PMP stalwart's pedigree shines through

French manufacturer Archos has been a supporter of PMP since it was first introduced and is now on its fifth generation of devices with this, the 605 WiFi. Archos's experience certainly shows in this device. For starters, it's very solidly built and is a cut above most of its rivals.

Then there is the screen, which is not only a generous 4.3-inches in size, but is also widescreen with a stupendously high resolution (by PMP standards, at least) of 800 x 480 pixels. So while you won't be able to run HD content, you can run a video on this and it looks nothing short of superb. Colours are vibrant and detail is crisp. Photos look great too.

The screen is also touch-sensitive, and when used in conjunction with the column of buttons along the right-hand side of the screen, it offers a huge array of control over the player's functions. For example, when watching a video you can tap anywhere on the progress bar to skip to that part of the movie. You'll probably need to use the supplied stylus for this, though, as many of the onscreen buttons are simply too small for fingers.

Audio quality is excellent too, but we need to use the remaining space here to talk about the device's other main function: web browsing. With built-in Wi-Fi and the optional Opera web browser (which costs an extra €30), this makes for a surprisingly adept portable internet device, and you can also hook it up to your home network to transfer media files across at a decent rate.

Criticisms? Well, the fact you have to pay extra for the likes of a TV in/output, the browser and the mains charger aren't great, but then again you are getting an awful lot for that initial £199 (inc. VAT). And if 30GB is not enough space, 80GB and 160GB versions are coming soon. Small moans aside, this is the current king of the crop and makes that daily commute fly by.

Score

• 5 / 5

For

• Excellent design and build quality
• Impressive screen resolution
• Easy to use and versatile

Against

• Full functionality costs extra

Verdict

Specification