Toshiba Gigabeat 30 GB Review - Performance
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The performance of the Gigabeat is above average. The menu system can be navigated pretty quickly without much of a delay due to processing. I would compare the processing speeds of the Gigabeat with that of the iPod 30 GB.
The sound quality is great; it does well at producing a wide range of sounds from low to high. The included earbuds work surprisingly well throughout the frequency range. The video quality is just as impressive, producing smooth high quality video. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with the sound or video quality.
The Gigabeat does fall a bit short when it come to battery life. The built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery only has about 12 hours of life when listening to music. This figure drops to about 2.5 hours when video is being played. These figures are below most of the Gigabeat's competitors who usually offer at least 13 hours of battery life for music.
I don't think anyone should decide not to purchase a player simply because of less than stellar battery performance alone. This player will still do a sufficient job at performing the necessary functions of a good MP3 player, it just needs to be recharged a bit more often than others. It would have been nice if Toshiba had not made the battery internal, because they could have avoided the battery life issue. Users could buy a separate battery to use when one battery dies, then the user could always have more power ready to go. I'm sure Toshiba will address this issue in future models.
Summary
Toshiba has done an excellent job in the design of the Gigabeat S 30 GB. They have managed to squeeze a lot of features into a small package. The user interface is easy to navigate, and the controls are just sensitive enough to operate without being overly sensitive. I wish the screen had been designed a bit larger, but Toshiba did the best with the space they had.
This player is likely to be a big seller and rightfully so. It is a great performer with great sound quality, a great feature set, and excellent video quality. You can't ask for much more in an MP3 player. I would probably buy this player before I would buy the 30 GB iPod, for the simple fact that it is a better value. The cost is a little less than the iPod, and you get all of the same features. A few years ago, iPod could outsell its competitors based on the iPod name alone. Those days are over, and the public is beginning to see the quality players that other companies are producing. If I were to rate this player, I would give it an 8 out of 10. Nice job Toshiba!
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