Dumb Questions (e740, e350, Axim X5)

[Palm Cow]

Hey, this is a really dumb question, I think.

I have seen a Toshiba e740 up close and personnal: nice. Built-in Wi-Fi and Blue-Tooth, fast processor, dual expansion...all that good stuff.

Don't critisize me for this: I own a Sony, Palm OS 4.1 SJ20, because I got it on a great deal, new: $95. My friend owns a Visor Dlx., very old, but plans to upgrade to a PocketPC.

http://www.brighthand.com/article/Virtual_Tour_of_CeBIT

If you scoll down to the bottom, there is a little thing on the e350, saying that it is $200(US). That is pretty darned cheap, just like the Axim X5.

My friend was looking towards an Axim X5, but now that he's seen this, he's a little un-sure. Could any of you post a comparison or a link to one? Google just isn't cutting it!

What are the major differences (besides price) between Toshiba's e740 and e350?

Which would you recomend (Axim or e350; e740 is a bit out of budget :wink:) There should be a poll...

Please, not too biased

Thank you!!

[pocketpcdude1024]

Hey, this is a really dumb question, I think.
There have been some dumb questions, but this is not one of them. In fact, it's safe to say that none of us here really know what the e350 will bring. I, however, would like to lean you towards the e330/e335. Slim, but feature loaded. The Axim is a nice starter PDA, but its size can be cumbersome... :wink:

[etalianstallion]

I like the form factor of the E350 since it is thinner (similar to the current E330), but you do give up a CF slot. It also now has a transflective screen which is always a big plus in my book.

Having said that, simply because I like having both CF and SD slots, I would recommend the Axim.

If you can wait and save some cash, I would recommend the E750 which has everything the current E740 has to offer plus a 3.8 transflective screen and the new processor (should be easier on the battery drain).

All in all, figure out what you really need in a PPC--that'll make your decision much easier.

[Palm Cow]

Thank you for your nice, quite reply. These forums are more active than I expected.

Those look rather more expensive than CeBIT's $200 price-ag on the e350. What do you expect them to chop off?

[etalianstallion]

I wouldn't see that the prices drop much in the near future, although you can expect prices to drop on the E330/E335. Either that or they will start offering rebates on them. In terms of bang-for-your-buck, no one has really been able to match Dell in the specs they offer at the the selling price.

Take a look at the HP iPAQ 1910 as well if you like the thinner form factor. You can sometimes get that for $250 (with coupons and such). Nice bright screen. I was simply amazed at how small it felt in my hand when I picked it up at a store display.

[Palm Cow]

Sorry, I think I worded that last reply wrong. By "chop off," I meant what features they would take out of the e350 to make it a cheap "200?

[pocketpcdude1024]

Take a look at the HP iPAQ 1910 as well if you like the thinner form factor. You can sometimes get that for $250 (with coupons and such). Nice bright screen. I was simply amazed at how small it felt in my hand when I picked it up at a store display.

Lest we forget that you don't get spell checking, MS reader, messenger, etc. burned into the ROM of the 1910. Also, it only supports SD memory, not SDIO, and has a 2.5mm headphone jack (as opposed to a 3.5mm one). To the casual buyer, these items can be easily overlooked in the initial purchase. For example, I'm kicking myself for buying the e310 with the USB client-only interface. :x

I know that some of these terms may be confusing to a person from the Palm side of the fence, but I'm sure that many people here (including myself) would have no problem telling you exactly what I've talked about. :wink:

[pocketpcdude1024]

Sorry, I think I worded that last reply wrong. By "chop off," I meant what features they would take out of the e350 to make it a cheap "200?

Probably the built-in WiFi 8)

[etalianstallion]

Somehow I honestly don't think that the E350 will come anywhere close to the $200 range, no matter what they strip off. Let's say that they don't include a cradle with it and have that as an accessory that you purchase, so at most they knock off $50 (a VERY generous estimate).

Now, you look at the E330 which is currently selling for $350. So let's knock off $50 for the optional cradle and we're at $300. But wait, this now has the newer PXA255 processor AND a transflective screen. If anything this will raise the price. I would see that this will come in at best (assuming no cradle is included) at $350.

There's not much else you can chop off the PPC here, at least not to my knowledge.

One thing though...I would not recommend you going with the E330/E335. Seriously, once you go transflective, you don't want to go back.

[pocketpcdude1024]

Somehow I don't think that the E350 will come anywhere close to the $200 range, no matter what they strip off. Let's say that they don't include a cradle with it and have that as an accessory that you purchase, so at most they knock off $50 (a VERY generous estimate).

