Newbie: Overwhelmed by the market changes

[SheilaHoff]

I've only been looking for a replacement for my 1 gig Nano for a couple of weeks. I tried a new Nano with video and realized I liked having video AND I wanted a bigger screen. Then I accidentally found Archos and there's no turning back. I mainly need a device for music when working out and love the idea of being able to watch movies and TV shows. My hope was that I could stream current mainstream TV via Hulu and the networks while exercising. I bought the A5 because I needed it for a trip but it's going back before the 30 day return expires. I assumed I'd just upgrade to the A5Android which will HOPEFULLY upgrade to v2 and include Flash 10.

I just came back from a cross country trip which was my first real test of the Archos 5 (non-Android) beyond the gym. The battery held up well. I watched 2 movies while crossing the country. On the return trip I watched one then surfed the web using the new inflight GoGo! That was cool. However using the onscreen touch keyboard made it less than an ideal experience. I had a lot of trouble getting tick boxes checked and the send button clicked for email. Frustrating.

Now that I've been researching it appears the Archos is the bleeding edge of a HUGE wave of new devices coming out in the next 3-6 months. I have a few questions for those of you hanging out here.

One of the only reasons I'm even considering something besides the Archos is their clear and obvious lack of customer support particularly beyond the first year. As I look at the wide array of new stuff coming toward us most of it seems to be from China and other Asian countries. I realize that even the Archos is probably made there. But it seems like buying some of these assures even less customer support than Archos offers. Is that a fair assumption?

Priorities:
* 4.5-5" high res screen
* wi-fi
* thin enough to fit on the lip of an exercise book rack so less than 1" (I don't have exact measurement but it can't be a netbook for instance)
* good with a variety of movie formats

Would be nice but not essential:
* GPS
* camera
* kick-stand (really like that on the Archos)
* bluetooth
* SD expansion slot
* I do NOT want/need a phone although the idea of being able to use it with Skype would be nice. So probably a built in mic & speaker?

I've looked at: RAmos MID W7, Cowon q5w, and SmartQ 5A. Previous to finding Archos I'd ruled out most of the more mainstream ones available here as none of them were new and none had 4.5-5" screens (the old Creative Vision W and an old Sony Mylo did had them but I want something that's not already obsolete). Also Nokia 810WiMax is an older option that's interesting but a lot of these are coming out with smaller screens and/or phone contract requirements. I do NOT want to have to subscribe to a phone service. The vaporware Dell Streak looks interesting but I'm not clear if it'll have a phone requirement or just that option. I like the look of the Viliv S5 however it seems too thick for my needs and it's quite expensive for a year old model.

I don't like Apple and besides their iTouch screen isn't large enough.

SO.... since I can return my A5 and use an old Nano for music until my next trip... shall I wait to see what's coming? Given my parameters what device(s) would you recommend? Mass storage beyond 32gb isn't a priority nor is recording off TV, both of which are major Archos advantages. Oh, budget... willing to spend up to $400 including accessories.

Thanks for any input.
Sheila in Seattle

[Hoot69]

Ah, a consumer after my own heart. I have both the iPod Touch (1st gen) and an Archos 5 (not the IMT) and have owned the Nokia N810.

Other than the pain of "ripping" movies for use on a plane, one of the most versatile units I own for music/movies is a Sony PSP. I can have games, music and movies. Internet is available, but painful.

Of the "forthcoming" units, the Dell Streak appears to fit the category the best. However, if Apple ever did "blow up" the Touch to a 4.8-5.6" screen, that would be my ideal.

A lot of the info on the web is "coming soon", but until available and someone can actually hold it in their hands, it's all just talk, no-show.

Let us know what you eventually find. For now, I'm still waiting...

=-= Hoot