1 GminiTM XS202S MP3 & WMA Digital Music Player & USB 2.0 Hard Drive English user manual Version 2.0 - Please see the Archos web site (WWW.ARCHOS.COM) for the most recent manual and software updates for your GminiTM. 1 2 An introductory note from ARCHOS Dear Customer, Archos thanks you for choosing our new ultra-small GminiTM XS202S. Check out our web site www.archos.com to find the available accessories for this product (car adapter, carrying cases, power adapter etc.). Also, while at our web site, check for free downloads of updated and improved software for your device. The principal function of the GminiTM is, of course, to play music. Because it has a real hard disk inside of it, you can store thousands of songs. Using a standard audio cable, you can also play your music through a home entertainment system. You can bring your entire CD collection with you anywhere and play it over anyone's sound system. Putting music onto your GminiTM is as easy as `drag and drop' for your unprotected music files. And for protected purchased music from PlaysForSure® web sites, it is as easy as clicking the Sync button in Windows Media® Player 10. Plus, with its USB 2.0 high speed port, transfers are finished before you know it. The GminiTM is also ID3 compatible. This means that the ARCLibrary will sort your music so that you can listen to it by artist, album, title, year, or genre. Click on Shuffle, and listen to your music at random. Finally, you can use the GminiTM as a portable hard drive to store your important files. You can even use the Archos double-browser to rename, create, copy, move, and delete files and folders. This manual gives you all the information you need to know on using your GminiTM. Read through it carefully, you just may find out the GminiTM includes some additional functionality that you didn't expect. If you require extra assistance, you can always call our help line or e-mail support to get a friendly Archos agent to give you a hand. Wishing you the best music listening experience, The Archos Team __________ As our engineers are always updating and improving the software, your device's software may have a slightly different appearance or modified functionality than presented in this manual. 2 3 Contents 1 2 3 Ports, Buttons, and Connections First Time Usage 2.1 Charging the Battery 2.2 Turning the GminiTM XS202S ON and OFF 2.3 Changing the Interface language 2.4 Caring for the GminiTM 2.5 Foreign Character Sets Playing Music 3.1 Playing a Music File 3.2 Play Screen and Button Control 3.3 Playback Menu Items 3.4 ARCLibrary Specifics 3.5 ARCLibrary Updating 3.6 Setting a Bookmark 3.7 The Resume Function 3.8 Locking the GminiTM Buttons Putting Music onto your GminiTM XS202S 4.1 Synchronizing Music from Windows Media® Player (WMP) to the GminiTM XS202S 4.2 Comparison of Windows Media Player 10 to Windows Media Player 9 4.3 Transferring your CD collection to the GminiTM XS202S 4.4 Installing Windows Media® Player (WMP) 9 4.5 Installing Windows Media® Player (WMP) 10 Playlists 5.1 Creating a new Playlist 5.2 Loading a Playlist 5.3 Playing a Playlist 5.4 Playlist Menu Options 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 11 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 4 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 18 5 3 4 6 Settings 6.1 Changing the Sound Settings 6.2 Changing the PlayMode Settings 6.3 Changing the time & date settings 6.4 Changing the Display Settings 6.5 Changing the Power Settings 6.6 Changing the System Settings Using the Browser 7.1 Inside the MUSIC Folder 7.2 Navigating the Directory Structure 7.3 File and Folder Operations in Browser Mode 7.3.1 7.3.2 7.3.3 Contextual Menu on a File Contextual Menu on a Folder Contextual Menu while in the Double Browser 29 29 30 20 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 29 7 8 9 7.4 Using the Virtual Keyboard Connecting the GminiTM XS202S to a Stereo system Connecting the GminiTM to your Computer 9.1 USB Connection Type (`Hard Drive' or `Windows Device') S 9.2 Connecting the GminiTM XS202 9.3 Disconnecting the GminiTM from your Computer 35 30 32 33 33 33 34 37 38 38 38 39 39 40 40 42 42 43 10 Using iTunesTM with your GminiTM XS202S 11 Updating the GminiTM XS202S Firmware 11.1 Download the Update_GminiXS202.AOS file 11.2 Copy to GminiTM root and Update 11.3 `Hard Drive' or `Windows Device'? 11.4 Activate the Update 12 Troubleshooting 12.1 USB Connection issues 12.2 File issues, corrupted data, formatting, and partitioning. 12.2.1 Windows® ME Running Scan-Disk (Error Checking) - Hard Disk Mode only 12.2.2 Windows® XP & 2000 Running Check Disk Utility (ChkDsk) - Hard Disk Mode only 13 Technical Specifications 14 Technical Support 15 Legal and Safety Notices 4 44 45 48 5 1 Ports, Buttons, and Connections A B C D E F G H I Headphone jack Power On indicator Hard Disk activity indicator Battery charger indicator Stop/Escape/Off Navigation Joystick & Play/Enter button (Press down) On/Menu USB 2.0 port (USB 1.1 compatible) to connect to computer Power Connector (to connect an optional AC adapter/charger) 5 6 2 First Time Usage 2.1 Charging the Battery Before using your Gmini XS202S for the first time, completely charge the battery for three hours. · The GminiTM is charged through its USB connector. Connect the included USB cable to a running computer and plug the other end into the GminiTM while it is off. This will charge its internal battery. The CHG indicator will also light up to show that its battery is charging. · The battery is fully charged when the full battery icon appears. Animated battery: The battery is currently being charged. Full battery: The battery is fully charged. · You can purchase an Archos charger/adapter to charge the battery from a wall outlet. The blue CHG indicator lights up to indicate that the external adapter is connected. The battery will charge automatically when it is plugged in. · After the first initial full charge, you may use the Gmini while the AC adapter is plugged in. 6 7 2.2 Turning the GminiTM XS202S ON and OFF · Press and hold the ON/Menu button until the screen comes on. · The Gmini will automatically shut off after a given amount of time if no buttons are pressed. To conserve battery energy, the backlight will automatically shut off. You can change these parameters in Setup > Power. · Press and hold the Stop/off button until the Gmini shuts off. 2.3 Changing the Interface language · English is selected as the default language for your Gmini user interface. You can choose another language by going to Setup > Display. 