Well, to start with, the Nano costs a bomb. This was probably the most important reason. At less than a third of the price of the Nano, the Archos Vision 24c is a lot more affordable. I have never been much of an Apple fan. While I do appreciate the quality of their products, I've always thought of them as overpriced, exclusive products (sorry, all you diehard fans!).
Flashback - At a time when babies would learn to say "I poo'd" before they said iPod, Archos had come up with the first of what has now come to be known as the PMP (portable media player). It was the Archos Jukebox Multimedia. By today's standards, the Jukebox multimedia had humble specifications but it was nothing short of revolutionary in those days - a 1.5" screen that could display photos and videos, along with a 20GB hard disk. This was in the early 2000s and as a geeky kid, I would pore over PC magazines, drooling over this, amongst other coveted gadgets. It was the stuff of dreams - to be able to carry thousands of songs in a handheld device (no matter how bulky). This was at the time when the Walkman was the only portable music one had access to here, even the CDman was a luxury that few had. So, the name Archos brings those memories back and when I think that I own an Archos now, an involuntary smile creeps onto my face :) There's the second reason.
Then there are the other reasons
--The Nano has to use iTunes - I find it extremely annoying that one needs this software to get media onto a PMP, and that you just cant recognise the tracks when you plug the ipod in as a removable device in your PC. Compared to this, I enjoy the glory of drag n drop on the Archos Vision. The player also has an option through which the folder structure can be seen, in case you want to search for a file that way.
--The Nano has a smaller screen
--The Nano cannot play videos
While most people in India may not have heard of the brand called Archos, abroad they are a valid competitor, although perhaps not amongst the top contenders today. I have had this device for over a week now and I have found that it is not uncommon for people to set their eyes upon it and wisely remark "Ah, Chinese".
The Nano does have many features that the Vision lacks such as accelerometer, touchscreen, et al but at the price point, I really cannot complain. Finally it comes down to that - I chose the Archos Vision for its sheer value for money - at Rs 2633 its a great deal, if not a steal. I have been rather satisfied with this PMP so far. I'm planning to post a more detailed review after some more use.
Meanwhile if you may be interested in buying -
Flipkart
A word of warning though - the bundled earphones are trash. Get a pair of decent earphones from elsewhere.
