flash card. On a recent 2 month trip to Peru, the Archos performed well through exceptionally humid and dusty conditions. I used it daily to retrieve the images from my camera, and never experienced any of the problems Ive read about in other reviews. Perhaps I got an especially good one, or perhaps Archos smoothed out some earlier manufacturing problems or software bugs. I also take very good care of my toys. I carry the Archos in my camera bag when it is not in use, and I have thus far avoided dropping it.
There is criticism in these reviews of the navigation buttons, and while they are unlabelled, the system is fairly intuitive once you read through the manual once. The buttons are just hard enough to push so that you will likely not push them accidentally.
I dont know if the battery will do a full 10 hours, as I have not tested it to that duration. However, it performed admirably for the entire 5 1/2 hour flight from Miami to Lima, and the 2 hour flight from DC to Miami before that. The battery still showed one bar of charge, and the volume was still respectable. Frankly, Ill grow tired of wearing earphones before the battery wears out. I did, however, purchase a different style of earplug, as the ones provided didnt really suit me personally.
I will try to clear up some confusion that conflicting information on this site vs. the Archos site caused me. The software that drives the Compact Flash unit in the 120, and likewise the software for the microphone does not come loaded in the unit at the point of purchase. Instead, I had to enter a secret number (found on and in your Archos) on the Archos website to download a small patch. Download and installation took me about 3 minutes, and the unit was ready to go after that.
I have recommended this unit to several friends. No complaints from them either.
On: 2004-11-30
When I bought it, it was great, inexpensive and it seemed to be a great product. I returned the first one, because the buttons didnt work right. The second one seemed to be much better and work just fine. It would turn off occasionally after playing a song, it would display the wrong information, and take a long time to load and save playlists, but I over looked these problems, because it did what it advertised to, and had a pretty good battery life. It had a good enough batter life, because when I was at home I plugged it into speakers and into the wall. The recording function was also very nice and worked well. Its biggest advantage was that it doubled as a hard drive. But, this product can take no abuse. It fell once, and now it will not work. When I shake it, something rattles. . . and it only fell about two and a half feet. Other problems are the size, while it is reletively small, it still is bulky compared to other mp3 players.
I would not recomend this product to anyone, while it did what it was supposed to, it did not work well enough, or long enough. Do not buy it.
On: 2004-11-25
1. No 800 number for support.
2. Hard drive failed.
3. Error messages display without completely loading the Archos OS; so impossibe to run WinScanDisk or reformat the hard drive and reload the Archos OS.
3. This is my second Archos product to fail after 1 year of moderate use. (approx 12 hours a week)
On: 2004-11-24
1. No 800 number for support.
2. Hard drive failed.
3. Error messages display without completely loading the Archos OS; so impossibe to run WinScanDisk or reformat the hard drive and reload the Archos OS.
3. This is my second Archos product to fail after 1 year of moderate use. (approx 12 hours a week)
On: 2004-11-05
In some ways this is the best mp3 recorder Ive used. Its extremely quiet. Its compact. Its controls are intuitive. The rubberized portions of the case help prevent slipping. The internal microphone does a great job. It has two major flaws, however, and one is fatal.
The non-fatal flaw is that an external microphone requires a preamp. Preamps are not cheap.
The FATAL flaw, which gave me no choice but to return it, is that IT HAS NO SHUTDOWN PROTCOL. If the battery runs out while youre recording, YOUVE LOST EVERYTHING!!! (Guess who lost an entire evening of wonderful music made with friends.)
If Archos would bring out a Gmini with a mic input and a shutdown protocol, youd find my iRiver ihp-120 and my Sony high density Mini Disc recorder listed on eBay, half.com, or over here at amazon.
---------------
Added in edit: I have no idea how to use these things effectively as MP3 players. I want an effective recorder for music jams, so thats thew perspective from which Im reviewing them.
Ive gone through a bunch of options. Ive tried the iRIver 320 and 120. Ive got a Sony HiMD mini-disc. Ive been scouring the web for news/rumors of a forthcoming model by *anybody* that would meet all my needs. The Marantz PMD660 looks promising...for $600 street. Ive given up.
I realized that of all of them, the Archos was the best compromise. While the lack of a shutdown protocol can be disastrous, its straightforward (two button pushes) to save and start again. The sound through the built-in mic and the highest quality mp3 microphone bitrate (112 kbps) are adequate. The convenience of the Archoss drag-and-drop capabilites won out over the HiMDs ability to use an external mic. Im not trying to approximate the sound of a studio recorder. I admit Im nervous about the many failures Ive been reading about, but I got another one and this time Im keeping it. The current $50 Archos rebate didnt hurt either.
When I took it out of the box, the up-button didnt always register, but it seems to be fine with a few minutes of use. Ive still got nearly 2 weeks to return it if it acts up again, but if I end up returning it, it will be for an exchange, not a refund.
[...]
I sold the iRiver ihp-120 on eBay. Im holding onto the HiMD recorder for the moment simply because I can run it off of AA batteries if I need something away from an electrical output for an extended period. Otherwise, Id get rid of it, too.
On: 2004-11-04
In some ways this is the best mp3 recorder Ive used. Its extremely quiet. Its compact. Its controls are intuitive. The rubberized portions of the case help prevent slipping. The internal microphone does a great job. It has two major flaws, however, and one is fatal.
The non-fatal flaw is that an external microphone requires a preamp. Preamps are not cheap.
The FATAL flaw, which gave me no choice but to return it, is that IT HAS NO SHUTDOWN PROTCOL. If the battery runs out while youre recording, YOUVE LOST EVERYTHING!!! (Guess who lost an entire evening of wonderful music made with friends.)
If Archos would bring out a Gmini with a mic input and a shutdown protocol, youd find my iRiver ihp-120 and my Sony high density Mini Disc recorder listed on eBay, half.com, or over here at amazon.
---------------
Added in edit: I have no idea how to use these things effectively as MP3 players. I want an effective recorder for music jams, so thats thew perspective from which Im reviewing them.
Ive gone through a bunch of options. Ive tried the iRIver 320 and 120. Ive got a Sony HiMD mini-disc. Ive been scouring the web for news/rumors of a forthcoming model by *anybody* that would meet all my needs. The Marantz PMD660 looks promising...for $600 street. Ive given up.
I realized that of all of them, the Archos was the best compromise. While the lack of a shutdown protocol can be disastrous, its straightforward (two button pushes) to save and start again. The sound through the built-in mic and the highest quality mp3 microphone bitrate (112 kbps) are adequate. The convenience of the Archoss drag-and-drop capabilites won out over the HiMDs ability to use an external mic. Im not trying to approximate the sound of a studio recorder. I admit Im nervous about the many failures Ive been reading about, but I got another one and this time Im keeping it. The current $50 Archos rebate didnt hurt either.
When I took it out of the box, the up-button didnt always register, but it seems to be fine with a few minutes of use. Ive still got nearly 2 weeks to return it if it acts up again, but if I end up returning it, it will be for an exchange, not a refund.
[...]
I sold the iRiver ihp-120 on eBay. Im holding onto the HiMD recorder for the moment simply because I can run it off of AA batteries if I need something away from an electrical output for an extended period. Otherwise, Id get rid of it, too.
On: 2004-10-02
I bought the GMini 220 because the of the features for the price (I wanted the compact flash interface to transfer pictures). I have had it a week. The unit is compact and sturdy. The user interface is usable but not fantastic. It plays well and I like it. Transferring files is easy (although I dont like the Musicmatch Jukebox software very much, I just copy the files on).
One Small annoyance is that to use headphones other than the ones which came with it, you need a small external adapter (which comes with it).
I havent tried to transfer pictures to it yet.
Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.
On: 2004-10-01
I bought the GMini 220 because the of the features for the price (I wanted the compact flash interface to transfer pictures). I have had it a week. The unit is compact and sturdy. The user interface is usable but not fantastic. It plays well and I like it. Transferring files is easy (although I dont like the Musicmatch Jukebox software very much, I just copy the files on).
One Small annoyance is that to use headphones other than the ones which came with it, you need a small external adapter (which comes with it).
I havent tried to transfer pictures to it yet.
Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.
On: 2004-09-23
I spent weeks researching mp3 players and ended up with the GMini 220.
I wanted both the music and Photo wallet features. I travel for extensive time without a laptop and needed something to down load pictures to.
The sound quality is great and the photo wallet works great.
Ive had the unit for 5 months now and it has worked perfectly.
I would buy another one (or maybe the GMini 400 series when that comes out)
On: 2004-09-22
This gear is perfect!!! Huge screen, tons of info on the screen, and it looks tight. Plus you get AV cords to plug it right into a stereo receiver, so I can get a thousand watts behind my Gmini on my surround sound. YOWZA, couldnt ask fo a betta unit. Ive had mine fer bout 6 months, no complaints. Buy it, love it, nevva leave wit out it! Holla at cha girl.
