Archos Affordable, Compact, Colorful Audio Player Coming in May

March 15, 2006 – ARCHOS introduced today the ARCHOS 104 MP3 player, with a 4-gigabyte (GB) hard drive for storing up to 2.000 songs or 40.000 photos, a 1.5" color screen, a JPEG photo viewer, and Microsoft PlaysForSure support. Thanks to its small form factor and competitive entry-level price, the new ARCHOS 104 is the perfect device for people seeking a compact and affordable music player.

The ARCHOS 104 is the company's latest hard drive-based audio player, replacing the widely successful Gmini XS 100. The smallest player in the ARCHOS line-up, the device measures 3.6" x 1.7"x 0.5" and weighs only 2.8 ounces. The ARCHOS 104 features a host of benefits, including:

  • 4GB Hard Drive: Store up to 2,000 songs or 40,000 photos;
  • New OLED 1.5" Color Screen
  • New Photo Viewer: Store, share and view JPEG photos;
  • Newly Designed Icon-Based Navigation: Easily guide through functions and menus with newly designed interface;
  • Multiple File Formats: Play MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music and audio podcast files.
  • Up to 14 hours of battery life
  • Microsoft PlaysForSure Support: Purchase, download, or rent protected music content from PlaysForSure-compatible digital music stores;
  • Windows Media Player 10 Support: Enjoy automatic synchronization with Windows Media Player 9 and 10 for fast music transfer;
  • Easy Music Management: Use the ARCHOS ARCLibrary to sort music by artist, genre, title and year, and rename, move, copy or delete files and make playlists directly on the device;
  • USB 2.0 Connection: Download content using a High-Speed USB 2.0 connection;
  • Choice of Color: Choose among metallic grey, black or pink to match your lifestyle;
  • Shuffle Playlists: Shuffle your entire library or select a folder or playlist for random playback;
  • Stereo Connection: Connect the ARCHOS 104 to a stereo and play music around the house;
  • Wide Choice of Optional Accessories: Choose from an extensive list of optional accessories, including a carrying case that can be worn on a belt or around the neck, car chargers, sound cases, and more.

"The ARCHOS 104 brings a color screen, photo viewing, and a completely new interface to our already successful XS 100 music player," said Larry Smith, ARCHOS chief operating officer. "More than ever, ARCHOS offers the perfect portable music player for teens and active people who want a small and inexpensive device to take their favorite music and photos with them wherever they go."

Access to Music Downloads and Services through Microsoft PlaysForSure
In addition to storing and playing music from their own CD collections, consumers can fill their ARCHOS 104 with songs purchased and downloaded from the Internet. The new ARCHOS 104 is included in the Windows Media PlaysForSure program, so consumers can purchase tracks from some of today’s most popular digital music stores, including MSN Music, Musicmatch, MusicNow, Napster, eMusic and Wal-Mart Music Downloads.

Pricing and Availability
The ARCHOS 104 is scheduled to ship in May to retail stores worldwide, and will be soon available for purchase at www.archos.com, with a suggested retail price of $149.95. The ARCHOS 104 comes standard with stereo headphones, neck strap and USB 2.0 cable. Optional accessories include an audio cable for connecting to home stereo systems, a car adapter, a variety of protective carrying cases, a sound case, and a multi-standard power adapter. Additional product information and add-on accessories are available on the ARCHOS web site.

SOURCE ARCHOS