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Toshiba Gigabeat U102 & U202 Review

toshibe gigabeat u main Toshiba Gigabeat U102 & U202 Review

There has not been much noise coming from Toshiba since the Gigabeat S Series hard drive based player. Well, that’s not including their recent involvement in the creation of the Zune. They are back at it with the Gigabeat U and, worth mentioning, an upcoming Windows CE based wi-fi flash player.

The U series comes in 1GB and 2GB sizes, featuring all the basics you would expect from a flash player and retailing for under $100 (commonly found for under $90). I have mostly good things to say about this Gigabeat, particularly the sound quality and simple interface. But there are a few downsides. Read on for a full look.

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Toshiba Gigabeat U102 and U202

Toshiba

toshiba gigabeat u102 Toshiba Gigabeat U102 and U202

What’s this, then? The Gigabeat U101 and U201 from a few months back now encased in silver and black aluminum and sporting cross-shaped controls? Actually . . . yeah.

Toshiba recently announced that the cosmetically updated U102 ($125) and U202 ($150) will be joining the Gigabeat U series lineup on May 19 in Japan. Why the update? We have absolutely no idea. Because exactly like its brethren, the new 1GB and 2GB players measure 3.0″ x 1.4″ x 0.4″ and are equipped with an FM tuner, that spiffy audio processor that promises superior output, and a modest arsenal of supported codecs (WMA-DRM10 included).

Oh well. At least it’s pretty easy on the eyes (though we’re not really feeling that cross).

[Toshiba via Engadget]

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