Isn’t it grand when companies somewhat silently update their products with new hardware but keeps the previous price. That’s just what Archos did with the 9 PC Tablet. Overnight it went from the Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz CPU to the Z515 1.2GHz Atom with Hyper-Threading and Intel Burst Performance Technology. It’s a nice little spec bump, actually.

Everything else seemed to remain as it was. The 8.9-inch screen, 32GB SSD, Win7 Starter Edition, and the 1GB of RAM appears to be untouched. A bit more RAM and a larger hard drive should be next, right, Archos? It better be. [Archos via SlashGear]

Apparently someone took the very new Archos 9 tablet and installed the early build of Google Chrome OS on it. Here are the pros and cons from where I sit.

Pros: The quick startup time and the bragging rights as the first one to install Chrome OS on the device.

Cons: Chrome OS doesn’t support the touchscreen, nor have an on-screen keyboard so you’re kind of tied to a keyboard and mouse.

[Flicker via SlashGear]

Although previously targeted for launch on October 22nd with a price tag of $500, it looks like Archos’ 9-inch tablet is just now available for pre-order on the company’s web site and priced at $550.

Official specs (according to the product page) include:

• 8.9″ screen
• Windows 7 Starter Edition
• WiFi and Bluetooth
• Extremely light and thin, .67″ and 29 ounces
• HD Video: Watch video in 1080p (H264HP 1080p)
• Internet: Experience the full internet on a 8.9″ screen
• Edit and create documents with the QWERTY virtual keyboard
• Forward facing 1.3MP web cam for video conferencing
• Battery Life: 5hr (WiFi Bluetooth off, mini backlight)

There’s a topic over in the ArchosFans.com forum with some loose shipment information being bandied about that might be worth keeping an eye on if you’re waiting for yours.

Archos 9 [Product Page via Engadget]

Here’s a little more info on the Archos 9 Tablet. Apparently it’ll be available here in the US on October 22nd, the same day Windows 7 is available. The price tag is pretty aggressive at $499, too.

That’ll get you an Atom Z510 CPU at 1.1GHz, a 9-inch touchscreen with 1024×600 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 60GB hard drive, Windows 7 Starter, four hours of battery life, and a weight of about 1.75 pounds.

UMPC Portal has a video of the device in action. Looks pretty nice. It seems a little sluggish but some of that might get hammered out before the official release. It’ll never be SUPER fast, though, considering the form factor, but perhaps it’d get a nice place on your coffee table.

Archos 9 release announced at IDF, October 22nd, $499 [UMPC Portal]

Archos 5 and Archos 7 were powerful enough in order to become part of the history in a way that people will surely remember the two media players as two competent ones. Following the tradition, the company comes up with Archos 9, of course, which is a PCtablet.

The future Archos device is equipped, compared to the previous ones, with a 9 inch touchscreen display. Being a mixture between the performance everyone is expecting when it comes to a high-end PC and a spectacular design, astonishing ergonomics and touch interface, this is rather a netbook than just a media player.

<-300×250 Medium Rectangle – center->

It is very thin, measuring only 0.63 inches, and ultra lightweight, as it has approximately 22.29 ounces. As I said before, the device comes with a 9 inch display, so that the user are able to enjoy the ultimate and most comfortable experience ever. There’s a resistive screen that gives the user the chance to compose emails and documents using the integrated virtual keyboard. On the other hand, the navigation on screen is a whole lot easier thanks to the ingenious optical trackball and buttons.

Other features of the future Archos tablet include a Z515 Intel processor, the Microsoft Windows 7 oeprating system, a built-in multimedia platform which is based on Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connection, and, of course, the Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity.

The Archos 9 is expected to start selling starting this fall, for a price that is unknown for the moment.

(Source: Dvice)

We first saw the Archos 9 two weeks ago and today we’ve learned that it’s coming to America. With an 8.9-inch touch-screen and a gaggle of other goodies it makes for a perfect Web browsing tablet. No word on price, but the Archos 9 is coming this fall.

DENVER, CO – July 2, 200Your browser may not support display of this image. 9 ARCHOS is leading the innovation charge in the MiniPC market with the introduction of the ARCHOS 9 PCtablet. This new PCtablet combines the performance of a high-end PC with breathtaking design, excellent ergonomics and an astonishing touch interface. It gives PC users an entirely new way to work, stay connected and enjoy the Web and digital media on an ultra-thin and extremely fast full touch-screen tablet.

The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet is the ultra portable PC; extremely thin, just 0.63”, and ultra lightweight, less than 22.29 oz. The ARCHOS 9 pushes the boundaries of style and function.

With a full touch-sensitive 9” screen, users can enjoy a comfortable computing experience. The resistive screen allows emails and documents to be composed easily via a built-in virtual keyboard. The innovative optical trackball and buttons allows easy navigation on screen, and provides an uncompromised PC experience.

The ARCHOS 9 features the new Z515 Intel® processor, Microsoft Windows 7® Operating system and an integrated multimedia platform that uses WiFi 802.11b/g connection and Bluetooth 2.1 for extremely fast computing anywhere, anytime.

Additional software includes Microsoft Office®, Web TV & Radio, video conference, antivirus, parental control, photos and movies edition applications and more.

The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet will be available this fall, 2009.