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Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver
By: Toshiba Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 127
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 On: 2008-08-29
I was shopping for a cheap MP3 player that could hold my entire music library, and this seemed like a good choice...at the time. But the entire layout of this player seemed spiratic and illogical, it was very hard to find what you wanted. And you cant erase folders once theyve been put on. You can erase the files in the folders, but not the folders themselves, so it quickly became cluttered with empty folders, which was inconvienent to search through. And reading the manual (I am one of those manual-as-the-bible type people) was just as confusing as the player itself, simple things could not be found in the manual, and not worth the time to try and find out. After about 2 weeks of being fed up with this, I bought a Philips Go Gear, and have been happy ever since. But this player has made me loose a lot of faith in Toshiba products.
 On: 2008-06-12
This is absolutely the best Digital Audio Player that Ive ever used, period.
The intuitive plus touch is easy to use and understand and works well for scrolling the menus.
The sound quality (with the 3.0 firmware) is second to none, no matter how loud you turn it up, or what speakers you use, this thing doesnt distort at all...
The screen is awesome and viewing high-resolution, colorful photos on its screen is a treat to the eye. It would have been nice of Toshiba to have added video support but, the product was released three years ago and so yeah... customizable wallpaper and a comprehensive picture viewer are welcome
The biggest thing about the Gigabeat F is its relatively steep learning curve. I warn you: it will take you some time to become efficient at operating the player. However, once you learn all of the shortcuts, (and yes there are some that are not mentioned in the manual), this player is a breeze to navigate, a pleasure even.
The player works well with Napster to Go. I have 334 albums (most of them from Napster) and they all work well. The player also seamlessly intergrates with windows media player 9, 10, and 11. Ill admit that the packaged Gigabeat Room, software isnt the easiest or the most user-friendly piece of software ever developed but it is by no means unusable. It functions, and does what its supposed to do. I should mention that this software is the only way that you may put pictures on the player for actual viewing.
The player supports, wav, wma, and mp3 formats and plays them all beutifully.
Ignore those ignorant reviews that didnt give the player a decent chance and learn to use it the way it was intended. It is an awesome DAP and Ive listened to over 23000 songs on it since I got it back in 05. (It tell you in the "System" menu) and it shows no sings of giving out. I take it everywhere and have no desire for any of those newfangled Zunes or Ipod touches and I gaurantee that, granted you learn how to use it the way it was supposed to be used, you will love it too! Get one! If you can find one, they are out of production and have been for some time now!
On: 2008-04-16
I have an Ipod Nano.......this thing blows that out of the water. Now some were not happy with the software, I sort of bypassed that altogether because there is some very nice alternatives out there (Rockbox) and it is a thing of beauty.
On: 2007-12-30
I have had my Toshiba Gigabeat F40 for at least a year. It works great and I have had no issues. I have 222 artists and 518 albums on it so far. I use Windows Media Player and I dont have any problems downloading music.
On: 2007-12-29
I have had my Toshiba Gigabeat F40 for at least a year. It works great and I have had no issues. I have 222 artists and 518 albums on it so far. I use Windows Media Player and I dont have any problems downloading music.
On: 2007-11-26
I bought this for my 30 year old daughter and she loves it. I didnt want to spend twice the money for an I-pod and bought this figuring that if she got some enjoyment out of it, it would be worth the $180 bucks. She loves it so much her mother-in-law is buying one for our 9 year old grandson.
On: 2007-11-08
Did someone say file management? Race through and install ALL of your image files and convert them into a form that you can do nothing with. Take your totally useable .mp3 files and turn them into unusable and unmangageable .sat files. Next, make trying to move these files off and on to the gigabeat to avoid duplicates impossible. Trying to prepare this unit for sale on Amazon, I found no reference to returning to original factory settings at hand. Using Windows XP sp2 to format the drive was a mistake. I hadnt found this out until I sold the unit and was looking for any missing documentation. It was no use anyway, The unit would bring back things that youve deleted. The Gigabeat room software would tell you that something is there when unplugged it isnt. There isnt any Toshiba factory support. The 1.1 USB is hell-of-slow especially with 2 Gigabytes worth of 700K files. This unit is generally hostile towards non-commercial music such as my 78s collection on .mp3, my recorded gigs of David Kafinetti (from spinal tap) with bird sounds, train sounds and people I find the need to record. This thing does not do well with those. Why do you people always want to see a "Genre". Sansa was like that also. What on earth is up with you people? I will not have my musical tastes pigeonholed. Thank you not. Towards the end, it stopped working altogether with the 2.0 USB, Always switched my 1024x768 SVGA to low-res VGA, and slowed all other processes to a crawl while losing track of itself. A complete and utter failure at filling MY need to put my favorite old 78 records into a form that I can listen to often. Dont waste your time on this one as it most assuredly will.
 On: 2007-07-27
I wanted a nicely priced mp3 player to hook up to the stereo for my business. I have been very happy with the Toshiba Gigabeat. The buttons are easy to maneuver, which is important because different staff use it. When I want to update the playlist I play during business hours, I just bring it home, connect it to my rather slow and dated computer, select the files I want to transfer to the Gigabeat, and then wait awhile. Once I figured out the best way to transfer files via Windows Media Player, transferring files became a snap. I bought a cable to hook up to my stereo receiver, so simple for a non-techie like myself.
If you just need this for music, this is a good capacity mp3 player for the price. Ive never had problems with it freezing or malfunctioning. The buttons sometimes seem to either not respond or are very "touchy", but usually they are easy to maneuver. The 40GB capacity is more than ample for my needs, but there are larger capacity models as well. I bought a silicone case for it which is nice because it gets bumped around a lot at work. I also have an FM transmitter in the car which works great with it when we take a rare vacation.
On: 2007-07-10
I bought the 60GB version of this MP3 player multiple years ago. and i never use it. why? the interfacing is ridiculous. you cannot easily make playlists on the fly. it is frustrating to get to the music you want to, and half the time i end up settling for some band in the As or Bs, because getting to the Ls or Ts is such a pain. Another huge annoyance is that artists names such as "the Pietasters" all show up under the Ts. I would just turn it into a large equivalent of the Ipod Shuffle (and just have 4 or 5 star songs on it), if getting the Gigabeat to work properly with the computer werent such a pain.
Previous to this MP3 player i had a 40GB Creative that i used obsessively. I miss it terribly.
On: 2007-07-09
I bought the 60GB version of this MP3 player multiple years ago. and i never use it. why? the interfacing is ridiculous. you cannot easily make playlists on the fly. it is frustrating to get to the music you want to, and half the time i end up settling for some band in the As or Bs, because getting to the Ls or Ts is such a pain. Another huge annoyance is that artists names such as "the Pietasters" all show up under the Ts. I would just turn it into a large equivalent of the Ipod Shuffle (and just have 4 or 5 star songs on it), if getting the Gigabeat to work properly with the computer werent such a pain.
Previous to this MP3 player i had a 40GB Creative that i used obsessively. I miss it terribly.
On: 2007-06-27
the device is good, great building and long battery, plus the space 40 GB
CONS:
- The menu is not very practical, difficult to learn and slow
- It encrypts the song so if you have music on the player and take it to your office PC wont play the music there, very tricky
- the device it self is thick
PROS:
-40 GB, the price and battery life is too good and you can hack the software with some firmware updates, that will void you warranty but will fix a lot of issues, plus more apps and options. ( I havent try just for the records)
On: 2007-06-18
STORAGE:
This is one of two primary reasons to purchase this product; you simply cannot get the same storage for the same price anywhere.
COLOUR SCREEN:
This would be the other reason to buy this product. The screen size is amazing for a unit of this overall size.
FIRMARE:
To get the most out of the excellent hardware, you will have to ditch the Tobishia firmware, which is the source of everything wrong with this product. If you dont mind using the cumbersome Gigabeat Room software, having your mp3s encrypted, having no organisation of photos, and having no ability to view video on this fantastic screen, then you shouldnt have a problem. If this would frustrate you--and you are even a little computer savy--then replace the Tobishia firmware with a certain FREE open source firmware (simply google search) and this product will leap into full utilisation of the fantastic hardware.
On: 2007-06-14
Toshiba products are built like tanks, and are virtually unbreakable. This item is a little heavy as these things go, but you dont have to worry about it breaking down. Pretty cheap for a 40 GB player, too. Has a nice in line control for volume and track advance, too. I run it directly into apmlifiers in 2 classic cars, and makes for good portable toons without adding modern radios in the dash.
On: 2007-06-12
This product is the BOMB!!! Juat bought it 09.06.07 & I have no beef with it. This product can hold all my music collection and more. What the other reviewers are experiencing, is probably a lack of understanding of what the product is and is capable of doing. In concluding, the only regret is not having the funds to purchase one that plays music, videos & movies. I am satified with my purchase.
Ossie D from JamDown (Jamaica)
 On: 2007-06-11
advertisaed ==> bought ==> not available! ==> bad inventory!
wasted time! Amazon should take care to be more precise about this!
Including making sure the 3rd party seller can deliver what they claim!
Or there would be other places that will replace Amazon as the internet seller with much better support and customer satisfactions (like Newegg...). I hope Amazon will shape up.
 On: 2007-06-02
I bought this excited to put my entire music catalog in a small portable package for car and boat. Whats the beef? Well for one, its not compatible with Windows Media Player 11 which would not recognize it. As a result, its own software,Gigabite Room, was the only option and Gigabite Room was terrible and full of glitches even after having Toshiba mail me an update disc. Now, after a few months, my Gigabeat 40 doesnt even function and Ive thrown it away. No, Im not electronic devise or computer challenged. No I didnt drop it. Buy at your own risk.
On: 2007-05-26
Pros:long battery life, can play wma as well as mp3, durable, gives choice of using windows media player or gigabeat software to sync
Cons:bookmark sucks, plastic top and bottom pieces pop-off, does not track most played, most recently added, etc lists
I purchased an Ipod for my husband for Christmas, and he got me this gigabeat and of the two of us I am the happier. I can play just about any type of audio file, including the free audio books from the library that ONLY come in WMA format and are protected so you cant convert them. The Gigabeats batteries seem to last longer and it has held up to a lot more damage than his Ipod which he has had to reformat several times and the drive keeps freezing. The top and bottom pieces kept popping off, but a bit of super-glue fixed that. I dont like the "bookmark" as it only bookmarks the track, not where I am in the track which is annoying when listening to long audio book tracks. I have had problems making the cradle rip cds directly, but I didnt really need it to anyway so I am not too upset about that not working. I have dropped it numerous times and it keeps on ticking. Now my husband wants me to get him one as a backup to the Ipod.
