Rating: 
Summary: For the money it is worth it!
Review: Basically this is a nice little MP3 player. Also works great for storage of large items I want to move between computers since it functions like an additional hard drive when connected to the computer.Pros: *Large storage (20 gigs)
*Functions like a drive when attached to a computer
*Does what it is supposed to do
*USB 2.0
*Button arrangement easy to use
*Rechargeable internal battery Cons:
*Plays only MP3 and not other formats like WMA
*Record feature takes a little work to understand
For the price (especially with a rebate) it is the best value out there.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth every penny.
Review: The only reason I bought this was for the price, and its ability to upgrade firmware to open source (Rock Boxx). At $130, this unit is worth every penny. For those complaining about the weight, it's a simple matter of if you'd rather paid $130 for a 20gb music player, or $300 for a 20gb music player. As others have stated. Don't get the Archos if you're trying to be cool and hip. The Archos is bulky, and quite uncool visually. That said, the Archos works just as well as an Ipod with some added firmware features in RockBoxx that even the Ipod doesn't give you. The weight hasn't stopped me from doing anything with it. I've done all of the following: -Walking with it in my back pocket
-Using it as a portable stereo for my car (using a cheap cassette deck adapter
-Biking with it (I use a discman waist strap to hold it and it works great and cost about $15) The only thing that might be difficult to do with the Archos is jogging outside. Though it wouldn't be impossible, it might not be very comfortable. You can easily use it for jogging on a treadmill by just setting it down on one of the built in shelves. Bottom line: If you don't have a lot of money to spend, but want your song collection with you, this is the player to get. I have had flawless performance with it. If for some reason yours doesn't work right, simply get it replaced under the warranty. One lemon player is no reason to give up on Archos all together.
Rating:
Summary: Archos Jukebox is a good buy
Review: I purchased an Archos 20 GB Jukebox in December 2002. All things considered I am happy with the Jukebox. For its price it is a good way to get in on the wave of the future--the ability to carry your music library wherever you go. I have only had two problems with my purchase--slow rebate processing and battery life. I purchased my Jukebox from a different online vendor. The rebate processing center used by Archos was extremely slow. It took nearly a year to collect the rebate. Some of the $50 rebate was consumed by the long distance calls that I made to collect the rebate. I had even completed the online rebate form in an interest in speeding the process. I had also hoped that the Jukebox would get more than two hours on a charge. Part of this is caused by my decision at the beginning to convert my CDs to mp3 files using one of the higher bit rates. The bigger the file, the more times the hard drive has to spin up. Of course, since the Archos uses AA rechargeable NiMH batteries I guess I could by another set and carry them with me. The Archos worked with my iMac without having to install any drivers. It showed up on my desktop as a hard drive. I was able to quickly drag files and folders of converted music to the Archos. I upgraded iTunes to version 2.0.4. It is now able to recognize the Archos Jukebox. This is good because I would rather to create my playlists in iTunes than on the Jukebox. iTunes is able to collect the ID3 tag info off the Internet and add it to the files as it converts CDs to mp3 files. MusicMatch came with the Jukebox, but I decided to use iTunes since it works well for me. As a Mac user the question comes of why I chose Jukebox over an iPod. Using my friend's 2002 iPod as a comparison the Jukebox is bigger, less expensive, heavier, less expensive, and the Jukebox uses rechargeable AA batteries which can be replaced easily and inexpensively. My Jukebox came with a carrying pouch. This helps protect it and, since it comes with a belt loop, I can wear the Jukebox on my waist. I use the AV cable that came with the Archos to connect to VCRs and tape decks. This allows me to easily convert tape based recordings to mp3 files using the Jukebox's built-in mp3 recording capabilities. For car use I purchased a cigarette lighter adapter at WalMart. It powers the Archos while I drive and it charges the battery at the same time. I run a patch cable between the headphone jack on the Jukebox and the auxiliary input jack on my car stereo. Although some have complained about the buttons, I have no problems with them. I would rather see the buttons move that to be so firmly attached that they would break if hit. Some have complained of the size and weight. I have old cassette tape Walkmans that are heavier and larger than the Jukebox. When I consider that the Archos can carry my entire music library of CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks and records I marvel at its SMALL size. I know the future will bring out smaller, lighter, higher capacity and less expensive successors but the Jukebox is the best of what is out there at this point in time. Although the price has fallen on this unit I am happy with my purchase of an Archos Jukebox. Although it lacks the cult following of the iPod it is a great buy. I can use my savings to buy more music for my collection.
