For Release January 5, 2005 6:30 p.m. PST

ARCHOS JOINS PLAYSFORSURE PROGRAM ARCHOS Devices to Support and Video, 10 Auto Sync, and Access Broad Choice of Download and Subscription Music and Video Services with Windows Media DRM 10

LAS VEGAS, Nevada –January 5, 2005 – ARCHOS®, Inc., the pioneer and innovator in portable entertainment products, announced today at the Show 2005 that future ARCHOS pocket audio and video players will support the Microsoft PlaysForSure program and provide full device synchronization compatibility with Media Player 10. ARCHOS products with

Windows Media Player 10 Auto Sync support will be available in the first quarter of 2005, starting with the popular AV420 and Gmini400.

This new relationship ensures that consumers can play Windows Media Audio (WMA) and

Windows Media Video content, including downloads and subscription music, protected with Microsoft’s award-winning Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) 10. ARCHOS will also offer seamless support for Auto Sync in Windows Media Player 10, which enables automatic synchronization of music, photos and video with Windows XP and Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

ARCHOS introduced the portable video player category three years ago, and its fourth generation devices—available in early 2005—will provide consumers with complete and automatic synchronization with Windows Media Player 10 every time they connect their devices to the PC. Being verified by

Microsoft’s PlaysForSure program and supporting Windows Media DRM 10 ensure that ARCHOS’ customers can access content from the broadest selection of online stores and take their audio, video and music subscriptions with them wherever they go.

“ARCHOS is a great addition to the expanding PlaysForSure family of device manufacturers; consumer choice just gets better and better for 2005,” said Jonathan Usher, director of Windows digital media marketing at Microsoft Corp. “The PlaysForSure logo on verified ARCHOS devices will help ensure an easy and seamless experience with Windows Media Player 10 as well as great support for a

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wide range of content and services, including MSN Music, , Wal-Mart Music Downloads,

MusicNow and more.”

“ARCHOS offers a range of portable video and audio players designed for different consumer lifestyles and in varying price points, and our relationship with Microsoft extends the content available across all of our devices,” said Henri Crohas, chief executive officer of ARCHOS. “With our 2005 products, consumers will be able to download secure music and video from PlaysForSure-verified online stores, enjoy music subscription services and move that content easily between Windows Media Player 10 on the PC and their ARCHOS devices.”

Today, ARCHOS is the only company offering complete compatibility with the broadest set of computers, audio and video devices, and home entertainment systems. ARCHOS products integrate easily with nearly all computers less than five years old, Media Center PCs, standard analog sources such as

TVs, stereos and cable set-top boxes, and other digital mass storage devices through its USB Host connectivity. This ARCHOS strategy is designed to give consumers the widest choice of compatibility, connectivity and content sources available today.

ARCHOS PlaysForSure Products at CES 2005

ARCHOS and Microsoft will demonstrate PlaysForSure compatibility and support for Windows

Media Player 10 Auto Sync on the popular Pocket Video Recorder AV420 device at the ARCHOS and

Microsoft booths at CES 2005. The ARCHOS booth is located in the South Hall, number 36401, and the

Microsoft booth is located in the Central Hall, number 7145. The first ARCHOS PlaysForSure- compatible devices will start to be broadly available in the first quarter of 2005 with more to follow by end of the year.

About ARCHOS

Established in 1988, ARCHOS is the technology leader in pocket audio/video products and has a long history of inventing state-of-the-art devices for people on the go. In 2000, ARCHOS opened the mass market of pocket-sized MP3 players based on a hard disk with the Jukebox 6000. In 2002,

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ARCHOS launched the first portable video player, the Jukebox Multimedia. The company's “AV” line of pocket-sized audio/video recorders and players has revolutionized how today’s consumers enjoy their music, photos and videos anywhere, anytime. ARCHOS has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia and more information is available online at www.archos.com.

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The names of companies and products mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts: Press and Analysts: Samantha Steinwinder, SPR, 206-713-6983, [email protected] Marketing: David Feldman, ARCHOS, Inc., 949-900-1903, [email protected]