Toshiba will launch three new models of its Gigabeat digital music player in Japan over the next three months and says it is considering launching the devices outside of Japan.
The new models will be available in three capacities: 5GB, 20GB, and 40GB and a variety of color variations, says Midori Suzuki, a spokesperson for Toshiba in Tokyo.
The new models expand the current range which consists of a single model with 20GB capacity.
A second major change in the Gigabeat range is the addition of support for Microsoft's Windows Media Audio digital rights management technology, says Suzuki. With this new feature the player will be able to support music downloaded through a number of commercial Web sites. The player also supports other Windows Media, WAV, and MP3 format files.
New and Improved
Toshiba has also added the ability to recharge the Gigabeat's battery from the power present on a USB connection. Fully charging the batteries takes around 3 hours via either the USB or AC adapter and once charged the battery provides enough power for up-to 11 hours of music playback.
A LAN adapter is also available as an option which allows the device to be connected to a network and accessed as a virtual hard drive. Uploading music to the player has to be done through the Toshiba Audio Application software and this is available for Windows platforms only.
All three players are 3.0 inches wide and 3.5 inches high. The 5GB and 20GB models are .5 inches thick and weigh 4.9 ounces and the 40GB model is .6 inches wide and weighs 5.5 ounces. The 40GB model is larger because its hard drive is physically larger.
The MEG050 Gigabeat G5 model with a capacity of 5GB will be available in Japan from mid-July and will cost $272 including tax. The MEG202 Gigabeat G22 has a capacity of 20GB and will be launched in Japan in late July and cost $429 including tax. The flagship MEG400 Gigabeat G40 with a 40GB capacity will be available from September in Japan and cost $500.
Toshiba hasn't announced definite plans to sell the players overseas however the company is considering it, says Suzuki. Like the current model, the new devices all support menus in Japanese, English, German, French, and Spanish. Support for German umlauts is a new feature added, she says.
