Toshiba e755 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003

by Toshiba

Product Details

Product Manual [1.32mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009K7ES
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,999 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 20, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

An impressive update of the Toshiba, e740, the e755 offers better display, faster processor speed, and more memory, plus wireless capability and a host of multimedia features.

Memory
The e755 has 64 MB of RAM and 32 MB ROM, plus a 32 MB Flash for an impressive total of 128 MB of built-in memory. The e755's Flash disk can easily be used to store applications and data that will then survive a hard reset, making it an ideal resource for backing up your most important information.

Controls and Casing
The front of the unit has four application buttons and a five-way directional pad. On the left side is the "record" button for audio input (the mic is on the top of the unit) to make it easy to record voice notes), a scroll wheel, and the infrared port. On the top there are two expansion slots (for Compact Flash and Secure Digital cards), stylus holder, stereo headphone port, power button, and and two LEDs (for the battery, alarms, and wireless communications). On the bottom of the unit are two switches (one to turn on and off the wireless radio and the other to turn on and off the battery), plus the DC-in socket and the cradle connection port.

Applications
Built-in advanced applications include IA Presenter, IA Mirror, ArcSoft PhotoBase software for viewing and editing images, and a data backup app.

Processor
The e755 uses Intel's PXA255 XScale-based processor, operating at 400Mhz, which is able to launch applications an display lists with blazing speed launch quickly. You can also adjust the CPU's speed down to extend battery life.

Display
The e755 has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, and a 16-bit, 64,000 colors display for crisp image viewing on its 3.8" transflective screen.

Multimedia
The e755 can play MP3s, either through the front-mounted speaker or the 3.5 mm stereo jack, and also play videos using Windows Media Player 8.5 for Pocket PC.

Communications
There is an integrated 802.11b radio, turned on with a switch at the bottom of the unit. You can easily connect to a wireless LAN or to a T-Mobile Wi-Fi network. Included also is Wireless LAN Utility software to make it easy to connect to wireless networks, and to create and retain profiles for different networks.

Expansion
The e755 comes with two expansion slots: There's a Compact Flash Type II slot and a Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard slot capable of SDIO. There is also an Expansion Pack that clips to the bottom of the unit, and provides a USB port and a standard 15-pin RGB port.

Power
The unit uses a rechargable 1000 mAh lithium ion battery that can be charged either in the cradle or straight from the AC adapter.

What's in the box

• Toshiba Pocket PC e755
• USB Cradle
• 10W AC Adapter
• 1-Stylus
• Soft Slip Case
• Quick Start Card
• Warranty Card

Additional software:

• Pocket Word
• Pocket Excel
• Pocket Outlook
• Pocket Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC
• Media Player 9 for Pocket PC
• File Explorer
• MSN Messenger
• File Explorer
• Microsoft Transcriber
• Microsoft Active Sync 3.7
• IA Presenter
• IA Screen Mirror
• ArcSoft PhotoBase for Pocket PC

Product Description

Intel 400MHzProcessor / Integrated Wireless 802.11 Capability / 64MB Memory / 3.8" QVGA Color Touchscreen / USB Cradle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great PDA!!!, September 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Toshiba e755 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 (Office Product)

Upgraded from a Jornada 548, and very glad I did.

Pros: Processor is very fast; moving between programs and views is a breeze; screen redraws almost instantaneous; screen is bright and text clear; 3.8" screen vs. the usual 3.5" is nice; WiFi is a nice feature; has tons of memory--96MB RAM, CF and SD. Also nice to have a switch to turn the battery off completely.

Cons: comparatively minor for what you get w/ the 755, particularly at the Amazon price. The record button is located on the upper left side of the unit about where I put my hand to remove it from the docking station, inadvertently engaging the record function, so I disabled it. Not quite as easy to insert and remove from docking station as some units, such as the HP Jornada, but again minor stuff; WiFi switch a bit difficult to switch on/off. Manual doesn't have an index.

Great out-of-the-box experience. Purposely did not read the directions; took only a couple of minutes to set up the PDA (select proper time zone, align screen) and then I flipped the WiFi switch and 20 seconds later I was connected to my wireless home network. Wireless syncing is a bit more difficult to negotiate though--still working on that. And while some find the Toshiba design uninspiring, it has nice clean lines I would term as simple sophistication.