2.4 Caring for the GminiTM The Gmini is an electronic product that needs to be treated with care. · Do not subject it to unnecessary shock or vibration. · Do not subject it to heat. Keep it ventilated (especially when connected to a computer). · Keep the Gmini away from water and excessively humid areas. · Keep the Gmini away from high electromagnetic fields. 2.5 Foreign Character Sets You have the possibility to display your file names, folder names, and MP3 ID3 tags in various character sets (ex: Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, etc.). You can find the language files CodePage_name.4fz in the font folder under /Data on the Gmini XS202S hard disk or on the Archos website under the heading Software. If, for example, you would like to have the Japanese language display, you would copy the file Cp932.4fz into the folder /system on the Gmini XS202S. Shut down and restart the Gmini XS202S. File names, folder names, and ID3 tags written using the Microsoft® codepage for the language will now be displayed in that character set. Only one.4fz file can be used at a time, thus you should only put one.4fz file into the /system folder. When an.4fz language file is used, the interface language will be set to English. 7 8 3 Playing Music Once the Gmini has been turned on, the following screen is displayed. You can select the major functions from this main menu. · Music: Browse through the folder Music or use the ARCLibrary music selection system. · Browser: Browse through and manage all of the other files on your Gmini. · Resume: Resume playing from the last place you stopped. · Setup: Set the parameters of your Gmini to your personal taste. 3.1 Playing a Music File By clicking on the Music icon in the main menu screen, you will enter into a `music only' mode. File types other than WMA, WAV, and MP3 that may be in those folders will be filtered from view. There are two ways to access your music, by selecting Browse hard disk or by searching the songs' tag information, Artist, Album, title, etc. In the case of Browse hard drive, you will be sent directly to the Music folder of your Gmini. Here you can look at all your music files and the folders on your Gmini's hard drive as if you were browsing files in a computer. The other way is to browse your music by tag information, artist, album, song name, year, or genre. The Unknown category indicates that the file has no tag data. To select a music file, push the navigation joystick to move upwards or downwards and press it down to enter a highlighted subfolder or tag category. Click ENTER to play the highlighted song. Use LEFT to leave a folder and go back to the previous level. 8 9 3.2 Play Screen and Button Control (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) Menu available Artist* or parent folder Album* or current folder Song title* or file name File format and recording information Status: playing Play Mode: Folder Play Order: Repeat Volume (0-99) Battery level Real time clock Song elapsed time Song time remaining Song length *If the file contains these tag data 9 10 A B C D E Play/pause/resume song Increase the volume Click once: Play the next song in the folder or playlist. Hold: Fast forward through the song. Decrease the Volume Click once: Play the previous song in the folder or playlist (during first 10 seconds of song) otherwise go to the beginning of the song. Hold: Fast reverse through the song. F Stop Song B E A C Play Status Stopped Playing a track Current track is paused Play Order (no icon) Play once Shuffle (Random) track selection Repeat playing F D The top status bar indicates the status and play settings that you have given. See the Settings chapter for a description of the Playmode options. 10 11 3.3 Playback Menu Items When the menu icon appears, you have certain options. During song playback, press the MENU button for the following options. · Setup: Enters the Setup screen (same as selecting the Setup icon in the main menu) which allows you access to parameters such as bass and treble. · Info: Show file information such as the file name, number of kilobytes of hard drive space used, date created, file format, etc. · ARCLibrary: Allows you to browse through your ARCLibrary while listening to the current song. · Edit Playlist: Enters the playlist editor (see below how to use Playlists). · Set Bookmark: Set a bookmark at the current position within the audio file. See the Bookmark section below. C 3.4 ARCLibrary Specifics The ARCLibrary is a system for choosing your music by its characteristics. It can be turned On or Off in the settings from Setup > Playmode. As shown in this screen capture here, you can select your music by Artist, Album, Song Title, Genre, or Year. MP3 and WMA music files have internal data tags to hold information about the song. For MP3 files, these are known as ID3 tags. Not all MP3 files have all this information filled in. If you purchase a song from a music download service, the song will have this information. If you have an MP3 or WMA file without this tag information, then you can add or change it by going to the properties of the file in Windows® Explorer. Once you update the ARCLibrary, you will have access to all newly copied music via the ARCLibrary. The ARCLibrary indexes all the music and playlists that it finds in the folders Music and Playlists by using the tag information in each song. Thus, you should never delete the folders Music or Playlists. If a song does not have tags, it will be put into the category . 11 12 3.5 ARCLibrary Updating If you paste unprotected audio files from your computer to the Gmini, they go directly to the Gmini hard disk without the ARCLibrary knowing about the new song. This is why the ARCLibrary is updated when you disconnect your Gmini from the computer. Alternatively, you can set up the ARCLibrary to update only when you choose, by setting it to "On", not "automatic". You can find the information on how to do this in the section Playmode in the Settings chapter. You will then have to go to the Setup > Playmode screen, highlight [Update ARCLibrary] and press ENTER. A message screen will appear indicating that it is updating the ARCLibrary contents. 3.6 Setting a Bookmark If you are listening to a song, or perhaps a long recording, and would like to place a bookmark in it in order to pick up from this point at another time, you can use the Bookmark function. While liste ...