On: 2007-05-26
Tallk about a dud product. This Gigabeat is a flop. Transfering music is an incredible frustration. Contacting toshiba support is an incredible frustration. Using the Toshiba Gigabeat is punishment for a crime you didnt commit. I have a Toshiba computer, it is easy to use. How could Toshiba flub this product so badly. I think they looked at an Ipod, and tried, conceptually, to copy it. What a mistake. The Ipod is made by Apple. The whole Apple company reminds me of Canada. Look at Canadian zip codes, they make sense to someone, but not normal people. If you like the Canadian zip code system, then you will like the Toshiba Gigabeat. I am going to sell my Gigabeat on Ebay.
On: 2007-05-22
For some reason I had a hard time getting the music to download properly onto the player. I have worked with different MP3s, but cant seem to work the kinks out and get the music to actually play on this one. Having said that I cant rate it fairly.
On: 2007-05-22
It lookes good. Metal body is very cool. But the operating menu is not good. You have to wait 60 second to have the main menu turn off. You cant do anything at that time.
On: 2007-05-15
Somma the time it play and doesnt give an error....somma the time I doesnt.
When it plays, its GREAT.
On: 2007-05-14
Never received the item. They ran out of stock and canceled the order. Never even offered to substitute an item for their failure to deliver as promised. I was very disappointed and I WILL NOT FORGET! I buy a lot of things through Amazon and they should be more careful in choosing thier sellers.
On: 2007-05-14
Toshiba Gibabeat F40s 40GB is a great player, its very easy to load the music and play very friendly menues with ease of operation, I definately recommend this item to anyone.
On: 2007-05-14
Great little player, just as good as an iPod and at a much better price. Although the pre-supplied software isnt that good, a quick install of Rockbox really opens this thing up! Now plays video, games, and is much easier to transfer files to.
If you can pick these up for $99, go for it!!
On: 2007-05-13
The controls are nice and the screen is large, clear and crisp. For what you get as compared to other media players for the price, you cannot beat it. For an added bonus; you can flash the firmware and get the ability to play video!
Regards of video or not, get this player you wont be let down.
On: 2007-05-13
I purchase my Gigabeat about 3 weeks ago. I have really enjoyed it. I am somewhat frustrated by the soft touch buttons on the front. Some times they are just to sensative. Has geat quality and holds lots of my stuff.
On: 2007-05-13
I read all the reviews and saw lots of negatives on this product. All the negatives can be avoided by simply not using the software included. I am using Explorer to transfer my music from a hard drive to the devide and it works great.
On: 2007-05-09
I wanted a Toshiba MP 3 player because I sensed more ease of interface with my PC. That piece is true. What I was not expecting however , was that shortly after I started using it , it stopped working. Needless to say this was My XMAS gift to myself. Then I started the oddyssey of trying to get it fixed or replaced!!! I have yet to find a Toshiba cutomer rep who knows what a Gigabeat is. I wound up sending it back to an address I found at a Website. God knows where it is now ... No biggie , time for an IPOD
On: 2007-05-06
I have recently purchased this item after several weeks of researching different MP3 players, and I am not disappointed.
I have only had this for just under a week and have not used every feature yet, but so far its great.
I have not installed any software that came with it, but I have transferred my music via WMP 10 while it was in the cradle with no problems. It didnt even take that long - just about half an hour for about 1k songs.
The sound with the included earbuds was great when the EQ was on flat. I havent tried the other settings yet, just left it on that after reading other reviews. I do find that the earpieces are a little big and uncomfortable, but I purchased rubber covers for $5 that slip right over them and not only feel better in the ear, but give a more snug fit that also provides better sound.
The display is beautiful, even better than the other players that Ive seen so far. It shows lots of info and you can change the orientation to view from several different angles. (horizontally and vertically)
It is very easy to use - all regular controls are easy to access and displayed well. The buttons on the corded remote control are a little small and close together, but can be managed ok.
All in all, I am thoroughly enjoying this player and am glad I decided to buy this particular one.
On: 2007-04-26
Nice hardware, but the Toshiba software is bad. If youre technical, you can easily download and install the free Rockbox software, which turns this into a better machine. At the time of writing, April 2007, this product is/has been phased out. If you can pick one up for around $100 and you install Rockbox then youll get good bang for your buck.
On: 2007-04-20
Thanks to previous reviewers for the Rockbox information. With that, everything is smooth and no hassle. The screen is crystal clear, and the sound quality is way better than that from my computer.
On: 2007-04-17
As pointed out many times this is a great product; however, Toshiba has discontinued this series of Gigabeats. The newer S series are now the standard. The opensource software, Rockbox currently only supports the F series so grab them where you can because there is no date to support the S series.
On: 2007-04-02
The hardware is second to none in the industry. Toshiba has been making small hard drives like this long enough to know how its done. Ive dropped mine a few times and it still works. If not for the crappy software I would have rated this a 5 star. I dont like the crappy gigabeat room because It drops multiple copies of the same song into different sections of the HDD every time I sync the device. Its very annoying. Im also annoyed by the SAT encryption however thats probably to cover their a55 so they dont get sued by the RIAA (AAARRRGG thats a subject you dont want to get me started on). The battery life is pretty good and it recharges fast. I usually run it till its drained before I recharge. Ive had this for about a year now and I still havent filled it yet. Theres a decent user community at [...]
On: 2007-04-02
Yknow, it never ceases to amaze me how differently several people can view the same product.
We love our Gigabeat. Cant really complain at all. The only thing we found is that without Gigaroom (Gigabeats proprietary software), transferring from music on our hard drive does not work properly. Using the Windows Media Player option ends up in very slow download times and crashes/non-recognition on the Gigabeat. As long as we use "room" were good to go and its much much swifter than Media Player.
Also ... the "CD button" is awesome. Put the CD you want copied in your computer, have the Gigabeat hooked up to your computer via the USB cable. Press the CD transfer button. In 5 mins weve got the whole "album" transferred and were on our way.
The screen is crisp and clear; the sound crystalline. Photos look great and its a much much better resolution/size than most cell phones.
Add all this to the fact that we got our Gigabeat for under $150 including shipping, who could complain?
On: 2007-03-29
First and foremost, I was really amazed at the fast turnaround time that the seller provided me (I know that this is a review of the device, but I want everyone to know how fast Tech Depot turned around my order and had the box at my door).
Now that I have that out of the way, some thoughts on the device itself.
The Good:
#1) The aesthetics are superb. In my opinion, it just looks better than any other similar products around. I really like the brushed metal around the display. The 4-direction control on the face is much more visually appealing to me than other devices in the market.
#2) The full color display is really awesome. I like how I can view album covers and digital photos in full color.
#3) The storage capacity is excellent. For the price, nobody comes close to providing as much storage in as attractive a package. I also like that when I have it connected to my computer, I can view all of the files on it using Windows Explorer. I also have a lot of flexibility in how to put files onto the device. I can use Windows Media Player or the supplied Gigabeat Room software.
#4) The docking cradle is cool. I dont have to worry about wires dropping behind my desk when I have the device in my car or Im at the gym. Theyre connected to the docking cradle and the line out gives me connection flexibility with cables and stereos that I already own.
#5) Battery Life. I havent charged the device in a few days and I still have full battery life. Ive been using it on a consistent basis too.
The Not as Good:
#1) The device comes pre-set to use the Toshiba software when connected with just the USB and Windows Media Player when connected through the docking cradle. You can change the settings in the players internal menus, but you definitely need to search around a little bit first. I figure that Toshiba should try to put the focus on its own software before it defaults to Windows.
#2) I cant seem to find a lot of Gigabeat accessories available. Id really like to see a car-charging cradle and an arm-band for the gym.
#3) Gigabeat Room has a slow learning curve, and occasionally, you need to tinker around with the docking cradle when using the RipRec feature to load entire CDs onto the device.
#4) The instruction manual doesnt offer much help in navigating the devices internal menus, and you have to do a little trial and error to get the player set to your preferences. There is an up-side though, now that I have navigated the menus, I have set up the controls to my preferences and I can change them when and if I want to.
#5) Its a little bit big, and a little heavy. From what I can tell, most of the weight is in the battery, so I guess I cant complain.
Overall, it looks like Toshiba put its R&D into making a player that is a superb player from the audio tech-sheet aspect. The sound reproduction is excellent and I dont need to purchase any additional devices (like an iPod-only stereo, or a special iPod-only cradle) to connect to a stereo. There is a line-out on the docking cradle that can use a standard 1/8" Stereo Y cable to connect to an open RCA input on my stereo. In terms of the competition, it sounds better because the electronics built into the device are designed for audio. The drawback to the R&D focus going to the music (which I just said wasnt so much a bad thing), is that the menu systems to access the music are a little bit complex when you first attempt to load music onto the product.
I strongly recommend this device over anything else out there on the market.
by: msspurlock On: 2007-03-19
Anybody Tried to Replace the Battery Yet?
Doh!
$180 is a lot of money for a disposable player.
On: 2007-03-11
So far Im in love with the Gigabeat! Ive loaded 200 cds and have barely scratched a dent into the memory. I agree with others that the earbuds arent all that great so I would recommend purchasing others. I also use Window Media Player to transfer files, its really slick to rip and sync your media files.
On: 2007-03-09
I really like this player. You get more space for less price than an ipod. The earphones it comes with, however, do not sound very good and i found them to be very uncomfortable, although I have never liked earbuds of any kind. A good set overall though. I would recommend it to someone looking for an mp3 player.
On: 2007-02-17
I have dropped this thing so many times and it is still playing. Just the other day it fell off of the top shelf of my locker, which is almost a six foot fall onto hard tile, and it is just fine. Not to mention that i can put more songs on it than i know what to do with, good sound quality, and music transfer is a breeze.
On: 2007-02-16
Firstly, this is my first MP3 player so I dont have anything to compare to it. Im thrilled to have so many music available in this tiny machine, its one of my favorite toys and worth the investment. If you dont have one but love music, get one.
PRO:
Navigation is a bit annoying but I hear theyre mostly like this. This one at least have categories like "album" and "artist". I hear its better than an iPod for this.
Lots of space for music, Ive barely scratch the surface with 200+ albums downloaded.
Screen is nice but I havent figured out how to display pictures so its not used for much at the moment.
CON:
The headset sucks. I am on my third replacement and finally took out the one that comes with it with the navigation tool. Although handy, the connection is terrible after almost a years use.
