View Full Version : Toshiba e740 802.11b model reviewed
Jason Dunn
06-06-2002, 05:34 PM
<a href="http://www.sprinklerhead.com/toshe740.htm">http://www.sprinklerhead.com/toshe740.htm</a><br /><br />This is the first review of the e740 that I've seen, and this Pocket PC is officially at the top of my lust-list. Great review by Jeremiah Owen .<br /><br />"So you say you want a thin PDA, dual slots, and built-in wireless? Well Toshiba says they have the answer with their new e740 series. Not to mention the small fact they decided to throw in a 400 MHz X-Scale processor..."
marlof
06-06-2002, 05:39 PM
I just finished reading the review, and I must say good job Jeremiah, and good job Toshiba. These days it's getting harder and harder to pick your favorite. Not only between manufacturers (Loox? Toshiba? Acer? new HP? Casio? Asus? etc. etc.), but also in one model range. With this one, you could go with the 802.11b model, add a Bluetooth card in either SD or CF flavor, and still have a memory slot to spare! Or go Bluetooth inside, SD memory, and a 802.11b card. All depends on what you need most. Wow! I'm impressed!
Jason Dunn
06-06-2002, 05:42 PM
I find it odd that this photo:
http://www.sprinklerhead.com/snap004.jpg
Shows 58.27 MB in total RAM - that number should be up around 63 or so. Where's the extra RAM gone to?
built-in wireless? Well Toshiba says they have the answer
the answer is to have BOTH Bluetooth and WirelessLAN in one device. Sony is offering it in one of their notebooks: both these technologies present!!!
But I recomend to go for the model with WLAN and to buy additional Bluetooth card - nowadays WLAN is available at airports and is also much cheaper than Bluetooth at home.
... but still, my ideal of having PocketPC with having built-in, integrated, BOTH Bluetooth and WirelessLAN is not fullfilled...
Duncan
06-06-2002, 06:01 PM
But I recomend to go for the model with WLAN and to buy additional Bluetooth card - nowadays WLAN is available at airports and is also much cheaper than Bluetooth at home. Surely not? BT is relatively stabilised at ver. 1.1 - 802.11 is in a state of flux - evolving to use less power, have better range and security etc. - I would rather get a BT device and have my Wi-Fi ugradeable by means of CF cards etc.
entropy1980
06-06-2002, 06:05 PM
Have you seen the prices for BT access points they are insane!!!! Like $450+ WLAN is for the here and now....BT and WLAN would be interesting to manage toggling them both on off and everything inbetween...yuck!
T-Will
06-06-2002, 06:29 PM
Could someone run a test of Quake/Quake 2 framerate? Thanks!
entropy1980
06-06-2002, 06:35 PM
Quake numbers are coming... should have them by tomorrow, I'll have video frame rates up in about an hour.
Foo Fighter
06-06-2002, 07:13 PM
Hmm..if this device really does deliver rich full digital audio (the e310 stinks!) and excellent ClearType...then I think I just found the PocketPC for me!!!! 8O
Where can I order one?
MattPatty
06-06-2002, 07:32 PM
Does the new Toshiba sport the ATI Imageon video chip?????
Hey, is it just me or does the e740 seem thicker than the e310? e740 looks like it's about the ipaq's thickness, although it won't need a sleeve for CF cards. I would have liked the e740 to be similar to the e310 in form factor.....
mar2k
06-06-2002, 07:56 PM
Hey, is it just me or does the e740 seem thicker than the e310? e740 looks like it's about the ipaq's thickness, although it won't need a sleeve for CF cards. I would have liked the e740 to be similar to the e310 in form factor.....
Your jamming an awful lot of hardware (CF slot and 802.11b) into that package, the e310 only has an SD slot to worry about. For what it is, its very impressive, I think...
T-Will
06-06-2002, 08:03 PM
I agree, it's amazing how much they can fit into such a small package, and look just 2 years ago they weren't even fitting one expansion slot into a Pocket PC as small as the iPAQ. And now we have Pocket PC's that are very close to the size of Palms/Handsprings and they pack dual-slots plus wireless built-in.
entropy1980
06-06-2002, 08:04 PM
Odd as it sounds seems the Imageon is an add on part of the VGA/USB host adapter coming soon, it will give the e740 the ability to have VGA out, this is per the instruction booklet....
Jason Dunn
06-06-2002, 08:08 PM
Where can I order one?
Could it be? Foo will finally be one of us? Oh happy days...! 8)
AZMark
06-06-2002, 08:19 PM
Where did the extra RAM go?
My guess would be more built in hardware requires more built in drivers.
Just a guess, plus they might have added a touch of free space, just in case they need to upgrade(patch).
AZMark
Foo Fighter
06-06-2002, 08:24 PM
Where can I order one?
Could it be? Foo will finally be one of us? Oh happy days...! 8)
Could be. Depends on whether I can find one or not! ;)
Still, I'd like to get a second opinion or two on the audio quality. I find it hard to believe that Toshiba is using two different audio chips for the 310 and 740. Then of course there is the "dust" issue. I never trust these damn reflective LCDs.
Jason Dunn
06-06-2002, 08:34 PM
Where did the extra RAM go? My guess would be more built in hardware requires more built in drivers. Just a guess, plus they might have added a touch of free space, just in case they need to upgrade(patch).
All that should go into ROM though - not RAM. And it's not reporting that the RAM is used up, it's reporting that it doesn't HAVE it. That's what I find odd...
portus
06-06-2002, 08:43 PM
Not directly related to this topic :roll: but I heard that the XScale architecture is based on ARM (correct me if I'm wrong). Does this mean that current applications running on ARM will run as they are on teh XScale devices?
