Archos will ship at the end of 2004 a portable audio/video device rumored to be based on embedded Linux. Cebit attendees report that the as-yet unnamed device was spotted running Qtopia, a PDA app stack from Trolltech currently available only for embedded Linux.

A link to a page with lots of photos of a prototype was posted recently to the LinuxDevices.com forum.

Like the existing Archos AV120 pictured here, the prototype has a 20GB or 40GB hard drive. However, the prototype looks much sleeker, with a much larger display.

Archos currently offers the AV120 video PDA
A TV cradle will enable the device to serve as a digital video recorder (DVR) with electronic programming guide (EPG). It will support DVD quality recording and playback (VGA or D1 resolution of 704×480 @ 30 fps). It will synchronize with Windows Media Player, and support Microsoft DRM standards and WMV9 video format.

The device will be the first PDA with significant storage capacity, according to Archos, with room for 160 hours of video, music, photos, email, important files, and more. Qtopia will provide a suite of personal information management (PIM) applications. The device will support networking through Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, modem and GSM add-on cards.

Archos demonstrated the device at the recent Cebit trade show, but declined to provide additional details. Company spokesperson Sarah Lyle Coleman said, “We will release further info once we have communicated a launch date.”

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