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Thanks for the in-depth explanation! Yes i see what you mean about the drive pricing Its $200 over the 80gb (as you mentioned). How easy is it to upgrade these units yourself? Buy an 80gb unit and install your own 160gb drive and sell the 80gb drive?

I've thought about that. Even better: buy the 40GB. Then I can use the 40GB in an external enclosure. Even better, get an external enclosure that's AC powered as well as USB powered, and use it as extra storage for the 504's USB OTG.

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I'd also have hoped they'd start using the 1.8'' drives to get these things even smaller (or use the extra space for batteries) but then I suppose there would be no 160gb model.

My guess: they want as few form factors as possible, and two is the magic number. Apple has two for the iPod line (the slimmer with a one platter 1.8" drive, the thicker with two platters). I suppose Archos could have gone with two-platter drives, but they probably decided to create the slimmest player they could instead, and leave the higher capacity to the 504. Still, isn't the iPod up to 80GB on the two-platter drives? I think 80 is enough for most people with that size a device.

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How cute is that 404? Probably too small for my needs. Yeah perhaps a 504 or a 604. To be honest, 30gb would do me fine (for now) and if I could upgrade myself later then all the better. A 604 would do me fine I think. The only difference I can see between it and the 504 (other than drive size) is that the 504 has 30mins more battery power (5hrs vs 5.5) and is 6mm thicker (17mm vs 23mm).

I don't think you'll be able to upgrade the 604 very much. Unless you try to really squeeze a two-platter drive in there. At the moment, I think 40GB per platter is the maximum for 1.8" drives.

I think the increased battery life on the 504 is because the battery takes up the whole back instead of half of it on the 604. It would probably be even greater if it didn't have the larger hard disk to power.
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Matt