Archos is rekindling the smouldering embers of the netbook space with a new keyboard-laden Android computer. Meet the Archos ArcBook.
French electronics maker Archos has always tried to create distinctive, unusual Android devices. Whilst its smartphones are affordable, but perhaps a little uninspiring, its tablet lineup is pretty varied. The GamePad 2 is the most notable member for its integrated hardware controls and the face it came bundled with the Google Play Store favourites with regards to gaming, now the ArcBook looks to satiate those after an affordable productivity machine.
The ArcBook is a 10.1-inch laptop style Android device, which unlike Asus’ Transformer family, remains firmly fused together. The display and keyboard are hinged into a body that, when closed measures just 22mm at its thickest point. The hardware keyboard comes with a few Android-specific keys for added functionality and there’s a full-sized USB port if you prefer using a separate mouse over the integrated trackpad.
At £139.99 the ArcBook doesn’t pack the best hardware in the business, but it comes equipped with all the necessary tools for keeping up with emails and carrying out simple office work on the go (OfficeSuite Pro 6 comes pre-installed too). The display sports WSVGA resolution and the 8000mAh battery will see you through nine hours of continuous use.
The brains of the outfit is a frugal 1.2GHz dual-core processor paired to 1GB of RAM, whilst storage is limited to just 8GB but has room for an additional 64GB via microSD card and 15GB of Google Drive storage for your docs.
Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, it’s not the newest user experience either, but once again, this affordable netbook, should serve most people well with its no frills approach. We’re still waiting on availability but you can read up on the Archos ArcBook on the company’s website.
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