Archos introduced the GMINI™ 220, a small-sized, 20-gigabyte portable MP3 player that can be customized by adding recording, FM tuner and photo capabilities. The GMINI 220 will be available at the end of January at major U.S. retailers, or at www.archos.com, while the GMINI 120 has been available since November.

The GMINI Series comprises the GMINI 120 and GMINI 220 and is Archos’ first pocket audio line, with 20-gigabyte hard drives and, at just six ounces. The GMINI Series is designed for music fans who want a specific player and price customized to them, with add-on accessories that bring music and voice recording, radio and photo options to the device.

The GMINI series features an icon-based interface and the ARCLibrary™, an advanced music management program that lets users delete, rename, copy and move files, and create folders directly on the device – without using a computer. The GMINI can store 5,000 songs, or 500 full-length CDs or 300 hours of audio.

The GMINI 120 and 220 come standard with three plug-in modules, allowing music fans toconstruct the perfect MP3 player to fit their specific needs:

Audio Recorder/Voice Recorder
– With a built-in microphone, this accessory offers recording of music from any audio source and holds up to 700 hours ofvoice recording.

Photo Wallet
– With the compact flash memory card, customers can easily store, organize and view JPEG photos on the GMINI built-in screen. (Adaptors for other memory cards also are available.)

FM Tuner and Remote Control
– This add-on module features an FM radio and remote with full MP3 recording capabilities. Connect the module and record songs from the radio at any time.

The differences in the GMINI 220 and 120 devices are in the form factor and screen size, where the GMINI 220 is smaller and has a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The GMINI 220 screen is grayscale with a blue backlight for easy viewing of photos and icons. Both players offer MP3 and WMA recording and playback, an icon-based interface, and advanced music management capabilities through the Archos ARCLibrary and Musicmatch Jukebox Plus. The GMINI 120 was introduced in November 2003, and the GMINI 220 is available beginning January 2004.

Pricing and Product Specifications

The GMINI 120 and 220 have suggested retail prices of $249.95 and $349.95, respectively, and products are sold with add-on modules, USB 2.0 cable, AC adapter,batteries, stereo headphones and MUSICMATCH Jukebox Plus software.

The GMINI Series requires a PC running a Windows 98 Special Edition or higheroperating system and a 233 Megahertz or faster processor, or Mac 9.2 or X (10.2.4) USBManager version 1.2 or higher.