Denver – Archos
started out as a portable media player (PMP) company, branched out last year into
entertainment-oriented mobile internet devices (MIDs), and will take the next
step in its evolution by launching its first tablet-style ultramobile PC.
The Archos 9, due
worldwide in the fall in multiple configurations, runs Microsoft Windows 7 Home
and Student on Intel’s Atom Z515 1.2GHz processor, features 8.9-inch
1024×600-pixel touchscreen with virtual keyboard, and incorporates WiFi
802.11b/g. The company expects them to be compatible with 3G -cellular USB modems, but Archos also plans to offer versions
with embedded 3G cellular-data technology in the form of quad-band EDGE and 850/1900MHz HSPA for the U.S. market. “It will be up to the retailer
or cellular carrier to order it that way.
The 0.63-inch-thick
Archos 9 will come in 60GB and 120GB hard-drive versions with a choice of black
or white. Separate SKUs will add embedded 3G to each. Prices were not
disclosed.
Features include a
1.3 MP built-in web cam, optical track-point mouse, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth, Skype software for audio/video
conferencing, , built-in stereo speakers, removable lithium-polymer battery,
two high-speed USB ports, and
Ethernet port.
The company
currently offers two WiFi-equipped MIDs, which it calls Internet Media Tablets,
offering 5-inch touchscreens, WiFi, TV recording, and ARM
Cortex processor. A cellular-equipped version didn’t ship in the U.S.
as planned.
In January, the company announced plans for
its first netbook.
