Archos Gmini XS 100 review

Listening to music can help transform the dullest commute into a pleasurable experience.

But while there are plenty of hard disk-based MP3 players about, offering 20GB or more of hard disk space, they're often chunky beggars. Well, the old adage that good things come in petite packages certainly rings true of Archos's new Gmini XS 100 MP3 player.

Finished in sleek 'volcanic' black and silver, the Archos looks gorgeous. Unlike some of the new MP3 players, the GMini only has a 1.5-inch monochrome LCD screen, so you can't view photos on it. However, it's backlit with a pleasing blue glow that makes it easy to navigate in the dark.

Using the XS 100 is a pleasure. A directional pad and three buttons provide access to all the controls with just a wiggle of the thumb. If you're worried about buttons getting pressed accidentally while the Gmini rattles around in a bag, then holding down the power-on button for a couple of seconds locks the keypad.

Transferring files to the Gmini's 3GB hard disk is wonderfully simple. It appears within Windows Explorer as a removable drive, and requires no proprietary software. You simply drag-and-drop your chosen music files across. Transfer speeds were pretty sluggish, though, with the XS 100 managing just 2.5MB/s.

On the plus side, a decent range of music file formats are supported. In addition to MP3, WMA and uncompressed WAV files, the Archos can also play the DRM copy-protected WMA files provided by several online music retailers. You can also move, delete and rename files while away from a PC.

The Archos Gmini XS 100 is a small, good-looking and well-featured MP3 player, but against the iPod Mini it can't compete. The player costs the same as Apple's miniature masterpiece, but has a gigabyte less storage space, isn't quite as good looking or as simple to use.