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Review on the Toshiba e740
The Toshiba e740 must be one of the simplest pocket pc design's ever(virtually a square) but the simple design of the Toshiba's family maybe one of the reason why it is one of the most beautifully design ppc ever(including other's are all hp ipaq, fujitsu loox, and perhaps the Acer N10 are one of the most beautiful ppc have I ever seen). But still I didn't bought the toshiba e740 (expensive)...but my brother did tough!. So even tough it isn't mine, I still get the chance to play with it.
You can tell the differences between the Toshiba e740 and the more low end e330 with a black hat above the e740 that I think houses the WIFI( I will tell you more about that letter) and of course the e740 is more thicker because of the CF slot. One of the most sepraising factor about the toshiba e740 is it's CF slot. At first I didn't even know it came with CF slot as the e740 resembles the e330 so much in design. The CF slot is the standard type II CF slot and it's I/O compatible meaning you can put Bluetooth, Wifi and hack of a lot of stuff up there. Just next to it is the SD slot. At first I didn't like the SD slot placement because it may interfere with my peripherals that I put in the CF slot but alas, unlike the hp h2215 it's not I/O competebel..huhuhu. So the SD card mainly memory wouldn't interfere my CF slot afterall.
The screen of the toshiba is a piece of crap! That is mainly because of it's old technology screen that is the reflective type. It's so washed out and not vibrant at all. The toshiba's devastating screen can be seen more devastated if you put an Axim just beside it. But the great part about the screen is that toshiba had learn not to make the same mistake as they did with there e310 which by the way are one of the most horrible screen in the ppc history.(check ZD net.com for more info on the e310). But with the new e755 with it's 3.8inch screen and TFT type screen....will see how it prevail.
The shape of the toshiba e740 is practically square as I had mention above meaning it is'nt a great feeling when you are holding it and it and can make you're hands sore and it doesn't have a rubberized grip so it's more slippery. But with the square side, it isn't as wide as other PPC (dush! pow! a hit for Axim owner's including me). The thing that's so great about toshiba's ppc is that there is a Running Program bar on the System Tab so it is easier to keep track of you running programes.
The Toshiba's IR port is on the left side of the PPC and including the scroll wheal and the battery lock.Some people would have problem with the IR port but you shouldn't really be bother by that. The battery lock is the greatest thing about the PPC because you can open it without you're stylus unlike an Axim. When you heard about the battery lock, yes...meaning the e740 comes with removable battery. I don't know why the Axim's battery is so big(ingcluve half of the Axim's body) the e740 battery's actually didn't even take half of the e740 size. Eventough the e740 comes with 1000mAh( differ with the Axim's 1440mAh battery) but it's still can catch up with all the mid-havey test I carry like using PIE, pocket word and such every day!. But.....yes they is a but, with the 1000mAh battery, it would be dead so fast when you used the build in WiFi. The e740 would flashed it's LED when switch onn the WiFi. You can switch onn the WiFi in the e740 or with the button that is situated on the left side of the e740. The e740 has two LED, one for the WiFi and one for the usual alarm indicator. WIFI hmmm... I really can't say that much because I have no router for the WIFI but I have tried it at a local Net Coffee Shop where it has WiFi access and let me tell you surfing the net would really kill the bettery. Even if I had already mention it above,Really! It would kill you're bettery, no way you want to surf the Internet for more then 2 or 3 hours.
With all the great thing's I have found with the e740(except the screen) the one thing that still blow's the e740 from the number 1 list of greatest PPC ever I found is that not the e740 own foult's but Toshiba(the company)it self. What is it? NO Window 's Mobile 2003 upgrade! What the hell with that? The e740 has 32mb of ROM , why? why? why? Toshiba are so cheap to only let the e750 owners have the upgrade!. If they had make the upgrade for the e740 , I had bought it quickly and propebely make a review about it now(SMILE).
So...If you want the newest and the greatest PPC from Toshiba just buy the e755, but if you are to paranoid to buy expensive PPC and afraid that it's a peace of crap, you can now. The e740 is a great PPC, just spend wisely.
Pros
*not as wide as other PPC
*great dual expansion slot with overall slim size(atleast it's slimmer then the Axim)
*switch onn the WIFI with a push of a button
*removeabel battery
*running programe Task Bar.
Cons
*No SDIO
*Reflective screen
*1000mAh battery just don't do the job with the build in WiFi.
*a square ppc!
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