Is the E800 any good?

[donkey33]

Is this PPC any good?

Reason I'm asking is I was originally going to get the Dell x50v which is $850 (AUD) but have just seen the E800 for $499 (AUD).

Is this worth consideration? Also, does it have BT and 802.11b?

Thanks

[Darius Wey]

It's a decent Pocket PC, but it's old stock - hence the reason why it's being sold for such a cheap price (IIRC, Officeworks is selling it for even cheaper than AU$499). It has VGA, and is upgradeable to WM2003SE with the free update provided from Toshiba, but I doubt its lifecycle is going to extend into the new OS. It has CF and SD slots, but it doesn't have dual wireless. It comes in two variants - a 802.11b version or a BT version. You either get one or the other, not both.

IMO, if you're after a bargain, it's well worth the money spent, but I'd look elsewhere if you want to extend the lifespan of the device. Wait for Dell to have another sale and you might be able to pick up the X50v for only an extra ~ AU$100 more on top of what the E800 is selling for.

[Noel]

I usually stay away from comments about which devices are better in quality or value as such judgements are very personal and in the case of PDAs, require a handheld experience, not just a look at specs. I am breaking my silence only to say that I have used my e800 for a year and a half (the longest I have ever had a constant-use PDA) and the reason is simply - no device I've encountered (including the Dell and the new hp 4700) is better for the money. The e800 still runs flawlessly ( i use it daily for wma/mp3 and video playback - CF(2G) + SD(1G) as well as wirelessly @ home and @ work for file transfer and digital imaging ) The new e830 is virtually identical except for 620Mz processor and built-in BT. The e800 has 128M RAM (62M for the Dell) plus a 4" VGA screen that is not only larger than the 3.7" Dell, but IMHO is visually better, perhaps due to the ATI 2M video controller. It will take one heck of a lot better device than those currently available to make me part with my e800 and hundreds of dollars!

Cheers!

Noel

[Ripper014]

I just want to make one correction on Noel's post... the processor on the e830 is 520mhz...

I would also advise on not speculating on what devices will be running the next operationing system. Although they may be physically capable of doing such... the manufacturers have not been providing OS upgrades... With the exception of Toshiba who did provide a path for the e400 and e800 series to wm2003.

I have had the opportunity to use a e805 and I am impressed with the hardware... and would like to know what would keep it from extending it life into the next OS... it has 128mb of ram, 128mb rom... it is running a ATI chipset for video... and has vga. The only thing is it is using a slower processor... hardware wise it still seems to have some life in it.

But then that is just my humble opinion.

Not that I believe the e830 is that much better a unit... but I know that locally it was not much more than the e800... you may wish to add this to your list to review as possible purchases.

http://www.vgapocketpc.com/vga-pocket-pc-comparison.php

[donkey33]

Thanks.

The reason I was considering this was because it was cheap. I knew it would be yesterday's PPC since the new ones are out but mainly for price.

Question is, I have a BT dongle. Could I use this with the E800? Does it have a USB slot for this?

That way, I could get the 802.11b and when I needed BT, just use the dongle.

Thanks

[Menneisyys]

Thanks.

The reason I was considering this was because it was cheap. I knew it would be yesterday's PPC since the new ones are out but mainly for price.

Question is, I have a BT dongle. Could I use this with the E800? Does it have a USB slot for this?


It has (via an add-on cable/the Presentation Pack), but it doesn't support Wi-Fi/BT dongles. You can, however, use CF/SD BT cards with it.

[donkey33]

It has (via an add-on cable/the Presentation Pack), but it doesn't support Wi-Fi/BT dongles. You can, however, use CF/SD BT cards with it.

Ok. That's fine.

So, I could get a CF/SD BT card and use that?

That way I'd have Wi-Fi and BT, yes?

Thanks

[Darius Wey]

So, I could get a CF/SD BT card and use that? That way I'd have Wi-Fi and BT, yes?

Yes. It works. I've seen that exact scenario in action before.

[rob_ocelot]

A nice feature that makes the e800 unique is the Presentation Pack that give syou VGA-out and USB host cababilites. Use this with Nyditot Virtual Display 4.0 and a hub with keyboard and mouse and you basically can use it like a desktop.

It should be noted that the e830 does NOT support VGA out on the presentation pack.

The USB host capabilites make the e800 a powerhouse for expandability -- providing there are drivers.

[donkey33]

Thanks.

So, do you think I should get it if I'm just looking for a basic PPC?

Or, is there something else around the $300-$400 AUD mark I should consider?

Thanks

[Menneisyys]

So, do you think I should get it if I'm just looking for a basic PPC?

As a cheap PPC, the e800 is a very good buy, if you can live with its size and weight. Even if you look for a "basic" PPC, you'll appreciate its (comparatively) gorgeous 4" VGA screen when e.g. browsing the Internet.

[Darius Wey]

So, do you think I should get it if I'm just looking for a basic PPC? Or, is there something else around the $300-$400 AUD mark I should consider?

In a nutshell, you won't see much around the AU$300-$400 mark. Unless an rx1715 interests you. :sleeping: ;)

If I had my way, I'd definitely be picking up an e800 in favour over what else is on offer in Australian stores at the moment.

[Ripper014]

lol....

Ok... if the Hp rx1715 was rated on a scale of 1 through 10 it would probably be a "1" and I think I am being generous. The Toshiba e805 would be in the neighbourhood of a "7" since there are no "10's"...

Do not kid yourself it is still a very good machine... it was extremely advanced when it came out... and still competes well with todays newer devices... It does labour with a slower processor... but I hear it overclocks well with software... ie... PocketHackMaster... so that should help.

If I was to choose between a low to middle-end current unit and the Toshiba... I would take the Toshiba in a heartbeat. In fact I would be surprised if you waited to long... are you sure they still have any in stock...???

[Dyvim]

I have been programming for handheld devices of various form factors since 1999, and the e800 was by far my favorite device I ever used. I "upgraded" last month to an e830 (because I liked the e800 so much but just wanted a slightly faster version with builtin WiFi & BT), but the jury is still out as to whether I prefer the e830 over the e800. With overclocking you can run the e800 at practically the same speed as the e830 (even while overclocked).

[Darius Wey]

I would take the Toshiba in a heartbeat. In fact I would be surprised if you waited to long... are you sure they still have any in stock...???

Not many. There are a few still available, but many stores have already sold most of their stock, so donkey33, if I were you, I'd be rushing out to get it right now... Like now. Don't even sign out of your account. :P