Rating:
Summary: A good buy
Review: I purchased my Archos 20 GB Jukebox in December 2002 because it was less expensive than an iPod. It has proven to be reliable and a good purchase. It works fine with my iMac and with iTunes. I had to upgrade to iTunes 2.0.4 in order for the program to recognize the Jukebox. By using iTunes to convert CDs to mp3 files, the iMac is able to pull all the ID3 tag info off the 'Net as it creates the mp3 file. The Archos appears on the iMac's desktop as a hard drive without having to install any drivers.(...)My complaint is the battery life. I am lucky to get 2 hours of use out of the AA NiMH batteries. Part of this comes from originally saving my music onto the Jukebox at a higher bit-rate. Thus the hard drive has to spin more frequently than it would if I had user a lower bit-rate. I purchased a power adapter from WalMart for use in my car. That way I can listen to the music and charge the batteries at the same time. I created my playlists in iTunes since it is more familiar to me than the MusicMatch software that came with the Jukebox. I usually hook my Jukebox into my car stereo system and listen to my favorite tunes as a drive. I also find it a convenient way to carry music with me when I am away from home. I have used the recording feature (and the included cables) to dub the audio from videotapes onto the Jukebox and into mp3 format. How does this compare to my friend's iPod? It is larger, heavier, less expensive, and I can easily swap the AA NiMH batteries. I like the Jukebox carrying pouch because it fits on my belt and allows me to carry the Archos wherever I go. I don't find the size or weight to be unreasonable. After all, this is a much more convenient way to carry music than to have to lug a bunch of CDs, cassettes, records or 8-tracks around. By the way, I have several of the older Walkmans that were bulkier than the Jukebox will ever be.
Rating: 
Summary: Taking it to the test.....Operation Iraqi Freedom Style
Review: I purchased the Archos JBM-20 after seeing an older version that one of the guys had here in Baghdad. I had to have this toy. It's relatively easy to operate, and the sound quality is good. I've treated this thing with great care, and not dropped it, but the battery door continually pops off for no reason. It's not secured very well, and was like this when I received it. Also, the internal portion of the earphone jack has shorted out after only six months of irregular use. Now I refuse to use it because it frustrates me. It's okay if I keep it still, but if I move it the sound shorts out. Pros:
1. Small size is great for the gym
2. Enough space to hold 20 Seinfeld Episodes, 3,000 mp3's, 2,000 photos (.jpeg), and still has 3GB left
3. Easy to operate menu Cons
1. doesn't have the ability to password protect folders for those "special" photos you may have.
2. Must turn off and back on again after disconnecting to a PC in order to operate.
3. camera quality is marginal at best
4. Playlists are a pain in the A**, even with the included Music Match software.
5. Tiny screen
6. Poor construction Bottomline: I should have done some more research, paid more attention to the quick price drops of this item, and perhaps paid for an extended warranty, as I've had no luck getting responses from Archos for repairs.
Rating:
Summary: The price alone makes this 5 stars
Review: Yep, this two-year-old model is heavy, bulky, and butt-ugly. But guess what? For under 150 bux, you are getting a capable 20GB MP3 player that also doubles as an external USB 2.0 hard drive on Windows systems! Plus you get a recorder. Only thing missing is an FM radio, but I never cared for that anyway. Really not bad at all. And it works pretty well. Of course, I still wish the French designers at Archos would do something about the styling on their products... After all, they are French. You should definitely check out the free, open source firmware replacement called Rockbox. The url is rockbox dot haxx do se and it's a free download that will make this so much more pleasant to use. E.g., it reduces background statics (wow!), lots of resume features, even gives you games. This Archos is a geek's dream, thanks to the good folks who develop Rockbox... and the fine folks at Archos.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a good piece of hardware
Review: I bought this player, with some trpidation, to replace a 5gb iPod that I had sold. What a mistake! I owned this unit for 3 weeks, and the hard drive would lock up. I read their manual, reformatted the drive and all of that, and it would still continue to lock up. After a month and a half, outside of Amazon's return window, I have to call Archos for service (NOT toll free by-the-way, and forget about them emailing you back, I sent them an email and 1 month later never heard back) and get an RMA after much battling. I received a call about my Archos, they say there is nothing wrong with it and they ask me again what its doing (it makes a mechanical sound from the drive a PLINK type of sound, you know metal on metal). That is where my first RMA is at right now, I asked them if they would pay all of my shipping this next time, as the hard drive is probably trash. Also, they Hitachi hard drives, which are known for problems. My advice is to save the extra money and buy an iPod! I had no problems whatsoever with it and it was a joy to use.
