Toshiba Gigabeat F20 review

Manufacturers began adding colour screens to MP3 players over a year ago. Many products now have them, but their low resolution and small display area mean they aren't a great way to view photos.

Toshiba's Gigabeat may change that. Like the iPod Photo, its colour screen measures 5.6cm across the diagonal. However, its 320x240 resolution means it can display twice the detail of its rival. This is immediately noticeable when you look at the screen: the menu graphics and fonts look great and the pictures have fantastic detail and high contrast.

The player itself also looks very classy. The case is a mix of two well-chosen silver plastics with a brushed metal inlay on the front. The function buttons gathered on the right side glow blue when the backlight is active and there's also a distinctive cross-shaped touch-sensitive controller.

Sadly, the F20's sound quality was a let-down. Music sounded muddy and none of the many preset EQ modes seemed to bring it up to scratch. We wondered if the uncomfortable earphones might be to blame and tried a different, high-quality pair. These showed a startling improvement, indicating that the player has a great overall sound.

Toshiba calls the Gigabeat's control system Plus Touch. The cross is touch-sensitive rather than a clickable switch, but only the four points and centre act as buttons. The function of each is context-sensitive, but the screen displays a control map so you know what to expect from your key presses. We found it simple to use, but we struggled to find the main menu during track playback.

Higher capacity Gigabeat models come with a remote control, but the 20GB player we tested does not. Toshiba supplies a USB cradle, but the player can be connected to a PC or recharged without it. Music is managed by Windows Media Player 10, Napster or Toshiba's own Gigabeat Room software, all of which are supplied. It's a shame you can't play audio files copied using Explorer, but Gigabeat Room is better than most. The battery lasted for 15 hours playing audio files, making it more than a match for the iPod Photo.

The Gigabeat's excellent screen sets it apart from other photo-capable MP3 players, provided you don't need to transfer images directly from a camera. If you don't need a screen, though, you can buy a 40GB player for this price.

Author: Simon Handby