Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver

by Toshiba

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 9 x 9.2 inches ; 5.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007U0INM
• Item model number: MEGF40S
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Images and music combine in this easy-to-use portable digital audio player. Toshiba's snazzy, silver Gigabeat MEG-F40S packs a 1.8-inch Toshiba hard drive capable of holding an incredible 40 GB of digital media: MP3 and WMA compressed audio and even uncompressed, full-resolution WAV files. That's about 10,000 songs (more than 600 complete albums) at 128 kbps MP3, a crazy 20,000 songs at 64 kbps WMA, and a still-impressive 1,100 songs or 75 hours of CD-resolution WAV files.

A major feature of the player is its bright, crystal-clear, 2.2-inch LCD with 240 x 320 resolution and the ability to render over 65,000 colors. It's there so you can experience the visual as well as the aural component of your entertainment. The Gigabeat lets you download and view album covers, search for your favorite tracks by scrolling through those album covers, or even set a favorite album cover as your background image. You can download any digital still picture from your PC and create custom slideshows, too--and set them to music.

Gigabeat may be versatile, but it's also easy to operate. Its PlusTouch sensor control lets you scroll through its intuitive menus using only a soft touch or pass of your fingertip.

The PC-only Gigabeat is "Plays for Sure"-certified by Microsoft, which means that it will operate with any "Plays for Sure" download site or management software when connected to your PC. Gigabeat is automatically recognized by Windows Media Player 10, so there's no need to install new drivers of any kind. Toshiba has also partnered with Napster to provide Napster's "Napster To Go" software, giving you the option of using Napster To Go, Windows Media Player, and/or the supplied Gigabeat Room management software (Gigabeat Room is required for transfer of photo images).

So what about your CD collection? After all, you'll likely be able to stash the entire thing in here, one way or another. Thanks to a unique feature called CD RipRec, all you have to do is place a CD in your PC and press the CD RipRec button while the Gigabeat is docked in its cradle. CD RipRec will launch the software and transfer compressed audio to your Gigabeat quickly and with no further effort on your part. Using a USB 2.0 connection (cable supplied), CD RipRec can transfer the contents of an entire CD to the Gigabeat in as little as 5 minutes.

If Gigabeat's battery life (up to 16 hours) isn't enough to satisfy your entertainment needs, fret not. Rather than carrying your AC adapter everywhere, simply connect the Gigabeat to any PC with a USB cable and the battery will charge itself again.

Other features include headphones with an integrated wired remote control, a choice of 10- or 60-second intro scan to help you find a desired song, multilingual support (Japanese, English, French, Chinese, Spanish, and German), and 28 user selectable equalizer settings, and SRS WOW, which simulates surround sound from any two speakers (including headphones).

What's in the Box
Digital music player, an AC power adapter, a power-supply, a docking cradle, a USB cable, headphones with integrated remote control, a software CD-ROM (Gigabeat Room management software, CD RipRec, Napster To Go), a user's manual, and warranty information.

Product Description

Listen to your tunes anytime, anywhere with the slick Gigabeat MP3 Player. The PlusTouch sensor control lets you scroll through all of the easy-to-understand menu systems with a touch of your finger. Gigabeat is Microsoft's Windows "Plays for Sure" certified and will operate with any "Plays for Sure" download site or management software simply by connecting it to your PC. It is automatically recognized by Windows Media Player 10, so there's no need to install drivers. The Gigabeat even gives you the option of using Napster To Go, Windows Media Player or Gigabeat Room Management Software*.

Features:

• 2.2" diagonal QVGA LCD color screen with 320 x 240 resolution lets you create slideshows and view downloaded album covers and digital still images
• Photo viewer with slideshow capability
• "PlusTouch" sensitive control
• 40 GB 1.8" hard drive for up to 10,000 songs
• Audio formats supported: MP3, WMA and WAV
• 16-hour lithium ion battery**
• Gigabeat room management and Napster To Go software included
• USB cradle allows one button file transfer and ripping of entire CD with RipRec
• 28 user selectable equalizer settings including SRS' WOW
• In the box: One Toshiba Gigabeat Audio Player, AC adapter, power supply, cradle, USB cable, headphones and software CD-ROM
• One-year limited warranty

*Gigabeat Room Management software is required for transfer of photo images; **16 hours battery life is approximate and varies depending on individual usage

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect!, June 11, 2005

By 

T. Becklin "Gigabeat Freak" (Venice, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver (Electronics)

I first saw the Gigabeat at CES this year and I've been waiting for it since then. I finally got my hands on the F40 a couple a weeks ago and I wasn't disappointed. By the time it shipped here in the US Toshiba applied firmware 2.02 which lets you view slide shows of your favorite photos while playing music.