Rating:
Summary: A great alternative to the iPod
Review: Ok, so iPods are shiny. They look really good. But I refuse to pay an extra $200 for shininess. I bought this Jukebox on impulse, after having browsed the market and dismissed 20GB as outside my price range. I've been running a Dell Axim with 256MB of Flash memory as my music player for a while now, and I was getting frustrated with having to load new songs every evening. The screen was a drain on the batteries too. As to the size, it's really not too bad, the volume having been distributed in depth to keep it pocket-sized. It weighs about the same as my Axim. Like various other reviewers, I particularly like the way the Jukebox simply appears as another Hard Drive, instead of making us fool about with drag'n'drop software; Windows explorer is much easier to use. I didn't have to use anything on the supplied CD. Pros:
-Price. Excellent Dollar per Gigabyte rate.
-Sound quality. Better than anything I've heard outside my surrond sound bedroom, and excellent Bass for a mobile device.
-Software Interface (i.e. none), see above.
-Recording quality very acceptable. Cons:
-Slightly heavy
-Supplied headphoes, but that's always the way, isn't it...
-Doesn't play .wma files; a minor flaw. In conclusion, if you haven't got big bucks to throw at Apple's little gadget, this is the device for you. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing for the Price
Review: I have owned this mp3 player for about 2 months now and it works great. The screen can glitch out sometimes but all I have to do is shut it off and turn it back on. It also can get a little slow when you try to move too quickly. I imagine this is probably from it being a HD-type mp3 player though.
Other than that, it works GREAT. (...)If you want an mp3 player that holds every CD you will ever want and costs half of what an iPod does, this is your answer. I'm taking mine to Europe this summer and I'll report back on how it held up traveling.
Rating:
Summary: Inexperienced with technology, but a music lover!
Review: I will begin by saying: I am not very experienced with this sort of technology, so if you're expecting great things of this review, please look elsewhere. If you're an average Joe, this review should gain you some insight. This player has 20 Gigs of memory. That's huge and highly comparable to the best IPod on the market, at a fraction of the price. The battery life is great. I plug my Archos in about every 3 days, to recharge, after listening to it for appx. 3-4 hrs. per day. The manual is vague, so you have to be something of a mechanically inclined person, but I found it to be logically laid out, in terms of how to get music onto the player, how to get the music to play, etc. I've had a few problems getting one or two songs to Fast Forward, but I believe that to be a function of the track, more so than a function of the player.
I'm certain that there is more that I could be doing with this player, if the manual weren't so vague. The website has been helpful and I highly recommend that you use it. There are software updates there and the manual will lead you there.
Aesthetically, the Archos is certainly bulkier than an IPod, but personally, I don't care. For me, this is a device to hold my CD collection, without carting around a thousand CDs and risking their theft. It is small enough to fit into my pocket (barely) and though the buttons are simplistic, I find that appealing. I don't necessarily need a lot of bells and whistles. The design is durable. One thing that you'll probably want to replace immediately, esp. if you are a woman, is the headphones. They are huge and they don't fit well. They do have an independent volume control, however, which is very nice for those moments when someone speaks to you and you have to turn your music down quickly. One more piece of advice: Wait for this to show up in your Gold Box. I got this for $129. I think it's worth $129...and then some. Had I paid $200 for it, I may not think so highly of it. My bottom line thought is, I'd much rather have this stolen than have all of my CDs stolen, which is why I purchased it.
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