Now, you look at the E330 which is currently selling for $350. So let's knock off $50 for the optional cradle and we're at $300. But wait, this now has the newer PXA255 processor AND a transflective screen. If anything this will raise the price. I would see that this will come in at best (assuming no cradle is included) at $350.

There's not much else you can chop off the PPC here, at least not to my knowledge.

One thing though...I would not recommend you going with the E330/E335. Seriously, once you go transflective, you don't want to go back.

The screen will probably be a 3.5" reflective screen, like the current e740. Also, I view the new processor as a 'swap' of equal value since Intel has discontinued the old PXA250 processor. Also, don't forget that packing features into a small space is more costly than packing those same features into a larger space. Since the new e350 has the form factor of the e740, not the e330, it will most likely be less costly to produce. Third, the unit will most definately come with a cradle (name the last Pocket PC that DIDN'T) but this shouldn't be an overall cost factor for the device. :D

[Janak Parekh]

The screen will probably be a 3.5" reflective screen, like the current e740.
Actually, rumor has it the e350 has a 3.8" transflective.

Also, I view the new processor as a 'swap' of equal value since Intel has discontinued the old PXA250 processor.
Rumor also has it that a 300MHz PXA255 outperforms a 400MHz PXA250. But you're right on the pricing point. :)

--janak

[Palm Cow]

Mean old BrightHand!

"This model does not yet appear on Toshiba's U.S. site. It's on sale in Europe for 365 Euros ($390 US), just slightly more than the e330 costs. This contradicts an earlier report that the e350 would sell for just $200."

That's SOOOOOO mean!

Maybe this should be off his list?

[blazingwolf]

The Axim is a nice starter PDA, but its size can be cumbersome...

I can't disagree with you more. The size of the Dell is not bad at all. You can start talking about size differences when you talk about the 1910 or the V35. The Dell is only slightly bigger than most other PPC. Plus it has the CF card built in. No sleeve needed. IMO, I wouldn't wait for the E350. Get the advanced Dell. With 48MB ROM it should be ready for the next OS upgrade and the battery life is to die for. My wife hasn't charged hers in a week and it is just now down to 66%. I wish my Ipaq did so well.

I do have to agree that this is not a dumb question. :) Good luck with your pick.

[pocketpcdude1024]

Of course, it's all 'rumors'. Until the unit is officially announced here, all information pertaining to the unit should be considered a rumor. Besides, Toshiba would have to cut its Pocket PCs as much as HP had to with the 1910 to fit the low price tag.

[pocketpcdude1024]

The Axim is a nice starter PDA, but its size can be cumbersome...

I can't disagree with you more. The size of the Dell is not bad at all. You can start talking about size differences when you talk about the 1910 or the V35. The Dell is only slightly bigger than most other PPC. Plus it has the CF card built in. No sleeve needed. IMO, I wouldn't wait for the E350. Get the advanced Dell. With 48MB ROM it should be ready for the next OS upgrade and the battery life is to die for. My wife hasn't charged hers in a week and it is just now down to 66%. I wish my Ipaq did so well.

I do have to agree that this is not a dumb question. :) Good luck with your pick.

Sorry. I just like the Toshibas for their sleek, cool, professional metallic finish. But hey, if you want the brick:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/contest-parody/axim-ipaqadam.jpg

go for it! :lol:

EDIT: Note that I did not make the image, iPAQAdam did. 8)

[Gallivant]

The Axim really isn't "huge" at all. It's only a little bit larger than anything else - I'm quite happy with mine.

The battery life on the Axim's better than anything else on the market, with almost 50% more milliamp-hours than the e330 - that's important if you're interested in playing power-intensive games like Age of Empires, or using it as an MP3 player. If you need *lots* of life - for movies, say - the Axim's also got an available extra-huge battery with a staggering 3440mAh. And it's user-replacable in under five seconds, unlike the Toshibas.

For the record, having 64 megs of memory is damned nice. I've chewed up about 58 of it, between a large eBook library and a few games.

The Axim's also got a nice scroll button on the side, which isn't a big deal unless you want to use it as an eBook reader, in which case it's a godsend.

The Axim's major downside: Crappy D-pad that makes action-game play impossible. Also, I'll admit that I like the Toshibas' look better, although they're not as nice to hold as the rubberized sides of the Axim.

[etalianstallion]

Somehow I don't think that the E350 will come anywhere close to the $200 range, no matter what they strip off. Let's say that they don't include a cradle with it and have that as an accessory that you purchase, so at most they knock off $50 (a VERY generous estimate).

