Toshiba Corporation's Pocket PC e740

INTRODUCTION

    It would seem that Toshiba has been trying to set themselves up as trend-setters, innovating new and exciting devices every step of the way. Keeping consistent with these ideals, Toshiba has begun production on their e740 Pocket PC. Complete with built-in 802.11b wireless, compact flash and secure digital slots, a slim form factor and an Intel XScale 400 MHz CPU... it would seem Toshiba has built the dream machine. Is this device as good as it sounds, or has Toshiba pushed for too much, too soon?

WHAT'S HOT

   Let's talk size. Let's do some comparisons with this versus other Pocket PCs.

   As you can see from the table, the Toshiba e740 is only thicker than its brother, the e310.

BOX CONTENTS

You've got a sturdy USB cradle, your standard warranty paperwork & instruction manual, the slip case, and power supply.

The USB cradle that comes with the e740 is exactly the same as the one that comes with the e310. While I was reviewing the e310 earlier this year I always wondered why there was some extra space on the back side when the unit was inserted. If only I knew that Toshiba would be foreshadowing this up and coming XScale device. Either way, as always, the included USB cradle is very sturdy feeling.

The e740 comes with a power adaptor which you have the choice of plugging directly into the unit, or as I have, into the back of the cradle allowing for the power to pass through while syncing. Many people complain about having a two-piece power adaptor such as this, but I find it more convenient because its connector is normal sized. Unlike typical AC adaptors, it does not take up half of my 6-outlet strip when I plug it in. I'm sure you know what I mean.

In the cradle, the e740 looks really nice. It puts your Pocket PC at a fairly good angle to use it from. The simplicity of the cradle adds a certain quality of sleekness to the whole package.

THE DEVICE
   Check out the Toshiba e740.

When looking at its side, the device appears to be rather thin.

From the back.

The simple lines of the device are a good fit for my hand, although I do admit the iPAQs curves are a little easier on the palms.

All in all, the Toshiba has a streamlined design, so it lacks the certain contours that I find appealing in a Pocket PC such as the iPAQ.

This device will certainly lend itself to being brought anywhere with you.

From left to right: The AC Adaptor input, the sync port, the hard reset switch, and the WiFi on/off switch.

On the left-hand side of the unit you will now find the Infrared port, the soft reset inset hole, and the batter release switch. That's right, the e740 has a removable battery!

The left-hand side of the e740 contains your voice recording button and an action switch. This allows you to scroll up and down through your data while selecting it all with one hand. The voice recorder button is very sensitive, so I had to disable it. I kept putting the Pocket PC into record mode every time I removed it from the included slip case.

The right side of the device has no buttons, switches, or releases.

As you can see on the back of the e740 you can find the removable battery cover.

Now back onto the front. The round buttons make for simple and clean lines, complimenting the rest of the device. The joypad, although small, is extremely easy to use, and exhibits very smooth movement while using it. Application buttons include (by default): Calendar, Tasks, "Home" (I'll describe this in the software section), and Contacts.

Also integrated into the front of the device is the external speaker.

The top of the e740. Going from left to right, you can see the stylus silo, Compact Flash and Secure Digital slots, and the headphone jack and microphone. You will also notice the two symbols on the left side of the top view, they mark the indicator lights on the front of the unit, one for charging and one to show that WiFi (wireless internet) is enabled. Thank goodness Toshiba put the power button on to the front of the device. The Toshiba e310 had its power button on the top and it was very painful to operate.

After removing a few dummy cards, you are on your way to using industry standard Secure Digital, Multimedia, and Compact Flash cards. Like my colleague Jared Miniman, I am not a big fan of dummy cards... I find a simple slot cover to be the best solution.

To eject the Compact Flash card, you must simply press the inset eject button with the stylus.

Speaking of styli, the stylus on the device is relatively lightweight, and feels rather cheap. As a point of merit, it is of good length. (some Pocket PC styli are often too short)

PICTORIALLY - Toshiba e740 versus Toshiba e310 & Compaq iPAQ 3870
   I'm sure most of you are wondering how this device measures up when compared to other Pocket PCs. For the purposes of this review, I matched the Toshiba against its brother, the slim Toshiba e310 and a Compaq iPAQ 3870 Pocket PC.

Side-by-side, all the Pocket PCs are generally about the same length. Be sure to note how much bigger the iPAQ display is.

From top to bottom: Toshiba e310, Toshiba e740, Compaq iPAQ 3870.

And on the left...

The Toshibas really seem a lot smaller in this view.

And finally from the bottom... a curve or two on the bottom of the e740 would not hurt. It would, at the very least, make the device seem more slim.

All in all, I find the design of the e740 to be clean and elegant. If your primarily concerned with making sure your Pocket PC actually fits in your pocket, you wont have to worry with this unit. Its just slim enough to slip in your pocket undetected. Don't move a muscle! Let's delve deeper into the workings of this device. Read on!

Continue On: General Discussion . . .