Archos on Thursday introduced the Gmini XS200, which it bills as the world’s smallest 20GB hard drive-based digital music player. Retailing for US$249.99, the new device is expected to hit store shelves nationwide by the end of October. It measures 2.9 x 2.3 x .7 inches and can play MP3, WMA and WAV-encoded music files. A 2.2-inch grayscale LCD graces the front of the system, and it’s driven by an icon-based interface that lets users manage files and create directories without relying on a computer. Equipped with a USB 2.0 interface, the Gmini XS200 is compatible with Macs and Windows PCs — though it will not play music downloaded from the iTunes Music Store, which is encoded with FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology.
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