Gen 8 Froyo 2.2 Update now Available!
 

Look HERE. It didn't show up on my friends 43, but it is now available at Archos.com in their downloads area.

Version 2.0.54 - Android "Froyo" 2.2.1 - November 30th, 2010

• Higher performance: just in time compiler (JIT) technology makes applications run up to 5 times faster than previous Android "Eclair" 2.1 firmwares
• Enhanced Microsoft Exchange support: it is now possible to synchronize contacts and calendar events
• Allow to install more 3rd party applications by installing them on the storage memory (for applications that supports it)
• Video: movie information and cover retrieval in video file info dialog
• Multiple selection mode is now always enabled in the file manager
• External bluetooth GPS receivers are now supported
• Better assistance is provided in the tethering wizard to pair with cell phone using bluetooth DUN profile (smart APN detection)
• OpenVPN is now supported
• Slideshow support for network shares has been added to Gallery and Photoframe applications
• Photoframe: full screen picture can now be displayed on double tap when in floating image mode
• Manual white balance setting has been added in Camera application
• Faster USB write transfer
• Battery: more accurate battery charge estimation
• Audio: improved compatibility with android audio stream volume management (voice/music/ringtone etc.)
• Orientation: fixed compatibility issue with some applications working with inverted accelerometer axis

i'm impressed: they announced and they delivered.

though i think this is nothing more than "standard" froyo and they did not include any bug fixes and stuff of their own, right?

During installation it will ask you if it is OK to reset the device. Don't! This will delete any apps you had on it from the the android market. I advised my friend not to, and she now has 2.2 running (quickly!) and all her existing apps still work. She had to re-enter her WiFi passwords, but everything else was intact.

No creative for me, I'm gettin' an Archos 70!!! This makes the decision for me.

You mean, if they ever get in stock you'll get one. I think the 43 is looking better for me now if they ever get more of them to sell. Haven't checked in a few days because they should notify me when they get more.

Question (As i am looking into the 32 or 70 8GB Version): how big are the Apps. and games?

No kidding. I am guessing that demand has exceeded their expectations.

That good news about the 2.2 update. I just pre-ordered a 70 yesterday. Hopefully it arrives before Christmas.

WARNING! Froyo 2.2.1 is *definitely* not significantly faster than Eclair 2.1.1 on the Archos gen8 devices in all cases ... seems quite a split on much better or much worse...

I suspect the appropriate thing to do is run with 2.1.1 if it seems stable and does what you want (I wish someone had advised me to do that as Froyo is *much* less stable for my 70 IT and performs the same/worse for Quadrant/Neocore though is 28% faster for Linpack).

Quite a few important apps are no longer in the market or have problems installing on Froyo, and claimed features like improved tethering and Flash 10.1 support haven't improved anything for me (BT tether to my Android Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept fails on both though I can BT tether my MacBook to it, and flash installs from the market but I have yet to bump into a site where it works).

Please take a gander at this poll before upgrading and make an informed decision I wish I had :
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopi...292812#p292812

My Cowon X7 purchase was a bust, and this is the ONLY runner in the race to still hole my attention.

I've got a 32. I know a 43 I can play with. Both were updated to 2.2, and both are now faster. You have to give them a minute or two to boot up though, as many apps want a chance to load a piece of themselves and call home, and that makes the device slow to respond. Once that happens the players start paying attention and are as zippy to respond as any Touch/Zune I've played with. Not capacitance, but the best resistive screens I've experienced so far. This only happens when you boot up from power OFF. I generally deep sleep my 32, and it wakes up in a second ready to go.

Archos 28/32/43/70/101 Internet Tablets

Firmware changes

Version 2.0.71 - December 16th, 2010

• Wi-Fi: fix Wi-Fi stuck after a while when using WPA2/AES encryption mode
• Wi-Fi: fix cannot connect on channels above 11 due to wrong default regulation domain
• Power management: for A43/A70/A101 add a setting in about device to allow 3 levels of power management. Overdrive that allows CPU max frequency to be 1GHz with ondemand governor, optimal that brings CPU max frequency to 800MHz with ondemand governor and powersave that set CPU max frequency to 800MHz with conservative governor
• Indexing: faster rescan is now achieved at USB disconnect
• Storage: SDCard now supports NTFS (read only) and EXT3
• Storage: fix sdcard not recognized sometimes when swapping different cards brands
• Video: fix subtitles on A101
• Network shares: enhance scanning speed
• Network shares: handle the case where a server shares are not visible if not authenticated
• Network shares: allow in wireless settings to define manually a server authentication details
• Network shares: reload samba and UPnP services when switching between access points without disconnecting
• Audio: a silent mode (Global Mute) has been enabled in the power button menu. It will impact all streams except alarms in case one select alarms sound always on in alarm settings
• Application: appslib is now reinstalled after an Android device reset
• Application: fix quadrant CPU benchmark
• Power: fix shutdown sometimes happening on short power button press
• Internationalization: support for Korean codepage tags and subtitles
• Multimedia: use smaller memory footprint for decoding H264 SD
• Memory management: achieve more progressive kill in low memory situation
• Boot: fix deadlock happening sometimes preventing device to complete boot

just read about it on a german tec site, thought i'd post it here, since no one bothered yet, afaik.

wifi performance seems to have been significantly improved.

Funny they would give NTFS on an SD card which is very hard to accomplish, would have been better to have exFAT in case someone figures out how to cram more than 32GB into a micro SDXC card. (only a matter of time)

The 2.2 update, and fix that came shortly after, have made a huge performance improvement in the gen8 devices. I've had a chance to check the 32, 43, and 70. Bought the 70 with flash memory. Own the 32 as well. Have a friends 43 I can borrow any time. Archos should up production, then throw out a few national ads. They could increase their market share considerably if they were more well known. Go straight at Apple. 32 against Nano. 43 against Touch. Your choice of 70 or 101 against ipad.

Well sounds like you are pretty pleased with these devices, that's good news for me. Honestly the only issues I had with my old Jukebox were with some of the user interface, and the RockBox guys fixed everything for me. It's just old and big and needs a bunch of repair because the capacitors in the power supply section are breaking down and eating batteries.

How much room is left on the 8GB devices after the updates are performed? 6GB would probably get me done if I use aac+ at 64k, but it would be nice to have some headroom left to expand my library when I have money or find new material worth buying.

I didn't pay attention when I did the update. 6gb should be easy though. Remember you can access any shared media folders on your home network if you have WiFi. Content doesn't have to be on the 32 to be playable.

But on my motorcycle or in my car it will need to be loaded on the device. My estimate is that my current library will fit in about 4GB to 5GB at 64k which would give me a pretty big selection.

Wow that is a great update. It seems to me that the only thing that has not been addressed is the ability to turn off the soft keys. Either way these devices keep getting better. I am going cave soon and get the A70