The software it comes with is annoying. I use Windows Media Player which you can download for free. Just find the "rip to library" option and then download right into the player which reads as a portable drive. A USB port gets you connected. You will need the docking station to download music from your PC but not for charging or using an outlet for power.
If the battery (Bottom of player) selection is turned off, this annoying message comes up to let you know its not on so they cant charge the battery. This blocks out most of your screen so its hard to navigate. I try not use batteries on my electronics to save them.
TIP: There is a one year warranty so contact them before thats out so you can get parts replaced and fixed if necessary.
On: 2007-02-15
I use this player only when I go on vacation because it has such a large hard drive. I can put everyones music and audios books on it. I keep it in the hotel room and play it with portable speakers. I dont carry it daily because controls are awkward and the software to add files is not user friendly. In addition, the noise of the hard drive leaves me to believe that I should not shake the device without causing harm.
On: 2007-02-07
I got this MP3 player as a gift about a year ago. I used it one time and one time only and the touch pad is stuck. When I press the "up" portion it goes down and doesnt stop until it gets to the bottom of the screen. When I press "down" it goes up. I cant get it to leave the screen where I have to enter the Country I live in let alone play music.
A huge disappointment, I have to say. I have tried contacting support but I dont get any response.
If anyone has found a solution to this problem, please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated. I am still in the market to find a better product. Until then, I will continue using my ancient but reliable sony CD player for my workouts at the gym.
On: 2007-01-18
i bought my gigabeat in may it worked fine til today the screen blacked out on me and now the player will no longer play i dont kno wehter this is because of the recharable battery or toshiba has a faulty product but for all of you planning on using this alot it will last less than a year i would think
On: 2007-01-14
I have had my unit since October and it just started showing errors and the keypad no longer functions. I have contacted Toshiba customer service and they are not helpful. There is no way to wipe the drive and download the OS to reformat the player. I would not recommend the player due to the poor customer support from Toshiba.
On: 2007-01-05
This MP3 Players works really good, easy to use and it can be used as backup hardrive (40 GB).
On: 2007-01-04
UNUSABLE AS TO NAVIGATION, AND UNLOADABLE FROM A COMPUTER.
A MONKEY COULD NOT HAVE DONE WORSE.
On: 2006-12-27
There are lots of inconsistent reports on what you can and cant do with this player. Im not going to try to produce a complete guide/ help resouce. I will just affirm that I have done these things myself--and spent a lot of time researching how it works in various reviews and forums online.
It IS possible to put music files on the player without encryption and have them play. To avoid encryption, do not use the GB Room software. I think you have to attach without the cradle. Open My Computer and drag and drop to GB as an external drive. The tricky part is that if you install GB Room on your computer, it will also run GB Watcher on start up in your system tray. And if you ever slip up and let that spot your player (b/c you failed to connect via Win Media Player), GB Watcher will run GB Room and in the flash of an eye it will encrypt every one of your music files with the SAT code and extension. That happened to me. (Note: there are (at least) THREE ways to connect your GB to your computer. 1. In the cradle, using GB Room. 2. In the cradle, using Windows Media Player. 3. NO cradle, Win Media Player. YOu have to use the right combinations to transfer without encryption AND to avoid getting encryption stuck on later. Research online for specific instructions.) (I think that once it gets encrypted--you can NO longer use unencrypted files, at least without removing everything and starting over. but Im not positive on all the details.)
But all is not lost. You CAN get unencrypted files off your encrypted GB. You need to connect in the cradle through Win Med Player. While WMP is open, go to My Computer and find the GB as a drive. Go into the music folders and there are the files--unencrypted! you can pull them off now (so I can put them on my other player too). voila. only thing is that transfer will be slow. but such is life. (I just pull off a couple albums at a time to run on my 1-gig. I dont know if it will work on any other computer with Win Med Player than your own.)
you can avoid encryption. and if you mess up, you can get your files back. yay.
beyond this issue. I like the player a lot. I like the touch pad. I learned the short cuts, where you slide across the pad, not just tap it, to jump in and out of menus. I like using it for external storage. I dont care about using it for photos (or video (which it doesnt do)). I dont fool with equalization. I wish it had a radio and a recorder, like my Cowon iAudio U2. (I might have gone with Cowon for the HD type player, but a the time their top model had an extra external control I didnt want to bother with.)
On: 2006-12-24
definitively one has become my musical center... I have passed all my CD, to my mp3.... I have sold my musical center... and have bought an audio cable of... connecting it where it fence. or to a TV, to home teatre.... to another musical center... does not matter where. I take and connect my mp3, has an enormous capacity... I have like 1,000 songs. and as soon as I have filled 5 GB of the 40 that he no longer has... that musica to put. jajaja!!!!... very recommendable...
On: 2006-12-09
I will never buy any product from Toshiba ever again. I have two gigabeats (one for me one for s.o.), well now I have one because the other has completely ceased to function. I obviously bought them at the same time because no one would get a second once youve seen these. These are shoddy untested prototypes sold as working models, for example: if you ever let the battery charge run fully out, it forgets what time it is and has to have it reset, and the controls go haywaire (in my case any time it needs recharging the button gets stuck on "up" so if I want to do anything at all other than turn the volume up really loud, like play a song for example, I have to put the gigabeat on hold and use the remote to control it - if it cant be done on the remote it cant be done on my gigabeat. The gigabeat room software routinely crashes or freezes in mid transfer, and system monitor shows it using 99% of my CPU when it stalls so its obviously a bug. To make matters worse Toshiba has made it nearly impossible to contact them in any way about your gigabeat, and when you do speak to someone they are hands down the worst tech support I have ever seen for any product anywhere, both in complete technical incompetence "you should probably reinstall windows if gigabeat room is crashing" to general condescending screw the customer attitude.
On: 2006-12-06
I got one of these for my wife. Im responsible for the software end of it and loading the music (what a deal she has!) I have been working my way through our CD catalog. My wife absolutely loves it and so do I. She likes playing it on full Random (any song on there device can come up.) The sound quality is great, the "remote" control on the headphones is convenient and works great. Uploading is super simple with the docking station. Small size, easy menus, nice user interface. This one should give iPod a serious run for its money! We couldnt be happier.
I dont use the Gigbeat Room software -- it turned out to be useless. I use Windows Media Player and it does everything (everything) I need it to do, simply, quickly, and intuitively. As several others have -- I strongly recommend using WMP for ripping and organizing your songs.
Bottom Line: I have asked my wife to get me one too at the next gift opportunity (maybe Christmas?!). Wonderful machine.
by: jm_1951 On: 2006-11-24
This is my second review. I wrote the first one when I had the Gigabeat a week or two. Now I have had it a few months.
An MP3 player is basically a cigarette packet sized portable disk drive with connectivity and the ability to decode compressed music files formats like mp3 and wma.
The Gigabeat 40 megabyte player is a sturdily constructed unit that can hold the equivalent of about 600 CDs of music in compressed format, or the equivalent in photos, other data, or even video of about 50 CDs of uncompressed data, so that is quite a lot.
The Gigabeat works well, but nearly all of the problems that you will see mentioned in reviews stem from the poor operating software that comes with the unit, and the automatic encoding of music files.
Almost all of these problems are immediately resolved if you install the free open source operating system called Rockbox, that is available on the Web.
Suddenly a three star unit becomes a five star unit.
You can organize the menus any way you like, you can make the While Playing Screen show any information you like, or design your own, the photograph display software is immeasurably better--darn, you can even play short video clips on it, as long as you dont mind the sound and images not synchonizing correctly.
If you want to fast forward through lengthy files, you can set how fast the operation increases speed. In fact almost everything can be customized to the way you want it.
And best of all, there is no encryption. You can now also recharge the battery via the USB port.
The only other thing you cant do that you can do with the built-in software is to download photos or video from a camera for backup storage.
With the Rockbox operating system loaded, I am totally satisfied with my Gigabeat 40 and would recommend it to anyone.
NOW FOLLOWS MY ORIGINAL REVIEW
This is the first MP3 player, or maybe that should be WMA player I have even had. This type of technology is always involves some kind of compromise to make it possible to manufacture something useful that people can afford to buy, so I tend not to jump in and buy new technologies, but this machine, which could hold the contents of 600 CDs looked like something I could use.
Prior to buying this unit, I had, for several months been downloading radio broadcasts, converting them to MP3, burning them to CD and taking them with me on the road to play in my car and other places. I have been using desktop computers since the days of DOS. I mention these points up front, because this device is definitely not something I would recommend to someone who is not fairly computer and recording competent.
My first hour or two trying to get this thing working were still very frustrating, even though I had taken the time to study both the manuals ahead of time. There are two manuals, one for the machine, and one for the Gigabeat Room software, so you have to skip back and forth between the two. They are not particularly good, and are lacking in illustrations on how to perform certain maneuvers. The FAQ in the main manual only has 4 Q & As when I could immediately think of at least 20 that would be profitably included, such as "can you run the machine off the power cord without the battery, and why not?"
The manuals could also benefit from a glossary to explain key words, since the meaning of terms like library and synchronize in this context is by no means self explanatory.
This unit is supposed to 1) Organize, record and play music, 2) Store and display photographs, 3) Act as a portable drive. Lets look at each in turn.
1) If most of your music is already on CD, and you want to rip your CDs to the machine, and you have lots of them, then this IS what you want. It is really easy to rip the CDs to the unit, and off you go.
However if you want to do anything more complicated, like loading and organizing MP3 files that you already have on your computer, then the going gets much tougher. The Gigabeat Room organizing software that comes on a CD with the unit leaves a lot to be desired, and very soon I was searching for, finding, downloading, and installing Version 3 of the Gigabeat Room software and firmware programs, which made life a bit easier.
The type of problems I encountered were that MP3 files could not be placed on Playlists from the Gigabeat Room software because they were invisible, or that sequential files (like a serialized book) had to be renamed so that they would play in the correct order. Or I want to add an MP3 track to a file on the Gigabeat, so I have to send it through Gigabeat Room whic h dumps it in the root directory on the Gigabeat 40, then open up a file handling program to place the track where I want it, then go back to Gigabeat Room and run a Library Refresh to get everything working right.
