viewsonic v35 versus toshiba e330

[specialK]

similar spec, similar price someone please help me decide.

I was going to buy toshiba e330 initially but a mate bought a medion which looks almost exactly the same as the v35 (except 200mhz instead of 300).

Never heard of the v35 until i looked up the medion mdppc 100. But now looks like an option for me...

any thoughts?

[etalianstallion]

Have you considered the iPAQ 1910? I would not choose the E330 simply because it does not offer the transflective screen.

[Thunderstruck]

I have the V35 and I love it. The screen is better than the Toshiba, and I am not sure if the Toshiba's SD slot is SDIO capable or not. The V35 is also thinner and lighter.

Personally, I would get the V35 first, then the HP 1910, then the Toshiba.

[Crones]

I have both the H1910 and the Toshiba E330 and for the screen quality the h1910 blows both the V35 and the E330 out of the water but as to performance the E330 excells in all tasks.

BTW the E330 SD slot is SDIO compatible just like the V35. It all depends what you're going to be doing with your PDA. I had the same problem when I bought my E330 trying to decide between it and the V35.
The Toshiba E330 just felt sturdier, and don't think the Viewsonic's casing which is some sort of plastic couldn't take one drop.

Being that this is a Viewsonic forum the answers and responses will be somewhat biased towards their own purchases.

Just my $0.02

[RDaneel]

I would be concerned about the software problems the E3XX series of Toshibas have been having. Many users have had random hard resets (say good bye to your data) and other weird issues.

IMHO, the 330 or 1910 are in no way "sturdier" machines. The V35 is pretty solid, and offers great d-pad and button feel as well. I have dropped the V35 with no ill effects - it didn't even cross my mind to be worried.

The screen on the 1910 seems a little brighter, but with less color saturation, based on the units I have compared side by side.

I don't know what Crones means by "in performance the E330 excels in all tasks." That seems to be a little unsubstantiated. The V35 performs like a 300mhz machine, not the best, not the worst. The new V37 should be a little faster with the 400mhz chip, and it will be a lot faster if it has the new Intel chip with the 200mhz system bus (instead of 100mhz). That might actually make me upgrade...

I hope you are happy with whichever PPC you choose - there really isn't a loser in this bunch!

Cheers,
RDaneel

[Raptor]

I have both the H1910 and the Toshiba E330 and for the screen quality the h1910 blows both the V35 and the E330 out of the water but as to performance the E330 excells in all tasks.


This is an incorrect statement. In no way does the 1910 screen "blow away" the V35 screen. It may be a little better in saturation, but the V35 is brighter. Regardless, the difference is not major. The difference between the 1910 or V35 and the e330 is big, since the e330 has a reflective screen.

I look at the e330 and V35 as being similar machines. If you're considering both, aside from aestetic preferences, the main difference is this:
Screen: V35 transflective, e330 reflective. V35 > e330
Memory: V35 36mb, e330 64mb. e330 > V35

That's about it, aside from possible hardware or software errors. The V35 is slightly smaller, but I didn't consider the difference too big. I'm not too familiar with these problems with the e330. The only problem with the V35 is that some people with Windows XP have trouble with the OS seeing the device. This wasn't an issue for me though, and Viewsonic gives a full refund if you cannot get this problem resolved.

My personal preferences led me to the V35. It has the specs that I want, it has a great screen, more RAM than my EM-500 had, and I like the look of it. I actually don't like the look of the 1910. It's too curvy. Doesn't seem right for a PPC to me. But everyone has different opinions. The best thing to do is go take a look at them in person. I found the V35 isn't easy to find, as CompUSA is the only place I've found that carries it. Don't know what VS was thinking. No matter which one you choose in the end, you'll love whichever you buy. I know I would have been happy had I bought a e330 or 1910 instead of the V35.

[patwoods]

I have seen the v35 in CompUSA as well as Office Depot. It's out there next to the 1910 and the others if you want to compare/contrast them. Go play with them all and choose the one you like the best. All three are good machines, and you won't be disappointed if you handle them all first to make sure.

[aslater]

One problem with the HP 1910: the SD Memory slot only supports memory, does not support SDIO for things like bluetooth cards or other future devices, like the Viewsonic.