On: 2004-09-20
So I took the posts here and cnet to heart that I was taking a chance ordering the Gmini 120. However, at less than $200 with a 20GB harddrive and a compact flash card reader I could not find an affordable alternative.
I wanted to be able to take MP3s with me while traveling, but the main use is tranferring pictures from my SandDisk Extreme 512 MB compact flash card. I have a D-70 and plan to take a lot of picture in Prague. This was a cheaper alternative than buying multiple CF cards or a laptop.
I have transferred the CF card multiple times without any problems.
The only problem I noted was in a 6hr playlist it was crashing. I did some diagnosing and found that it was due to a wma filename with a period followed by and underscore. Changed the filename on the harddrive as well as the playlist and it works great.
Pros:
20GB Harddrive
Compact Flash
<200$ (bhphotovideo)
Plays mp3 and wma
CF Reader and Recording plugins were preloaded and free.
Fast USB 2.0 Connection
No software required for connection to Win xp
Cons:
Playlists:
The playlist is in m3u format which is just a text file that contains the location of each file in the order you wish to listen to them. To create one for the gmini you have to do it on the device since the directory structure is not the same as your computer.
Since I am a progammer, I wrote a small software program to take playlists developed on you PC (in Windows Media Player or the supplied Music Match) and convert it in to one that works on the Gmini. So I have fixed this problem, however, not everyone may have that luxury. I loaded six hours worth of music in a playlist, ran the simple conversion program which saved the new playlist to the archos (even randomizes the songs for you) and the Archos worked flawlessly.
I would recommend this, will update if anything changes.
On: 2004-09-11
I bought this for the photo wallet AND MP3 ability. Ive used it for 4 months and have been totally happy so far.
On: 2004-07-20
Hello all,
I gave the Gmini 5 stars because I really think it deserves more than the 3 it has cumulated so far; in truth, it deserves 4. Additionnally, I find the comment given by Aron Pilhofer (below) to be quite correct. The device has flaws, but it does eveything it says, as advertised...mostly.
Usage
-----
Before I left for India, I filled the 20 gigs with MP3s. Whenever I needed to dump my photos (from a Canon S45) on it, I would first delete music files to make room for the pics, create a new subdirectory, insert the flash card and press one button. It worked every time, although once I got a corrupted movie file (probably due to my cheap Transcend 256MB flash card). When CD burners were available in web cafes, I would make the occasionnal backup. The device was always correctly detected by win2K and XP, but almost never by Win98 (to my surprise, I dint come accross any Linux stations - not in India, Thailand or Nepal).
Playing music was flawless and straightforward. I never much used my FM remote, but it worked fine (yes, there is a hiss when the remotes LCD is lit, but this only lasts a few seconds).
Battery
-------
For most of my usage, the battery life was quite adequate (Id say 6 or 7 hours). 95% of the guest houses (hotels) I went to had electrical outlets, so I had no problems keeping the battery full. A (good) friend of mine even helped me build a custom battery pack for it (which generated unsollicited interest when crossing borders :), but I only used it once or twice, namely for the 12 hour flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong.
Sound
-----
For my ears (+ the Sony earbuds I used), the sound quality was more than adequate. The guy I travelled with for a bit had miniature portable speakers that we plugged into the Archos. That worked OK, but get some with internal amplification if you can.
Problems
--------
I had read about "significant" delays when selecting or browsing tracks; there are delays here and there, but nothing that bothered me at all, not even after 5 months of regular use. Here are a few problems that I did notice:
-Bad buttons-
As mentionned in many reviews I had read, the buttons are a problem. Sometimes youll press the "down" button, and the device will register it as a "menu" button press. I really wonder how this can be. While it is a bit annoying when it occurs, it does not prevent the device from working correctly (and will not lead you to do something tragic like deleting all your files).
-System hangs-
There is also the possibility of system hangs or freezes. This has happened to me once or twice, but I was able to get out of it. If I recall, the device froze on me because I tried to pull out some attached cable without letting the device finish its work, or something like that. I simply replugged the cable, pressed a few buttons and eventually, the Gmini was able to fall back on its feet.
-Free space-
This is not a big thing, but it did give me a few headaches. If you delete files from the Gmini120 through Windows (while USB connected), the free space will later not be accounted for or recognized by the Gmini OS (e.g., you got 15GB of data on it (5GB free), you plug in the USB cable, it appears as a new mass storage device in Windows, from there, you delete 5 gigs of data, you unplug the device, from the Archos interface, you go to the system menu and you will find only 5GB free). Just make sure you always delete files from the Archos interface, not from Windows. The one time this happenned to me, I solved the problem by filling a dummy directory with garbage data from Windows, and then deleting it from the Archos interface.
Recording
---------
I sold my Sony Minidisc just before I got the Archos. It was a really neat device, perfect for recording and playing, light, small, rugged + very long battery life (on a single AA!!!). However, Sony disallows uploading music to the PC (something I only found out after buying it ;( -- make sure you know what youre getting into before purchasing an MD); AFAIC, this is a big limitation. So I got the Archos instead, which records quite nicely to *standard* formats with a quality that is quite sufficient for my average user needs.
The future
----------
Ha! I think my next "ideal travel" mate will be something like the Flipstart (www.flipstartpc.com). Theres a bunch of similar devices listed at www.handtops.com. Really exciting stuff - cant wait for availability and for prices to go down (wayyyy down). The Sony U50/U70 is almost perfect for my needs, but too too expensive - theres also the Yopy (www.yopy.com).
Gmini 220
---------
I dont know about the 220, but everything about it seems better than the 120. I would definitely look into it. Check out DPReviews "storage and media forum" (forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1023) and the Archos GMini Yahoo group (groups.yahoo.com/group/ArchosGmini/) for more info. Even with the new iPod pricing (299$ for a 20GB), I still think the Archos is a better choice. Too bad the 120 is no longer available.
So there, thats my review. Figured Id give a little something back to the community. Heres a link to my photos of India and Nepal, for anyone who might be interested (sorry, the comment are in French): www2.jenfil.com:443/gallery/inde. Note: Im Canadian, not French - I got the Archos because it was my best choice, not out of patriotism. :)
Adiosssssssssssss
jpv
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-20
I ASK THAT YOU CHECK THE BOTTOM OF THE REVIEW TEXT TO SEE IF IT IS AN "ALTERNATE MODEL." THIS "ALTERNATE" MODEL IS THE GMINI 120. THIS MODEL HAS BUGS AND ABSCENCE OF FEATURES THAT ARE IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED TO THE GMINI 220. PLEASE CHECK THIS BEFORE YOU TURN AWAY FROM A GREAT PLAYER .
On: 2004-07-17
Ive had my player for a little over two months now. The only time that Ive had any troubles with it was when I accidentally put all of the music into the home directory of the player (its supposed to go in the /music/ directory) which caused it to crash. That was easily fixed; I simply cut and pasted the files from the home directory into the /music/ directory. Upgrading is easy. Simply download the latest update from the archos site (http://www.archos.com) and follow the directions that they give you on how to install it. And as for the battery life, Ive had mine last for a little over a total of 10 hours. The buttons work fine and I havent had a problem with them.As for features, it doesnt have the most, but it has enough to keep me happy. It has randomize and repeat, an equilizer, very good sound, easy and fast file transfer, ability to choose up to one song ahead of time (while not in playlist mode), bookmarking to start where you last left off, ARCLibrary feature that allows you to browse by artist, album, title, genre, and even playlist, and many more things that I cant think of. All in all, I think that this product is one of the best alternatives to the overpriced ipods that Ive ever owned.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-07
My experience with the gmini 120 has been terrible so far. Perhaps I got a lemon, but Ive never in my life bought a consumer-electronics product of such low quality before. Let me list my issues with it:
1) Battery life is poor, something like 3-4 hours. Not what has been advertised.
2) The buttons are of low quality. They stick, the software does not register key-presses, etc.
3) The software sucks. It CRASHES all the time. This is just not excusable.
4) After having it for a month the hard-drive died. Ok, no problem, I call tech-support and after 30 minutes I reach an answering machine! I can not believe how awful this product is.
[Added this later]
5) Look, its obvious that some people get devices that work fine, but it seems as if enough of us are having problems with devices that fail, devices that crash etc, that you should think twice about buying this guy. I got mine back from service, and now one month later its having the same problem. If yours fails (and it seems that there is a good chance it will) customer support makes you want to shoot somebody.
-- do not get this product.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-09
This product is excellent! You get great MB/$ ratio. When mine came in it took little time to load all my songs. Its perfect for my camera that uses a CF card. The sound quality is excellent. And the size is incredible- its much smaller than a floppy disk and weighs about the same amount as one AA battery. The screen is huge and the overall look of the unit is great. I havent had any problems so far (~month), and I would recommend this to anyone.
