Toshiba e740 Pocket PC

by Toshiba

Product Details

Product Manual [3.49mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000658CE
• Item model number: e740
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (173 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,405 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Packaged in an attractive, sleek design, the Toshiba e740 Pocket PC features a familiar user interface and tools powered by Microsoft Windows Pocket PC 2002. It's the first Pocket PC to be equipped with a blindingly fast 400 MHz Intel XScale processor, vastly improving application switching and multimedia playback. The Toshiba e740 is equipped with built-in slots for both Secure Digital (SD) and CompactFlash (CF) memory and module cards. It also features integrated wireless Bluetooth and WLAN capabilities, and is Wi-Fi-ready.

The Toshiba e740 is loaded with 32 MB SDRAM memory and 32 MB of flash ROM (for future upgrading). It's powered by a built-in lithium rechargeable battery that recharges via the included USB cradle.

Operating System
Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 operating system, released in late 2001, offers many enhancements over the previous OS. You'll get improved handwriting recognition, more reliable synchronization, increased security, and the ability to chat using MSN Messenger. It also features new Pocket versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer.

Display
The Toshiba e740 delivers brilliant images with its 3.5-inch TFT display. It supports over 64,000 colors and has 240 x 320 resolution. Active matrix, also called "thin film transistor" (TFT), is the brightest, sharpest, clearest, and most expensive type of LCD flat-panel display that is practical for handhelds.

Expansion
Expanding your expansion possibilities, the Toshiba e740 features integrated slots for both Secure Digital and CompactFlash cards.

With Secure Digital (SD) and CompactFlash (CF) memory cards, you can easily store and play your multimedia files and carry your important documents wherever you go. You can add functionality with optional CF cards, including wireless and land-line connectivity, Ethernet networking, bar-code scanning, and much more. You'll also be able to add more functionality using optional SD cards, which will become available soon.

Multimedia
Play digital audio (both MP3 and WMA) and video (MPEG-4) files using the Windows Media Player software. The Toshiba e740 is also compatible with audible.com files, for listening to audiobooks, radio broadcasts, and more. Record your thoughts with the built-in microphone and voice-recording software. You can play back using the small speaker on the front or via the stereo headphone jack. You also get Microsoft Reader e-book software.

In the Box
The Toshiba e740 comes with a USB cradle, AC adapter, stylus, soft slipcase, quick-start card, and warranty card. It is backed by a one-year limited warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

164 of 176 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately, there isn't much choice out there., September 26, 2002

By 

Michael G. (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba e740 Pocket PC (Office Product)

I used to own a Casio BOSS and loved it.
I had a Palm and loved it.
I had a Blackberry and loved it.
I had a Jornada 565 and loved it.

I bought the e740, and well... I hate it.

It was reassuring to read these on-line reviews, because it appears that everyone has the same problems that I do.

The sad thing is, at this point in time, there is no competition for the device. None.

If you want built-in Wifi, 64 megs RAM, and room for extra memory (SD card) AND have a free CF slot for GPS, Modem, etc., this unit delivers.

BUT what terrible design!

It's akin to a prototype that is not ready to be manufactured.

Some examples:

Battery Life - One hour of wireless surfing! Terrible. This is a joke. It's so easy to run out of juice, even without wireless.

Speaker - Worst of any Pocket PC I've seen.

ActiveSync - Drops connections. Very disappointing. I've had more dropped connections in 1 week than in 2 years with my other PocketPCs.

Built-in features - Severely lacking. Look at the Jornada.. you could program each button to do different things when they are held down for three seconds, and other such goodies. Not here.

Fragility - Really bad. EVERY other PDA nowadays has some form of screen protector. Not this. It's only matter of time before something nasty happens.

Ergonomics - Hard to hold. Not very comfortable. What a bizarre design. Awkward.

Speed - VERY disappointing. Movies played FLAWLESSLY on my 565. They have TONS of dropped frames on the e740. So much for the 400MHz CPU!

CF Card - Seems to be slower than the old Pocket PC's. Also a huge pain to insert. You actually need the stylus!! What's with that?

Record button - BEWARE! As a volunteer ambulance tech, I keep this unit on my belt in a case, next to my cell phone. I went to use it midway through my 6 hour shift to write some patient info, and... the battery was DEAD! Reason? That darn record button kept getting hit on my belt. There is no way to disable it. I spoke to Toshiba today.

Software stability - None. Seems like I'm always doing a hard reset for one reason or another.

Screen - Not as bright as the others, and not uniform. Look closely at night. There is noticeable half-inch vertical striping.

Did I mention the Record button draining the batteries?

So, my bottom line advice to those people looking to buy a PocketPC.......:

If you NEED one now, go for it. However, you WILL be annoyed. You WILL envy your friends who buy one 5 months from now. You WILL agree with me that this is a work-in progress. But, like I said, there is simply no competition when it comes to two card slots and Wi-Fi.

If you already have a working device - Please wait!! Please! I HAD to buy this one because I sold my Jornada. So I am pretty much stuck with this annoying Toshiba. But if you have a trusty Palm or Ipaq or Jornada.. W A I T ! Don't run out and but this flawed unit! Wait for "version 2.0"!!

