New e740 and new to the Forum

[beckp]

Hello,

I'm about a day or two away from purchasing a new e740, been using an orginal Palm with IR upgrade for YEARS. I've done a lot of reading and have read all the pro's/con's with the e740 and it still seems like the unit for me. I am confused about a few things that I hope I could get cleared up here.
I'm confused about the two memory slots and SD vs CF. I'm familiar with CF as I have a digital camera that uses one but why would I use one vs the other? I guess it might be easier to state my plans and the experts could suggest which slot is best for what.
1.) I want to perform complete back-ups to a memory card, read all the horror stories. (don't need to back-up .jpgs and .mp3)
2.) Want to store .jpgs, .mp3 and Excel sheets.

Also, what is the prefered brand of screen overlay protectors?
Any "gotta have" software recomendations?

[mashtim]

Generally, since there are MANY more CF peripherals out there right now and not very many SD ones at all, people tend to use their SD card slot for installing programs to a card and the like. This allows you to leave your CF slot available for things like modems, cameras, GPS, etc without losing your normal functionality. I, for example, use a 256MB SD card for installing programs, keeping some pictures and a couple of books. I then use my 512MB CF card for Mazingo (an offline web page reader and entertainment files program) files and mp3s/mpegs. Then, when I want to take a quick pic using my CF camera, I can simply pop out the CF card and snap away, knowing that I still have plenty of room on my SD card to take about 15 minutes of video. The fact that CF memory is almost half as cheap as SD memory right now cvertainly helps in this setup, as well.

As far as screen protectors go, the best , IMO, right now are the WriteShields from PPCTechs. They're not quite as sheer as, say, the WriteRight from Fellowes (which you can get from pretty much any Best Buy), but they last for up to 6 months and that's important to me. The WriteRights start getting all marked up about 10 minutes after you install them and only last a couple/few weeks.

As far as "gotta have" software goes, I would suggest purchasing either PocketInformant (which I use) or Agenda Fusion. These are basically PIM replacements which put contacts, tasks, contacts all into one place with vastly improved functionality. You also get a note-taking program with alarms.

Good luck with and enjoy your new e740!

[beckp]

Mashtim,

Thanks for taking the time to post a response. Makes me think I think I'll pass on the "power package rebate" that Toshiba is offering as it includes a 32m CF card which seems pretty small. Now comes the task of finding good replacement apps of my favorite Palm apps.

[redifrogger]

I would also add Battery Pack 2003 (omegaone.com) to that list. This is a huge help to keep track of battery power and available memory on the unit and any cards.

[67stang]

Peter,
I just purchased an e740 on monday... this is my first PPC. You will absolutely fall in love.

As other stated, dual slots is nice because you can leave the SD in there as just more permanent storage (i ordered a 256MB yesterday from buy.com, $69 after rebate!). I use the CF from my digital camera to carry pics, and because i have a CF reader on my desktop, its a fast way to throw some MP3's on there...

Speaking of MP3's, i found that you can play them in your cars tape deck if you have one of those old cassette adapters (see my thread on this topic here:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6807


I have installed a bunch of freeware that has made the PPC even more fun. I recommend PocketTv (pockettv.com)... that will let you play mpeg movies. The included Windows medial player does not play mpegs, but will play your mp3's.

I also installed "IA Album"... using the trial version right now. This great application is a photo viewer and is much more convinenent than having to view photos in Internet Explorer. You will love it. Rotates photos, zooms, etc.

Finally, if you plan to network (using the built in Wifi) and want to browse files on say a shared drive off your desktop, I recommend Resco File Explorer. The windows CE explorer only lets you view files, but you cant tap to open, view, or play off the shared drive! Very lame. Resco's explorer makes it like a true explorer, where you can, for example, open a jpeg file right off the network drive.


Finally...by all means get the cash rebate. You can go best buy, or visit Targus website, and order a USB sync cable + recharger. This little cord is great because it combines the recharge and sync in one cable, and is very portable (beats moving the cradle and power wire between PC's, work and home, etc.)




Hope that helps!

[redifrogger]

If you get the Belkin charger/sync cable, it comes with an adapter that you can use in the car when traveling - very handy. :way to go:

[beckp]

Great tips guys, thanks. The Targus cable is deffinately on the list. Just waiting to hear a responce from my potential source as I emailed them about serial # range in stock.

[67stang]

Ya actually forget Targus, get the Belkin.
If you go to the "Just Chattin" forum on this website,. there is a code for 1/2 off anything in the Belkin.com webstore. That puts the Belkin USB charger/sync cable at $10 !!! And, it comes with a nifty adapter for your cig. lighter!

[spursdude]

Get at least 128MB of storage. It doesn't really matter what type - SD or CF, either one will work just fine for you. CF seems to be a bit faster, but the difference is fairly unimportant.

You will need at least 128MB of space if you are doing any combination of listening to music, playing games, or holding large files. I have a 128MB card, which I thought would be plenty of space, and I am now realizing that I wish i had a 512MB card. I've filled it up with games, music, and applications.

Backing up on a storage card is fine, and again, it doesn't matter whether you have a CF or SD card.

Enjoy, and get as much storage as you possibly can. :D

[newst]

Let me back up Spursdude's comments. Get as much memory as you can afford. I'm using a 128mb SD card and a 512mb CF card.

I use my e740 as a laptop replacement when I travel on business. The 128mb card is fine for the programs and files I need for the job. The 512mb card holds the mp3, mpg/avi and ebook files I use to kill time while waiting in airports or sitting in planes.

There are 1gb cards available and 3gb cards have been announced but they are outrageously priced at this time. That will change with time. I remember agonizing on whether I should spend so much to get a 64mb CF card for my Casio E110. I'm glad I did though as that card is now in my digital camera, giving me a huge capacity for photo storage. The E-110 got converted into an E-115 which has since been enjoying an honorable retirement.

[beckp]

Crap! Looks like I missed the Belkin offer as the code doesn't appear to work. I'll probably still get their cable though. That will teach me to check the forums over the weekend. :D