It’s getting a little old after its introduction back in mid-2009, but if you’re looking for an affordable modern tablet that runs on Windows 7, the Archos 9 just got updated with a fresh spec to keep it up to date. With a faster 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor replacing the older 1.1GHz chip and a faster (and lighter, and more energy-efficient) 32GB SSD drive over the earlier version’s 60GB hard drive, it gets a performance boost that amounts to a high-end netbook at best, but if you ever wanted to run laptop applications on a compact slate, then this is something you might want to check out.
Archos has started shipping the Archos 43, a touchscreen device that’s been labeled as an internet tablet. Despite the tablet category, it’s not necessarily an iPad rival, but with a perfectly pocketable 4.3-inch screen, you could think of it more like an Android 2.2-running iPod touch rival. It should be perfectly capable of running with the iPod too, with a bigger touchscreen display with an 854 x 480 resolution that gives you more screen real estate for watching movies or mobile gaming.
Technically, the Archos 13 should be tagged as a netbook, since it’s powered by Intel’s Atom processor. But overall, it’s really a mix of mobile computing specs, blurring the line between netbook and notebook. First off, it’s a bit large at 13.3 inches to be considered a netbook. Also, it packs an Intel Atom D510 processor, which isn’t your regular Atom since this dual core chip is usually found on nettops.
The Android-powered Archos 5 internet tablet is now available in the US via Amazon. The Internet tablet-slash-multimedia player, which features a 4.8-inch touchscreen and HD 720p-quality playback, starts out at $390 for the entry-level 160GB model, while a version that comes with a 32GB solid state drive is available for $370. Amazon also lists a top-end 500GB model that comes with a 500GB hard drive, but stocks aren’t currently available.
