"gigabeat" of Toshiba is the audio player of a type with built-in HDD, and carries 20GB of HDD from a front model. It is the product which asks the rival of the popular player "iPod" of Apple Computer. A network function is equipped in "gigabeat G21" (April 9 sale) announced this time. The data transmission in the wireless by wireless LAN connection etc. was attained. I want to review the system focusing on this point.

A charge stand is equipped with a USB port.

"gigabeat G21" of Toshiba is the model which serves as an inheritor of "gigabeat G20" put on the market in October, last year. The big change except the appearance having been changed into the color of the black system to which a color is called Cosmo Black as (the photograph 01) is not made. The compact body of 76.5x89.5x12.7mm (width x depth x quantity) and a grade a little thinner than MD player is also living.

moreover, an operation button, a USB terminal, and AC adapter terminal are located in a line with a right-hand side side (photograph 02), and a headphone terminal is prepared for the upper surface (photograph 03) -- it is the same as that of previous model, and those who are considering the change are not puzzled by operation

Photograph 01 Cosmo Black gigabeat G21. in addition, the Toshiba website limitation version "Myst Gray Metallic" is sold	Photograph 02 Most interfaces are concentrated on the right-hand side side. The direct file of the AC adapter can be carried out to a main part, and it can also charge it.

Although it is a charge stand used as the important point in gigabeat G21, though the white appearance made from a plastic is the same as that of the previous model (photograph 04), one port of USB ports is established at a time in the both-sides side (photographs 05 and 06). Although access between this product and PC is possible once even if it connects with the USB port by the side of a charge stand, the provided USB cable is only a cable for carrying out a direct connection to the main unit, and a cable connectable with a charge stand is not included.

Moreover, the USB port by the side of a charge stand is USB 1.1 correspondence, contrary to the USB port by the side of the main unit having become USB 2.0 correspondence. Although it is more user-friendly to connect a charge stand and PC when the charge stand is always installed in the house, it is regrettable that transmission speed becomes slow.

When their eyes were turned to other accessories, it just called it a certain Wired remote control (photograph 07) and the strap-type remote control (photograph 08) adopted for the first time with this product from AC adapter, headphone, and the former.

Photograph 03 The HOLD switch which repeals operation with a headphone terminal is formed in the main part upper part.	Photograph 04 The charge stand made from the plastic of milk white

Photograph 05 A USB port and a power supply connector are prepared in a right-hand side side.	Photograph 06 The USB port is prepared also for the left-hand side side.

Photograph 07 Remote control which is conventionally attached to the model	Photograph 08 Newly attached strap type remote control. A root portion does "play/stop". Volume regulation and the skip button are hidden in the strap portion.

Those with the necessity of installing a network driver in a main part

Photograph 09 The state which connected the wireless LAN adapter to the charge stand. A hot plug is also possible.

Now, although it mentioned above when installation of the USB port to a charge stand became the important point of this product, gigabeat G21 can be made to recognize as one set of the client of the LAN environment by connecting network apparatus to this USB port. The apparatus which corresponds at present is " of Buffalo. WLI-USB-KB11 " and " LUA2-TX ", " of I-O Data Device WN-B11/USBSL " and " USB-ET/TX-S Although it is four products of ", immediately after also being able to take a check of operation from now on, it is said that it is announced by the company website. I want to connect "WLI-USB-KB11" of Buffalo (photograph 09), and to try the user-friendliness of this network function this time.

In order to make network connection of this product, it connects with PC by USB first, and the work which includes a network driver in a gigabeat main part is needed. It will be O.K., if "installation of a network driver" is chosen from the menu screen displayed to set attached CD-ROM and the rest works according to a wizard, although I want a concrete procedure to refer to a screen shot (Screens 01-07). Work is completed in about 1 minute of installation.

Screen 01 The menu displayed when AUTORUN of attached CD-ROM is performed. In order to use a LAN function, it is necessary to install a network driver.	Screen 02 [ -- driver installation: -- procedure 1] -- first of all, it agrees with user license

Screen 03 [ -- driver installation: -- procedure 2] -- then, explanation of the work to be done from now on is displayed	Screen 04 [ -- driver installation: -- procedure 3] -- USB connection of gigabeat and the PC is made here Even if it connected in advance, there is no problem.

Screen 05 [ -- driver installation: -- procedure 4] -- next, a copy place, i.e., the drive name of gigabeat, is specified	Screen 06 [ -- driver installation: -- procedure 5] -- a USB cable will be removed if a copy is completed However, it is better to attach as it is, if the network setup had not finished.

Screen 07 [ -- driver installation: -- procedure 6] -- the above -- work -- completion It does not even take 1 minute.

