Archos launches the coolest device ever

I have two co-workers who own an Archos digital audio player. They're going to be jealous when they read this.

Archos yesterday announced the Archos Jukebox Multimedia 20, a "handheld entertainment center" that combines an MP3 music player, audio recorder with built-in microphone, photo album, carousel, camcorder and video player. It does all this on a device that weighs just over 10 ounces and fits in your hand.

The base unit contains the MP3 player and a photo and video view screen. It has a 20G-byte hard drive that can hold up to 5,000 songs, 200,000 photos in VGA format, and up to 40 hours of video. The device can also serve as a backup hard drive for any data file type. The base unit will cost $399.95, Archos said. A Photo Bundle, which includes the base unit plus a photo module (which downloads images from CompactFlash or SmartMedia cards to the hard drive for viewing on the screen or on a TV), will cost $419.95. The photo module is also available separately for $49.95.

Finally, a camera module, which can turn the base unit into a digital camera, will be available in September, Archos says. For more information, visit the Archos Web site.