Archos has worked hard to ensure this new player looks less like a PC peripheral than previous offerings. Even so, the 605 still comes across a bit like a computer add-on: a dull, silver rectangle with an LCD screen.

The user interface has also been tweaked, and the combination of on-screen pushes and a selection of responsive buttons makes the 605 reasonably easy to use.

Archos allows you to take the long way home
A valuable addition to Archos’ repertoire is Wi-Fi, and while the storage on offer here is 30GB, there are also 80GB and 160GB versions available.

With video, colours are natural and vivid and even fast-paced action doesn’t blur. The 4.3in screen also makes it ideal for longer viewing sessions; while you might struggle to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy on some rivals, you could wile away a long-haul flight to Oz with this baby.

It might not be as pocketable as some here, but its excellent storage and top video performance make the Archos 605 a great purchase.

For
Capacious storage; top-drawer video; bags of features

Against
Quite large; still not very pretty