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Toshiba Gigabeat players are highly popular in
Japan but have just recently been more readily available here in the US and
have gain the interest of many audiophiles, thanks to their aggressive
pricing and feature set. I've taken a look at a variety of MP3 players
over the past years, some of
which were truly impressive in terms of either design or feature set.
For those, like me, who prefer a suitable Ipod alternative, the Gigabeat
models from Toshiba are well-designed DAP players with much to offer and
worthy of consideration.
Today I'll take a thorough look at their 40GB model, the Gigabeat F40S.
Packaging & Contents
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**click to enlarge** |
One
thing to note is that Toshiba offers you more out of the box than any other
DAP on the market. This includes some ear buds, cradle with "RipRec"
function, USB cable, AC adapter/cable, software CD, owner's manual, quick
start guide and they even include a wired remote control. Cradles and
wired remotes are almost always optional accessories that will cost you a
good chuck of money. You get it all here, with the exception of a case
or pouch.
Design
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**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
The
Gigabeat F40s is not exactly the most attractive player on the market, but
it is far from the ugliest either. Toshiba players come in a variety
of colors, however, the color combo depends on its capacity. The F40s
is their 40GB player that sports a two-tone silver/champagne aluminum
finish. The front features a touch sensitive pad and a 2.2" QVGA TFT
LCD. Nothing to brag about on the back of the unit.
**click to enlarge**
There are no buttons on the left side of the player. However, on the
right, you'll find your power, menu and volume buttons. You also have
an "A" button which happens to be fully customizable. What's nice is
that all side buttons are illuminated in blue for easy access in dark
environments. I just wish they would have done the same for the
cross-shaped touch pad.
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**click to enlarge** |
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On
the bottom, you'll find both a docking port and a mini USB port.
Another thing you'll find here is something I actually wish other players
would have. There is a very small battery switch and the player ships
with it on the "off" position. This is a nice feature because as most
of you owners know, MP3 players will lose battery juice even if you have not
powered it on for a few days. This button is quite handy because you
can set it to off when you do not plan to use the player for a extensive
period of time. This will conserve battery life and while some may
think it's a small feature, I find it quite handy and a welcomed addition. On to the top,
you'll find your power and headphone jack, as well as your typical hold
button to lock all buttons and the touch pad.
**click to enlarge**
Finally, I provide a shot next to the excellent Zen Vision:M. The
player is the same thickness but is longer and narrower than the Vision:M.
Also, the player is surprisingly light! This is because it is
primarily made of plastic in order to keep its overall weight to a bare
minimum. Personally, I don't think the player is large at all and
easily fits into a shirt pocket. Despite its slightly larger size, it happens to be slightly less
heavy than the Vision:M.
Specifications
Product Features
•Measures just 2.5 x 4.1 x 0.63 inches (W x H
x D)
•40 GB Toshiba hard drive (10,000 MP3s); 2.2-inch QVGA LCD (240 x 320); JPEG
photo/album cover viewer with slideshow capability
•Plays MP3, WMA, and WAV files; compatible with Windows Plays for Sure and
Napster To Go
•Up to 16-hour battery life, USB charging option; 28 equalizer settings and
SRS WOW simulated surround sound
•Supplied Gigabeat Room software helps you manage music and images; docking
cradle fosters 1-button CD ripping and file transfer
•40 GB Toshiba hard drive (10,000 MP3s); 2.2-inch QVGA LCD (240 x 320); JPEG
photo/album cover viewer with slideshow capability
•Plays MP3, WMA, and WAV files; compatible with Windows Plays for Sure and
Napster To Go
•Up to 16-hour battery life, USB charging option; 28 equalizer settings and
SRS WOW simulated surround sound
•Supplied Gigabeat Room software helps you manage music and images; docking
cradle fosters 1-button CD ripping and file transfer
•Measures just 2.5 x 4.1 x 0.63 inches (W x H x D)
Technical Details
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Supported Formats:
WMA (Windows Media Audio) MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) WAV (PCM)
· Storage
Device:
40GB Built-in HDD (at 1GB = 1 billion bytes)
· Continous
Playback Time:
Approximately 16 hours; In an ambient temperature of 25 degrees C,
backlight off, mid-range volume, WMA audio format recorded at
128kbps, 44.1kHz.Continuous playback time differs with conditions of
use, ambient temperature and age of built-in batteries, and is not
guaranteed.
· Display:
2.2-inch diagonal QVGA color low temperature TFT LCD (320 x 240
dots)
· Languages
Supported:
Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Chinese and German
· Play
modes:
Normal playback, repeat, random and one-song playback
· Intro-scan:
10-second introduction, 60-second introduction
· Equalizers:
FLAT, BASS+, BASS++, LOUDNESS, ACOUSTIC1, ACOUSTIC2, CLASSIC1,
CLASSIC2, DANCE1, DANCE2, HARD1, HARD2, HIPHOP1, HIPHOP2, JAZZ1,
JAZZ2, LATIN1, LATIN2, PIANO1, PIANO2, POPS1, POPS2, RandB1, RandB2,
ROCK1, ROCK2, VOCAL1, VOCAL2, User Preset
· USB
Terminal:
USB 2.0/USB 1.1
· Dimensions:
2-1/2 x 4-1/8 x 5/8 inches (excluding protuberance)
· Weight:
Approximately 5-3/4 ounces (main body only)
· Power
Supply:
Built-in lithium ion battery; AC adapter
· PC
Operating Environment:
Applicable PC:IBM PC/AT compatible; OS:Windows 2000/XP Home Edition;
CPU:Pentium 300MHz or above (Pentium 1GHz or more is recommended);
RAM:128MB or more HDD available; capacity:100MB excluding audio
data; USB port; CD-ROM drive Internet Explorer 5.01 or later;
Windows Media Player 10 or later
· Accessories
included:
AC adapter, power-supply, cradle, USB cable, headphone, software
CD-ROM, (gigabeatroom management software, Napster To Go) Optional
remote ear buds available at www.tacp.toshiba.com |
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