Archos is revealing a touchscreen notebook, powered by Android. The ArcBook is a 10.1-inch notebook computer operating with Android 4.2, and has a full keyboard and trackpad aimed at “students and mobile professionals”. The price is right, but is the form factor?
For a svelte $169.99, you get a 10.1-inch touchscreen notebook that is GAPPS certified. Archos is also saying their offering will bring you “more than 10 hours of continuous use.” You’ll also get 15GB free Drive storage with a purchase.
The ArcBook is cheap, but is it a good fit for Android users? For simple productivity tasks, Android is adequate. The recent split of Docs and Sheets from Drive suggests Google is angling Android to an enterprise audience, and this device would bolster that aim. The ArcBook comes with Office Suite Pro 6, too, suggesting the enterprise is encouraged to take a look.
Price often suggests a quality, and Archos isn’t known for making premium hardware. At $169.99, the ArcBook may be worth a look, but Android doesn’t lend itself to robust productivity. Light tasks are easy, but a notebook computer isn’t meant for light tasks. As enticing as it is, the ArcBook may just fill a niche that doesn’t need addressing in the first place.
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