If attack is the the best form of defence, we suggest the Archos 105 kicks us in the shins, because we're about to give it a right telling off. Yes, this is the cheapest player on test here, but with even that point fastidiously factored in, this is also the least impressive machine under our scope. The building bricks upon which Archos has founded a fine PMP-maker reputation - solid sound and slick visuals - are nowhere to be seen here. Or heard. Drop some video on to the lOS, and the viewing results are patchy at best. .. and dire at worst. Fast-moving action means image break-up, dark scenes mean a real lack of detail, and there's a paucity of colour.

Pretty much everything you don't want to see in a 1.8-inch screen is present and incorrect. This would be closer to forgivable if the 1 as could playa tune with a bit of conviction, but music sounds laboured, lacking punch and rhythm. And bear in mind that to reach these disappointing performance levels you must first navigate a simple but very basic-looking interface. The 1 as also has the lowest battery life (18 hours) of the players we've tested here. However, the little shin-kicker feels solid, despite being just 7mm deep, and is by far the cheapest here.

Small mercies: The screen is only 1.8 inches which, given the middling video performance,is a blessed relief, Was the designer behind all the other Archos devices on a sickie? Resolution not revolution: The 105 's screen offers just 160x128 pixels, and the machine plays only WMV video files - this is not a machine for movie buffs. OGGy, OGGy, No.: Don't even think of loading an OGG file. Or a FLAC file. Or MC for that matter. This is a 'pie and chips' type of machine, and will immediately sick up your fancy-pants formats.


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