Gmini 120 question

Amazon has the Gmini for sale at $249 and advertises it as the: Archos GMINI 120 20 GB MP3 Jukebox / Recorder / Photo Wallet with Compact Flash Reader.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000E6FY7/qid=1070332831/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-2111371-9261720?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

Anyone know for sure if this in fact includes the Photo Wallet plugin? Seems like you can buy the base unit and add "plug-ins" from the web site, or buy the base unit bundled with plug-ins.

At $249 INCLUDING the photo wallet plug-in it might be a deal, otherwise it's over priced (compared to some of the recent pricing on this product).

Thanks for any insight into any aspect of this product!

Cheers- P

No, the photo wallet plug-in is an extra 30 bucks.

pdh said:

Amazon has the Gmini for sale at $249 and advertises it as the:
Archos GMINI 120 20 GB MP3 Jukebox / Recorder / Photo Wallet with
Compact Flash Reader.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000E6FY7/qid=1070332831/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-2111371-9261720?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

Anyone know for sure if this in fact includes the Photo Wallet
plugin? Seems like you can buy the base unit and add "plug-ins"
from the web site, or buy the base unit bundled with plug-ins.

At $249 INCLUDING the photo wallet plug-in it might be a deal,
otherwise it's over priced (compared to some of the recent pricing
on this product).

Thanks for any insight into any aspect of this product!

Cheers- P

Click to expand...

randall wirth said:

No, the photo wallet plug-in is an extra 30 bucks.

Click to expand...

That's what I was afraid of, a little misleading that they advertise it as the:
GMINI 120 20 GB MP3 Jukebox / Recorder / Photo Wallet with Compact Flash Reader.

AND, I have been trying to buy the photo wallet option for two days now, and cannot. The website gives an error message when you click add to basket. And if you call them, they tell you THEY have to buy it off the site, and so you still have to wait. This is ridiculous!

pdh said:

randall wirth said:

No, the photo wallet plug-in is an extra 30 bucks.

Click to expand...

That's what I was afraid of, a little misleading that they
advertise it as the:
GMINI 120 20 GB MP3 Jukebox / Recorder / Photo Wallet with Compact
Flash Reader.

Click to expand...

Did they give any explaination for why the plug-in was not available, or when it would be available.

snitramc wrote:
.... And if you call them, they tell you THEY have to buy

snitramc said:

it off the site, and so you still have to wait. This is ridiculous!

Click to expand...

I had a thought (although not really legit). Couldn't somone VERY easily just distribute the plugins? I mean if they dl onto their comp whats to stop them from giving it to everyone else?

pdh said:

snitramc wrote:
.... And if you call them, they tell you THEY have to buy

pdh said:

it off the site, and so you still have to wait. This is ridiculous!

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I have the same problem!!! Did anybody get an answer form Archos about downloading Photo Wallet plug-in???? No e-mail response, no live person on the phone... It drives me crazy - I'm leaving to Central America for couple of months on Friday and I'm stucked with Gmini with no CF slot activated!!!
Is it possible to download it from any other source?
corrado

Spikehs wrote:
u

Spikehs said:

I had a thought (although not really legit). Couldn't somone VERY
easily just distribute the plugins? I mean if they dl onto their
comp whats to stop them from giving it to everyone else?

pdh said:

snitramc wrote:
.... And if you call them, they tell you THEY have to buy

Spikehs said:

it off the site, and so you still have to wait. This is ridiculous!

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Hi -- I just got an actual person at Archos and asked about the photo wallet plug-in. He told me it had to be done via email right now, and that I should call 949-609-1483 and select Customer Service. He said they would be able to get the plug-in to me. Good luck!

corrado said:

I have the same problem!!! Did anybody get an answer form Archos
about downloading Photo Wallet plug-in???? No e-mail response, no
live person on the phone... It drives me crazy - I'm leaving to
Central America for couple of months on Friday and I'm stucked with
Gmini with no CF slot activated!!!
Is it possible to download it from any other source?
corrado

Spikehs wrote:

Click to expand...

u

corrado said:

corrado said:

I had a thought (although not really legit). Couldn't somone VERY
easily just distribute the plugins? I mean if they dl onto their
comp whats to stop them from giving it to everyone else?

pdh said:

snitramc wrote:
.... And if you call them, they tell you THEY have to buy

corrado said:

it off the site, and so you still have to wait. This is ridiculous!

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

randall wirth said:

Hi -- I just got an actual person at Archos and asked about the
photo wallet plug-in. He told me it had to be done via email right
now, and that I should call 949-609-1483 and select Customer
Service. He said they would be able to get the plug-in to me.
Good luck!

Click to expand...

I bought 2 gmini units. The plugin for one doesn't work with the other. All the "plugin" really does is unlock firmware already on the unit - apparently using the unit's serial number and ID code.

Archos needs to get real and include all the capabilities with these units rather than milk buyers. I wouldn't recommend buying this product for any price higher than $200 USD, it's small but it's just not that good. The MP3 player side has noise from the hard drive, the headphones are cheap, the cardreader takes 12 seconds per Fuji S2 raw file, about 15 minutes per 1 gig card.

I had problems with the Archos site as well but I did succeed in getting the keys for both.