On: 2004-06-02
I thought this would be a perfect companion to my 8MB digital camera. I was totally wrong. The gmini crashed continuously, shutdown in the middle of playback, and finally stopped responding altogether. Fortunately it was still within my 14 day return period so I was able to get my money back. I would not recommend this product to anyone.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-16
I wasnt even in the market for an MP3 player - I thought MP3 players were a gimmick marketed to "kids" - but Ive become a fan after using the Archos Gmini 220 for a full month. Im going on vacation halfway around the world and wanted a way to store digital photos without lugging a laptop. Despite the negative reviews on this site, I decided to try the Gmini 220 because it was the only reasobnably priced, small device with 20 GB of storage and a built in CF card reader. Ive tested photo storage using the CF reader and it works great, and Ive also come to love the MP3 player. The sound is great (I bought a $15 pair of headphones to replace the earbuds that came with the player). After loading over 200 CDs using the enhanced MP3 format from the MusicMatch software, I still have 15 GB free to store my photos. Now I have entertainment for that long plane ride as well as the photo storage I wanted! The Gmini is small (easily fits in a shirt pocket) and well designed. The interface is intuitive, and gives you several ways to access music or data on the drive, including a straightforward browser. After many hours of use, Ive only had one problem: When I first got the player, I couldnt get the ArcLibrary to update after loading new music. You can use the browser instead of the ArcLibary, but I wanted everything to work as designed, so I called Archos technical support. They answered promptly, were courteous, and walked me through solving the problem in a few minutes (I had a corrupt ArcLibrary file - they had me delete the file and update the player, and the Gmini automatically recreated a working ArcLibrary file). This problem has not recurred and everything else has worked well. I wonder if the people who are flaming the player here have read the manual - e.g. - the person whose Gmini froze. The manuals troubleshooting section identifies this as a possible outcome of subjecting the player to electrostatic shock and says to hold the power button down for 15 sections to shut off and reboot the system if this happens. The person complaining here talked about pushing all the buttons and now waiting for the battery to die - he doesnt mention tryintg the solution easily found in the manual (hmm - operator error?)! Anyway, Im very pleased with the Gmini 220 - very small size; huge storage capacity; very good sound quality; felxible, intuitive interface; versatile (self powered external hard drive, photo storage direct from CF card); good technical support.
On: 2004-05-04
Ive had two of these units so far, Im working on getting a third. The first was a Christmas present in 2003. It had tons of problems right out of the box and would only hold a charge for a maximum of 4 hours, not the advertised 8.The unit really started acting up within the first two weeks of owning it. It would stop playing for no reason, songs would skip like an old record player at times, the thing would shut off without warning. It wouldnt properly charge, it stopped connecting to Windows once and there were multiple firmware updates needed before support would even talk to me. After threee days andmultiple phone calls I finally convinced the technical support team to issue an RMA number and returned the unit to Archos for replacement. They simply put new batteries in it and shipped it back to me... in 3 weeks! Not the 10 business days they promised. Note that they only looked into the charging problems, not the playback issues. I used the returned gmini for all of 4 hours and the batteries were done... so was the display! It quit working. I saw lines, but nothing was legible. So back to Archos it went. They replaced it with a "new" unit. Well they said it was new anyway. This second one lasted for 37 days of off and on use and it finally failed with the same display problems. Im currently fighting with them to issue a third RMA so I can get this one shipped back and they can replace it again! There is no toll-free number to call when you need help... only long distance to california. Then you get to talk to a terrible technical support rep... if you get through. I spent 15 minutes on the phone today only to have their phone system hang up on me before I ever got to speak to a real person! Emailing support is almost worthless since they dont respond. Or of they do respond, they dont offer any solutions. Im telling anyone who will listen to stay away from this shabby company. They suck.
On: 2004-05-03
After months searching for something else than just a mp3 player I decided that the Gmini 220 was the most suitable for me in terms of features and priceFor a relatively low price you get an external ultra small 20 Gb hard drive, which also plays mp3/wma music files with very good sound quality. The USB2 port worked perfect in my Win2K and winXP PCs. No need of any extra software. Just drag and drop any type of file. Gmini 220 also reads CF cards (with few limitations I have to investigate yet), show pitures in B&W records from external devices using line in input (max bitrate 192 kbs), live records using the integrated microphone (max bitrate 112 kbs). It comes with Musicmatch (plus version!) soft which is necessary to create libraries but you dont really need it to play your music. OS sofware updates are free from Archos web site (I upgraded the units OS from v1.5 to v1.6 with no difficulty). Finally, Ive been PC biased but Mac users be aware that Gmini does work as an external hard drive for Macs too! In more detail:
- The huge screen and friendly interface makes it very easy to navigate and look for any file in your Gmini. You can move files between folders, create or delete files, see info like size etc, and even rename files with a keyboard screen that works pretty well for what it is.
- The huge screen also allows you to see the pictures you have stored (or the ones in the CF card) meaning you can identify them, though dont expect to really see details within the picture..
- The compact flash reader is an additional feature that works very fast and works wonders in conjunction with a digital camera CF based, to do backups or empty your card when full. Iam using that feature a lot too. However, I should mention that I couldnt move 1.2 Mb pictures taken with a Nikon 8mpx on a lextar CF card.
I read somewhere that Gmini might have some troubles with big files and/or some CF card brands.. In any case, I didnt have troubles with other 2 CF cards (sandisk, canon) transferring files of more of 1Gb.
- The microphone is another cute additional feature that impressed me with the quality of the recordings. Its true, you have to wait until the screen goes off (which you can set as fast as within 10sec ;) to get rid of a somewhat annoying hum that gets in, but I can live with those first 10 sec and filter or cut them out later.
- I converted a tape into mp3s playin it in my audio system which I connected to the gmini via the line in input. The quality of the mp3 recorded at 192 kbs was impressive, though of course you get the tape hum you can only get rid of by doing some simple sound filtering afterwards. Now I can digitalize old inedited tapes anywhere I dont have a computer. Gmini does it right there!
- Gmini comes with options to reproduce your music using playlists and so on. I havent explored this yet, I am not too fond of playlists but I know you can do it easily in the Gmini. Using the Musicmatch soft that comes with it (plus version) you can also create libraries but I dont find this necessary either. I prefer to organize all my files by their names, and I decide what folders to create, play, etc. No need of tags either!
- I havent really tested the battery life but I trust more those users who coincide in an average of 6 hs instead of the 10 hs advertised in the manual...
- One disadvantage is that the battery is internal but at least the unit comes with little screws that I think will make battery replacement possible.
- Another nice surprise is that the AC charger/adapter works for both 110V and 220V !! So no need of transformers anywhere! (I will eventually go to Europe and South America so this feature will be extremely convenient).
- Still, to be fair, I read about the i-river hp 120 and it does seem superior to the Gmini 220, with the included remote and everything... but...its about 100$ more expensive, and it doesnt read CF cards. So, it depends on your needs and your pocket! And finally some things that could be improved: - Gmini uses the same port for both power and USB (they can be connected simultaneously though) but you cannot use other typical AC plugs different than the one provided. Also, it would be more convenient to have the plug at the top on the unit instead of at the bottom.
- Buttons are just fine for my small fingers, but bigger hands might find them too small. Also, in my unit, the left arrow sometimes gets a bit stuck or does the down arrow job instead. Seldom, some other buttons mix up their job, but in general it works ok.
- I noticed that just sometimes the unit warms up quite a bit and it might be bothersome if carrying it close to your skin. I guess its a general behavior of these type of batteries.
- While music is playing you can browse the whole hard drive but you cannot delete or move files. Actually you can but the unit would then stop playing the song.
- A few times when playing mp3 and rewinding or forwarding my unit either stopped playing or kept playing not being able to rew or ffw in that song anymore. Everything came back to normal after changing the screen and restarting the song. No need to reboot.
I though that bug had been fixed with the last OS update but it seems it was not quite. Still, it happened very few times, in general it rew and ffw without a trouble.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-02
I bought this a month ago because it played three formats of audio... good idea but it doesnt work. It seems that it does NOT play WAV files at all. The screen went dead after two weeks and it doesnt play more than seven hours without a charge. I would be cautious recommending this to anyone.