Musical items can be selected by album title, by genre, by artist, or by folder. The problem with the first three is that your menus soon get out of control, for example at the time of writing I have 59 albums loaded, but these contain 148 artists, and are listed under 21 genres. The names assigned to the genres are somewhat arbitrary,not to say bizarre, and may not help you find an album. For example, an album of latin music from Cuba is under "Caribbean", Basin Street Blues by Louis Armstrong is listed under "Club Dance", and an album of music from The King and I and Carousel is "Unclassifiable". Quite so! Amusingly, I have 2 CDs of Christmas carols one of which is listed under "Christmas" and the other under the more politically correct "General Holiday". Genres may differ within one album, and on my soundtrack album of Grease, some tracks are Musical/Broadway, some are Soundtrack, and others are Rock.
Item #4 on the menu is called "Files" and this is what you really want, because now you can open up another program like Windows Explorer and organize your "Files" menu into a hierarchy that produces menus that are not too long. Example, my "Files" menu breaks into three types of files, one of which is "My Music". Under "My Music" are 7 subfolders entitled Rock, Jazz Albums, Jazz Collections, Blues, Musicals, Spanish, Christmas.
So now I can find my albums fairly easily, albeit at the expense of moving through several menus. However the screen is not particularly easy to read when you are picking out albums with similar titles, for example Jazz Masters Volume 1 versus Jazz Masters Volume 2.
It is thus annoying that you are not able to reorganize the menu so as to bring "Files" to the top.
The Playlist function is difficult to operate through Gigabeat Room. You cannot add whole albums or groups of albums at one go, having to select all the tracks individually first. The Bookmark function can also program a list of tracks to play, but it is also laborious.
Another pain in the neck is when you have an album that the software does not recognize, then you have to type in all the tag information by hand. By selecting all the tracks together, you can assign album names and performer names easily enough, but you will still have to enter the track names one by one. The size of this task quickly became apparent to me when a 4-CD Benny Goodman collection with over 100 track titles was not recognized by the system.
None of this makes the device impossible to use, and with a bit of ingenuity you can work around most of these problems, but I am just writing some of this stuff so that you know that it may take a bit of time and effort to master the use of this machine and get it to do what you want.
2) Since the screen is about the size of a passport photo, it too small to meaningfully display photos. I would not buy it for this purpose. If you download photos from a digital camera you cannot immediately display them without further resizing and processing on your computer. You can, however, use it for blind storage. However, it may be extremely useful if you have a small video camcorder like mine that records 30 minutes of video, because when travelling you can downoad hours of video to the gigabeat to free up the camcorder memory. With each device about the size of a deck of cards, they make a very useful combo.
I have actually found a way to download and DISPLAY still photographs on the Gigabeat, which you are supposed not to be able to do, but there you are. But probably this only works with some cameras.
3) It works well as an external drive for carrying data.
So, it sounds as if I dont like the machine too much, but actually now that I have got the hang of it, I am getting to quite fond of it, and though I dont like listening through headphones, some of my music sounds stunning through the earbud headphones that come with this set. It is an amazingly convenient way to carry around my 250 CDs in a shirt pocket in a package tghat is exactly the same dimensions as a deck of cards (only 5/8 inch longer), and means that I wont have CDs sliding around in my car any more. The brushed aluminum finish looks good and the unit seems to be solidly constructed.
On the other hand, I am not throwing away my CDs either. I have had some of them for 20 years, and somehow I doubt whether my Gigabeat will still be working in another 20 years, whereas I suspect my CDs will still be functional. This machine works quite well if you have a small number of CDs loaded to it, say a dozen or two, but with the memory for 600 CDs it is implied that this is a machine that can hold a large collection, yet it does not have the software that can help you effectively organize a large collection without a lot of work.
Here are a couple of tips that might be useful.
a) The Gigabeat is not compatible with the Apple i-Tunes online store, however if you buy music from there, you can convert it to MP3 with a program that records through your computers sound card, then you can put it on the Gigabeat in the same way you transfer a podcast. (Sames goes for soundtrack music on DVDs.)
b) There is no car charger available for the Gigabeat, but the Sony PSP car charger meets the specifications and will do the job. However you need to obtain a size B tip and solder it on.
c) Get the updated Version 3 software and firmware. You can call Toshiba for it.
d) If you want to carry it around and avoid getting it scratched you can get a soft-sided camera case for no more than a couple of dollars. A snip or two improves access for the headphones cable, and the on/off control may be operated by squeezing the outside of the case.
e) If you want to preserve your battery, you can run the device off mains or car power with the battery switched off, however you must turn the battery back on again before disconnecting, or you will lose your clock and screen settings.
So what is the bottom line? (Sorry to be so long winded). If you want a device that will hold a lot of music, provide backup storage for camcorder videos, and maybe display a few passport size photos, then this device may be a very cost effective option for you. BUT you will get on with this device a lot better if you have good computer skills, and know how to do things like edit tag information on mp3 files.
ADDENDUM February 7th 2007
I have now loaded the Rockbox open source operating systems and most of the original problems have disappeared. It is now easy to organize my files, and they are not encrypted. It is much easier to copy files to the device. You can just rip a CD to mp3 in Windows Media Player and copy it across. You can easily organize your menus and files on the Gigabeat any way you like. You can even design your own While Playing Screen and background images. There are also numerous plug ins, little games, and other gadgets.
On: 2006-11-23
We all want our music portable these days and many manufacturers realize this, hence, the mp3 player. I liked the cost of this machine when compared to other 40GBs on the market. However, the manuals could be a little clearer for those of us who need lots of step by step photos to go through the first time. The manuals require you to flip back and forth between each of them.
Toss the ear buds that come with them, unless you got ear canals like Dumbo or you want to tape them to your head.
Overall, if you want lots of music to carry with you and dont want to pay Ipod prices, this is the way to go.
On: 2006-11-17
Please dont misunderstand about its looks. The F40 looks great and works fine. The sound quality is awsome, but I must say for all who are shopping for a good mp3 player do not invest your money on this product. My biggest mistake was that I didnt do enough research on as far as user reviews. Now I regret owning the F40. Not so much the navigation to get to the music but the software that comes with it. What were the programmers thinking when they were writing the codes to run such a crummy sofware. True that you have to use more that one program to import music properly. WMP is the best thing you can use to import music. After importing you then have to use the gigabeat room to find the music. Key word "find" is the word I would like for you to understand. If your music is not taged properly youre gonna have a hard time finding your music to put into your playlist. You can browse by artist, but sometimes the artist name is not listed even though you can see it on other programs such as WMP, MusicMatch, etc. If you cant find it by artist you then have to find the name of the song. And even that doesnt seem to be anywhere after importing. I used windows search tool to find the music and i can see that it is in my F40 but it wont show on the list. You can add music to the playlist in folder mode which in this mode you can see the file is there. Its very frustrating working around all of this just to find music. Its not so much the unit itself but the interface it uses to organize music really stinks. It doesnt even have a search bar; if it did I wouldnt be writing this review. I bought my wife a Crative Vision M and I have to say its the best player ive ever tried compared to the the F40 and definatley to the Ipod Video. The problem is that the marketing for the vision m is not enough for it to get recognision. Mind you I am no amature when it comes to diddling with electronic gadgets. I am a power user and my experience with this product is as accurate it can be. My only mistake was being to hastful and failed to do my homework thorougly.
On: 2006-11-10
I bought this product for listening to music and to audiobooks, but it is absolutely useless for the latter, because it has no bookmark function. So if youve been listening to a long audio file, which is usually what audiobooks consist of, and you lose your place for any reason, you have to search forever to find where you were. And the fast forward only proceeds at one speed (the slowest), so it takes forever to get to where you thought you left off. The software interface is totally non-intuitive, and I constantly felt that I was fighting against it in transferring files to the player or finding them after they were transferred. Fortunately, I was able to return the player for a refund, even though Toshiba itself has a no returns policy for non-defective merchandise (but how does one define non-defective, this one is defective by design). Avoid buying this one. It stinks.
On: 2006-11-10
Product usage was quite easy to master within a few days of playing around with it and without reading the manual.
The software it comes with is also quite friendly and effective. Pulls songs information from the CDDB automatically, and can withdraw information for old songs on HD as well.
The only con is the hard time finding accessories for the gigabeat. Only case I could find was sold online.
Earplugs are also a bit uncomfortable, kept falling off.
Strongly recommend it for capacity, user friendliness and design
On: 2006-10-23
First of all, for 40 Gigs, the price is unbeatable. The Gigabeat is priced in the same range as the iPod Nano that can hold ten times LESS data. Also, Gigabeat can handle pictures, which the Nano cannot. The harware design is intuitive and easy to understand, and its attractive, too.
However, I have some qualms with the audio quality. I can hear a substantial amount of device noise during quieter songs, which is especially annoying for an audiophile like myself. My only other mp3 player was a Creative Zen Micro, which was a bit clearer than my Gigabeat. Not a huge beef, but something to consider.
Also, the interface is kind of ridiculous. Music without any track information, like album, artist, or genre isnt even accessible through the device interface. The only way to navigate through your music collection is by these classifications, and by some quirk, music without ANY classification doesnt even appear when "no information" is selected as the album, artist, or genre. When The Gigabeat is plugged into the computer, all of the music is viewable, but only music with some track information is playable from the device interface.
Also, There is no "back" command once a track (album) has been selected. In order to continue navigating from the album you were perusing when you selected the currently playing track, you must go all the way back to the beginning of the menu and start over. When you were in the middle of the alphabet in a 200-album list, that becomes very tedious very quickly. With no vertical or circular scrolling mechanism (its one-at-a-time or press and hold for a few at a time), scrolling through long lists is slow and often inaccurate.
Picture viewing is fairly straightforward... except that its sideways. Took me a while to figure out that in order to navigate through the menu while in the photo folder, you must turn the device 90 degrees counter-clockwise, as the directional pads functions literally change in this direction. Other than that, the picture-viewing capability is well-implemented, except that there is no way to organize your pics; they just get dumped into one, big, communal folder. Not a major complaint.
One thing I did appreciate is the free docking station, which also functions as a line-out ... and the ability to add tracks from any computer, using Windows Media Player. These add an extra star on their own. It also comes with a USB cable and earbuds with in-line volume control. The docking station also has an extra USB-in jack, which enables you to use it without taking up one of your computers USB inputs.
I recommend the Gigabeat purely because of its huge size-price ratio. I also like the included extras. I have my issues with it, but theyre largely the result of my pickiness as a consumer. The average buyer would probably not find fault quite so easily. I give the Toshiba Gigabeat 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4.
On: 2006-10-23
I recently purchased a refurbished Toshiba Gigabeat F40 for about $150. Quite a bargain for a 40-gig MP3 player. However, upon reflection, I regret the purchase.