While some improvements come with the new MS OS, you'll still want to download the now standard plug-ins for the Today screen. Pleasant surprise: handwriting recognition appears improved from the 2002 version. Have tested it numerous times and it has worked near flwlessly--I might actually use this feature now. All in all, a great unit--if I had it to do again, I'd make this purchase again.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All-in-all, a very good buy, October 8, 2003

By 

M. McNaughton "Cynic At Large" (Orange County, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba e755 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 (Office Product)

The e755 is my fifth WinCE/PocketPC/Windows Mobile PDA over the years, with my first being an Everex Freestyle waaayyy back when. My previous machine to the e755 was a Toshiba e570, which was a relatively uncommon model here in the U.S. (Only sold through Toshiba direct). So you know where I'm coming from in this review, the e570 had a 206MHz StrongARM processor and 64Mb of RAM. There was no FlashRAM area like the e755, although it did have both SD and Compact Flash Type II slots. On the e755, I've purchased the extended-life battery (direct from Toshiba) and the Expansion Pack that clips to the bottom of the main unit.

I can't comment on Toshiba's customer service, because I've never had to use it for any Toshiba PDA I've owned. They've all been rock-solid and reliable. One thing that may contribute to that is that I FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS and let the thing fully charge before I went playing with it. Resist the temptation and you'll likely be happy for it.

I've had the e755 for just over a week now and my overall impression is a good one. Nice solid machine. Lots of neat little improvements to the OS that enhance the experience. Love the screen - both in it's larger size and transflective technology.

Enough rambling, here's the pros and cons. You'll find some features showing up in both columns, since some of them are a mixed bag.

PROS:

LOVE THAT SCREEN! It's bigger and the even lighting and transflective LCD often gives the impression of ink-on-paper, rather than the look of a 'screen.' I don't know how better to describe it, but I like it. Very easy on the eyes, even when reading books via MS Reader at small type sizes.

CASE: It's got a metal case. Big improvement over the previous silver-coated plastic case on the e570, in that the latter eventually wore through the silvery coating on the corners that rubbed against the storage case.

PROCESSOR: The 400MHz processor makes a difference in many apps, not so much in others. However, the overall 'feel' is that the machine is smoother and more fluid, which results from fewer 'little pauses' as programs open, close and move data.

FLASH RAM: The 32Mb FlashRAM memory section is a great place to install third-party programs and your e-mail attachments, in that it completely frees you from worrying about your SD and CF cards. You can remove and replace them at will, since they only hold data and not programs. Nice. NOTE: A previous reviewer indicated that the FlashRAM would preserve your programs if you removed the battery. WRONG. They'll still be there, true, but the registry entries in the OS will be gone. You'll have to reinstall them to regain the menu icons and such. (Found this out the hard way: Dropped the PDA and dislodged the battery.)

OS: Lots of neat little improvements to the OS. Nicer look and feel. If you put a year in a contact's birthday, the note in Calendar calculates how old they are and includes it in the entry title each year. Lots of little things like that. Media Player 9 is a big improvement. IE improved some, but no big deal. You can have signatures on you e-mail now, just like desktop Outlook. And on and on. A nice incremental upgrade.

CONS:

OS: Despite all the improvements, WinMobile 2003 is an OS that's going to need a service patch soon. Still a little unstable, with relatively frequent (once every day or two) soft reboots required. Some programs that claim to be compatible really aren't, but that's normal with an early release such as this.

WIRELESS: While it's a plus having it integrated into the machine, this isn't a good implementation. The OS support is just weird - two separate control panels for what is essentially one function. Compared to the Socket brand wireless card I bought for my e570, the whole wireless process (finding a network, connecting, etc.) is fairly slow. I don't know if this is a hardware problem (and therefore Toshiba-specific) or an OS problem, but I suspect the truth lies somewhere in-between, with the hardware and software 'fighting' each other a bit. Even browsing via PocketIE is slower than on the half-as-fast e570. Not at ALL unusable, mind you, just a little frustrating considering the chops the e755 SHOULD have, given its processor. If I hadn't see the faster browsing on the other machine, I probably wouldn't have listed this as a 'con.'