On: 2004-04-29
I will have to first admit that I only have one days experience with the Gmini. All in all, the device does its job well; it is an excellent external hard drive and transfers via USB 2.0 are fast. The sound of the ear buds seem fine to me, and the UI isnt the best but gets the job done.Problems started, however, when I started trying to copy files from my CompactFlash card to the Gmini hard drive via the CF port (this is extremely important to me, since I bought this device primarily as a data vault for digital pictures while on vacation). I have three CF cards: Kodak (256MB), SimpleTech(128MB) and SanDisk(8MB). Both the Kodak and the SimpleTech have problems in the Gmini (firmware 1.9). You can browse the directory structure on the CF cards fine, but when you try to copy a file, the Gmini hangs; turning the device off is the only recourse. In addition, whatever directory you were copying into on the Gminis hard disk is now corrupted. In desperation, I popped in my SanDisk 8MB card. Files from it copied perfectly. Hmmmmmmm. Next step was to call tech support. While not tremendously helpful, they seem to be loosely aware of the issue. Their claim is that they have seen a problem with SimpleTech cards and with Lexar cards (they were especially emphatic about Lexar). They are not sure whether it is a hardware or firmware problem, but the claim is that they are working on it. I plan to test some Viking, Kingston, and SanDisk cards tomorrow; according to another Amazon reviewer, these cards should work in the Gmini. We shall see. [UPDATE 4/29/2004, based on my personal testing]:
SimpleTech 128MB: NO
Kodak 256MB: NO
SanDisk 8MB: YES
SanDisk 64MB: YES
Viking 256MB: YES
Kingston 256MB: YES
[END UPDATE] So, this is the main showstopping problem I have with this device. As of today with firmware 1.9 on the Gmini, be very cautious about buying this device if you have "off-brand" CF cards such as SimpleTech, Kodak, Lexar, etc. and plan to use the CF port with these cards. A couple of other gripes: there is no belt clip, and the thing is way too big for a pocket. Where does it go while you are walking/jogging? Also, the earbuds are too large for my wifes ear, but that just might be an anatomical anomaly on her part. Also, the Archos website *clearly* states that the device ships with MusicMatch *Plus*. Mine only shipped with MusicMatch Basic, which is the the free version that you can already download from musicmatch.com anyway. This was important to me since the Plus version can rip mp3s 8x faster than the basic version. This player *will not* play secure WMA music files as of right now; I dont know if Archos is working on this or not. So, dont plan on playing any of that music you downloaded from your favorite service (musicmatch, etc.) on this player.
[UPDATE: according to tech support, secure WMA will never be added to the Gmini. I always take what they say with a grain of salt, but....] Since there was a significant amount of bad, Ill restate the good: the price, 20GB can hold a *lot* of music, the USB 2.0 connection is fast. Being able to hold 20GB of any data you like in a small portable device is just too useful.
 On: 2004-04-28
I got my GMini for Christmas, after researching the market thorougly. It did everything I needed: WMA compatible, recorded into MP3 great, and held all my MP3s. But, all of a sudden, it wouldnt come on. So I sent it to Archos, and nearly a month later, I get it back, and it still is having issues! When I turn it on, it indicates a song is playing, but I hear nothing. Only after several restarts, will it work correctly. DO NOT buy this product - save a little longer and get a little more expensive product.
On: 2004-04-24
I regret the day I bought this machine. The battery life is almost nothing. It is anything but user friendly. Cannot x-fer downloaded songs from any pay website. Heavy, clunky, and tech service is beyond useless. There is NO reason to choose this product over any other. I gave up and bought an IPOD.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-21
With much trepidation, having read all the bad reviews that people gave it on the Net, I bought a Gmini 120. Glad that I did!This is the first MP3 player that I have bought, although I have used MusicMatch on my laptop for a couple of years. What attracted me was that it was by far the cheapest player with this size of HDD, with this many features (MP3, WAV, CF card reader, Mic in, Analog + SPDIF line in). It also came with a universal (120-240V) power supply, an audio cable and adapter plug, and MusicMatch Plus 8.0 on a CD. It came with OS 1.3.0 installed, but I upgraded to OS 1.9.0 straight away. This is currently (Apr 04) a free download from Archos. This includes the Photo Wallet and Recorder plug-ins by default. Easy upgrade. 2 minutes. Sound quality is excellent through the supplied earbuds, although I like a little more bass. Will try later with my big Sennheiser headphones. To address all the negative points that people wrote:
Comments about the review
The only real problem so far has been getting my 2-year old laptop (HP Omnibook 500, Win2k, Intel 82371AB USB chipset) to recognise it as a HDD. Windows didnt find the drive although the Gmini displayed USB connected, and the PC wouldnt shut down afterwards. It took me about 2 hours, hacking about with it, downloading drivers from Intel and Archos and trying to install them. I dont know what I did exactly, as the Intel drivers wouldnt install (already there), but I think I added the Archos supplied driver for a HDD as Other Devices in Control Panel -> Add hardware. Anyway, after a reboot, the PC found the Gmini and no more Windows lock-ups. In contrast, a new Dell desktop PC with WinXP found the Gmini first time, without drivers.
On: 2004-04-19
I wish I could write a scatheing review but I am not. I checked out a lot of MP3 players before purchasing the Archos GMini 120. I also looked at all the reviews here on amazon.com and weighed those for the iPOD, Zen Xtra and Diamond RIO before making my purchase. Here is my experience:The Good: Price vs. Features hands down goes to the GMini. At 249.00 (CompuUSA) with its 20GB hard drive, Smart Card memory reader and voice recorder (I am a student and am tired of packing a tape recorder) no other player even comes close. After letting my batteries charge for 24 hours connection to my PC was a breeze, just plugged it in and boom I was up and running in seconds (literally). The icon based menu made browsing the units features easy. Before installing MusicMatch I uploaded a couple of hundred songs to the unit just to see the sound quality and options. After a little bit of learning the key layout I selected a song from Pink Floyd just to see how dynamic the frequency response was. I was pretty impressed by the playback. The environment setting were pretty basic and the EQ did not impress me too much but it was useable and the volume range was excellent. The Bad: I am not going to elaborate too much here just give the down and dirty facts as most of the dis-advantages have already been listed in prior reviews. The button controls are awkward to use even after using the unit for a week or two. The documentation provided was not very well put together and in a lot of places erronious. The earbuds hurt my ears and I had to go purchase a pair of sony headphones. Music Match is the only product you can use to transfer to the GMini to sync and update its ARC library. The Return: While I did not experience some of the issues other users have listed and I was quite happy with the GMini, I did have to return it 2 times. No matter how long I left the unit charging it would only get to 2 bars, never 3. This meant a battery life of around 3 - 4 hours if I was lucky. My second unit done the same thing. After finally getting a hold of customer support (That was a nightmare) they told me that I must not have followed the initial instructions to let my batteries charge fully before using the unit. I asked them how long did that take, they replied 8-12 hours. I told them that I had let it charge for over 24 and basically they called me a liar. I really did like this player but without the option to change the battery pack without voiding my warrenty I returned it for an in-store credit and purchased the Nomad Zen Xtra.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-17
This is my first MP3 jukebox, so Im not sure if Im just being too critical, or if it actually is as good (or bad) as the other brands out there.Disappointment #1: Controls. When navigating through menus and directories using the players controls, some buttons are sometimes interpreted incorrectly, so navigating through files and folders is a real pain. Whether this is due to bugs in the OS or me getting a bad player I dont know, email support from Archos is virtually nonexistant. Disappointment #2: Battery life. The advertised battery life of the player is 10 hours. The actual continuous battery life is 6 hours MAX. The advertised 10 hours isnt even an optimistic approximation; its an outright lie. Disappointment #3: FM remote. One word of advice: DO NOT buy the FM remote. It is a badly designed, highly unstable, overpriced piece of garbage. The FM remote succeeds in nullifying the one aspect of the player that actually is any good: the sound quality. With the earphones (decent Sennheiser ones, not the craptacular phones supplied with the player) plugged into the remote, you can hear noises from *every* disk activity (access, spinup, file buffering during playback), and even text scrolling in the remotes display can be heard by small ticking noises in the background. Besides the degrading of sound quality, the remote also continually locks up, dims, or spontaneously turns on the backlighting and button illumination. All of these problems can only be solved by unplugging it or turning the player off and on. Maybe the remotes instability can be fixed with an OS upgrade, I am quite sure that all the noises cannot be fixed, since they are due to bad electrical design. I give it one star for design and one for sound quality, which is actually quite decent if you dont use the remote. Everything else about the player is just bad engineering.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-02
This is an upgrade from the Archos Jukebox 20. I compared this to the Rio Karma and Ipod. The Karma has a 90 day warranty and Gmini220 one year. I chose this player over Ipod for price and versatility. It shows up as another 20GB hard drive on whatever computer I plug it into. (For win2K and XP, no drivers needed.) Ipod is extremely proprietary and requires cumbersome software installs to get at the data. Fast USB interface loaded 15GB of MP3s in less than 40 minutes! The Gmini220 sound quality is excellent with high end headphones. The user interface is excellent and MP3 navigation is easy. The large display is a big plus and there is plenty of useful info displayed. Creating playlists is as easy as holding down the play button on a filename or directory while browsing the music folder. (some quirks fixed by upgrading firmware to rev. 1.6.0 - a very painless task.) With standard screws on the case, I have a better chance at replacing the battery one year from now versus the Ipod which is snapped together. With some online shopping, can be purchased shrinkrapped new for 15-25% off MSRP - my purchase was 25% off MSRP (03-28-2004), 15% less than brick & mortar stores.
