Portable gadgets can be used for play or work. These gadgets may include portable media players, laptops, netbooks, or the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC). The type of gadget that a consumer decides to buy depends very much on his or her own personal needs and wants. For example, if an individual wants to use a portable gadget for work, a laptop may be the best option. That's because the laptop is able to house more powerful hardware, and more applications can be run from the system. However, the drawback is that most laptops are still bulky compared to other portable gadgets.

In contrast, modern entertainment gadgets that are portable are lighter, smaller, and come in more popular designs. The Archos 5 Internet media tablet is such an example.

The Archos media tablet has its own built-in CPU. However, as this gadget is meant mainly for entertainment purposes, the CPU is often left out of the limelight. Most consumers are mainly concerned about whether the graphics will run smoothly, and how many movies they can store on the media player.

You can use the Archos media player to watch TV content, stream movies over the Internet, or play your own movies. This device supports many media formats. Formats include MPEG, WMV, H.264, AVI, and DivX. There is no QWERTY keyboard available. All the commands are issued using touch screen. The only off screen operations are the power and the volume control.

This gadget comes in 3 versions - 60GB, 120GB, and 250GB. The smallest version weighs only .55 pounds, while the other two versions weigh .66 pounds. That means you can easily bring the device wherever you go without hassle. The amount of disk space required depends on how much content you wish to store in the gadget. Given the advanced compression technology available today, each high quality movie will usually require no more than 1GB of disk space.

There are many ways that an individual can store content in a media player. Content can be easily downloaded over the Internet. Or special software can be used to convert VCD or DVD movies into digital formats. The media player can also be connected to the television set for recording of programs.

If you grow tired of existing content, you can also connect to the Internet to perform some simple operations like web browsing or checking email. While connected to the Internet, you can download more content such as movies, Anime episodes, or simply stream content without downloading.

Obviously, a portable media player is a great traveling companion. You can use the gadget to provide you with some great entertainment while waiting for a flight, or while you are in the hotel. This useful gadget retails for less than $500. For all the functions that it performs, it's definitely worth considering.