Archos 5 & Archos 7 Tablets Get New Developer Firmware

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Archos is already famous for its Archos 5 and Archos 7 Internet media tablets but that’s not a secret anymore. Either device can be exactly the Internet companion you expect it to be. But will those Archos tablets stand a fighting chance once Apple’s tablet and Microsoft’s Courier come out next year?

So far it looks like Archos is not exactly disturbed by such a prospect. In fact the company has unveiled a totally new and very special edition firmware made exclusively for developers. Archos has apparently answered to the requests received from the software developer community which is nothing but a good sign.

With more developers interested in providing content and apps for Internet media tablets like the Archos 5 and Archos 7, we could be witnessing quite a fight in the tablet business in the year to come. Sure Apple’s tablet will probably get all the headlines but it will also be a device that not everyone can afford. With prices currently starting at around $199 for the Archos 5 and at around $209 for the Archos 7, getting one seems like a smart thing to do if you’re looking for something bigger than your 4-inch smartphone to browse the Internets.

Considering that developers could bring a lot of extra apps to the Archos universe, going for an Archos 5 or Archos 7 sounds even better. And let’s not forget that Archos 5 is also available with Android on board which makes it even more interesting.

The new special edition firmware is available as a “proof-of-concept” according to the press release and it “does not contain the traditional Archos multimedia software.” Developers interested in building native applications for the Archost 5 and Archos 7 platforms will surely enjoy the release and we’re definitely interested in their upcoming apps.

In fact if you’re going to use this Angstrom Linux distribution-based firmware to create any fabulous app, then, by all means, let us know about it.