Now, you look at the E330 which is currently selling for $350. So let's knock off $50 for the optional cradle and we're at $300. But wait, this now has the newer PXA255 processor AND a transflective screen. If anything this will raise the price. I would see that this will come in at best (assuming no cradle is included) at $350.

There's not much else you can chop off the PPC here, at least not to my knowledge.

One thing though...I would not recommend you going with the E330/E335. Seriously, once you go transflective, you don't want to go back.

The screen will probably be a 3.5" reflective screen, like the current e740. Also, I view the new processor as a 'swap' of equal value since Intel has discontinued the old PXA250 processor. Also, don't forget that packing features into a small space is more costly than packing those same features into a larger space. Since the new e350 has the form factor of the e740, not the e330, it will most likely be less costly to produce. Third, the unit will most definately come with a cradle (name the last Pocket PC that DIDN'T) but this shouldn't be an overall cost factor for the device. :D

Bummer, I didn't know the E350 is the same form factor as the E740. That's disappointing. Sorry if I confused anyone. I would be even more disappointed if they still go with those reflective screens instead of the new transflective. If that is the case then I don't see much hope for the device. So basically what I am hearing is that the E350 is just a E740 minus WiFi minus CF slot. And this is supposed to replace the E330? I would think that the E3xx series would keep the same slimmer form factor.

PPC with no cradle? Try the iPAQ 1910. I'm surprised you didn't know that it does not ship with a cradle, only a sync cable and power cable, given all the other information provided in your last post.

[etalianstallion]

The Axim is a nice starter PDA, but its size can be cumbersome...

I can't disagree with you more. The size of the Dell is not bad at all. You can start talking about size differences when you talk about the 1910 or the V35. The Dell is only slightly bigger than most other PPC. Plus it has the CF card built in. No sleeve needed. IMO, I wouldn't wait for the E350. Get the advanced Dell. With 48MB ROM it should be ready for the next OS upgrade and the battery life is to die for. My wife hasn't charged hers in a week and it is just now down to 66%. I wish my Ipaq did so well.

I do have to agree that this is not a dumb question. :) Good luck with your pick.

Sorry. I just like the Toshibas for their sleek, cool, professional metallic finish. But hey, if you want the brick:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/contest-parody/axim-ipaqadam.jpg

go for it! :lol:

Oh man, this picture is hilarious!!! I own an Axim and yet I'm still laughing!! All it needs is another brick on top and you've got a nice sturdy case. :D

[pocketpcdude1024]

Yeah when it came to calling the Axim a "Brick" I pulled out the trump card: There was a contest a little while ago that this was a contestant for. I liked the pic so much that I linked it here. However, I can't take credit; iPAQAdam made the pic.

As to the e350, I apologize. :( I just check sources (Brighthand) that confirmed that it was launched in Europe with the same dimentions as its predecessors in the e3xx family. The casing looks a bit darker, more .. subdued .. reminds me of the Tungsten's color. Anyway, the price now puts it out of the picture because it's almost $400, twice the price that the models we're comparing here.

[blazingwolf]

pocketpcdude1024, The picture is great. :lol:


etalianstallion, I love the idea of adding another brick to make a sturdy case also.

[Palm Cow]

$400 is a bit too much. When I saw the rumored $200, I had to find out more. He was planning on spending about $320 on a customized Axim with Wi-Fi card and a big SD card.

What PocketPCs are in the $0-$350 range with a memory card (big!) and maybe Wi-Fi?

[etalianstallion]

$400 is a bit too much. When I saw the rumored $200, I had to find out more. He was planning on spending about $320 on a customized Axim with Wi-Fi card and a big SD card.

What PocketPCs are in the $0-$350 range with a memory card (big!) and maybe Wi-Fi?

I know that right before the Dell Axim and the iPAQ 1910 and iPAQ 5455 came out, Toshiba and Amazon had all these rebates, and the E740 came down to around $375. I would think that with the introduction of the E750, the E740 will soon be phased out and they should again offer rebates and such on the device. If you don't mind the reflective screen, then the E740 has the dual slots (SD and CF) as well as built-in Wifi in a relatively thin form factor.

If WiFi isn't such a big deal, go with the Axim. With the $50 rebate you can get the 400MHz version for $300. Sometimes Dell has coupons for additional $35 off too.

SD cards have recently reached the 1GB mark though it's not available just yet.

