Archos has announced that they’ll be shipping a new touch-based mini-PC by the third quarter of this year. The Archos 9 will be different from the usual Internet Media Tablets that the company has pumped out in the past, thanks to a full PC-based OS, namely, Microsoft’s Windows 7.
Windows 7 gives the mini PC-slash-tablet native touch support, which will come in handy, since this device won’t come with a keyboard. Data input is done using an on-screen keyboard that’s enabled with a button, plus an optical trackpad for moving the cursor around.
It runs on Windows 7, but the specs are comparable to a netbook for maximum power efficiency. The Archos 9 runs on a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z515 mobile processor, and packs in an 80GB hard drive for storage. The usual mobile connectivity options such as Wi-fi and Bluetooth are present for internet access, plus a pair of antennas to give it DVBT TV Tuner.
It’s due out in Europe in October, in time for the official Windows 7 launch for around 450 Euros (or around US$640).