--
BJN

BJN said:

Archos needs to get real and include all the capabilities with
these units rather than milk buyers. I wouldn't recommend buying
this product for any price higher than $200 USD, it's small but
it's just not that good. The MP3 player side has noise from the
hard drive, the headphones are cheap, the cardreader takes 12
seconds per Fuji S2 raw file, about 15 minutes per 1 gig card.

Click to expand...

15mins per 1GB is very good when you compare it to the iPod ponied with the Belkin reader. shudder

That seems extremely reasonable, especially after reading the horror stories of the Belkin device. I almost pulled the trigger on getting the GMini120, but I wanted to find out it's thru put. If I can back this claim up, I will definitely head over to CompUSA and buy one.

AdamW said:

BJN said:

Archos needs to get real and include all the capabilities with
these units rather than milk buyers. I wouldn't recommend buying
this product for any price higher than $200 USD, it's small but
it's just not that good. The MP3 player side has noise from the
hard drive, the headphones are cheap, the cardreader takes 12
seconds per Fuji S2 raw file, about 15 minutes per 1 gig card.

Click to expand...

15mins per 1GB is very good when you compare it to the iPod ponied
with the Belkin reader. shudder

Click to expand...

Ok, it's not easy to contact them (usually answering machines), but once they answered my call everything was smooth... they will send you photo wallet plug-in via mail in less than hour and it works!!!!

there is also new firmware upgrade for Gmini (1.5.0) on Archos website as of today...
good luck Gmini owners!

if anyone is interested - following Dennis Lathem guide how to built external battery pack for the Tripper (search on this forum) I made one for Gmini 120! The only difference is you need plug type "H" instead of "B" from Radio Shack. Works perfect on 4 NiHM batteries! And costs less than 15$...

corrado

Hey great post re: the battery info. I was a bit leary of Gmini, and still am, due to a device that does not allow an end user to change a spent rechargable battery (see my post ipods dirty little secret).

Any idea how Archos might deal with the problem of replacing spent NiCads, or will this too be an "18 month device".

-P

corrado said:

Ok, it's not easy to contact them (usually answering machines), but
once they answered my call everything was smooth... they will send
you photo wallet plug-in via mail in less than hour and it works!!!!
there is also new firmware upgrade for Gmini (1.5.0) on Archos
website as of today...
good luck Gmini owners!
if anyone is interested - following Dennis Lathem guide how to
built external battery pack for the Tripper (search on this forum)
I made one for Gmini 120! The only difference is you need plug type
"H" instead of "B" from Radio Shack. Works perfect on 4 NiHM
batteries! And costs less than 15$...

corrado

Click to expand...

My GMini order got cancelled by the shop. Talk about luck.

I'd stick with my Microdrive for now. :~

I bought my gmini at 1pm, charged it, downloaded 1.2 and 1.3 firmware and bought the cf plug-in around the same time. I got home by 3pm, checked my email for the cf key and tested the ability to read and store pics from a 512mg Kingston card. Then I checked the ability to read off via USB. Everything is GOOD. I also had time to copy 4gig worth of mp3 and recharge the unit before our 7pm vacation flight to Tahiti. The backpack was a lot lighter without the laptop.

Problems? A rather large one: it would NOT read from my 256mg Simpletech card. It shuts down as soon as it begins to download the first file. So I have to switch back and forth between my pro90 and the s400 on a single card. Perhaps firmware 1.5 will fix this?

I've had my Gmini 120 for just a few days now. I had a few problems getting the plug-in, as has been discussed on this site, but I called and talked to a person. Not only did he send it via e-mail, but he called me back in about 20 minutes to make sure I had received it. I had.

I loaded it up, and it works fine.

I think that the the "gui" is not quite as intuitive as I would like. It took me a few tries to figure out how to get pix from a CF to the folder I wanted, rather than just dump 'em on the root, but I think I have that figured out now.

Interestingly, the battery indicator has been at 1/4 charge left for several days now, and the thing is still running great. I actually like that. Most indicators are like a gas guage, from 100%-25%, accurate, but the drop from 25% -> 0 is precipitous. This seems to go on forever. I loaded a bunch of mp3s on it today and rode the train to work and home, and it ran and ran.

All in all, I am thrilled with this PSD. I think that they have developed something that'll really help me in the field. I would recommend this to anyone (Of course, that's after less than a week of use, so the blush hasn't worn off yet. But I am not sure it will.)

s

bdbx18 said:

I bought my gmini at 1pm, charged it, downloaded 1.2 and 1.3
firmware and bought the cf plug-in around the same time. I got
home by 3pm, checked my email for the cf key and tested the ability
to read and store pics from a 512mg Kingston card. Then I checked
the ability to read off via USB. Everything is GOOD. I also had
time to copy 4gig worth of mp3 and recharge the unit before our 7pm
vacation flight to Tahiti. The backpack was a lot lighter without
the laptop.

Problems? A rather large one: it would NOT read from my 256mg
Simpletech card. It shuts down as soon as it begins to download
the first file. So I have to switch back and forth between my
pro90 and the s400 on a single card. Perhaps firmware 1.5 will fix
this?

Click to expand...