We’ve seen our fair share of Android tablets with attachable keyboards, but it’s still rare these days to see an Android device with a permanently attached keyboard like the just announced Archos ArcBook. With a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a full keyboard, and a $170 price, it’s a unique combination for this price point.
For you $170 you get a device with a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 clocked at 1.2GHz, 8GB of storage (and thankfully a Micro SD card slot), 1GB of RAM, and a 10.1-inch 1024×600 display. Input-wise there’s a touch screen over that display, a “complete keyboard with function keys”, and a single-touch trackpad with but one clicking button. Interestingly, the ArcBook does also support USB host capabilities with a full size USB 2.0 port slotted into the left side of the base for connecting directly to external devices. Power-wise there’s an 8000mAh battery inside, which with the meager internals we would have hoped would afford it more than the advertised 9 hour battery life.
Software-wise you can expect to find Android 4.2 Jelly Bean inside, along with a complimentary copy of OfficeSuitePro 6 preinstalled.
We know there’s always been a portion of the Android user base that’s clamored for an Android-powered laptop, and this is the latest in a string of devices that have attempted to tackle that conundrum. So is anybody interested in picking up an Archos ArcBook, or will you be taking a pass on this one?
