Toshiba, the HDD player dealing with LAN connection "gigabeat G21" - The First Strap Remote Control is Also Attached. (Rough translation of the AV Watch Japanese preview)

Cosmo Black (left) and Myst Gray Metallic (right)

April 9 sale Standard price : Open price

Toshiba Corp. The portable audio player "gigabeat G21" (MEG201) with built-in 1.8" type 20GB HDD also corresponding to USB and LAN connection is put on the market on April 9. A body color "Cosmo Black" is added, as well as "Myst Gray Metallic" model, the latter being Limited Edition and only for sale on the Toshiba website.

Moreover, bundles for Cosmo Black and Myst Gray Metallic with the Buffalo wireless LAN adapter "WLI-USB-KB11" are also prepared for sale on the Toshiba website.

Although a price is an open price, as for the Toshiba Website price, each color is at 47,040 yen (including tax) and the wireless LAN adapter bundles at 52,500 yen.

Cosmo Black	Myst Gray Metallic

WLI-USB-KB11 connected on charge stand

gigabeat G21 is the succeeding machine of "gigabeat G20" put on the market in October, 2003. The greatest changed part is having the new USB host function and having equipped the attached "charge stand" with two USB ports. They are Cable LAN or the wireless LAN of IEEE 802.11b conformity to this USB port. The data transmission via a network was attained by connecting a USB adapter.

The network apparatus by which the company is checking the present correspondence -- 4 models, the wireless LAN adapter "WLI-USB-KB11" of Buffalo, a cable network interface card "LUA2-TX", the wireless LAN adapter "WN-B11/USBSL" of I-O Data Device, and a cable network interface card "USB-ET/TX-S". It is supposed that a correspondence model will be increased from now on.

In addition, although it becomes USB 2.0 connection when a direct connection is carried out by PC and USB, since the USB connection with a network interface card serves as USB 1.1, transmission speed falls considerably. In the Toshiba company, it is being explained this "shelved USB 2.0 correspondence with the tip with a USB host function, this time, since there was no small thing corresponding to USB 2.0."

Attached music transmission software is also upgraded to "TOSHIBA Audio Application Ver.3.0" (TAA), and gigabeat G21 came to be assigned as a "network drive" from now on in TAA. In addition to this, the synchronous function with the user pre-defined folders on PC and the function ON/OF "automatic generation of a library (=album, artist)", were added. As usual, music files need to be enciphered so you have to transmit either by TAA or Windows Media Player 9.

As other functions, the "negative positive reversal function" of a liquid crystal display was added, and the number of equalizer setup was increased by 28 kinds from 4 kinds on the G20. Furthermore, it came to be able to carry out a folder skip from the menu screen. In addition, these additional functions are being considered as updates also on the "gigabeat G20" in the Toshiba company. It is being said that however, it is difficult since it is necessary to add a USB host function by hardware about LAN correspondence."

The Remote Control is unchanged, same as G20

Moreover, in addition to the same remote control as the former gigabeat, a "strap remote control" where the operation button was embedded in the strap is attached. Strap remote control is taken as first adoption at home.

The other basic specification is the same as the conventional G20 model. OS corresponds to Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP. 20GB of 1.8 type HDD is built in. The Japanese display which carries the back light liquid crystal of 160x86 dots, and contains a Chinese character is also possible. A power supply builds in a lithium ion charge stand, and continuation reproduction time is about 11 hours.

The aluminum alloy is used for a body and the outside size serves as 76.5x89.5x12.7mm (horizontal x length x thickness) and weight of 138g.

New Strap Remote Control is attached.

Original URL (Japanese) : http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20040318/toshiba.htm