Archos JukeBox Studio (6 GB) MP3 Player
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- Number of Songs: 1500
- Usage: Music Recording
- Interface: USB
- Main Storage Type: Hard Drive
- Storage Capacity: 6 GB
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Prepare for Frustration
Pros
if it works, it works well
Cons
very buggy, tech support is abysmal
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
You are probably going to need tech support, and right now it is basically unavailable. Until the company corrects this, I would stay away.
I have had several significant problems with my Jukebox 6000 and with the company in general.
First and foremost, the technical support is pathetic. The toll free number, 800-559-3605 is listed in the documentation, but as of a couple of days ago they closed it down. This is not a phone company screw up, when I called the toll number the operator confirmed that the toll-free number had been deliberately turned off. "Why?", I asked. Check out the answer: "Because we were being flooded with calls" (!!!) Great...I was told I could stay on hold (remember, this is now a toll call that I am making), but the wait would be 30 to 35 minutes. At least she was honest.
So, before you buy one of these puppies, I would wait until they bring the tech support line up to speed. Based on my experience, you are VERY likely to need it. Problems I had included:
-- I bought the car kit off of the Archos website, it came without the cigarette lighter DC power adapter. Great.
-- the unit would stop in the middle of tracks. Finally got through to tech support, they told me to upgrade the firmware. Followed the instructions to the letter, many times over. Finally found, buried in the FAQ section of the website, that you have to change the name of the file to archos.mod. This was several HOURS of work, and I am proficient with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
-- after installing the latest firmware, the device said "I2C error, replace device". Great. On the website FAQ, it says this means there is an internal short that "can be caused by dropping the device". Wonderful, except that it is false. I hadn't dropped the device, and after another HOUR of messing around with the software I got rid of the bug.
To get a sense of how lame and "seat of the pants" this outfit is, go to their FAQ at: http://www.archos.com/us/support/tech_jb6000_faq.html
it is pretty funny, it's full of quotes like:
-This add-on is currently under development
-Not NiCad as stated in the manual
-Please disregard
-This is a bad unit and must be replaced
-MusicMatch has promised a fix for this bug
-The shuffle function issue is being addressed at this time
-We are working on a fix for this
etc etc etc.
Overall, I have to say "too bad", because I would love to be able to enthusiastically recommend this product.
If you are willing to undertake this battle, the best price I found was at Amazon.com, $229. First do a web search using the terms "coupon" and "amazon" and you will find many sites that give e-coupons that will allow you to get at least $10 off. I would list some here but do not want to appear to be hyping any particular one. They are easy to find. Beware, you will find some companies that sell this product for less (it's now 8/4/2001), but they don't include the rechargeable batteries, which have to be purchase for extra, thus eliminating the perceived savings...
First and foremost, the technical support is pathetic. The toll free number, 800-559-3605 is listed in the documentation, but as of a couple of days ago they closed it down. This is not a phone company screw up, when I called the toll number the operator confirmed that the toll-free number had been deliberately turned off. "Why?", I asked. Check out the answer: "Because we were being flooded with calls" (!!!) Great...I was told I could stay on hold (remember, this is now a toll call that I am making), but the wait would be 30 to 35 minutes. At least she was honest.
So, before you buy one of these puppies, I would wait until they bring the tech support line up to speed. Based on my experience, you are VERY likely to need it. Problems I had included:
-- I bought the car kit off of the Archos website, it came without the cigarette lighter DC power adapter. Great.
-- the unit would stop in the middle of tracks. Finally got through to tech support, they told me to upgrade the firmware. Followed the instructions to the letter, many times over. Finally found, buried in the FAQ section of the website, that you have to change the name of the file to archos.mod. This was several HOURS of work, and I am proficient with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
-- after installing the latest firmware, the device said "I2C error, replace device". Great. On the website FAQ, it says this means there is an internal short that "can be caused by dropping the device". Wonderful, except that it is false. I hadn't dropped the device, and after another HOUR of messing around with the software I got rid of the bug.
To get a sense of how lame and "seat of the pants" this outfit is, go to their FAQ at: http://www.archos.com/us/support/tech_jb6000_faq.html
it is pretty funny, it's full of quotes like:
-This add-on is currently under development
-Not NiCad as stated in the manual
-Please disregard
-This is a bad unit and must be replaced
-MusicMatch has promised a fix for this bug
-The shuffle function issue is being addressed at this time
-We are working on a fix for this
etc etc etc.
Overall, I have to say "too bad", because I would love to be able to enthusiastically recommend this product.
If you are willing to undertake this battle, the best price I found was at Amazon.com, $229. First do a web search using the terms "coupon" and "amazon" and you will find many sites that give e-coupons that will allow you to get at least $10 off. I would list some here but do not want to appear to be hyping any particular one. They are easy to find. Beware, you will find some companies that sell this product for less (it's now 8/4/2001), but they don't include the rechargeable batteries, which have to be purchase for extra, thus eliminating the perceived savings...