The Gigabeat hardware seems to be OK, with good sound quality etc. The major failing is with the included software. As other reviews have pointed out, the Gigabeat will only play encrypted tracks. The Gigabeat is supplied with Gigabeat Room application software to provide the necessary encryption. Gigabeat Room starts automatically when connected to the PC via the USB port. From the time the Gigabeat is connected till the Gigabeat Room application is displayed on the screen is 30 minutes. If you switch from viewing the Gigabeat file directory to the PC file directory, the application hangs. If you try to update your track library, the application hangs. I have yet to get through a single operation from beginning to end without the program hanging. Every time the Gigabeat Room hangs, you have to restart the application, with yet another 30-minute wait to resume. The file directory on the Gigabeat is usually out of sync with what is actually present on the hard drive. Microsoft Media Player version 10 may also be used to synchronize the Gigabeat. I have a 35-gig library. It took Media Player 18 hours to encrypt and copy all 8100 tracks to the Gigabeat. In short, be prepared for a maddening and time consuming experience with this player. Software that gives error messages such as "The Program Is Quitted" and with such obvious fragility may have been expected in 1986 but is absolutely unreasonable in 2006.
In my estimation you would be much better off purchasing an MP3 player, even at greater cost, that can play MP3 files directly, with file maintenance provided by Windows Explorer and or Media Player.
On: 2006-10-20
I didnt want to buy an ipod because they are so popular, so ubiquitous and seemed overpriced.
Boy was I wrong.
Gigabeat:
Poor navagation
no support
no software updates
no firmware updates
no response to emails to toshiba
no usb 2 (unless you use their software which repeatedly crashes all running programs on the entire computer)
no worthwhile accessories
not great battery life
The software is terrible. Poor interface. Crashes frequently. Only way to transfer songs to the mp3 player at USB 2 speed (even windows media player cant transfer at USB 2 even though it is marketed as a windows media compatible device.) Who makes USB 2 non-compliant devices any more? Why cripple my device when the software crashes.
No Support. You can register at their site (supposedly) but it would never accept my code and repeated emails to Toshiba got no response. Even if you could get into the registered users website there is no software update and no firmware update (I found this out from another user.)
The only nice thing is the little attachment to headphones you can use to skip through songs when the thing is in your pocket.
The gigabeat was an expensive mistake - my poor husband has this thing now. He never uses it because the gigabeat is a pain to use and really really slow to load
ipod:
I was a contrary tech geek who didnt want to buy the big thing.
I was wrong.
I have one now.
doesnt crash
good software with great interface
software and firmware updates
company support
podcasts are great - I never thought Id use them - but I get stuff I love (including news, language lessons, radio, tv, and they are FREE.)
fabulous navagation.
I never thought Id use the video - but I do all the time.
Surprizingly good battery life.
Great accessories - really great accessories - I can record with one, it hooks up to stereos alarm clocks, newer car radios, you name it.
oh - and the ipod has never once crashed my computer
On: 2006-10-14
Sound quality is good compared to other flash based mp3 players. Difficult to manage songs. Whatever you put to it, you have to encrypt by the "Gigabeat Room" software provided. I thought it would work like flash drive, just copy from hard drive and run mp3 songs but unfortunately it does not work that way. Every songs is encrypted with .SAT extension so you cannot share your mp3 songs with your friends. Pictures are also encrypted and make double file with *.GBP extension and every file is renamed when encrypted. It took me a lot of time to figure out how to operate this player first time when I received it. I suggest not to buy it if you can spend a few bucks more for iPOD or Creative. Although Toshiba is making improvements in their new line of mp3 players that has video capabilities.
On: 2006-10-02
I purchased this mp3 player due to the large amount of good reviews, plus its fairly cheap for 40gb. I ended up returning it after using it for about 30min.
Its cheap for a reason:
-the interface is absolutley horrible, it took me quite a while to figure out how to use it.
-it feels very cheap and poorly made when held in your hand.
-the connectivity is horrible (every song is encrypted, so forget sharing your music with your friends directly from it).
-it lacks features that are pretty much standard in all mp3 players, i.e. power off timer, you cant return to the play screen once on the menu screen (you have to wait 60sec); and you cant stop songs, only pause and play.
___________
Bottom line:
This mp3 player sucks. I will admit that the price is right, but who wants to be stuck with an inferior piece of technology just to save a few bucks? If you want a mp3 player that youre going to use often then I suggest dishing out a few more bucks and buying a player of better quality, such as an iPod or the new creative zen.
On: 2006-09-21
My GIGI arrived from US this week. I bought it via AMAZON from the states despite the fact that I am from Europe after a looong thinking and hundrets of review reading and all what I can write about "GIGI" is that this is definitely an iPOD KILLER.
I used flash mp3 player such as MSI MEGASTICK, Creative MuVo before, so i can compare it only with these. But the sound, display and battery quality are really simply "WOW". Also the touch control is absolutely simple to used to it.
If you are looking for mp3 device with a lot of capacity, huge battery life, absolutely crystal display and lot of accessories in start package do not hesitate and BUY IT. Highly recommended!!!
Peter
On: 2006-09-17
I baught a Gigabeat in the Dec 2005, in the beginig i was not in the favour of the MP3 players as i really didnt liked the quality what i heared previousely, but when i decided to buy a Gigabeat an when it arrived in to my hand i was just amazed with the quality of sound it produce using the Windows Media Player and the SRS technology is it Rocks. I also baught an Ipod 30GB but the compared to the Gigabeat i thaught its a waste of money buying an Ipode so i just resold it and kept the Gigabeat for me.
On: 2006-09-12
this is the best player out there..i agree with most..on the controls being a bit better..but for the price, space ,and photo quality..its super..out with the Ipod and with the gigabeat...ipods are highly overrated..do yourself a favor and get the gigabeat
On: 2006-09-08
For some reason, and I dont know why, my Gigabeat resets itself about once a day right in the middle of my using it. Ive tried reripping MP3s in case it didnt like the way I had them ripped, I reinstalled everything, I even ran the thing out of juice completely and recharged it and no matter what it still will randomly reset, which is quite frustrating.
Other than that, I mirror all of the positive statements that the other reviews have made.
On: 2006-09-03
I have no complaints thusfar about the mp3 player hardware itself, however the gigabeat room software that comes packaged with the machine is abysmally hard to use, confusing, prone to crashing and aesthetically displeasing. The alternative, Windows Media Player, is little better. Were this situation to be rectified in an update to the software, I would have no complaints whatsoever. A great MP3 player for those on a budget.
On: 2006-09-01
this thing is bad to the bone. my bottom line was the bottom line, 40 gigs for 200 bucks is a tough deal to beat. i have no interest in watching videos on it so forget all of that nonesense. the picture viewer resolution is awesome. my only realy beef with it is that the controls could be a little more friendly. note that i have no problems using the controls, i just think they could be better. oh and the headphones it comes with suck...but i have a pair i have sworn by for a while now anyway. ive only had one real problem with the software and it was that i was being a total idiot and missed something obvious. but when i called toshiba they told me what was up really quickly. oh and this thing is metal and durable which is good because i drop things religiously. another important thing to me was that it isnt an apple. i have a long standing hatred of apple from before they were a college student status symbol and practically everyone i know not only having an ipod, but the exact same things on their ipods made me yearn for something else.and this thing not only competes with ipod in my mind, but i have had several people tell me the payed $100 more for less space. not a bad deal if you ask me.
the moral is:
its great deal, a great mp3 player, it has excellent screen resolution, good software and good customer service. id encourage anyone to buy one and should i ever regretfully get rid of this one ill probably buy another toshiba model.
On: 2006-08-31
I have had the unit for about a week now and other than the low $149 price, the large amount of storage capacity and the good looks of the model, it has been like slogging through waist deep mud to try to get this thing to work right.
My first indication was that Toshiba did not post the firmware 3.0 upgrade on their website. I had to get it from another user who thankfully posted it. My music is organized by folder (different artists in different folders) since much of the artist and other tags are often missing from songs.
After various freezes and the slow going of usb 1, I was finally able to get ~97% of the songs on the player organized by folder using the gigabeat room software. I was momentarily overjoyed after numerous hours of calling customer support and checking the "mygigabeat.com" site for their great forum support and after reading fairly useless manuals. The player was able to browse through my folders and I could even continue browsing while listening to a song by sliding your finger from right to left on the infamous "cross".
My joy did not last! Normally when you transfer thousands of songs in folders, you have to make some adjustments and transfer some additional songs every few weeks or so. My first adjustments were to non capitalize the first letter of some of the folders since Toshiba uses an "innovative" alphabetical sorting method whereby anything capitalized goes to the front of the list (no matter what the letter). I used windows explorer to get rid of the capitalization and the corrections showed up in the gigabeat room and windows explorer.....but no matter what I did, the corrections did not show up in the player.
Then I added some new songs but since gigabeat room wont let you add them directly to the appropriate folder, I was hoping to organize them using windows explorer later. Well, Well, after countless hours of trying every which way (with cradle, no cradle,....) the player would not register any changes I made. When I finally located these newly added songs in the player (and it tried its best to hide them from me), it said "file not found" and would not play them. So now I was stuck with a player which showed a different folder and file listing that the gigabeat room and windows explorer and my newly added songs were lost somewhere inside the 40gb anyway.
My next step was to delete everything and start over any try to synchronize. Well, no matter what tried, I could not erase the hundreds of folders which I had emptied out. When I tried to refresh my library on the gigabeat player, it froze up half way through and only loaded 1/4th of my files...it did this 5 times in a row after rebooting, etc....
Tech support was not able to help and did not seem to understand many of the issues. I AM BEAT BY THE GIGABEAT!!!
I spent about 25 hours total on this thing and even though I bought it for only $149 from costco, I am returning it right after writing this review. I have yet to adhere to lessons I leared years ago in that the hours wasted on an inferior product (software or hardware)way overshadows the potential initial savings in cost.
On: 2006-08-29
This is the best MP3 player I have seen yet. For about $215 it is a steal, its nearest competetor being $400. Price at staples is $400, so Tiger Direct is a great buy. It came fresh in the package and with the software. Its also very user friendly and operates better than an ipod. I love it and just wish I had more time to use it.
On: 2006-08-17
easy and nice.
I much prefer than ipod.
very very very good.
but transfer is sooooooo late.
