ARCHOS Introduces the World's Smallest 5000-Song Digital Audio Player

Business Wire, Oct 14, 2004

IRVINE, Calif. -- The 20-Gigabyte Gmini XS200 Stores Five Times More Songs for the Same Price as Competing 4-Gigabyte Digital Music Players

ARCHOS(TM), the pioneer and technology leader in pocket-sized audio and video digital media solutions for mobile consumers, today announced the introduction of the Gmini XS200, the world's smallest 20-gigabyte(1) hard drive-based digital audio player that boasts an entry level price of $249.99. The Gmini XS200 is designed for music fans looking for the ultra portable way to take music collections on the road. The Gmini XS200 will be available at major retailers nationwide and at www.archos.com by the end of October.

The Gmini XS200 expands the successful line of ARCHOS pocket music players with products that appeal to a range of consumers and digital media interests. The new Gmini XS200 measures 2.9" x 2.3" x .7" and offers five times the capacity of 1000-song music players for the same price, yet with the features that matter most to music fans. The Gmini XS200 lets music fans store up to 5,000 songs, 500(2) CDs and 300(2) hours of music, while playing MP3, WMA and WAV music files. With the Gmini XS200 consumers now have the ability to easily take music collections with them wherever they go, on a device that fits in the pocket with room to spare.

"With the introduction of the Gmini XS200, ARCHOS continues its strategy of delivering innovative handheld digital media solutions with competitive price points," said Henri Crohas, chief executive officer of ARCHOS. "ARCHOS is once again ahead of the competition with the introduction of the Gmini XS200, a perfect solution for the consumer who wants an ultra-small, large-capacity music player with an affordable price."

Rip, Rock & Roll

The Gmini XS200 allows consumers to carry their music collections in their pocket, and expands on ARCHOS' successful line of hard-drive based audio players with its sleek design, and large-capacity hard drive. The Gmini XS200 features a 2.2" gray-scale LCD screen and includes an easy to use icon-based interface. The new player also features the proprietary ARCLibrary(TM) advanced music management program, which lets users delete, rename, copy and move files, and create folders directly on the device -- without using a computer.

The Gmini XS200 functionality allows consumers to:

--Store up to 300 hours(2) of music or 5000 songs(2)

--Listen to MP3, WMA, and WAV music files

--Connect to a stereo to play music (with optional standard audio cable)

--Quickly organize songs and view tracks by artist, album, genre, title and year with the ARCLibrary

--Store important data files on the large 20-gigabyte(1) hard drive

--Rename, move, copy, delete files and folders or make playlists on the move without a computer thanks to the ARCHOS Browser

--Navigate easily with the icon-based menu and intuitive 2" gray-scale LCD screen

--Transfer content via the USB 2.0 high-speed interface and store data from a PC or Macintosh

Pricing and Optional Accessories

The Gmini XS200 has a suggested retail price of $249.99 and will be available later this month at retailers nationwide and at www.archos.com. Additional accessories include a car charger, optional audio out cable, and a convenient carrying case. Product information and optional accessories are available at www.archos.com.

About ARCHOS

Established in 1988, ARCHOS is the technology leader in pocket audio/video products and has a long history of inventing state-of-the-art devices for people on the go. In 1999, ARCHOS opened the mass market of pocket-sized MP3 players based on a hard disk with the Jukebox 6000. In 2002, ARCHOS launched the first portable video player, the Jukebox Multimedia. The company's "AV" line of pocket-sized audio/video recorders and players has revolutionized how today's consumers enjoy their music, photos and videos anywhere, anytime. ARCHOS has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia and more information is available online at www.archos.com.

(1) 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Formatted capacity is less.

(2) On average

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