Conclusion

Competition

The S Series really has two competitors: Apple's iPod and Creative's ZVM. The S Series are quite similar to the iPod in that they both put simplicity, integration, and size ahead of features while having both 30gb and 60gb versions, however, the S Series does include a FM tuner. The ZVM boasts the most features (particularly recording), best battery life, most customization, however, it is larger and not nearly as stylish. A third competitor could be the Cowon iAudio X5, but it is sort of old and this point and can't really be considered mainstream, though. It does, however, have way more features than the S Series but has an inferior screen, design, and GUI. Every one of the four prospective options are very solid in the 30gb DAP/PMP hybrid range. It really is hard to say one is better than another. All I can say is: do your homework, know what features each player has and does not have, and buy the player that fits what you really need. Also, do not overvalue certain features that you will probably never use.

Value

It is hard to measure the S30's value because one can buy one for a wide range of prices. It retails for $300, and that does not seem like that much of a bargain especially considering that the Creative ZVM retails for the same price and gives you way more features and customization. It should be said though that you get style, simplicity, and a terrific GUI for the money. It really depends what you put emphasis on. If you want more features, for $300, you pretty much have to go with the ZVM, but if you just want tight PC integration and a simple GUI, the S30 will be well worth it. And if you can nab the S30 for $240, like some people have, you should go for it, as it is an absolute steal at that price.

Conclusion

The Toshiba Gigabeat S30 was one of the most hyped players in recent memory. Did it live up to the hype? It really is a hard question, because it did in some respects and failed in others. While the S Series has a fantastic GUI, great controls, and is terrificly stylish, it has miserably battery life and simply lacks any sort of recording features along with minimal codec support. This all makes it really hard to give it a score. Yes, the S series is indeed lackluster for many DAP-enthusiasts, especially on this site, but I cannot ignore how terrific the S series is for its target audience: iPod users.


Scoring

Category name	Score
Package Contents	80
Build and Design	95
GUI	90
Video Playback	70
Audio Playback	78
Additional Features	70
Battery	50
Final Score (not avg)	80/100

Requested Improvements

Get rid of static when manually switching songs
Allow customization of color scheme and now playing screen especially
Add recording features
Add more codec support
Improve battery life
Make screen larger
Release product quicker
Advertise product better

Resources

Product Page - [Linky]
DAPreview forums - [Linky]
Mygigabeat.com – [Linky]

article index
page 1 : Introduction
page 2 : Package Contents
page 3 : Build and Design
page 4 : GUI (Graphical User Interface)
page 5 : Software and Organization
page 6 : Video Playback
page 7 : Audio Playback
page 8 : Additional Features
page 9 : Battery
page 10 - current : Conclusion