The good:
- The screen is no doubt the best in its class.
- The touch sensitive cross is very intuitive, much more so than the wheel on the iPod. The Gigabeat can be operated in horizontal mode, my favorite, and the cross is designed perfectly for this. Due to its design switching from vertical to horizontal mode requires no change in how you navigate.
- Setting the EQ to flat will give you crystal clear and a very detailed sound experience, and the volume has more power than I can handle.
- You can preset volume and EQ settings per song in the Gigabeat Room program
- You can browse music by Artist/Album/Genre, but also by folders like Explorer.
- No need for the cradle if you transfer music via Gigabeat Room, or without Room if you use the Gigabeat as external HD using drag and drop.
- Rip Tech button on the cradle will rip an entire CD and transfer it to your Gigabeat in 5 minutes.
- Works with all Play For Sure online music services.

The bad:
- SAT encryption on anything you transfer via Gigabeat Room or Windows Media Player. You can get around it by using drag and drop while connected in Windows Media Mode and using the cradle. Instead of using WMP you just drag and drop your music onto the Gigabeat. Gigabeat will recognize ID3 information and catalog your music when you drag and drop this way.
- USB 1.1 speed when using any other way then Gigabeat Room to transfer music to the Gigabeat.
- EQ quality is not as good as it could be. However with the EQ set to flat everything I have tried sounds great!
- No video... yet.

I REALY like the Gigabeat. I have recommended it to all my friends and I got a second one for my wife. "The bad" can all be fixed with a firmware upgrade, and I'm hoping that Toshiba is listening to all Gigabeat enthusiasts. I belive that hardware wise the Gigabeat is perfect. All that now is needed is some fine tuning on the EQ and to get rid of the SAT encryption.

Lots of information about the Gigabeat can be found over at www.mygigabeat.com. The forum is an excellent way to get most of your questions answered.

121 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got it, love it, can't live without it, June 10, 2005

By 

Joseph K. Ziegler (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver (Electronics)

Ok, just got my player. I've been trying to find a really good MP3 player for a while. I'm cheap and lazy, so I want one that works with subscription services. Also, I need a lot of music as I fly internationally and if I hear "fasten your seatbelts" in English, followed by Korean, followed by Japanese, then I'll probably loose it.

Pros:
* Display is awesome! Loaded it full of my pictures from my camera and it looks great. You can even direct transfer from your camera into the player without a computer. Nice if you are traveling and want to offload some images.
* Charges via the USB!
* Can be seen as a drive in windows. Big caveat here, when you connect, you have to decide if you want to use it as a portable device or a drive. If you use it as a drive, Windows media won't see the unit (as well as Yahoo Music, Napster, etc) and you can't copy protected files. However, you can just reconnect later as a portable device.
* 40 gigs in my pocket. Oh yea....
* 16 hours of battery life, which is about as long as it takes me to fly to the other side of the planet. Coincidently, it's also the length of all of the Jim Bulushi videos you can watch on my flights.

Cons:
* No radio. Not big deal for me
* You have to use the cradle to use a subscription service. For whatever reason, if you connect directly with the USB cable, it always comes up as a drive.
* No video (yet?)
* Little thick. Newer version in Japan is slightly thinner.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Zen Sleek Photo vs Toshiba Gigabeat., July 27, 2006

By 

B. Roy "RoyTech" (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver (Electronics)

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 Amazon's great return policy). I've 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 camera's. 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 HDD's, 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 Sleek's.
3) When you travel, you only need to take your GB with you and leave your adapters and cables behind. It'll 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 haven't 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 don't 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 heart's 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 - haven't done so yet, but there is a demo file which does so.
15) I haven't looked at the manual yet.

Some con's 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 menu's 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 don't 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 haven't figured out a bunch of things - such as - can you delete pics and music tracks directly on the GBeat?. I don't 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 - don't note a difference with the Creative.

The Apple's really a lemon, the Creative is good while the Toshiba is just great. Take your pick.