The drawbacks are 6 hour battery life, dim backlight, cumbersome cables, and proprietary AC adapter (no way to quick charge or charge via USB.)
I cannot reccomend the FM radio/remote with high end headphones. There is a lot of excessive audible noise created by the digital controls and hard drive when using the FM radio/remote. The remote display freezes occasionally requiring the remote to be unplugged and pluged in again.
On: 2004-03-25
This player is really nice. I bought this for the ability to download JPEGS from Compact flash cards. I was suprised that it hang on downloads from my two CF cards. I tried my buddys cards and they downloaded without a problem. Please note that I have upgraded the firmware. The cards that did not work are the lower priced, heavily discounted cards such as PQI 256 (bought at Frys) and a SIMPLETECH 512. The better brands such as Kingston 64MG, Sandisk ULTRA 256, and VIKING 512MG all worked without problems. A call to ARCHOS tech support resulted in the tech support person not being aware of any compatibility issues. Thats the reason I am giving it 3 of 5 stars.....
On: 2004-03-09
First, I want to explain why I started off enthusiastic, but returned the 220 after a week.1) My simpletech flash card, which works with many other devices, couldnt be read by the Gmini 2) Battery life was around 6 hours 3) The screen was poor, even with contrast settings and backlight 4) Playlists got mangled when used with the resume function 5) Recording using the internal mic picked up loud screen noise I just replaced it with an iRiver ihp-120. It is my third player, and I think I might keep it. Here are the properties that the iRiver shares with the Gmini: -same volume/weight
-browse by folder and connect as external hard drive
-record either by line in or internal microphone However, the iRiver adds: -true 16 hour playback, more than double what I had with my Gmini
-a full functioned remote with screen
-built in FM tuner Now, you cant dump CF cards directly onto the iRiver. However, Macally makes a product which will let you do that. See http://www.macally.com/new/new_syncbox.html for details I checked out http://www.misticriver.ws for a while before I made my decision. There is lots of good information there.
On: 2004-03-08
Ive been using my Gmini since christmas and have had no problems with it. Before it i was using an older archos model, the Jukebox 6000. Ive heard a lot of rumors about how the archos players have so many defects and problems, but Ive had no trouble with either of them, except for a broken adapter on the first, which i caused. The good...
1. The huge LCD on the front is a big improvement on most mp3 players, it displays a lot of information including a clock, play mode, the artist, album, and song name, track progress, time remaining, and total time, volume, and battery gauge.
2. ARClibrary software built in allows you to create a file system for all of your songs based on their id3 tags, big time saver.
3. This is a great price for what youre getting, it doesnt have the hype of the iPod, but it works just as well, for a lot less.
4. The unit is very expandable, when you buy it, it is only installed with basic features, mp3 playback. Archos sells upgrade software at a reasonable price that lets you add an FM tuner/recorder, voice recorder, and madplayer.
5. This is just overall a great player, its great looking and a lot more durable and solid looking than the competitors. The way it is designed, if it is dropped on a flat surface, the impact will be absorbed by the rubber pieces on the sides, sparing the precious hardware from any damage, you dont find that on an iPod.
6. Excellent storage space and very quick USB2.0 connection let you get all your songs on it in a hurry.
7. The player allows you to create your own playlists, edit file names, create new folders, move files, delete files, anything you need. the bad...
1. The player is a little sluggish when dealing with huge playlists, but this doesnt affect it as long as youre just listening and not trying to switch songs or navigate the file system.
2. The player is also slow compiling large playlists, the first playlist i made had about 150 songs, and took something like 5-10 minutes to finish creating the file. I thought it had frozen at first, but once it finished it went right back to normal functioning.
3. The controls are a little frustrating at first when youre trying to navigate file systems, adjust volume, etc. but once you get used to them, they are easy and efficient. This is a great player that has been overlooked by most people, if nothing else, go to an electronics store and take a look.
On: 2004-03-03
This is the first Mp3 player I have had. I had never heard of Archos but after reading reviews I purchased it. I like it a lot although so far have not explored all the uses for it. As far as loading my Cds into it I have had a few problems but the problem is not with the product. Sound is very good but have nothing to compare it to. So far I am happy with my purchase and hope to use it for a long time to come.
On: 2004-02-25
Bought to replace an old Archos Jukebox Recorder, wish I had never bothered.1) Freezes and locks out
2) Display is always corrupting even occasionaly appears backwards.
3) Battery life is nothing like they state.
4) Photo plug in useless will not work with large cards or large files. I personely think this is the biggest waste of money, Archos technical help is a waste of time. Now sits in the car where if I have had a bad day at work I use it as stress releiver. Doesnt bounce well though. Gave it one star cos it looks cute
On: 2004-02-19
Good:
1) Sound quality is excellent.
2) One can transfer pictures to the jukebox via a cf card port that is provided...(very simple).
3) One can add an FM tuner for a reasonable price and record MP3s directly from a radio.
4) Can be used as an external harddrive Bad:
1) It froze up on me once and I had to wait until the battery was completely drained. No other way to reboot. 2) Customer support is not what it should be
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-14
This little unit is one of the best mp3 player Ive seen. Ive read as much as I could about this player and decided to take a little risk -- all I can say now is that its all worth it! As a mp3 player it is well made. As a portable storage device for photos, it is excellent if you use CF cards! As a backup device for your computer, AWESOME! The documention and accesories are not the best, so the player is definitely made more for someone a little more tech-savvy. I spent a good hour or two figuring out the buttons and menu structure. The owner needs to be comfortable poking around and pushing buttons without really knowing what they do. ;)The sound driver seems pretty good. There is enough power to drive full range sound (i.e. very good bass) into a pair of Denon AHD210 headphones. The small earbuds it comes with are only adequate -- so be prepared to use a higher quality set of headphones! The device is instantly recognized by WindowsXP and file transfers are easy -- its just treated as an external harddisk. I did not bother loading the provided software or drivers. I immediately went to archos.com and downloaded the latest firmware and the free updates to "unlock" the CF reader and sound recorder. I guess its their way of getting you registered in the system. But that was a relatively painless process. The USB2.0 interface is VERY fast and I was able to fill the jukebox in less than an hour! More music than Ill ever need to traverse the continental US! The screen is not as good as some other players, but it shows enough information to be useful -- trk time, name, artist, etc. The Gmini is small enough, though not as small as the new "mini" players coming out. My primary usage model for this is as a car music source and as a portable HD. Because it relies on Windows USB drivers, it functions very well as a portable storage device. All you need is a standard USB cable that has a "mini" connector on one end. (one cable is supplied) This is being written hours after Ive opened the box, so hopefully I wont encounter any problems! Its sad to hear the horror stories, but the results are great when the unit works as advertised!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-10
I have had the machine for a week now and while I am very happy with the size of the machine, its capacity, the sound and the functionality (especially the fact that you can browse your folders instead of using the id2/3 tags that are always wrong - you can do it as well if you want), i am upset with the stability of the product.
So here comes the big minus. It crashes nearly everytime i want to play a song after swithing on the machine and often twice before you can listen to the song.
I have updated the firmware to 1.6 but nothing has changed.
So, i guess this is more a problem of firmware than anything else, i am sure that when they release v1.7 it will be much better and by the way it does not crash anymore when you have managed to read a song until you switch it on again.
Another thing which is not perfect is the 4-way button, scrolling is sometimes not that smooth.
Finally, the battery is clearly not 8hrs but more 5-6hrs.UPDATE
I have now had the player for a few months and the new firmwares have not changed anything. The crashing only occurs when I am playing wma. MP3 plays just fine. I have had to download itune and convert all my wma into mp3 which is a bit annoying.
If you are using mp3 only, i think it is quite a good player. if you want to use wma get another one. But in general i would go for the i-river or the upcoming zen.
On: 2004-02-07
I bought my Gmini a chain retailer for a good price. When I took it to work, one of my co-workers said that he wished I checked with him first. He has an an older ARCHOS and had to return it twice for OS problems. He has the same problems with the third one, but hes just putting up with now. After two weeks of using my Gmini, non-stop, I thought I was in the clear. Then, it happened. The screen became garbled and the player did not respond to any key sequences. I had a hard time even getting it to reboot! After rebooting, same problems. Nothing has helped. Its a terrific player when it works, but the darn screen problem is irritating. Its going back tomorrow and I will buy a unit from another manufacturer.
