10-16-2004, 07:00 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Toshiba Launches 60Gb Mp3 Player/Digital Photo Wallet with QVGA Colour Screen
"Compact and weighty, the Gigabeat is roughly the same size as the iPod 40GB model. However, that's where the similarities stop. The front is adorned with a large 2.2in QVGA 240 x 320 colour screen that is crisp and clear, and a sliding control cross mechanism - a mix of the clickwheel from the iPod and the slider from Creative's Zen Touch.......Because of the large colour screen you can also view record covers and Toshiba is hoping to release a USB add-on that will allow you to input digital images to store or, more importantly, view on the player."
The Register mentions in their review, that many had thought that the new Toshiba 60Gb Hard disk would be reserved for the iPod range. Instead, Toshiba have launched a very worthy contender of their own. The Gigabeat plays Mp3s (obviously), WMA and WAV, is supplied with a networkable USB 2.0 sync and charge cradle and is available in blue, silver and pink. (You can see the colours in the official press release here. With a QVGA colour screen, this unit really resembles a PDA, apart from the fact that it can run continuously for 20 hours on one battery charge. ;-) Just look at the photo above: to my eyes the Gigabeat really reassembles the first or second generation of Pocket PCs. Imagine running PPC2003SE on a device with 60Gb of storage! Surely such a hybrid device can�t be too far off? OK, it would be larger than a �normal� Pocket PC, but for 60Gb of storage I would be prepared to live with that. What about you guys? Even those of you that don�t like the idea of hard drives in PPCs, must be tempted by storing 60 G's of 'stuff' on your pride and joy?
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10-16-2004, 07:54 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 197
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First thing I thought to myself about this thing was, "this thing has to be so much bigger than the iPod." Well, according to the measurements I found on Toshiba's Press Release, I am extremely surprised. Look at the comparison:
Gigabeat F (60gb): 2.4 x 4.2 x .7 inches, 6.0 ounces
iPod 4th gen (40gb): 2.4 x 4.1 x .69 inches, 6.2 ounces
Okay, not only is this 60gb God of an MP3 player the same exact size of the iPod, it also has a QVGA color screen, better looks (in my opinion.. then again the color screen is probably the reason of that) and it weighs .2 ounces less! Let's just hope Toshiba doesn't overcharge for this thing, because if released at the right price, it will truely be THE iPod killer.
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10-16-2004, 08:00 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by yanathin
First thing I thought to myself about this thing was, "this thing has to be so much bigger than the iPod."
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Ummm, did you not read the first line of the quote I included? :wink:
I too am very impressed with this unit. We'll wait to see what it costs however.......
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10-16-2004, 08:11 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 197
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Whoops... I got too excited and skipped that quote. :wink:
Toshiba needs to seriously somehow get the word of this device out into the world... Even though it's better than the iPod in oh so many ways, the iPod will still dominate in sales.
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10-16-2004, 08:14 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,766
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Wow, I love it. However, in the press release, it says that they plan to release this device at the end of November in the Japanese market. What does this mean for North Americans? Does Toshiba plan to release it here?
I hope so.
-Justin.
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10-16-2004, 08:25 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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Besides being smaller than an Ipod, its also smaller and only slightly thicker than most pocketpc's.
Now ive heard the argument against 4GB hard drives vs flash memory cards, but no one has shown me a 60GB memory card yet.
I hope the size argument has been clearly squashed, and if this can be used in a music player, the battery life argument too.
Again, this device has most of the guts of a pocketpc, where are the pocketpc's with hard drives?
Surur
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10-16-2004, 09:12 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,911
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I like it., it looks very cool. I'd like to try out that cross-pad and see how well it accualy handles.
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10-16-2004, 10:06 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 316
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Surur
Besides being smaller than an Ipod, its also smaller and only slightly thicker than most pocketpc's.
Now ive heard the argument against 4GB hard drives vs flash memory cards, but no one has shown me a 60GB memory card yet.
I hope the size argument has been clearly squashed, and if this can be used in a music player, the battery life argument too.
Again, this device has most of the guts of a pocketpc, where are the pocketpc's with hard drives?
Surur
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For better or for worse, they can't be too long in coming now. Sharp is releasing a new Zaurus in Japan with a 4GB hard drive built in. I'd wager that the first Pocket PC with a hard drive will be announced within a year.
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10-16-2004, 10:50 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 119
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Impressive, finally something as asthetically attractive as the ipod, only it's not from crApple.
Kudos to Toshiba for once again taking an original american idea and perfecting it in the way only the Japanese can.
I look forward to this product to smite my yuppie apple friends, hopefully the homebrew community can crack her open and add more functionality in the same way people have with the ipod.
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10-16-2004, 11:29 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by gibson042
For better or for worse, they can't be too long in coming now. Sharp is releasing a new Zaurus in Japan with a 4GB hard drive built in. |
Funny you should mention that. :wink:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by gibson042
I'd wager that the first Pocket PC with a hard drive will be announced within a year.
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I would like that, I really would. 
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