BUTTONS and IR PORT: I've never cared for the fact that Toshiba puts their IR ports on the left side of the machine. It means you have to hold it sideways to connect with anyone but another Toshiba. And this time they put the port on the BOTTOM of the left side, where you'd normally hold the machine. Dumb. Worse by far is the button that activates the voice recorder. It's EXACTLY where you'd put your fingers pulling the PDA out of it's case. You have to consciously avoid it every single time. If they'd just put it below the thumbwheel, this problem never would have happened. REALLY dumb. You can disable this button in the control panels, but that kinda defeats the purpose, now doesn't it?

So, overall: Two 'real' problems (see last 'con' above), a couple of minor gripes - which may be solved by a service patch in the near future - and several "That's really neat" features.

Couple all the 'plusses' with the current (Oct 2003) practically-theft-for-this-feature-set pricing and this machine is actually one heck of a deal. If you listen to a LOT of music or want to do a LOT of wireless, I'd strongly recommend the 'endless' expanded battery. I've used the thing for 6+ hours and not gotten below 75% charge. Definitely worth it if you're a serious user.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best PDA Available, September 18, 2003

By 

G (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba e755 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 (Office Product)

I am a Linux user and I was going to buy a Zaurus SL5600 as my first PDA. The reason I didnt do this is because my buddy bought it (wanting to impress me) and the media player was extremely skimpy, and while the community was large, no user-made software was very high-end. As a gamer too, I found no games in these communities that were very high end or even interesting to me. I also have to admit it was a bit big. Lastly, I didn't get the Zaurus because it cost JUST as much as this PDA did for me, however this has built in WiFi. It has the same specs, but i have completely wireless internet with NO additional cards. This means I can carry my CF 1gb MicroDrive and STILL browse the internet. I can listen to my MP3 collection and surf the net at the same time! I also use this to take notes during meetings. This PDA has so many usefull functions.

The Toshiba e755 is my first PDA. I have had NOTHING but fun with it from day one. After setting the software up on my one and only windows machine at home (which was very easy - almost too easy) I imediately used some 3rd party software to put a trailer of Spiderman on the PDA. I was AMAZED by the vibrant colors displayed by the back-lit screen and also by how smoothely the frames ran. Next I recorded a simpsons episode and transfrered it to my PDA. The results were astounding. You would never believe that I could fit a TV show in 8mb, a little less than 1/16 of the entire storage space available on this PDA!

Gaming has been reasonably fun on this unit as well. I got the Tomb Raider game and it looks incredible. On such a little device, I was able to play the original Tomb Raider at FULL SPEED (great game by the way). This is perfect for on-the-road kind of things.

Last, but not least, is the audio playback. It is pretty incredible. My brother's iPod sounds JUST as good as my PDA, but his unit gets louder. My one real complaint about the PDA is that the speaker doesn't get loud enough. This is only minor, however, because when headphones are plugged in, even for my deaf ears, they are, on a scale between 1 as the quitest and 10 as the loudest about a 7. This is fine, it is RIGHT where I like my sound levels. I dont know how everyone else likes it, but this PDA, coincidentally, hits the spot.

I forgot to mention the Wireless 802.11b internet access. While it isn't the FASTEST way to connect to the internet, as I said before, it saves you money because you then have a CF slot available. Since CF is cheaper than Secure Digital, you can get higher storage cards for cheaper than you could with a SD card. The biggest advantage to having the wireless WiFi is the convenience of it. It doesn't make the PDA much bigger, there are no cards sticking out of the top, and you dont need to search around for the card when you want to use it. All you have to do is flip the switch at the bottom of the PDA. Warning you, however, this wastes battery life minutely faster. If you wish to use the WiFi, make sure you have atleast 80 percent battery left. On a full charge I clocked my batteries with full backlight and wifi on for about 1 and a half hours. With WiFi off, however, I clocked 3 hours and above. This is definitly great power management wise.

So there you guys have it. This was my first PDA and I was very happy with it. I recommend this to all users. If people ever ask why Compaqs are so much more money, don't ask me. My PDA is just as good, and theirs dont come with WiFi built in. You see my verdict, 5 stars. Please, if you are in the market for a high end PDA, this is the one to get. It is small, sleek, convenient, pretty affordable, and powerful. Nothing in the world can beat it.