On: 2004-02-07
My wife and I have each had one of these since Christmas. Its my first Archos; my wife was replacing her Jukebox Recorder 20.Pros: No drivers or custom software required; just plug into your USB port and it shows up as a hard drive. Drag/drop/go. Works as an external drive for transferring data very well, and since its battery operated, its better than any external USB hard drive out there. Organizes easily; you can either organize music yourself via nested folders and whatnot, or let it use the ID3 tags to organize for you. Cheap. Nobody else comes near the price. Cons: Interface is, well, non-intuitive. Sometimes it just doesnt behave as it ought; you can press left-arrow to go back a folder level, up and down to go up and down, but pushing right arrow makes some odd popup menu appear. Instead you have to push PLAY to go into a subfolder. Weird. Buttons are badly laid out. It will be quite some time before youre used to the odd up/right and left/down combo arrows. The play button is tiny, but the menu button (which you rarely use once the unit is set up) is huge. I dont get it. Volume is a bit low. But I rarely use headphones; almost all of my listening is either through a home stereo or a car stereo. Battery. Does anybody EVER get all three bars on their battery life? Mine seems to start at one bar down. Battery life is ok but less than advertised. Comments: To those who have complained about having to pay to use the recording or compact flash features...the plugins are now included with the unit. If you have an older unit, you can download them for free from the Archos website. Another review seemed to really favor the older Jukebox Recorder, and honestly I dont get that. The recorder was the same size (tho it looked bigger because of those wacky blue corner things), but a bit heavier, with a teeny tiny screen and awful OS interface. On the other hand, I agree that the new proprietary connecter required for line-in is annoying. Bottom line: a great value as either an MP3 player or portable storage unit.
On: 2004-02-06
first, great service by amazon. got the unit exactly when they said i would. i had the original archos jukebox 2 years ago. i went to the ipod because of the craze that it would be the best mp3 player hands down. well, im back to archos. if youre thinking about getting an ipod, understand that A, it seperates music by id3 tags, and B, the battery dies in a year and it is $100 to replace! the gmini 220 seperates songs by folder much like using windows explorer. if you dont want to deal with the hassle of making sure all your mp3 id3 tags are correct so the ipod will read them then get the archos. this unit is really easy to use. it takes a little getting used to, but so do all of these mp3 players. a couples of the features that are really cool and good to have. 1. the CF card reader. not only is it really neat, but you can use that to transfer music to or from the player (in small quantities) if you find yourself without your usb cable. you can also use it to store pictures from a camera or other digital devices. 2. the internal microphone and line in recording. FINALLY! i can make tapes into mp3s and even radio shows i like. all you have to do is use the supplied cables to record from a device, or you can even use the mic which i found to be pretty good quality. the display is very nice. i was worried it would be difficult to operate the device with one hand, but it is pretty easy. ok, so why 4 stars instead of 5? well, the battery doesnt appear to be as long as they said it is. they list 10 hours, but i think it is probably close to 8. this isnt THAT big of a deal, and any other mp3 player most likely will give you the same thing. also, the unit did freeze up a few times. this has happened with all the mp3 players i have had (3). i dont think they will ever make mp3 players perfect, but this one is the best i have used so far. i would recommend it over the ipod.
On: 2004-01-31
I wont buy an iPod. Why? Because they wont support WMA. Because the interface means you dont move the music files directly, you have to use the software. I just want to move music over and play it. The idea of encryption is silly. There is free music everywhere. It comes down off satellites. Any idiot can record it. The industry needs another model. Thanks to USB2, getting music on this device is easy. I used to move music with USB 1.1, and filling anything took hours. This thing takes minutes. You just treat it like File Explorer. If you organize music by album, move albums, or the whole collection. From here, the player will break down artists, songs, and albums. Of course, 20 gigs is a lot of music, so doing this is cumbersome. The interface has 11 lines of display. You see a lot of information. It still seems a little cumbersome, so I tried to get a mininum number of folder in the parent directory. None of this matters as long as you know what you want to do. This unit is small, high capacity, and efficient. You can move files from a digital camera to this unit. Its easy, but a little slow. If you dont use CF cards, you have to buy an adapter on the bay or from Archos. This is great because these dumb memory cards are expensive, and every year they make the old ones obsolete. Buy one with enough capacity, and carry something like this. This unit has a recorder. I expected nothing from this feature, but it actually works very well. I set it up to record MP3 at 192 kbps, the highest. I then plugged the funky two pronged adapter into the unit, and the miniplug output from my XM into that adapter. The music sounded very good. I cant say if it is as good as a PC based recorder, but there was nothing obviously wrong. So you could lug this along and make recordings of cassettes or LP, or record live broadcasts, etc. Its very painless. This may be the strongest feature, but I havent played with it enough. So, play music, record music, manipulate files, transfer pictures on a long trip. This is not as elegant as iPod, but this is utility taken to a high order of perfection. I hope it holds up. I have one of the original Archos Jukes, and it still works. Apparently they give you the full version of MusicMatch with this unit. Ive had the limited version with a computer I bought. The two seem to work well together. The MM goes through and sorts the music and updates a file on the player. Because of the large screen, it is very easy to make playlists on the Gmini. You bring up an album on one side, and the playlist is on the other. Im not sure how you do more serious navigation. The thing even has a screen keyboard to title recordings and playlists. Its slow but heck, it really works.
Im stopping at 4 stars because the unit has hung up. You have to reset it, by holding down the power switch. Its not much worse than my Pocket PC, but Im not sure what it means.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-23
I really liked the concept of having a portable hard drive AND an MP3 player. I was worried about carrying around a hard drive, due to fragility. It did indeed start acting up about a week after I bought it. However, instead of the hard drive being the source of the problem, the display was getting very garbled and sometimes even completely reversed. I tried tech support before returning it, just to get an idea of how good their support is in case I wanted to exchange it for another Gmini, but I havent heard back from them in over a week. The store was out of them, and didnt have any on order. I gladly took my money back.
On: 2004-01-21
I have had this mp3 player for about two weeks now, and I really dont have too many complaints. It basically does what it says it does.The display is a nice size and everything is very readable. Other reviews said that they downloaded a different OS, but I have found no problems with the preloaded OS. I have already loaded on around 20 cds and I havent even come close to using up all of the space. The volume sounds excellent any way I have tried to listen to it. I have used headphones, a tape adapter for my car, and plugging in my computer speakers at work. All work very nicely. On the topic of volume, one of the biggets problems(but it is only a minor problem really) are the headphones that are packaged with it. Usually the lengths of wire leading to the earbuds are equal in length. For some stupid reason, someone decided to manufacture them at different lengths. It is more of an annoyance than anything. To me, they are just uncomfortable. The other problem is that I dont get the battery life that they promise. I get around seven hours, maybe a little more. Workable, but another three hours would be nice. And just to compare to an ipod......
My boss got one for christmas and had some complaints. The ipod didnt come with a usb cord, only a firewire (Gmini120 comes with usb). The sound quality when hooked up to anything other than the headphones sounds terrible (Gmini120 sounds sounds good for me anywhere). The ipod is so skinny the only way to place it on the table is to lay it flat on its back (the Gmini120 can sit up with its face facing you). The ipods controls are very touchy, sure it comes with a lock button so you cant accidently push something, but thats just an annoyance(with the Gmini120 you just have to press a little harder). All in all, I would recommend this product to others.
On: 2004-01-20
When I first got this two things surprised me, one was the thickness, and the other was the weight. Of course these can be explained by the large HD, but other players have done far better. I was also confused at first by the arrow buttons, not to mention that the instruction manuals pictorial guide to the button layout is all wrong! But I personally think this player is quite nice, a tad big, and a bit awkward, but as soon as you get used to the configuration, it can turn out to be quite powerful. My friends have complained about the max volume on this, but I personally think its more than enough....unless you plan on blowing your eardrums or trying to listen to it while standing next to a jet taking off!
On: 2004-01-20
I checked out the Ipod and the Zen but decided on the Gmini 120. Price and the fact you do not need any other software to transfer files from your computer. You just plug in the USB 2.0 cable and XP will recognize it...great if you like to transfer stuff to another computer...but you have to use their proprietary USB cable.I am very satisfied with the sound although I did upgrade the ear buds. The only gripe I have is that the manual that came with it had errors and the layout of what was what as far as the buttons on the Gmini were wrong. It took me a while to finally figure out the proper sequence of pushing buttons to get to the functions I needed...it was frustrating and I thought it was not that intuitive. I finally downloaded the manual from there website. After figuring it out I am very pleased with its performance...just took a while to figure it out.
On: 2004-01-17
I got this to store my photos. Dedicated photo wallets while slightly cheaper dont perform nearly as well. I would recommend this to anyone who doesnt want to invest in lots of digital memory. With the built in compact flash slot who could ask for more.. except maybe a replacable hard drive, oh well..