On: 2006-08-17
I love my gigabeat! All I cared about when purchasing an mp3 player was that it has great music quality and holds a ton of music. Since the ipod was like $300 for 20gigs and the gigabeat was like $200 for 40 gigs, it was a no-brainer. Really you are paying for good quality music, excellent screen resolution and huge storage capacity. It is easy to use and fun to play with. The only thing I am a little hesitant about is the gigaroom software....but I am a user of Windows Media and that program works just fine when transferring music. I am all for my "faux-pod" and very pleased with what I got!
by: Anonymous On: 2006-08-17
I got my mom to get one cuz she wants her music on something portable and easy to carry! Well when it got hear i got it out and put almost all her music on it and that barley filled up a 20th of the hardrive,and that was more then 50 CDs!!!
The only complain is that when i tried to use the cradle it
dident work exept to charge it. But the service from Tosiba was vary GOOD they are sending us a new one without evan haveing the old one back!
Well my point is its great and i like it evan more then Ipods! and i would recomend this to EVERYONE!
On: 2006-08-07
Software is very user friendly and pics are ultra clear and supports high resolution pics..BUT.. cant seem to be able to organize my music how I want and that can be a hassle when one has a considerable amount of music stored, considering one can store up to 10,000 songs
On: 2006-08-01
I really like this MP3 Player - it holds a ton of CDs (Im over 375 and not even half full). The screen is incredible - so bright and vibrant! The only downsides are: it has been discontinued (or will be shortly) in favor of the "S" series Gigabeat, and since its not an IPod there are virtually no accessories. Where as an IPod connects to most new car stereos directly (where the stereo controls the IPod), the only option here is to go through an AUX and use the units controls. Likewise with most speaker systems. However, for half the price of a 30 GB IPod and to come with 40 GB, thats a small price to pay.
On: 2006-07-28
Update - There is now a rockbox port for this. Makes it even better!
I returned my Zen Sleek Photo and replaced it with the Gigabeat (and many thanks to Amazons great return policy). Ive decided that the Gigabeat (GB) is the one for me.
I had originally not considered the Toshiba, consigning it to the ranks of also rans - just like their digital cameras. But looking into this further, I realized that Toshiba is a leader in some of the core technologies used in these devices - such as the 1.8 inch HDDs, the TFT screens, LiPolymer batteries. There was a point in giving this Gigabeast (sic) a try.
The pros relative to the Creative -
1) Unlike Creative, no special cable with associated adapter needed for charging the GB. The adapter plugs right in. A no-brainer sensible approach.
2) The docking port at the bottom is more sturdy than the Zen Sleeks.
3) When you travel, you only need to take your GB with you and leave your adapters and cables behind. Itll charge off the computers USB port using your camera USB cable (if it is the standard mini USB sort).
4) 40 GB HDD space on the Gigabeat versus 20 GB on the Zen sleek for almost the same price (I actually paid even less at Costco). Another no-brainer. I can store all the music in the world and still have space left over.
5) The color screen on the GB is way way better. No comparison. That OLED on the Creative sounds high tech, but it is small, coarse, and turns off after a few secs, so you are left looking at a black screen all the time. On the Gigabeat, you can set it to low power which keeps the screen visible. Plus the screen is larger and way too sharp at 320X240 pixels for a small screen. I havent measured, but the device lasts a long time with the screen on low power all the time. No problem at all on this front.
6) The adapter is smaller and easier to pack for traveling. One the Zen Sleek adapter, even the prongs dont fold.
7) The entire HDD of the Gigabeat is accessible using windows Explorer. Using it as a removable drive is a breeze - just connect it. On the Creative, you have to set aside and format this space separately. You can either have space assigned to music or to data - but not both. Now how stupid is that - especially when the drive is only 20GB big?
8) The music and photo files on the GB are also accessible using Explorer. You can rearrange contents into folders of your choice, do a "library update" using the supplied Gigaroom software, and you are up and running again.
9) The navigation cross can be used both horizontally and vertically and the profiles can be adjusted appropriately.
10) Pictures look sharp and clear on the great screen.
11) This is great - can move pics from your digital camera to the GB directly. Now I can shoot pics to my hearts content and move them to the GB when the memory card goes full. No need to buy another high capacity memory card. But you cannot view these pics on the GB.
12) Comes with an in-line remote.
13) Mine came with a great docking station while it was not included in the Creative.
14) I guess you can have a slide show on the excellent screen along with pictures - havent done so yet, but there is a demo file which does so.
15) I havent looked at the manual yet.
Some cons relative to its Creative counterpart.
1) Shade larger than the Zen sleek and not as good looking. If you really want stuff that is good looking but otherwise a dud, you belong to apples and lemons club.
2) No radio
3) No recording
4) Navigation on the GigaBeat (GB) is clunkier compared to the Creative where the menus are much better arranged.
5) The touchpad on the Creative just works better than the GB crosspad.
6) No user adjustable graphic equalizer - just bass and treble. But too many preset choices some of which dont seem to do much. No loudness alone control.
7) The Gigaroom software is nothing much to write about - no right click option. Transferring 32 megs of photos (320X240 resolution), created almost 250 megs on the GBeat after transferring with a number of secondary files for every picture transferred.
8) I still havent figured out a bunch of things - such as - can you delete pics and music tracks directly on the GBeat?. I dont see this choice anywhere while on the creative it was easy.
You should get the 3.0 firmware and software. Nicer than 2.2 that my device originally came with. Updating was a breeze but Toshiba does not post this on it web site. After you upgrade firmware, you need to do a library update using the Gigaroom software before your music and photos can be seen again. Now only if there is a rockbox port for it..sigh....
Sound quality is clear - dont note a difference with the Creative.
The Apples really a lemon, the Creative is good while the Toshiba is just great. Take your pick.
On: 2006-07-28
I have my gigabeat, and it has served me well for almost half a year. It holds way more music than I could possibly own, it has a great layout and is easy to use.
Gigabeat room is also easy to use and is quick to upload my music.
The one thing I have to say about Toshiba is that they are amazing in the customer service department.
This summer, at camp, I was staying in a moist college dorm, and for some reason, the down button on my Gigabeat ceased to function properly, "pushing" itself, scrolling even when I hadnt pressed it.
So I sent it in, and a week later, I got it back, working perfectly, free of charge, with all of my music still on the Gigabeat.
All I have to say is that EVEN when this mp3 player breaks, they FIX it. Unlike Apple. Im so pleased and I cant live without mine.
On: 2006-07-26
I got the Gigabeat a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. I was able to rip all my cds to it quickly, and put them all away in the closet (300 of em). Now I can bring my music with me wherever I go.
The only negative Ive encountered is the gigabeat room software. Music information editing ought to be able to edit more than one song at a time, and the playlist editor could have been better.
Geoff
On: 2006-07-18
I started out with several other MP3 players, namely a Creative Zen Touch, and after they all failed me, I decided to give this one a go.
That was about a year ago, and this product is still serving me fantastically.
Let me keep it short and concise:
*This player is very sturdy. Yes, it is a bit thick, but it still fits in ones hand just fine. One of my problems with the Zen I previously owned was that it was so fragile. Bumps and drops resulted in freezes and skips. Im ashamed to admit it, but I can be rough with my MP3 players...but Ive dropped this one several times (once even on hard-wood floor) and it just keeps on chugging, which is a TREMENDOUS plus for me. It doesnt even scratch up externally. No skips, no freezes, just constant, smooth play.
*For the price, its fantastic. 40 GB is a lot....I really doubt if anybodys ever going to fill this whole thing up, but you can try. Basically, youll never worry about running out of room unless you just happen to own thousands of CDs....
*Works great with music subscription services, such as Napster To Go. Just plug it up via its cradle and USB port, and voila. Youre ready to go. Whereas other players which require you to upload firmware in order to work with these services (and consequently become very iffy...my Zen deleted my entire library several times due to this "firmware"...), this one is simple, firmware free, and works beautifully with these services.
*Great sound, good volume.
*Pretty intuitive touch pad.
*This product will take a couple of tries and some (attempts at) reading their unnecessarily confusing handbooks, though its overall easy to get the hang of.
*Works wonderfully with Windows Media Player, the music subscription services I mentioned earlier, and its own software, GigaBeat Room (though I recommend Windows MP).
*There arent any really "special" features on this player, other than the ability to upload and store your photos on it (which I dont really use). No radio, no datebook, no games...nothing like that (which doesnt bother me at all).
So all in all, if youre looking for a reliable, sturdy, MP3 player to store all your favorite music on which is compatible with music services, look no further. This player has never failed me.
On: 2006-07-17
this is a great digital music player, a lot of good and bad things have been covered by other reviews, so Ill just point out a few items that were not mentioned:
Pros:
- the optional remote thingy thats included. a very convinient piece of add-on that should come standard in all music players.
Cons:
- album art is supported only using Toshibas gigabeat room software, I have yet to find a way to make the album cover show up in the player using other woftwares to transfer.
- unicode doesnt display right all the time. I have a lot of songs with Chinese titles, some words (I would say close to 5%) failed to convert, and only show up as "?" on screen.
On: 2006-07-14
After reading all of the great reviews on here I decided to buy a 40 gb gigabeat. Ive had it for a couple of weeks now. The hardware is great, but the software is beyond horrific and is driving me up the wall. Some pros and cons (mostly due to the software) of this player:
Pros:
-40 gb for less than $200 bucks. Cant beat that.
-Great color screen.
Cons:
-Only way to transfer files at USB 2.0 speeds is to use Gigabeat Room software AND dock the player in the cradle (knew this beforehand, so not a major complaint for me).
-Terrible EQ. Can fix this by upgrading the firmware, BUT when you upgrade the firmware you lose the ability to transfer at USB 2.0 speeds even using Room software! Unbelievable!
-Horrific file organization:
a. Songs are arranged by the "Album Artist" in the ID tag, not the "artist". What this means is, that separate tracks on a CD can be listed under different artists. For example: rip a Dr Dre cd and many of the songs have guest rappers on them. Each of these songs will be organized into a different folder on the gigabeat because each one has a different set of "Album Artists". This creates about a million different artist folders on the player. What a mess.
b. The software (even with the firmware upgrade) is too stupid to realize that the "The" in band names like "The Verve" should not be used to alphabetize artists. All of such artists will be listed under "T". A first year programming student can do better than this.
c. It actually puts files/songs/artists in order based on capitalization in names. Capitalized letters get precedence over lowercase. For example, it will put "SR-71" before "Silverchair" in the artist listing simply because "SR-71" has two capital letters at the beginning instead of one. Why???
-Battery can not be replaced by user (also knew beforehand).
-Gigabeat room software is terrible.
-I have yet to figure out how to effectively create a playlist that works.
