Posted 03/06/2008 at 11:28:54am

The Archos 605 actually comes in 80GB and 160GB capacities as well, not just 30GB. Additionally, the reason Archos charges for the Web Browser is to ensure that customers don't have to pay for features they don't use. Only about half of its customers use the player for surfing the Web -- the other half use the device for video and music playback primarily. Archos went with a personalization strategy this year to provide add-on features/plug-ins at an additional cost, which enabled it to keep the device cost to under $300. With this approach, half of Archos customers are not paying $30 for a feature they don't ever use. It's important to note that with this device, you get a fully-featured portable media player for under $300.