On: 2004-01-09
People get too tied up on the fact that it plays Mp3 and Wav files... you need to look at the bigger picture here. I own the Gmini for one reason, Im a photographer and I need a place to save my digital pictures. You cant beat the Gmini in a price comparison as far as memory space to dollars. A 512mb memory stick will cost as much as the Gmini alone. If you are technically proficient, you can open up the Gmini and upgrade to a larger hard drive...it uses a 2.5X9mm standard laptop hard drive. You can store all you work files, GPS files, etc. and its small and light. The added bonus is the fact that it plays music for those long trips to outer mongolia, or even more dangerous, Los Angeles... I think the button layout works.... once you upload the new operating system it works really smooth. The buttons have a feature so you can lock them, no more turning on in your pack. The battery last pretty long considering you have a hard drive spinning in this thing. If you really want you can replace it with a higher rated battery and get more life out of it. So I give this product 5 stars for ease of use, price, and there is nothing like it on the market that has all the features of the Gmini. And thats that!
On: 2004-01-07
I currnetly own an Archos Jukebox Recorder 20 (basically the same specs - 20GB, USB2, drag and drop, 8-10 hr batt life) but that is where the similarities end. While the Gmini 120 may still be better than 75% of the competition with its affordable price, no need for interface software, USB 2, OS/Firmware updateability and large capacity, it does not measure up to its predecessor (JR 20). I purchased a Gmini 120 for my brother for Xmas and put them side by side in a full comparison.
First thing you notice is the button layout which seems confused (and unlabeled). The large button in the middle is the Menu button...odd. The File and Mode/Delete buttons have been eliminated and moved to who knows where. On my Gmini the Play button is not not very sensitive, you really have to give it a good long push to take. One of the big things noticed is the rechargeable batteries are no longer easily accesible (if accessible at all?). The JR 20 has little doors on each side to fully reveal the batteries (one of its best features). The phones/digital in-out/line in are all combined into one jack on the Gmini. You have to use a special adapter (that does come with the unit - dont lose it! its totally proprietary) that allows for the line in and Digital in/out but takes away the phones!!!??. The Gmini now has several modular options which are not included like the photo wallet plugin (virtually useless attraction for those just looking for a good MP3 player, which most are) and a remote FM tuner (formerly built in on the old Jukebox FM Recorder 20).
Now we turn the unit on... Yes, navigation has changed for the worse. Now one must push play to select a folder instead of the simple and logical left/right/up/down nav of old. Pushing to right on a folder expands some window whos fuction Ive yet to be determine. Pushing right again opens more mysterious panes. OK, we found our way to some music and push play....sounds pretty good... but quiet...lets turn up the volume.... Nope, its all the way up! Well, maybe the track is just a low volume one. Nope. Even with the best headphones the gain on this unit is terrible. period. Even tweaking the new 5 band graphic EQ does no good. The JR 20 just has Treble and Bass but also has Loudness and Bass Boost - both of which are gone in Gmini. The Loudness is very handy when compensating for those quieter tracks.
To be fair Gmini has included some needed improvements in the area of more flexible playlists, resume memory (nice!), a standard mini-USB input and a qualifyable charge indicator in the form of a happy (or frowny) faced battery, although weve experienced dificulty with this unit holding a full charge for the advertised 8-10 hours.
Bottom Line - If youre looking for a good HD based MP3 player, Archos is still the best (at least for now) but the Gmini is not it. It is not clear whether Archos is still making the Jukebox series as there is no info on them on their website anymore (?!?!) but I would go out of my way to find a Jukebox Recorder series instead of the ill-concieved, aesthetically induced Gmini 120.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-06
This thing works great. Apart from choking on a Wnamp made playlist once, it plays mp3s very nicely. I also love the storage space, and the fact that Windows treats it like a hard drive. Drag & Drop beats having to use a media player any day.
On: 2004-01-01
I selected the Archos on the basis that I could also use the unit as an external Hard Drive. For the price, the Archos GMini 120 gave the largest hard drive capacity when compared to the iPod and the players from Dell and Samsung. I had no problems with the unit being recognized by Win XP, and I upgraded the units system software from v1.2 to v1.5 with no difficulty. The controls and menus are functional and logical although the buttons are slightly hard. My player runs 8.5 hours on a full charge, but I get occasional error messages during the last half-hour of use when playing WMA music files (it says there is something wrong with the file). The included ear buds are good, but I prefer my Sony ear buds which give a richer sound. Fit and finish is adequate. The hard drive inside is extremely quiet. I am not interested in the extra cost features so that has not been a problem for me. Overall, this has been a happy experience so far.
On: 2003-12-21
I have had the crippleplayer for several days now and concur with most of whats been said although I have not had the malfunctions that others have reported. The most dissapointing thing about the player is the so called customizable (crippled) features. Add on features are one thing, but the fact that the player comes with the compact flash reader hardware and microphone built in yet INOPERABLE is extremely pathetic, aggravating, and would make me reluctant to: 1. purchase another Archos product, 2. purchase any add on which I do not REALLY want (forget about the fm radio and the MADplayer is not even a consideration), 3. reccomend the player to others. Great marketing job there! I would have preferred to pay slightly more and had at the very least a fully usable unit, as advertised on the box. Additionally, I note the following:
1. The manual is very poor and says nothing about the battery life, replacement, charge time, etc.
2. The user interface is good, although a bit on the simple side.
3. The sound quality is very good.
4. Download times on and off a computer are very fast.
5. The bundled software is also crippled (upgrade to super duper now!)
6. the player feels very solid in the hand and will sit upright on its own (good design).
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-14
Take my advice; dont buy the Archos Gmini 120. Im vary savvy with electronics and I can tell you that I will never buy another product from Archos in the future. The Gmini 120 looks cool the GUI interface is a good idea but they simply dont work. I went through three Archos Gminis in the span of one week. I kept getting another one figuring that I the one I got must have been a lemon, but they were all lemons from a lemon company. Each one had a different problem. The first one I had could not be recognized by either of my two home computers when it was connected via the USB cable. The second worked when connected through the USB and I was able to download my music to it, but it only work for all of three days. It was running good till the backlit screen slowly started to disintegrate to the point where you could not see anything at all and rendered the device totally useless. And the third one worked for less than a day. Out of the box I experienced difficulty navigating with the buttons. After I had downloaded all my music (again) the buttons would lock, causing it to keep scrolling and was unable to use it. When you have problem with your Archos Gmini 120 (and you will) its difficult to get support. The Archos trouble shooting web site is not vary helpful, and if you want to call to talk with someone about the problems your having you will have to pay for the phone call because they dont have a 1-800 #. Hands down the worst electronic product I have ever purchased. Maybe you will have better luck. Im spending the extra money on a better-established company and going with the i-pod.
On: 2003-12-11
You know, some of the criticism here is warranted. But a lot isnt. I honestly dont know how you can blame Archos if you dont bother to actually read up on the product?No, it does not come with a photo wallet or flash card reader. That is on the order of $50 extra (quite reasonable in my opinion). And I dont know how anyone could say the Gmini is anything but a huge upgrade from the Studio20. My goodness, for USB 2.0 alone its worth it. My experience: I have had mine for about three months now. I use it every day, and I have yet to experience a single problem with it. The good --
1) The navigation functions/layout are 10000 percent better than the Studio models. The larger screen, navigation buttons all make it much, much easier to find the files/music/whatever you are looking for. You can very easily navigate around your machine, rename, move and delete files without having to be connected to a computer.
2) Battery life is good to great compared to similar units. I get 6-7 hours minimum, which is pretty darn good. Thats what my pal gets from his iPod, so Im pretty happy with that. Archos implies an "up to" 10 hour battery life, which I think is pretty inflated.
3) The Music Match software works quite well with the unit, though if you dont have USB 2.0, you will end up dragging and dropping files the old fashioned way. For some reason, it takes Music Match four or five times longer to move files to the Archos when you use the built-in function to do that.
4) The fact that you can mount it on any system without installing a driver is huge. I can bring it to work, and mount it on my local machine without having to get the IT staff to add drivers to my puter. I use it to move large files from home to work and back, and in that capacity it works just great.
5) Unlike just about anything else on the market, the archos is expandable. I have not purchased any of the add-ons, but it is nice to be able to add functionality like that on an as-needed basis.
6) Cost. The Gmini is still less than $250, which is just a little more than the Studio 20. Dirt cheap comparatively. My friend spent $300-plus on a used iPod, which doesnt have as much space or any of the features my Gmini does. The Bad -
1) Unlike other Archos models, the Gmini has built-in music library software that (in theory) allows you to select and play songs, artists or albums without creating playlists. Unfortunately, it relies on Music Match to build the library database. So, if you dont use Music Match to move you MP3 collection to your Archos, you basically cannot use the library function.