Then, although it is necessary to set up an IP address etc., the music transmission software only for these products "TOSHIBA Audio Application Ver.3.0" performs this. If this work is the person who is building the LAN environment, there is no so difficult thing (Screen 08). Moreover, it could work, without worrying so much, if it is those to whom wireless LAN environment has been built also here, although ESS-ID, WEP, etc. can be set up also about wireless LAN (Screen 09). Incidentally WEP corresponds to 64 bits or 128 bits.

Now, although it is the talk of the work done by the PC side so far, there is especially no setup performed on the main unit, and connection completes it only by changing this product to network connection mode (Screen 10). incidentally -- this (Screen 10) -- although it is displayed when the hot plug of the network device is carried out in the state of power supply ON, if a network device is recognized, it can shift to network connection mode automatically, or ignoring conversely and continuing audio reproduction mode can also be chosen (Screen 11)

If it changes into a network connection state, it will be stood still while, as for this product, the crack (Screen 12) had appeared [ audio reproduction etc. ] in all. The IP address incidentally acquired when the reproduction button was pushed in this state can be referred to now (Screen 13).

Screen 08 A setup about a network can be performed from "TOSHIBA Audio Application Ver.3.0." It is necessary to do this work in the state where it connected by USB.	Screen 09 A setup about wireless LAN is also common and is ESS-ID, a setup of WEP, etc.

Screen 10 At the gigabeat side, it OKs only by changing into network connection mode.	Screen 11 Selection of mode of operation when the network interface card has been recognized is possible. Since the change screen shown on (Screen 10) can be performed at any time from a menu screen, it is good to set up according to user needs.

Screen 12 The liquid crystal display at the time of network connection mode. Music reproduction cannot be performed while making network connection.	Screen 13 An IP address, a host name, the number of connection users, etc. can also be displayed.

User-friendliness is completely the same as the time of USB connection.

If TOSHIBA Audio Application Ver.3.0 is started when network connection is actually made, and "assignment/cutting" of a network drive are chosen, the quota screen to a network drive will be displayed. Here, if arbitrary drives are chosen, Windows Explorer can also work as a network drive (Screens 14 and 15).

Moreover, transmission of a music file etc. can be performed by the completely same operation method as the time of making USB2 connection on TOSHIBA Audio Application Ver.3.0, and also it is possible to access from the "my network" of Windows to this product (Screens 16 and 17). That is, it has user-friendliness which reconciled the audio player and the network client.

Screen 14 A network drive can be assigned by "TOSHIBA Audio Application Ver.3.0" after network connection. Since gigabeat is detected automatically, it is easy.	Screen 15 Selection of arbitrary drive names is possible for a quota drive.

Screen 16 Even when using by network connection, music transmission is possible with the same feeling of operation as USB2 connection.	Screen 17 Access from a "my network" is also possible and it can use with feeling which is performing ordinary when access to the file server which made LAN connection.

However, transmission speed is a little slow impression. Although the USB connection type wireless LAN adapter of IEEE 802.11b conformity called WLI-USB-KB11 of Buffalo is equipped with and tested this time as point �q, if it is called the speed at the time of transmitting 60MB of file

- At the time of wireless LAN connection
Reading	0. 311MB Second (about 2.49 Mbps)
Writing	0. 256MB Second (about 2.05 Mbps)
- At the time of USB 2.0 connection
Reading	15. 2MB Second (about 121 Mbps)
Writing	15. 0MB Second (about 120 Mbps)

The said result. Considering that 11b also has the case where about 4-5 Mbpses are demonstrated, it is slightly slow.

Moreover, although only wireless LAN connection is tried on account of equipments this time, since the USB port by the side of a charge stand serves as USB 1.1 correspondence only, when it combines with a cable network interface card, it is thought that a USB controller serves as a bottleneck and speed does not improve greatly. When treating the data of large size, it can be said that the direct USB 2.0 connection is wiser.

It is also an ant to use as NAS which can be carried, although difficulty is in transmission speed.

Although the network function of gigabeat G21 has been tried as above, it is the impression of having learned the connection method new as it is for the user-friendliness when making USB connection as an audio player. Unlike USB2 connection, if it connects as a network client, there is a merit that access from two or more PCs is easy.

Since it can use with the feeling accessed from Explorer to a file server when it connects as the network client, it can use without restriction especially. The usage "NAS which can be carried" is also called best solution which fills a crevice which it is realistic, and a memory domain is larger than a USB memory, and is called a compact farther than NAS of 100GB class. Although a setup of the right to access etc. cannot be performed, considering an original function, it will be an extravagant demand.

Probably, it will be good to use properly by touch called network connection, when connecting with PC by 1to1 and the only fault will need to be accessed from USB 2.0 connection and two or more PCs using a main part side USB port although it is transmission speed. I want to expect USB 2.0 compatibility by the side of a charge stand with next product very much.