Rating: 
Summary: Archos 20 GB USB Great Value
Review: This is a great MP3 player, but not for the technically challenged. Archos support is poor at best. After about four months the box started locking up for no apparent reason and occasionally would fail to boot. Archos suggested replacing the batteries which I did to no effect.I replaced the original batteries and installed the RockBox free firmware <http://rockbox.haxx.se/>. Presto! All problems resolved, battery life was longer, and the sound better. Not a single problem in the last three months. I'm pleased with the hardware. Yes, it is heavier than an Ipod but significantly less expensive.
Rating:
Summary: Archos 20 gb
Review: With a price tag like this not only is this an awsem music player it doubles as a portable hard drive. Take it over to your buddies house plug it in via usb 2 that is and voila, with 20 gig's WOW........
Rating: 
Summary: Choose this player depending on your expected usage
Review: If you ever plan to use this MP3 while jogging or exercising, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you just want to have a device to store lots and lots of audio content for regular usage and playback during say a commute or during your work day at the office, then this device is for you -- there is no better device for the price you pay. As many others have already mentioned, you should immediately upgrade the firmware that is downloadable from rockbox.haxx.se. The nice thing about this player is that it's a plain-ole mp3 player without the worries of DRM and similar such nonsense. The software that comes with this device (MusicMatch Jukebox) has a fairly good set of tools for you to manipulate, create, and organize your MP3's. And because this device acts just like any other external USB storage device, it'll automatically be recognized by OSes such as Win XP, Mac OS X, and Linux (kernel 2.4 and up). In fact, you can use it just as a regular external hard drive if you so choose. If you are a Linux fan, then rest assured that it will work in Linux, just make sure you install the usb-storage module and you should be set. Linuxathome.com provides a number of real-world hints for linux users that will help you gather all the vast rich audio content there exists out there on the web for playback on this device.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't even think about it
Review: I bought one of these for my kid at Christmas 2002. She still has yet to get more than a couple of months' use out of it. I am in the process of trying to get yet another replacement (that will be No. 3) out of Archos. The unit stops responding to any commands and does not seem to have power. They all did the same thing. I found Archos customer support OK, they did deal with me and answer my questions. It took months to get a replacement unit. But so what ... get an iPod.
Rating:
Summary: Best Value MP3 Player
Review: This Archos is one of the best values you can get for an MP3 player. I have had no problems with this player. It does not have any digital rights management BS - you just plug the player to your PC via USB cable and drag the files on or off the player as if it was another hard drive. The USB 2.0 connection is fast too. I also recommend the installing the Rockbox firmware (available at rockbox.haxx.se) - which now plays video gray-scale video! You can also replace the hard drive with almost any laptop hard drive to upgrade the capacity. Imagine an 80gb MP3 player for under $500. $500 for an iPod gets you only 40gb. Plus there is the battery life, I have experienced at least 10 hours per charge verses the typical < 5 hours for an iPod.
Rating:
Summary: Like military intelligence, Archos' support is an oxymoron.
Review: I bought a model direct from Archos, and needed shipping information. Did I get any response to my emails? My calls? My pleas to contact me? In the end, I had no end of paperwork trouble because they couldn't be bothered to do their job properly, and swore I would never, ever, ever buy anything else of theirs in the future. So ask yourself this before you buy: Why should you support their company if they won't support you?
Rating:
Summary: I Don't trust Archos products
Review: I don't have this product but did have an Archos Jukebox 6000 and the thing was good....when it worked. I had all kinds of problems then it finally freezed up and would not work at all. Virtually no customer support from the beginning. The thing came with old driver...but I didn't know that..and it took forever for anyone at Archos to email me back telling me to update the driver. After that was done...like I said..a few months later the thing froze up and was useless. With all products you buy..especially computer related....look for a good reputable company that maybe you have dealt with before..or that you trust to give you good customer support.
Rating:
Summary: This product is great
Review: This archos is a fantastic machine. For basically the cost of a 256 KB MP3 player, you get an awesome 20GB MP3 player, backup storage drive, voice recorder plus this machine does what no other IPOD,IROCK, MP3 player does. You can record live performances, conversations and lectures. You can also record your old cassetes and records (remember those pieces of vinyl), directly from your stereo to the unit and the quality is great. You can then listen to them, download them to your computer or email them. The measurements are 4.25" x 3" x 1" and it weighs about 12 oz. I have contacted customer service with questions and they were prompt and courteous. You cannot go wrong with this unit.
Rating:
Summary: Spotty quality, but inexpensive!
Review: Housed in a bulky, industrial casing, the Archos Jukebox Recorder offers a great deal of functionality for the money. Unfortunately the poor construction is evident from the unweildy form factor (cheap casing and mushy buttons) and unpredictable quality. Although I've had mine for a solid year of reasonable performance, the first two units I owned failed to work. My experience with customer support was just as bad. At its current price point, the Archos is not a bad choice given its ease of use as a portable hard drive. With the Rockbox firmware it becomes a good MP3 player. Unless you're willing to risk a poor quality product and brave Archos support, I'd be wary. Amazon has great return policies, so you may be okay with chancing the spotty quality.
Rating: 
Summary: Cracked Hard drive?
Review: This is a good product. It does everything that it says it does. But it does have a problem...
I owned this product and their was a huge problem. I bought the mp3 player and it was really useful and all but this one time after I charged it, I turned it on and it said "Hard Drive Error". Then it would shut itself off.
It was broken and I was pissed.
Afterall, I only owned this product for about 2 weeks. And this problem had to occur.
Luckily, one of my friends was apart of the Sony Technical Repair team. Even though this product isn't from Sony, I gave it to him to fix. He opened it up and told me this, "The hard drive is cracked. Literally cracked." I was amazed. I had never been rough with it.
Anyway, I never did end up getting it fixed, it was done. So after taking out my rage (on things that are irrelevant to the topic)... I ended up buying an iPod.
But, I really wish I still had that Archos mp3 player. Even though it was bulky and heavy and has more of a tendancy to crack its own hard drive. I just liked it. I dont't know why. I think I might buy another Archos 20 gig mp3 player. Even if the hard drive cracks again.
I think I'll take my chances... yeah, I will.
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