In this chapter, we will specifically talk about the interface. The different menus will be detailed in the concerned chapter.
The interface has been greatly improved. It has been made so the device can be easily controlled by your fingers. No need for a stylus anymore ! Also, transitions and style effects have been added.
Home screen
The home screen has been completely remade ! Now, the menus are presented in colums. Here are the menus and their sub-menus.
Play : Video, Music, Photo, Games, Flash applications
TV : Programs guide, TV programmation, Recordings, TNT
Internet : Web, Email, Contacts, Connection
Media Club : Movies, Music, Games, Informations, Archos Store
Tools : Adjustments, Widgets, Files, PDF, Files sharing, Help
DVR Station : TV-Output, Video recording, Audio recording
Each menu will be detailed in the concerned chapter.
The colums have a zoom effect. When you press a menu with your finger, this one will automatically zoom itself. Pretty nice feature. Also, fade effects have been added.
It is possible to surf on the Internet while listening to music, it is possible to watch photos while listening to music, it is possible to listen to music while browsing the principal menu but there is no way to know if you are listening to music or not. For example, if you turn off your speaker and disconnect your earphones from the player, nothing will visually tell you if music is still running in background or not. This situation will probably never happen to you but we think it is important to tell you that there is no visual logo to let you know if an other application is already running. If it happened to you, it could possibly drain your battery quicker. Not a major issue, just something that could be interesting to add in a new firmware.
The font is nice and big.
With these Mobile Internet Tablets, no need for a stylus anymore, everything is controlled with your fingers. This is why the interface has been graphically rethought to let this happen. The font is bigger, almost twice the original 605’s font. Sometimes, it can also be considered too big. Indeed, the eye scans big writtings and concentrates on little ones. Reduce of 2 the font is some menus wouldn’t have been a bad thing.
File browse is hidden
Bye bye "File browser" icon on the principal menu of the player. Here, you will need to go into a sub-menu (Tools/files).
In the top right corner of the screen, you will find the home button which allows you to come back to the principal menu quickly. At the opposite, you will find a very banal icon which gives you access to the menu parameters. At the left, you will find a rectangle with the time, the volume and the battery indicator. Again at the left, an arrowed button will allow you to come back where you were. The X button has disappeared, replaced by the "back" button.
In fact, we weren’t used to such a nice interface with Archos. It is greatly appreciated.
Shortcuts creation
Another new feature is the possibility to create shortcuts. Those shortcuts allow you to directly access, from the principal menu, your videos, photos, music tracks, web pages and widgets. In the Video, Music and Photos menus exist in the parameters a "make a shortcut" option. It’s simple and effective !
Archos also integrated more than one resumption button. Now, you have one in each menu. You will now be able to listen to music, close it, go watch a video, and start back your music at the same place you were before you stopped it. The resumption function also works after the you turn off the Mobile Internet Tablet. Community asked for it, Archos did it.
The background is fully customizable. We see it in all the player’s interface. I mean that in each menus, your background will be visible.
Note that it’s possible to put a video as your background. I will surely drain more battery but it’s a nice possibility.
Another new feature is the "clic" that makes the device when you press on the touch screen. iPod users certainly know what I’m talking about. Some will like it, others won’t.
It is switched off.
Security code and parental control
It is now possible to protect the access to the player with a code. It is called the "security code".
Also, with the parental code, you will be able to protect the access to some files with another code. When the child mode (access to the non-protected files only) is activated, only the non-protected files will be visible. A function that is now obligatory due to the ACP.
Screen lock
There are no physical buttons to lock the screen. We need to go in the screen parameters to get the option "lock the screen". It is also possible to do that in the Music menu.
To unlock the player, you will need to press the On/off button of the unit, then confirm your choice : two options.
At last, you have probably noticed that these tablets don’t have the "TV/LCD" button anymore. Indeed, now the parameters of most of the menus have an option "output on the TV". It’s better for the player’s design and not necessarily less convenient.
Read more : Synchronizing to the computer
