Archos Does It Again: PMA400

Posted on April 19, 2005

I want I want I want I want…

What is the Archos PMA400 Pocket Media Assistant?

It’s:

• a Linux-based PDA (running QTopia)
• a portable MP3 player
• a portable video player that you can plug into your cable/satellite box to rip programs directly onto
• a mass storage device for anything that plugs into a USB port — digital cameras, etc. (the magic of USB Host)
• a 30GB portable hard drive
• a mobile Internet client — it has built in WiFi, Opera browser, and IMAP mail client
• and anything else you want, since you can write your own apps for it

How freaking cool is that? The only thing missing is Bluetooth, to sync with the addressbook on your mobile phone (and maybe you could add that with a Bluetooth USB adapter… hmmm…)

Put aside the geek factor for a moment and think about how neat it would be to just plug in and grab the last ep of Deadwood or something to watch on the Metro to work… yum! (You’d need to have headphones, though — the fucks-per-minute might offend your fellow commuters…)

PC Magazine likes it, as does CNet. And the price ($650-$700 street) isn’t too high when you add up the cost of all the various devices this thing subsumes (basically everything except your cell phone and camera).

I want I want I want I want…. 🙂