-Often times after deleting songs the player will still look for them and give me a "Data Error" message because its too stupid to realize theyre gone. Using the "refresh library" function is the Room software is supposed to fix this but usually doesnt. I usually have to reformat my gigabeat and reload everything to get it all working properly again.
-Problems with high bitrate files. Many of the files that I originally loaded were ripped at close to 300 kps. It wouldnt play them. I spent hours ripping my cds over again at a lower bit rate.
I could go on and on and on. I have wasted literally 15-20 hours messing with the software, re-ripping cds, formatting the gigabeat, changing my songs ID tags so that theyll be more or less organized on the gigabeat, etc. If I could return this thing for a refund I would in a heartbeat.
Like I said: great hardware, inexcusably bad software. Avoid it like the plague.
On: 2006-07-13
This mp3 player is the best one I could pick up among many other ones out there. Its solid. The screen is also nice and impressive. My friend after seeing mine, went on to bying one for himself. It hold a lot of music. Coming from a multiple back ground (French, Haitian, Spanish, and English), I classical my music of all kinds in play lists.
My only issue with this player is the software, which is very dull. They could have done a better job for such an expensive piece. Thanks God its compatible with Window Media Player.
In all, this is a good piece of equipment for long lasting storage. The price is reasonable compared to a sony mp3 player of the same memory. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the software issue.
On: 2006-07-11
Very good mostly, except for the software. Its not very user friendly. I bought the MP3 player mostly to download ebooks from the library, which was very easy, but I cant figure out how to bookmark my place in the book. The user manual only shows how to bookmark the whole book, which starts it from the beginning every time. Very annoying to have to forward to your place, especially with a long book.
On: 2006-07-10
Update 3/1/2007: I still have this player and have grown to love it. It works fantastic except for organizing your files on the player. I listen to music, do slideshows, listen to audiobooks. One day I may figure out how to get my files better organized, but I wouldnt give up this player for anything!
July 9, 2006: What made me decide to purchase the Gigabeat was that I have quite a few mp3 players, but always wanted an Ipod. I love the way the Ipod looks, but when I bought it, it had so many problems that I reluctantly sent it back. I have Archos, MPIO, RIO, and Creative - but either the storage, shape, or something is missing for me. I want to store music (mp3), audiobooks (mp3), and pictures (jpg)and carry ONE unit that looks cool.
I was trying to decide between the Creative Sleek Photo and the Gigabeat and the extra storage plus the price (I also have a Creative and thought I would try something new)made me decide for the Gigabeat.
I am not new to mp3 players - I have been using them for years starting with a Rio 500. I have all my files on an external hard drive and organized - but getting them on my Gigabeat is driving me crazy.
First, the songs I loaded with windows media player were corrupt. Then they would pull from everywhere except where I wanted them to. Then I finally made two folders and got them to transfer using Gigabeat room. I finally have them on the player, but its a mess and I dont like how they are organized. My RIO Karma (20 gb funny shape) is so nice compared to the mess on my Gigabeat.
Then the pictures. I transferred a folder to see how they would look. They look fantastic! Then I noticed I had pictures I didnt want on the Gigabeat and I couldnt find any way to delete them on the player or using gigabeat room. I deleted the whole folder, but they kept coming back. I finally went to Windows explorer and deleted them that way, but there are 4 files associated with each picture and you have to click on them to see them before you know what they are.
Then my audiobooks. I have no idea, but when I transfer them to the gigabeat, it only transfers part of the book. I tried making them into one file so I could easily play them in order because it is so screwy with the software. Instead of 13 hours transferring, only like the first hour transfers - but not on all the books - only on some. I dont know which books transferred over completely and which didnt. I tried to resample to make sure there wasnt any problem. The books play fine on my Rio Carbon - I drop and drag them on there - its just that the Carbon is only 5 gbs.... I dont know what is causing the problem.
The player looks nice, seems to go a long time on the charge, does some neat things, but the software is so awful and if I cant trust the book to finish - whats the point in having it.
To summarize - the same files I have on my Rio Karma, Rio Carbon, and Creative Zen Xtra (60gb but clunky), for some reason corrupt going to the Toshiba. Sometimes I can transfer them a second time and they work.
Maybe all this is operator error, but after all these years of playing with mp3 players, if I cant get my files to transfer, what does someone who never used one before do?
Wish Rio was still around...........
UPDATE: I had to change the frequency of my audiobooks for the complete book to transfer to the gigabeat. Once you get your files on the player - it is awesome!!!
On: 2006-07-09
If you are going to buy an Mp3 player, get one with a ton of memory. The Toshiba 40GB Gigabeat not only holds my whole cd collection (which was a concern for me since Im really into music), but it still has plenty of room to store new songs.
It comes with a wall charger & USB cable. Some other mp3 players can only be charged at your computer with the USB cable, but with the Gigabeat you can choose to charge at your computer or with the wall charger.
But most of all, the Gigabeat has bass++
On: 2006-06-26
Very difficult to use. Functions are not easily accessible. I own 8 MP3 players (sony, creative 2, mobiblu, iriver, ipod, sansa). This is the worst one. You can use 40GB drive to transfer files but not for music.
On: 2006-06-05
Okay, I am, or at least was, a techie kind of guy. I remember when I could operate almost any electronic gadget without looking at the instructions. Those days are long gone for me. I find it incredible that the manuals for todays devices are so lengthy and poorly written. This is the major drawback for the Gigabeat, but it is common to most products today.
That being said, the Gigabeat is an excellent MP3 player/recorder. It took me a while to realize it as it comes with not one, but two manuals. Both are poorly written. By the way, I have never used an MP3 player before, so I had no previous knowledge of how they worked.
Some complain about some limitations due to security/copyright issues. This player strikes a good balance between user and copyright owner, unlike the better known iPod.
Its sound quality is excellent. Video? If you want video watch TV. Im not sure why people enjoy watching videos on two-inch screens.
I was amazed that I could simply put an audio CD into my computer and with two clicks, the album is downloaded to the Gigabeat in about three minutes. Also, moving previously downloaded MP3s from my computer to the Gigabeat was just as easy.
Now, if they could just get someone to write their manuals, it would save a lot of time for the new user.
UPDATE, JULY 2006:
I became so impressed with it that I bought another Gigabeat for my wife. I had never owned or used a portable digital player before the Gigabeat. So, for those new to this also, let me tell you what I think you will find most useful to know.
I have a desktop PC with Windows XP Home Edition. I have not experienced any crashes with either Toshiba Gigabeats that I own and I have now used them both extensively.
My audio CD collection numbers about 600+. It had become problematic with the space they occupied. I then started looking at digital players. I found the Gigabeat had the best features for my needs and at the best price.
Video, FM radio and voice recording was not important to me. If it is to you, then you should look at other devices.
The Gigabeat can "rip" (convert) audio CDs into the digital format directly to the Gigabeat from the CD-ROM drive of your PC. The average album takes about 3 or 4 minutes to convert, so its fast. However, I strongly suggest that you use Windows Media Player 10 (upgrading is free). That way you can store the ripped audio CDs onto files in your computer, before you transfer them to your Gigabeat.
You can also transfer existing digital music that you have to a playlist on Windows MP 10 and "sync" (transfer) them to the Gigabeat. So, you can go to a digital music service and select specific songs. Used audio CDs are a bargain at $2 or $3 each.
Once you have the Gigabeat filled with your favorite music, you can listen with headphones or plug it into an auxiliary input on your stereo system. You can enjoy by listening to specific songs, albums, genre and artists. You can set up your own playlists.
The gigabeat software can search for the album and track listings on the internet. So, if your audio CD doesnt have that information on it, its very easy to add. If it still cant be found on the internet, you can type the album information in manually. It can even get an icon of the album cover.
I ripped everything at the higher-quality 192 rate rather than the 128 rate. I cant tell the difference between the digital version on the Gigabeat or the original audio CD.
I am extremely happy with the results. One small device about the size of a deck of cards replaces 600 audio CDs.
Some things you should know:
The supplied earbuds are very uncomfortable. They work and sound okay, but I dont like them. You will need to get a cord that allows you to connect the Gigabeat to your stereo. Its about $6 at Radio Shack. Dont be fooled into buying the $20 cord in the accessory section, you get the same thing with the far less expensive one.
It comes with a docking station that I use for charging and connecting to my home stereo. Although, you can rip CDs and connect to the Gigabeat using just the USB cable (that comes with it) directly to the computer, Windows MP 10 wont recognize it, unless you use the docking station to connect to the computer.
The instruction manuals (there are two) really suck. Their web site isnt any better and their on-line support is non-existent. I still havent heard back from them and I already figured out the issues. I think it lost something in the translation or the person who wrote it was so familiar with it, that they forgot to include some important details. If you have used devices like this before, this may not concern you; however, it caused me considerable frustration.
On: 2006-05-25
Its advertised as rhapsody compliant, but would only play a few of the tracks I put on it from rhapsody. I tried loading the tracks from rhapsody (which the directions say should not be done), I tried loading them from the gigabeat software, and I tried loading them from windows media player. Nothing solved the problem (in fact, through media player I got a message saying licenses could not be acquired). I tried formatting it with the gigabeat software, but it still would not work properly.
It does not have a fm tuner. (Sandisk sansa does)
The battery is not user replaceable. It has to be taken to a toshiba authorized tech. (sansas battery is user replaceable)
While on the outside of the box its touted as being rhapsody compliant, there is nothing whatsoever mentioned about rhapsody in any of the documentation. Only napster is mentioned.
If you use rhapsody, dont get this: IT IS JUNK!
On: 2006-05-25
Ive had this for about 3 weeks now and I like it pretty well. And given that I got it for $189, which is a very good price for a 40 GB audio player, I really cant complain. It is very lightweight, looks cool, very bright, nice color display (and there are several nice screen themes, the one I like the most is a frequency display of the track you are playing). It doesnt play video, but this is not an issue for me at all. The only thing that is a slight issue is the sound quality. The preset equalizers arent all that great, and sometimes they cause distortion of the music. But the sound is definitely listenable and not horrible or anything, just not as nice as listening on a good stereo or through a good soundcard on your computer (I have an M-Audio Transit, which is very nice). However, there is a recent firmware upgrade (version 3.0) that you have to contact Toshiba to get (they send you a CD of it then). And in reading various web sites (in particular, [...] which is devoted to the gigabeat), the new firmware supposedly greatly enhances the sound quality. Ive ordered my firmware upgrade but havent received it yet --- Ill update this review after I test it out. Also note that the Rockbox people are supposedly working on a port to the gigabeat, and that would be really great too. Anyway, if the new firmware works out well, as seems likely, Id say I got a great deal on this and wouldnt have any complaints.