2) This may be an issue just with my person unit, but the "up" navigation button is not as responsive as the others. Its not a huge issue, but I thought it might be worth mentioning in case others have problems. The bottom line is this: The Gmini is a more-than-adequate alternative to an iPod, especially if you want it to do more than play music. For my personal needs, its great to be able to cart around my photos, data, files, music, etc. on a pocket-sized machine I can whip out and mount on any computer I come across. I couldnt be happier.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-07
I second all of the negative comments already submitted and Id like to add that the build quality on this thing is very poor. The seams where the front and back of the plastic (cheap plastic) body of the Gmini connected were several millimeters apart in places and not really lined up properly. The buttons were awful as well. The X button seemed like it was permanently stuck in the down position, though it did work. It was actually the only button that responded immediately when pressed once. I often had to press the other ones twice, never quite sure if they had not been pressed properly the first time or if I were waiting for the operating system lag to catch up. And the battery life. That was very disappointing. I think it only lasted 5-6 hours between charges. I returned mine to Circuit City for a full refund. My suggestion to you is to avoid the hassle and buy something else. The Creative Zen line is great. And if you need a CF card photo wallet like I do, it would probably be best to wait for a better one to come along.
On: 2003-12-04
I purchased this when my Studio 20 broke thinking it would be a wonderful upgrade, with many new features ***AS ADVERTISED***. How fooled was I, only to learn I bought another Studio 20. While it potentially has nice addons and I wouldnt mind purchasing the hard for compact flash or the fm adapter, but the Recorder, come on guys, you already provide all the hardware. Really poor marketing and now you lost a repeat customer for it. Im probably going to take mine back. Whats up with the earphones, the Right is longer then the left, what was the logic other then choking you and making you look stupid wearing it. Also, Archos your code is horrible, please work with Rockbox.
On: 2003-11-21
I am a digital photography enthusiast who purchased this product so as not have to buy more than 1 1Gb CompactFlash card and who didnt want to always have to lug a notebook PC along on every extended photo-shooting expedition. It baffles me that nobody has yet created a killer product which meets the needs of the growing population of digital photography enthusiasts but that is another story.The Gemini 120 gets a generous 1 stars from me because: 1) While in theory it can do what I describe above
2) The marketing geniuses at Archos completely infuriate their customers by crippling this product and forcing people who have already forked over $250 to buy "plugins" to enable functionality that is, in theory, built in. Someone else mentioned the disabled CompactFlash slot. Nowhere in the product description do Archos mention (on the box or elsehwere) that customers have to *purchase* the plugin which will enable the CF slot. While they do make clear that the plugin has to be downloaded, someone could be forgiven for thinking this download is free because the CF slot is already incorporated in the unit. In the unlikely case that you are thinking of buying this thing and taking it overseas BEFORE you buy the plugin (through gritted teeth), you might also want to know that the Archos site blocks people resident in other countries from downloading the software even when they are paying for it (at least, I can vouch that this is true for Japan). Incidentally, if you have bought an Archos product and experience problems, dont bother calling tech support - hell will freeze over before you get off hold. Message to Archos: if you have any ambitions of a shelf life > 1 year, please do not infuriate the very people who will make you grow: your customers. Jason
On: 2003-11-20
Does everything as advertised and does it well -- no errors transferring CF cards, good battery life, decent MP3 player. Other people have critisized the web site and marketing niche, but this has nothing to do with the product itself.The fact is that at the time of writing this is the only MP3 player/ CF card reader in its price range. If you need only one of these, look elsewhere. If you can wait 6 months for better and cheaper products, do so. If not get the Gmini and you wont regret it. Im taking mine to India in a week!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-18
It is inconceivable to me how companies like Archos could have it all and consistently sabotage themselves. What is missing on the market is a simple-to-use, high-capacity player (40GB and up) for playing and recording multiple music formats, and data backup, not two similarly deficient products from the same company in different form factors with "downloadable plug-ins". The later idea is cheap captialism and razorblade marketing and simply moronic. If the player has all these capabilities, why not sell it all-in-the-box ready to go? I bought a different player/recorder and I am convinced that Archos looses a lot of customers due to such pathetic marketing (and a website that looks like from the beginnings of the web.)
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-01
There are a lot of MP3 players on the market so its hard to decide what to get. I narrowed my search down to the Archos and iPod players, and although I like the iPod and there are a lot of cool aftermarket accessories you can get for it, it is kind of pricey.
The Gmini-its pronounced "Gemini" which is one of the only things I would have changed about it, I mean really, what marketing morons come up with these brand names? Anyway, it is well worth the $250 price point. Forget about the whimpy 128MB flash players and Sonys stupid mini-disc crap, because lets face it, if youre going to pay in upwards of $200, you might as well make the investment and get something that can conceivably hold your entire music collection, and this thing does more than that. Dont worry about skipping.The Gmini plugs into your USB port and bam, its there. It shows up as an external hard drive-no drivers to install. Drag your existing music files and thats it. I had a folder of about 50 WMA files that transferred over in about 40 seconds. I was a little disappointed that the extra features it boasts like the CF-card reader requires that you buy the downloadable plug-ins from the manufacturers website, personally I would have paid more for the thing if they were already installed, but thats minor since the price is worth it anyway. The headphones hurt my ears a little if they are in there too long and the player itself can be difficult to turn off. Youre supposed to just hold down this button for a couple of seconds and it shuts off but it doesnt always do it-remeber that this thing is like a little computer so it has to shut itself down. I found that its better to just leave it alone because it shuts off automatically after a couple of minutes-which you can change the settings to how you like it. Those are very minor complaints, and I also wonder what happens if the battery ever finally dies-its internal so I dont know if you can replace it or not, just keep on re-charging I guess. Overall this thing is pretty good. Its easy to use, compact (a little thicker than an iPod)and can be customized to the way you like it. It also makes an excellent storage back up, and you should check out the other stuff that Archos sells. They have a USB 20G hard drive that is as small as a 3 1/2 inch floppy, and a player that has a color screen that reads a variety of video files so you can actually watch movies and music, and with an 80G hard drive, you can have your video and music collection in the palm of your hand and ready for viewing/listening. Of course its expensive, but damn its cool. I dont think anyone else makes such a thing. I still remember when the first walkman came out so this stuff seems pretty cool to me. DO NOT hope that an electronics store will have a salesperson that knows this stuff, theyre usually pretty clueless. I bought mine at Circuit City and the people there had the wrong price, didnt know if it came with batteries and when I wanted to see the Archos player that played videos on its little color screen, the sales guy didnt believe me when I told him that it could record and play video files. Other stores knew just as much. For the price, capabilities, compact size, and ease of use, this thing is probably the best you can get right now. If you could get a 20G iPod for under $300, it might be worth it.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-10-30
... This new Archos Gmini 120 was my favorite player until recently. Here are my impressions.Good (and make sure to read the Bad also): 0. Plays both WMA and MP3 files. I have a lot of WMAs and the iPod and older Archos were no good for me. 1. External hard drive for PC and Mac fast USB 2.0, no extra drivers needed! Plug and play, drag and drop whatever you want, its that simple! Beats the Zen and others in this category. Unlike regular external drives, this one is self-powered because it has a battery - you just need to bring the USB cable to a friends PC and youre in business. 2. You can browse and play music based on directory structure. Thank you Archos for not thinking users are morons and cant organise their music! This is the only hardware player that has this feature, much like Winamp on the PC. I hate the players that parse your MP3 tags and organize songs by artist etc - because most of the time the tags are missing or wrong, who knows who ripped that MP3... Of course, the Archos can *also* parse the tags and organise your music according to genre, artist, etc, like any other player :) 3. Rich and powerful UI. It is not quite as simple as that of most other players. However, you get clock, equalizer, volume, time remaining, track data, and what not on the same screen. The display itself if big and easy to read. 4. Sound quality is very good, perhaps better than the other players I tried. The default headphones are not bad - they have a volume control, which is nice. Use the equalizer to fine tune the sound. I love the way it pumps out my techno, and it passes the U2 test with flying colors :) 5. Built-in Compact Flash card reader and microphone. You need to load (buy?) extra software to use them. Nice add-ons that other players dont have. I can imagine backing up my camera after it fills up while on vacation, or recording a meeting at work. 6. Looks good :) Price + features + usability is very competitive - beats everything IMHO. Bad: 0. It just froze on me 1 hr ago and there is nothing I can do. No combination of buttons, USB on/off, power, nothing!!! The screen is completely frozen at the instant when it was playing an MP3. Hopefully the battery will drain itself so I can reboot and salvage my files? 1. Even before the freezing problem, I noticed that the unit sometimes stops playing and displays a dialog File bla is not supported or cannot be played or something like that. I do not recall having such files. Unfortunately, the screen is too small to see the whole name of the file and its extension. I thought of this as a minor annoyance until the unit froze completely. Bottom line: Ive used all major hard disk MP3 players for extended periods, with the exception of the overpriced iPod. Not a single one is ready for prime time - in fact all were disapointments in usability and stability. This will be my last MP3 jukebox. |
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