I hope this review was helpful to you.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Value, Poor Service Policy, Buggy Product, October 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Toshiba e740 Pocket PC (Office Product)

When I first saw this product on the market I was very excited. It boasted integrated wifi, the new 400 Mhz processor, a sleek form factor, both compact flash and secure digital expansion slots, and all at a very competitive price. I've been using my pda for four months now, and here's my opinion:

- Frequently drops active synch connections with the PC even with the cradle.
- Extremely short battery life.
- Fragile device - I'm on my third one now even though I treat the device very carefully.
- Easy to bump battery locking switch makes it easy to loose all your data.
- Very poor wireless range - makes the wifi practically useless
- Very few accessories available - Toshiba should have worked with third parties on this prior to launch.
- Toshiba service is abysmal - Takes a long time for them to replace a defective pda, and even then you'll receive a partially repaired unit.
- Record button on side is very easy to accidently push.
- Having the IR-port on the side is VERY inconvenient.
- No ability to set long-push options for the command buttons. Other pdas allow you to assign different commands or functions if you hold down a button for a few seconds. This one does not.
- No ability to use a command button to toggle the state of the wifi connection (which would have been convenient considering how much wifi drains the battery.) All they needed to do to make this work is supply an executable that toggles the wifi, but they did not.
- The device's functionality is geared towards power-users, but the lack of customization options in the product seems as if it is geared towards novices.

Incidentally, I am a computer engineer who has owned about a dozen other PDA devices, so I have tried everything conceivable to resolve the above problems on my own. It may seem like a bargain at first, but the headache is not worth it!!

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expensive, but worth it., July 18, 2002

By 

Michael Buehler (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba e740 Pocket PC (Office Product)

Having owned several PDAs (Sharp OZ-9500, 2 Palm OS Devices, a Cassiopeia A-11 (Windows CE HPC), and a Cassiopeia E-125) I find it difficult to become terribly excited when an new model hits the market. This unit is an exception

In a nutshell, the e740 lives up to its claims without a hitch.

Battery life is excellent with the WiFi disabled, and acceptable with it enabled (I haven't complely drained the battery and have ran the 802.11b and the frontlight concurrently for over 2 hours at a time), DHCP works nicely and I have no issues migrating between multiple access points.

Wireless synchronization seems to be quicker than through the USB cradle, and eliminates the need to buy multiple cradles if a WAP is available.

The screen is on par with the iPaq, wonderful outdoors, but is not quite as crisp INDOORS as my Casio E-125. (The E-125's screen is completely unreadable in bright sunlight)

The Windows Terminal Services client is an interesting novelty, but its usefulness is a bit limited due to screen size. It could, however be useful to connect and kill an errant process on an XP box remotely...

The performance is excellent, though it does not appear to be twice as fast as it's StrongARM competitors. Windows Media Player video is far superior on this device than any others, but not quite up to par with the claimed 30FPS from the ATI description of this unit's internal video hardware. (This might simply be that WMP does not support the video accelleration).

The unit seems sturdy, and is primarily metal. The application buttons are embossed, and well placed. The stylus is acceptable, but a bit difficult to remove from its holder. There is no cover on the bottom connector, though the cover on my E-125 is usually open anyhow.

The unit's only weaknesses are mostly superficial annoyances. The IR port is on the lower lefthand side and is easy to cover with your hand. The note/record button on the left hand side is the most serious design flaw, as it extends slightly from the case. I have recorded many worthless audio clips of ambient noise, random conversation, passing busses, etc, simply because of this questionable button placement. The speaker is a bit weak, but this seems true of all PPC 2002 devices, excepting the iPAQs. Also, pressing the thumbwheel no longer brings up the start menu as it did on the E-125 (perhaps a PPC 2002 issue), making it ultimately less useful. Otherwise, I find no real weaknesses.

Software compatibility is acceptable, as this PDA runs nearly everything intended for an iPaq, though some key mappings in games may need changes. Some games, such as Rayman will not run on this device yet due to the new video hardware, however, when games specifically for the new ATI chipset and the XScale processor are released, this will be the ultimate gaming PDA.

Overall, this is a sleek, quick, powerful and well designed device. Though I have typically favored Casio's devices, Toshiba has impressed me. I chose the e740 over the Sharp Zaurus ZX-5500, a tough decision since the idea of Linux and an integrated Keyboard on a PDA is quite appealing. Comparing with a coworker's Zaurus, I believe I made the correct decision.

The upcoming X-Scale iPaq, aside from its new transreflective screen, seems overpriced ($100-$200 more depending on bluetooth integration), clunky (it still has the form factor of the current iPaq 5800s, requiring a sleeve for CF), and still lacks the WiFi. Also consider, no insult intended, Bluetooth is generally useless due to its short range, and has generally flopped in the US market. If you really need it, there is an SDIO card for the Toshiba already available.

If you can justify the price, buy this PDA. If you are still clinging to your PalmOS device, borrow someone's PocketPC and you will realize that Microsoft's Department of Annoyance apparently overlooked the Windows CE/PocketPC world, and in comparison, the PalmOS devices seem like children's toys (even the high end Clie w/camera) -- no insult or flaming intended (I loved my Palm III, but times have changed). This PDA outclasses its nearest competiton by a tremendous margin, and with only slight shortcomings has ushered in what seems to be the first in a new era of wireless PDAs.