Now, to correct some other reviewers errors. Some complain it is only USB 1.1 speed. This is false --- if you connect through the included dock and use their gigabeat room program to copy your music (which is easy to do, although the software is pretty basic but functional) you can transfer at USB 2.0 speeds (however drag-n-drop access and using Windows Media Player is limited to USB 1.1 speed). Second, some complain the files are encryped to SAT format on the gigabeat and therefore you can never copy them off again from your gigabeat (e.g. if you accidentally lose the original file on your computers hard drive). Again, this is false. I dont know the details off hand (but have read this before), but there is a way you can copy the SAT files back off from the Gigabeat and have them in their original format (probably using Gigabeat room). Finally, there is the complaint that you cannot navigate the music while listening to a song. This is also false. While a track is playing, if you swipe your finger across the horizontal bar in the cross from right to left you will get to the track listing, and you can navigate from there (while still listening to the current track).
In sum, even without the firmware upgrade Im pretty happy with it but I am expecting no complaints at all after upgrading the firmware.
On: 2006-05-23
If you want the worst amount of features, poor interface usb1.1 no accessories and problematic software by all means get this!!!!
This is the worst waste of my money yet!!!! Once you put a song on you can not take it off (due to SAT encryption). The interface is the worst. the software is sloooooooow, and for some reason you have to disable your antivirus to use it. It is heavy bulky and the hard drive is LOUD. It is prone to lock ups. It dies very easily (Im on my 3rd). It scratches and dents easily.
pros
it looks good (at first)
PLEASE DONT BUY THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY
On: 2006-05-21
Havent been happy with this item. Difficult menus - when you select to play a song you cant browse the rest of your library without completely exiting and going through each folder again. i have a dell dj, it works great, while I am jamming I can check through the same artist and see other albums. not with toshiba, i have to exit out of all the menus then start from folder one and go through each until i get to the folder i want to browse. Its terrrible. No exit button to get out of some menus, instruction booklet states - "wait 20 seconds, menu will dissappear." So you are always stuck. Its good if you have a constant playlist. If you are a track flipper skip it. My gift to you. Dell DJ was good - not pretty , but good - the creative stuff seems to be hot. Skip this one. It was a loser.
On: 2006-05-16
Well, I decided to get my Gigabeat after carefully reviewing other reviews here. My suggestion is to completely read both the software manual and the giagabeat how to manual before attempting to operate or else things could get a little complicated. The software is not so user friendly but doesnt take a genious. The battery life is no where near as long as described,and time will greatly vary if you are running in the sun or just listening indoors. Good luck trying to find a carrying case to fit the Gigabeat. Almost all sports case are created for the ipod, and the slightly thicker Gigabeat has trouble squeezing in. Besides the above mentioned, the Gigabeat has its alluring qualities. Its a pretty good price for the storage space and has many great features for controlling music. The screen and picture quality are bright and of amazing clarity. Overall its a good buy offering different routes for charging and accepting music from personal or a variety of different providers.I thought the cradle would be an issue, but I have grown rather fond of it with its Rip button allowing you to instantly download music. The headphones however are painful non flexible ear buds that take some getting used to. I dont think many have ear openings quite big enough to adjust to those. I tried changing the ear buds to my own and the quality of music is not the same.
On: 2006-05-15
Ive had my Gigabeat for about 3 weeks now, and I love it. A high-quality 40 GB mp3 player under $200 (I paid $170)? How can you go wrong?
The unit is comparably-sized to an iPod. It also has a nice color screen, but it doesnt do video. That might be a negative for some, but none of that really matters to me - I bought this to play music, and it does that very well. The sound quality is great. The remote control is also really handy - its great that the remote was included, rather than being an optional accessory.
Regarding the software: I did notice some bugginess with the Gigabeat Room software - when the software crashed, however, it was always caused by poorly encoded mp3s or goofy ID3v2 tags. Once I fixed the suspect files, it worked like a charm. Dont let worries about the software deter you from taking the plunge - its really not a big deal.
A great resource for Gigabeat owners is the www.mygigabeat.com website. If you are a prospective buyer who still has doubts about the player, or are a new owner who is looking for some tips, its definitely worth checking out.
One last thing - I recommend purchasing a carrying case, either a leather case or a silicone shell cover. Its a good investment if you want to keep your unit in good condition - the screen surface and case of the unit scuff pretty easily. I bought the Toshiba leather case, which is very nice (a little bulky, though).
On: 2006-05-10
This is the cheapest I saw with 40G. The problem is that mine has been randomly deleting songs. It also wont keep all the track information I type in on some of the songs. This may be a problem that can be fixed, but I havent found out how yet. Just decide how important it is for you to have your songs well organized.
On: 2006-05-03
So I have had this player for over a week now
before I even used it the 1st time I updated the firmware
and software and that went smooth
the storage is great
the interface is very nice, the screen is great
the sound quality is fantastic
sure there are a few things that could be better
the software could sure be less buggy
and the encryption thing kinda blows
but I absolutely love it
everyone who sees this thing drools
I love it
On: 2006-04-30
The player is great value for money, i bought it with the hope that toshiba will add video support in the latest firmware .... 3.00US.
But it hasnt...
For best resources goto MyGigabeat.com in the forum and in archived new you can find links for the 3.00US firware upgrade..
The 3.00 firmware is not avalable for donwload from toshiba or giga-style.com...
The new firmware upgrade is a must coz is adds a bunch of features that are nagging with the old version...
case in point... Cannot set play mode without pressing atleast 4 butttons and two scrolls.. in the new version the A button is/can be programmmed to do that..
Another thing is that the photo viewer is upgraded and is twice as better it alows rotation and slide effects..
One great feature that is very useful but undocumented inthemanual is again navigaation... while playing a file if we goto the menu there is no way to get back to tthe now playinglist.
hold and slide your finger fromthe right to the left on the cross this will open the current folder listing....
left to right to go from main menu back to now playing list...
Wonder why this was undocumented...:-)
In all a great player with the 3.00 firmware upgrade...
but average on ease of use with the 2.20 firmware.....
On: 2006-04-20
I was looking for a simple, easy to use mp3 player that I could load up with a lot of songs and audio books. I also wanted one that could function as a drive and one that I could use Windows Media Player and "my computer" to access - I didnt want to be stuck using the software that came with it - I wanted options (Im a computer geek and am picky). This one works great - Ive had it for about 2 months now and love it. There are a few little quirks, but once you are used to them - no problems.
If you use audio books, this one is great (if you pause it and let it turn itself off, it stays exactly in the same place on the track - others go back to the beginning). But you have to finagle the mp3 tags a bit to make the books easier to find.
All in all, a great player.
On: 2006-04-01
Dont fall for the trick! This player works with Musicmatch software. Just plug in the cradle load your songs using Musicmatch, and then load the Gigaroom software to load the album tags. The Gigaroom software is very poor, but I have yet to have any issues with Musicmatch.
On: 2006-03-28
I purchased my F40 Gigabeat about 3 weeks ago through Amazon. I have no issues at all. You can use Napster or Rhapsody with no problem, just set the gigabeat to Windows Media within the "PC CONNECTION" section and youre ready to buy and download. Rippng your exisitng CD collection is a breeze also. Just place the Gigabeat in the Cradle and hit the RipRec button. It takes about 2-3 minutes. The Sound quality is great. I bought a pair of Koss Portapros and they sound incredible. I use a Henry Kloss 88CD clock radio/ sound system at my office and it sounds great!!!!....At home I have a 5.1 Kenwood Home Theatre system that also sounds great with the Gigabeat pumping through it. I play alot of R&B, Gospel and Jazz music on it. In my car I use a cassette adaptor and again it sounds great. I somtimes get "hiss" in the background(while playing it in the car) on some older recordings but I think an EQ adjustment would alleviate that problem.The sound is so accurate that I havent had to use the EQ. Ipod has more accessories and as a result I think thats why people are more prone to purchase them. "Gigabyte for Gigabyte", THE "GIGABEAT" is a better value. I think that when more people become aware of them then they will also become a household name. I have an order in for the(free) 3.0 firmware update, its currently on back order. I hope to get it soon. Bottom line: definitely worth checking out, even the sales rep at Best Buy told me that this was a better buy than the Ipod.
On: 2006-03-27
I bought this product when it first came out and I had problems with it from the very beginning. The software included does not do a good job with syncing your songs to the player. Plus if you dont format the player through their software the device crashes and you have to go back through setting it up with tech support. Nice big bright screen and audio quality is great, no complaints there maybe later modles are more user friendly.
On: 2006-03-21
So far I am very pleased with my Toshiba Gigabeat, although I dont think Ill ever utilize all of the available space. Using the dock and the Gigabeat software, it is very easy to "rip" CDs to the Gigabeat (it takes mere minutes per CD). The remote is a very nice addition.
When I first connected my Gigabeat to my pc, my computer would not recognize the hardware. I do run XP, but my version of Media Player was too old (contrary to the published technical requirements). After a bit of a panic, this was easily resolved with a free download and I was in business.
My use of it was simply as an audio player. It is simple to create playlists using the Gigabeat software on the PC. I have not explored any of the other more advanced features (ie: photos), but I know it is not compatible with video.
On: 2006-03-20
terrific if there are any bad reviews i dont understand. Picture quality is excellent sound the same battery life is fantastic. Wouldnt consider any other mp3 player.
On: 2006-03-17
I was just about to click the proceed button on my $208 40 gigger Toshiba, when I saw the Beach Audio button and clicked it. After going straight to their web site, I found the player for $27 dollars less there, and only $5.00 shipping!!!!!!
Thats a great deal!!! Dont know why its so much more from Beach Audios Amazon site, but go straight to em for the better deal!
On: 2006-03-13
I bought this machine had it 3 days and returned it! It was the biggest waste of money! Could not delete from it, could not create a playlist from scratch on it, even if u could delete a song the info stayed on the machine. Not user friendly and a huge disappointment... Stick to Creative I have had my Nomad II for 3 years and still runs great! Be weary of this product!
On: 2006-03-13
I have purchased this gigabeat and its pretty decent. I didnt like the earphones it was average. The software is mad confusing , You can use windows media player , or giga beat. Sometimes when i select Windows media player 10 from the set up in the mp3 player it uses Gigabeat room. The sound quality is good. You have a lot of equilizer to choose from. You can store pics too and it comes out good. The bright Lcd lite is pretty cool . You can uploa | | |
