Archos 2

The basics

The Archos 2 is a budget portable media player which doesn't skimp on the boot space, with 8GB of flash storage to play back music, and video and photos via a 1.8-inch LCD screen. There's also an FM radio and a microSD slot to load up on even more tunes if you're tight for space.

The good

The iPod nano may be twice the price, but the Archos 2 looks almost as good. It's slightly thicker, but still compact, and the glass overlay looks gorgeous. Sound quality is more than respectable, and there's even an FM radio, if you can still remember what that is. The microSD slot meanwhile allows for even more storage than Apple's pico player, and because it's drag and drop, the Archos 2 will work with Windows, Macs or Linux.

The bad

The beauty really is only skin deep: the Archos 2 PMP's user interface is horrifying. With just MP3 and WMA music formats supported, you've not got a range of choice to choose from, and there's no option to view album artwork. And while it plays video, that feature's all but theoretical: the screen is the size of a postage stamp, and with a lower resolution than most 1980s digital alarm clocks. Battery life meanwhile tops out at ten hours - barely better than the iPod shuffle.

The bottom line

Archos almost nailed the hardware here: the Archos 2 is petite and pretty. It's just a shame about the shocking screen and awful menu system. Still, if you're only about listening to music however and don't care for regular podcast updates and the like, this is one of the best value MP3 players on the market.