ARCHOS Enhances the Smallest 20 Gigabyte Pocket Music Player with the New Gmini XS 202; The New Gmini XS 202 Stores More than 10,000 Songs, is Extremely Small and is Enhanced to Support Microsoft PlaysForSure and Windows Media Player 9 and 10
IRVINE, Calif., July 6, 2005 — ARCHOS, Inc., the global consumer electronics manufacturer and leader in portable digital entertainment solutions, has launched the new Gmini™ XS 202 pocket music player. The ultra compact 20 gigabyte(1) hard-drive-based audio player is now Microsoft PlaysForSure™ download compatible, features a new blue screen and is the smallest 20 gigabyte audio player at the cost of a 4-gigabyte player. The Gmini XS 202 is an upgrade from the Gmini XS 200 released last year and is the perfect music companion to take up to 10,000 tracks on the go and in your pocket.
With its compact and elegant design, the Gmini XS 202 measures only 2.9″ x 2.3″ x 0.75″ and is 4.2 ounces, yet offers the largest hard drive capacity for product of its size and price point. Presented with a blue-scale, 2″ LCD screen and a trendy metallic cover, the latest in the ARCHOS Gmini product line gets 17 hours of battery life and offers an impressive list of features, including:
— Supports MP3, WMA, WAV and protected WMA (PlaysForSure download) music files
— Synchronizes with Windows Media Player 9 or 10
— Stores up to 10,000 songs(1) on a 20 gigabyte hard drive
— Easy viewing on the blue-scale 2″ LCD screen
— Enables easy navigation, transfer and management of all music files from the PC or Macintosh
— Connects to the stereo to play music throughout the home (with optional standard audio cable)
— Enables easy organization of songs through the ARCHOS ARCLibrary, viewable by artist, genre, title and year (ID3 compatible)
— Offers 17 hours of battery life(2)
— Can rename, move, copy or delete files and make playlists on the device without using a PC
— Offers a friendly icon-based graphical user interface
— Connects via high-speed USB 2.0 for downloading and storing data files from a PC or Mac
“The Gmini XS 202 is an enhancement to our Gmini line of portable audio players, offering an exciting new blue screen and integration with Microsoft PlaysForSure music download programs and Windows Media Audio protected files,” said Henri Crohas, ARCHOS chief executive officer. “The Gmini XS 202 is undoubtedly one of the most competitive audio players in the 20 gigabyte market and is the smallest of its kind at that capacity.”
Access to Secure Music through Microsoft PlaysForSure™
Music fans can fill their ARCHOS Gmini XS 202 with up to 10,000 songs from their own CD collections or tracks downloaded from the Internet. As a member of the Microsoft PlaysForSure program, tracks can be purchased from such online music stores as MSN Music, Napster, Musicmatch and Wal-Mart Downloads. The Gmini XS 202 will support the Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription services with a firmware update in the fall of this year. Microsoft PlaysForSure support also ensures easy integration with Windows Media Player 9 or 10, and the ability to play protected Windows Media Audio files.
Pricing and Availability
The ARCHOS Gmini XS 202 is available now at select retailers and online, and is priced at $249.95. The ARCHOS Gmini XS 202 comes standard with stereo headphones, USB 2.0 cable and power charger. Optional accessories include an audio cable for connecting to home stereo systems, car adapter, additional protective carrying cases, armband and a multi-standard power adapter for recharging the device while overseas. Additional product information and add-on accessories are available on the ARCHOS web site http://www.archos.com.
About ARCHOS
ARCHOS is a global consumer electronics hardware manufacturer and is the technology leader in the field of digital portable entertainment solutions. Committed to the most innovative technology, ARCHOS offers award-winning digital pocket-sized products that feature audio & video recording, photo viewing, gaming, as well as other multimedia and productivity applications, for the enjoyment of the most exciting entertainment anywhere, anytime. ARCHOS has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. More information is available online at http://www.archos.com.
(1) On average. Music capacity is based on 3.5 minutes per song and 64 kbps WMA encoding. Formatted capacity is less. For better quality, 128 kbps encoding or more recommended.
(2) Calculated with included battery and on audio use, battery life will vary with use
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