Foo Fighter
06-06-2002, 08:45 PM
Not directly related to this topic :roll: but I heard that the XScale architecture is based on ARM (correct me if I'm wrong). Does this mean that current applications running on ARM will run as they are on teh XScale devices?
Yes.
butch
06-06-2002, 08:49 PM
it's not reporting that the RAM is used up, it's reporting that it doesn't HAVE it. That's what I find odd...
I think it's a mess-up with the 1000/1024 thing again, but twice :lol:
58.27 Mb * 1024 = 59668,48 KB
59668,48 * 1024 = 61100523 Bytes
Then
61100523 / 1000000 = 61.10 MB
and again
61.10 M *1024*1024 = 64068542 Bytes
That give 64 MB... But don't ask me why... I don't think that is a good explanation...
MattPatty
06-06-2002, 09:24 PM
Anybody know which xscale machine will have the ATI Imageon chip built in since the Toshiba doesnt. The HP was supposed to but I hear it will no longer be produced.
st63z
06-06-2002, 09:39 PM
I just finished reading the review, and I must say good job Jeremiah, and good job Toshiba. These days it's getting harder and harder to pick your favorite. Not only between manufacturers (Loox? Toshiba? Acer? new HP? Casio? Asus? etc. etc.), but also in one model range. With this one, you could go with the 802.11b model, add a Bluetooth card in either SD or CF flavor, and still have a memory slot to spare! Or go Bluetooth inside, SD memory, and a 802.11b card. All depends on what you need most. Wow! I'm impressed!
If you don't have much existing investment in flash memory cards, maybe it's a good idea to choose SD for memory (since a lot of the newer consumer electronics devices use it now). Then you can get the Socket Bluetooth CF card (with built-in 802.11b option), or vice-versa. The Bluetooth CF card is cool in that it doesn't have any protruding antenna that sticks out so it would be invisible (whereas the Toshiba Bluetooth SD card does stick out of the slot).
Anyways, I'm real keen to see Jeremy's upcoming battery life figures with the built-in 802.11b. This does seem like an excellent, excelent PPC. Anyone remember the screen size?
I'd also want to see if there's any interference from the Toshiba built-in 802.11b with Socket's Bluetooth CF1 card (or Toshiba's built-in Bluetooth with Socket's 802.11b CF1 card).
entropy1980
06-06-2002, 09:44 PM
It's 3.5 screen I will be doing the battery stuff tomorrow morning bright and early...I have to head out to work right now .
st63z
06-06-2002, 09:49 PM
OK, thanks, and sorry for calling you Jeremy (I don't know where I got that from). I'll have to remember, Jeremiah, Jeremiah, Straczynski... oh, wait
entropy1980
06-06-2002, 09:52 PM
LOL :lol: No big deal I am trying to get the info to you guys ASAP cause I know how I want everything here and now and I want to provide the same !
ricktakagi
06-06-2002, 09:57 PM
I love this unit! I'm hoping to find in the Seattle area in the next few days...did anyone happen to notice if it comes with some sort of case? I may have missed that in the review.
Rick Takagi
portus
06-06-2002, 10:13 PM
[quote="ricktakagi"]I love this unit! I'm hoping to find in the Seattle area in the next few days...did anyone happen to notice if it comes with some sort of case? I may have missed that in the review.
Judging by the picture Jeremiah included in the review, the case seems to be the same as the one shipped with the e310 model.
Skoobouy
06-07-2002, 03:12 AM
Wait! FOO! STOP! Don't do it! It's a trap!
Look man, I don't know if you've read, but there's some suspicion that the X-Scale chips being used in these e740's is somehow faulty. That is, there's a chance it won't get the benchmarks of later Pocket PCs. You don't want to get stuck with a PPC "stunted half-brother" do you?
I would really recommend you wait for the LOOX, which has a bigger battery and is being delayed precisely so that Intel can finish whatever it was they started with the 400 MHz X-Scales.
huangzhinong
06-07-2002, 03:51 AM
Actually Intel has finished the chips. now the focus is MS. Intel blame that PPC2002 didn't optimize XSCLAE at all. So microsoft is working hard to editting the codes. Obviously Toshiba can't wait the last fix.
The intel Xscale must be the final edition. otherwise Toshiba has to recall all the units, which i think is impossible.
Toshiba will release the upgrade patch when MS finish the debugging in the near future.
i guess.
Duncan
06-07-2002, 04:01 AM
Evidence?
huangzhinong
06-07-2002, 04:05 AM
No evidence. All information come from www.brighthand.com pocketpc forum.
In Japan, Genio E550G was landed on time in June 6th. There is a review published yesterday. great unit. i am really drooling.
ctitanic
06-07-2002, 02:48 PM
But I recomend to go for the model with WLAN and to buy additional Bluetooth card - nowadays WLAN is available at airports and is also much cheaper than Bluetooth at home. Surely not? BT is relatively stabilised at ver. 1.1 - 802.11 is in a state of flux - evolving to use less power, have better range and security etc. - I would rather get a BT device and have my Wi-Fi ugradeable by means of CF cards etc.
That's my opinion also.
mormondad
06-08-2002, 12:02 AM
I can't wait. I've been living with a 133mhz PocketPC 2000 for TOO LONG! I held off on the 206mhz PocketPC 2002's - and you don't know how hard that was.
I'll have the device tonight and will post with my impressions.
michael
06-08-2002, 08:56 PM
I love this unit! I'm hoping to find in the Seattle area in the next few days...did anyone happen to notice if it comes with some sort of case? I may have missed that in the review.
Rick Takagi
CompUSA in Bellevue had two in stock this morning.
T-Will
06-08-2002, 11:40 PM
CompUSA in Sacramento has them also...
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