Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F review: Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F

Toshiba's enigmatic Gigabeat MEG-F20K
There's a reason why the Apple iPod is not only the world's best-selling digital music player but also a bona fide cultural phenomenon: it works. But the reason the iPod will remain king of the MP3 player hill is the overall lackluster competition. Exhibit A: the new Toshiba Gigabeat F series, available in four capacities: the black, aqua blue, or silver 10GB MEG-F10 ($279); the silver or black 20GB MEG-F20 ($329); the brushed-aluminum, champagne-colored 40GB MEG-F40 ($399); and the 60GB brushed-aluminum MEG-F60 ($449), the only model that ships with an in-line remote control. Packed with creative technology, the silver 20GB version we tested nevertheless suffered from a plethora of overly complicated and frustrating setup and operational flaws, exemplified by the inclusion of not one but two manuals: one for the software and one for the player itself. Many of the Gigabeat's problems could be solved with a serious reworking of the firmware and software, but the remaining flaws will keep the Gigabeat F series from even pretending to reach the iPod's throne. Sleek and graceful at first glance, with just a jumbo screen and the white Plus Touch control cross on its face, the 20GB Toshiba Gigabeat F series, at 4.2 by 2.5 by 0.6 inches and 5.7 ounces, is nearly the same size and weight as the 20GB iPod; all models are the same size, with the exception of the 60GB version, which is 0.75 inch thick. However, the Gigabeat's 2.2-inch, 320x240-pixel color LCD is noticeably larger than the iPod's. In addition, the graphics-intensive interface is noticeably more colorful and alive.

Arrayed along the right spine, the Gigabeat also has cool blue backlit power and menu buttons, redundant volume controls, and a mysterious Action button; volume and other functions can also be adjusted using the primary cross control--more on those later. On top are power and headphone jacks and a hold button to lock all the controls. On the bottom are the cradle and USB connectors, along with a unique battery-on/off switch.

Toshiba does not include a belt clip or a case. Generic music skins--even an iPod case--won't work because they'll cover these side controls. Since the Gigabeat is the same size as the 20GB iPod and since the cross control is located in precisely the same relative position as the Click Wheel on the varying iPods, you could get away with using certain iPod cases and still have access to the most basic controls.

Each additional control button and connector adds a layer of operational complexity, something Apple understands but Toshiba doesn't. For instance, we had major difficulties just trying to show off some of our stored pictures. We pushed the menu button expecting to navigate through submenus to get to our pictures. Instead, just one menu appeared, listing the interface, the play mode, and the EQ options. Not until we consulted the manual did we discover that all the other menus were accessed by pressing the power button. Our shocked reaction was, "Huh?"

The primary power-button menu presents, among other things, choices for artist, album, genre, and playlist. There is no separate choice for tracks or songs. To find your stored tracks, you have to select the Folders option, which presents multiple folders whose contents vary depending on the source of the tracks. These subfolders are filled either with artist-specific folders or individual track names, all in no discernable sequence. In other words, locating any given track by name is like trying to find a lost sock in your laundry.

Your first instinct when using the cross-shaped control array is to slide your fingers up and down the bars. Bad instinct. Each tip of the cross, as well as the intersection, is actually a button. You can display a function map on the screen for a reminder of which tip accomplishes which action. Unfortunately, the intersection of the bars is not the Select button--pressing the right tip activates or confirms a selected feature. The intersection is also the play/pause control, but the area for this important function is so limited that we often needed multiple taps before enough pressure was applied to toggle between the two.

Like the iPod's, the Gigabeat's large and bright 2.2-inch color screen adds a high level of readability to the track information, even when the backlight is off. You can choose between eight different wallpaper designs--uselessly labeled Setup1 through Setup5 for the presets and User1 through User3 for the user-defined designs. The 10 screen themes define how information is displayed on the screen: for instance, with large or small text and with portrait or left- or right-handed landscape orientation. The play mode, the battery meter, and the time are also displayed.

The Gigabeat's cradle is both a boon and a bane. On its front are buttons for direct syncing and CD ripping. But the cradle includes USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 connectors as well as an AC input. Not all PCs or laptops can power an accessory through a USB connection, however. Our Gateway M210 laptop doesn't, so the cradle had to be connected to a power source in order for it to work. When using Windows Media 10.0, you also need to use the cradle's USB 1.1 connection rather than a direct Gigabeat-to-PC USB 2.0 connection.

