What now .. Cowon

[doniago]

Sounds like something I'd read on Wikipedia, frankly.

[abyss x]

If u mean what i said then it was like... 50% knowledge and 50% anger.. But mix them together and u'll get the truth.

[usul]

I tell you, the ARCHOS 5 internet tablet is a real good product to look at (i don't have any share in the company, I swear !)

On the sound/picture quality and codecs (i used to go cowon only for ogg codec which is now almost everywhere), nothing to be ashamed of in front of A3 (I say that as a cowon user for years and I don't speak of previous archos products).

And for the browsing easiness, battery duration and size (100g lighter, 2 cm thiner and 4.8'' screen), MUCH better than the A3 on these points...(+ gps, bluetooth, wifi which aren't what I look for)

The bad points are firmwares, after sales service...

Too Bad cowon left over the PMP segment of the brand...

[joecool]

I have the A3 and the J3. I can't consider the J3 a replacement for the A3, but I will say it is the best portable audio player I have ever used and the screen is top notch. It pretty much came down to these pro's and con's for me.

A3 Pros

- 80gb space
- great tv output options
- 96khz audio support
- standard USB mini connector

A3 cons

- size
- HD issues with running
- battery only charges with AC adapter, takes long time generates lots of heat.
- annoying controls/interface
- cracked screen (personal issue but obviously means i'm only gonna watch videos on it when plugged into TV... I use my WDTV-live for that now)

J3 Pros

- nearly scratchproof screen (literally can try to gouge with keys and knives and it will not scratch)
- size
- shockproof flash
- AMOLED contrast
- excellent interface (don't know what lag you're talking about earlier, new firmwares must have fixed it)

J3 Cons
- annoying 20-pin korean usb connector
- glass delamination (minor issue but still annoying on a $300 device)
- only supports maximum of 64gb with a 32gb microsdhc card


There's obviously more but for me I see the J3 as a more portable alternative that's got better usability then the A3 had for audio use. For video though the A3 destroys it. Everything I've seen says the O2 is a hunk of crap.

I had considered an old 5g ipod rockboxed with a 240gb hd shoved in for maximum space, but finding one in decent shape at a low price is difficult, and it has almost zero video capability.