[PetiteFlower]

The 300 mh Dell doesn't come with a cradle either. I ordered one off ebay; unfortunately I only ended up paying about $6 or $7 less then I would have buying it from Dell, but oh well :) I'm glad I got it though, it really is sweet looking, and a lot less messy then all those cables on the floor in front of my computer.

[etalianstallion]

The 300 mh Dell doesn't come with a cradle either. I ordered one off ebay; unfortunately I only ended up paying about $6 or $7 less then I would have buying it from Dell, but oh well :) I'm glad I got it though, it really is sweet looking, and a lot less messy then all those cables on the floor in front of my computer.

I've been thinking about getting one of those 3rd party sync/charge cables to use as a second "cradle", but dangit, I love that little blue light too much!

Now, did anyone ever figure out how to mod the Dell cradle so that it charges the unit via the USB cable instead of having to plug in a separate power cable?

[PetiteFlower]

From what I read on the other thread(about the new change/sync cable from gomadic), charging via USB will be a lot slower then using a separate power cable. So for my main charger, I'm cool with having separate power--especially since with the cradle I still only have to plug the PDA into one thing. If I needed something for travel I'd get one of those though. I wouldn't want to take a modded cradle, because damn that thing is heavy! Bulkier too.

[Gallivant]

I suspect that the "$200 rumor" might really mean that the 330 will be $200 while the 250 will be ~$350.

[just]

Hey Guys I just purchased a e350 in the UK for £249 here are the facts...

Same size as the e310/e330 not the e740/e750
3.5 transflective screen (really nice)
Has the dreaded Toshiba button lag
Really fast :D
More of a Gunmetal/Dark Grey colour.
Excellent build quality.

This is my most favourite Pocket PC so far and I've had a few :worried:

Just ordered the Toshiba Bluetooth SD Card, should work as there is a picture of it on the box :wink:

http://www.btinternet.com/~justmac/cradle.jpg

[J2theIZZO]

Hey Guys I just purchased a e350 in the UK for £249 here are the facts...

Same size as the e310/e330 not the e740/e750
3.5 transflective screen (really nice)
Has the dreaded Toshiba button lag
Really fast :D
More of a Gunmetal/Dark Grey colour.
Excellent build quality.

This is my most favourite Pocket PC so far and I've had a few :worried:

Just ordered the Toshiba Bluetooth SD Card, should work as there is a picture of it on the box :wink:

Are there any major differences between the e350 and e330 spec wise?...sorry if that is a stupid question.

And also where did you get it in the Uk for £249, sounds like a good deal.

[just]

Are there any major differences between the e350 and e330 spec wise?...sorry if that is a stupid question.

And also where did you get it in the Uk for £249, sounds like a good deal.

Here are the specs lifted from Toshiba's UK site. I purchased it from Dixons at The Mall Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. I noticed a few under the glass counter as there not on display yet, sales guy didn't even know they were there :roll:

Processor
type : Intel® PXA 255 Processor
clock speed : 300 MHz
2nd level cache : No

System memory
standard : 64 MB SDRAM,16 MB Flash ROM

Display
size : 3.5 "
type : advanced transreflective TFT colour display

Graphics adaptor
manufacturer : Intel®
type : PXA 255 internal
memory : UMA

Internal video modes
resolution : 240 x 320
maximum number of colours : 65,536

Battery
technology : Lithium-ion main battery

AC adaptor
input voltage : autosensing AC adapter (100/240 V) for worldwide usage

Interfaces
1 x DC-in
1 x USB client via cradle connection
1 x SD? Card slot (supported SD memory card , SDIO card , Multi Media Card)
1 x InfraRed
1 x headphone (stereo)
1 x USB host via optional cable

Wireless communication
Network Support : 115 KB/s
Wireless Technology : InfraRed

Sound system
supported audio format : 16-bit stereo
speakers : built-in speaker

Physical dimensions
W x D x H : 80 x 125 x 12.4 mm
weight : 149 g

Pointing device
type : Touch screen for stylus

Warranty
1-year

Bundled hardware
AC adaptor
Stylus
USB Cradle
AC Power Cable
Soft case
Quick start guide
User manual

Bundled software
Pocket Word
Pocket Excel
Pocket Outlook®
Microsoft Windows® Media? Player 8 for Pocket PC
application launcher (home)
back-up utility
power management tool
backlight management tool
system information tool
calculator
Solitaire
Microsoft® Active Sync® 3.5
Adobe®Acrobat Reader® for Pocket PC
Microsoft® Outlook 2000
Pocket Internet Explorer[/quote]

[J2theIZZO]

No Type II CF? :cry:

Thanks, the Dell X5 is looking more and more likely