You can indeed FF and RW on Archos devices. On all the ones I've seen, you simply hold down left or right on the D-pad, and it starts seeking.

If you want to check out the GMini, I believe the previous model, the 400, is in your local CompUSA. The form of the device will pretty much be the same, except that the 400 has a CF port on the left-hand side. The 402 sacrificed the CF port for USB host. Having cameras with CF cards, I tend to prefer the CF port.

My girlfriend really wanted to check the device out before buying it too. She was very skeptical before she could actually hold it. Once she did, though, she was sold.