The rise of the Apple iPod as the preeminent portable media player has driven rivals to create all varieties of devices to compete. Archos is certainly no exception to that rule, and with its 605 WiFi they offer a solid WiFi connection, great sound through headphones and a decent display, but also faces some unfortunate drawbacks.

The Archos 605 WiFi is available in a variety of hard drive configurations. It is only somewhat stylish for a portable media player and is somewhat bulky--it may not rest that comfortably in smaller hands. It does however have a built-in kickstand so you can prop it up. There are six multi-function control buttons adjacent to the 4.3-inch color display as well as several other buttons, lights and ports ringing the player's edges. An optional docking station (not tested) also lets you record programming directly from television when connected to its port.

The 605's touchscreen serves as the primary way to select your entertainment options. A stylus is included in the box for the touchscreen if you don't want to use your fingers, though we would have preferred one you slide in and out of the player. Options-wise, the 605 is loaded with plenty of features to keep you busy for hours--music, video, digital photos, wireless Internet connectivity. The list goes on.

Tests of all of these features found they worked well, for the most part. Audio playback was excellent through headphones, even turned up at full volume. The same cannot be said though for a built-in speaker--there was lots of distortion depending upon what you are listening to.

Video playback on the 605's screen was quality, though we noticed some video clips were a little grainy. Digital image quality was outstanding. The quality of the screen was also useful for figuring out the very busy interface. While colorful, it is somewhat confusing with all of the options you can choose from. You'll find yourself spending a lot of time with the user manual to understand the things you can do.

One of the other major features is wireless connectivity. The 605 supports 802.11 WiFi technology and it did its job as advertised, connecting to available hotspots with ease. A built-in Web browser helps you to view Web pages clearly, and you can also access a special Archos online portal to download content to the player.

As you can see, the Archos 605 is loaded with plenty of features, but tt has a number of tradeoffs and may be a difficult device to master for some-- and usability is where the competition remains king.

Pros: Lots of storage, touchscreen, lots of features
Cons: Bulky design, built-in speaker, complicated on-screen menu system

Warranty
1 year, limited