It contained a monochrome LCD with blue backlighting, and a 5 GB removable PCMCIA hard drive.
The hard drive player is available in capacities from 10 to 60 GB, and has a 2.2" 16-bit TFT LCD screen with a QVGA resolution.
Problems with image transferring and distortion were solved, and an equalizer was added to the player.
The Gigabeat F is a popular candidate for alternative firmware with its rich screen, strong processor, ample storage capacities and simple hardware customisation capabilities.
It also has a smaller body (similar to the future Gigabeat S) and raised Plustouch pad.
The player was first presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2006 in Las Vegas by Bill Gates in his keynote speech.
The Gigabeat S also has a USB Host for downloading images directly off digital cameras without the need of a computer, while connecting the player to a TV needs an optional composite TV-out cable.
Some users have encountered a problem when the player deletes all media on its hard drive after being disconnected from USB sync with a computer.
The Gigabeat V, released in October 2006 in a capacity of 30 GB, is Toshiba's first attempt at a portable media player.
Although the device is larger, with a 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen, the Gigabeat V shares the same interface, media formats, and internal hardware design as the Gigabeat S. It is bundled with a USB cable, an A/V output jack, and a custom splitter cable.
Unlike many other portable media players, the Gigabeat V lacks the ability to charge through USB.
[5] The flash-based player has a 1.1-inch OLED display and is the first Gigabeat to have an FM tuner, recorder and transmitter, and the first DAP to include a 1-bit digital-analog converter.
Its hardware is largely based on the same Freescale i.MX31 CPU as the Gigabeat S and V. This model comes with a 2.4" QVGA screen, 4 GB of flash memory, and Toshiba's H2C Technology (High order Harmonic Compensation Technology) for lossy audio compensation as first featured in the second generation V series.