Included with the Gigabeat is Toshiba's Gigabeat Room (or Gigaroom, for short) music-management software, with an icon-heavy interface that takes some getting used to. Unfortunately, the lightweight Gigaroom handles only ripped CDs. You have to use other software to transfer licensed tracks.

Toshiba brings three innovations to the Gigabeat F series: CD RipRec, battery disabling, and compatibility with Napster To Go and other similar subscription services.

CD RipRec, accessed via the Gigaroom program or the CD RipRec button on the cradle, allows you to rip CDs directly to the player without first storing them on your PC. You need to have the Gigabeat connected to a PC, of course. But considering the myriad of software issues facing all Windows-based players, this CD RipRec feature is fast--figure around a couple of minutes for a standard CD--and convenient.

As noted, on the bottom of the Gigabeat is a notched battery-on/off switch. Switching it off cuts even the slow power trickle that stores your settings--you have to set up the player from scratch when you switch the battery back on. But keeping the battery off means you can pick up the Gigabeat and start playing even if it's been sitting around for months without being connected to a power source. We've seen this feature in another Japanese MP3 player, namely Sony's HD series.

Interms of ease of use, Napster To Go compatibility isn't all it's cracked up to be. Neither Gigaroom nor Windows Media Player (WMP) 10.0 can be used to transfer your leased Napster tracks, requiring you to use at least two separate pieces of software. Adding to the software confusion, Gigaroom transfers only ripped tracks, not licensed content. Napster To Go users will have to use three different software programs to initially load all their files to the player.

Viewing photos is almost standard on HDD-based players now. Where the Gigabeat excels is its large, bright 2.2-inch LCD screen. That extra 0.2 inch of screen real estate makes a significant difference when comparing the Gigabeat's LCD to the iPod's. And the Gigabeat screen has deeper blacks, higher contrast, and more saturated colors than the iPod's. But while the iPod shrinks your pictures down to 720x576 pixels regardless of their original size, the Gigabeat isn't compatible with files larger than 4,000 total pixels--not a high pixel count at all.

While you can transfer photos to the Gigabeat directly from most digital cameras, you won't be able to view them; in order to use the Gigabeat as a photo browser (and a decent one at that), you must transfer photos with the bundled Gigabeat Room software. Oddly enough, you cannot copy photos using WMP 10.0.

Once you overcome the transfer and interface issues, the Toshiba Gigabeat F series is a media pleasure. Unlike the iPod, with its long bootup time, the Gigabeat starts up almost instantaneously and immediately begins playback from where it left off the last time you listened. Photos look bright, crisp, and saturated and are easily browsed once you have them on the player. You can also listen to tracks while you browse photos. Of course, the Gigabeat includes a slide-show mode.

The Gigabeat has an amazing 32 preset EQ settings, such as SRS and the usual genre choices, as well as separate bass and treble controls and six play modes, including Random All, which occasionally repeats tracks. There's also the seldom-used Intro mode, which will play either the first 10 or 60 seconds of each track. Not included is a version of the iPod's Sound Check option, which evens out the ever-shifting individual track-to-track volume modulation. As a result, some newer songs blare, requiring periodic volume adjustment. Pleasantly, the Gigabeat seems to be endowed with segue intelligence not found in the iPod. Sets of Elton John, the Beach Boys, Barenaked Ladies, the Beatles, Led Zep, Pearl Jam, and Coldplay on the one hand and Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, and Chet Baker on the other convinced us.

Sound quality is generally excellent (signal-to-noise ratio of 95dB), especially with the EQ flat. The various EQ settings significant affect the sound, introducing an almost metallic and overprocessed quality, and are generally acceptable for techno and hip-hop but unnecessary for jazz, acoustic, and orchestral pieces. Good bass and clean highs are the norm.

CNET Labs was able to get 19 hours of battery life per charge, 3 hours longer than Toshiba's rated battery life. That's impressive, though our tests were not official due to the fact we had to approximate our typical volume setting. Nevertheless, in typcial usage, the Gigbeat's battery life is competitive, if not outstanding. You'll likely get much less if you view photos and keep the LCD backlight on for extended periods.