Big review of Toshiba e400

May 17, 2004 | Pavel Koza | format - Other (ar.) | viewed - 96x
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(112 votes) | category - -

Big review of Toshiba e400

Toshiba does not have a direct business representation in our country, which makes getting hold of their devices for review purposes rather difficult. A few weeks ago, I could nearly lay my hands on both new models but it eventually fell through. So, it is almost a miracle that I have one of the devices here. It would not be possible without a new Pocket PC distributor AH Mobile s.r.o., whom I would like to thank very much.

Let me start with two important pieces of information. Besides the e400 model, Toshiba offers also e405 which differs in one little thing - it ships together with a full version of ArcSoft PhotoBase(tm) software. But most importantly, Toshiba e400 is a very cheap PDA - one of the cheapest, in fact. I will refer to this fact throughout the review, because it would be unfair to criticise the absence of some features that are common in devices selling for two or three times higher price. That's all for start, let me introduce the new Toshiba in more detail.

What is in the box?

An unusually compact paper box in traditional Toshiba colours contains the device but not much else. Yet there is everything to satisfy the down market.

Toshiba e400
USB synchronisation cable
AC adapter and power cable
One CD-ROM
Two brochures and a leaflet

You will be disappointed if you prefer recharging and synchronising your PDA in the cradle. All you get is a 120-cm USB synchronisation cable, a cradle is an optional accessory you can buy extra. The AC adapter comes in two parts - the adapter body and a detachable cable with a standard "tape recorder" plug. Unlike some other devices, this Toshiba does not need a special adapter for direct charging - there is a connector for the power cable on the bottom of the device.

There is no point looking for a spare stylus, either. At first glance, the supplied one is surprisingly short. Fortunately, it is telescopic and expands to almost double its length. It appears to be made of a light metal, both ends are made of black plastic.

There was no room in the box for a case. There is nothing more but a CD-ROM with a standard package of Microsoft software and some bonus applications, a quick-start guide (on a leaflet, in English), a brief user manual (also in English) and a warranty card.

Design

After all those shiny silver, almost standardized boxes, I am happy to review something "with a difference". The shape of the device is rounded, unlike previous models, which I prefer. The first thing you will notice is an unusual dark violet colour in an elegant combination with black and silver elements. Tiny icons and text on the rear side are pale blue. Another surprise comes when you grasp the device for the first time - you won't see something that slim every day. Its thickness exceeds one centimetre by just a tenth of a millimetre; the dimensions are 3 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches (76.2 x 124.4 x 10.1 millimetres). Even though 4.59 ounces (130 grams) is very little, the device seems quite heavy for the size. Toshiba holds comfortably even if you work for a long time.

On the front panel, you will find the usual combination of a display and control keys. The display occupies most of the front panel and is situated in the upper part of it. There is nothing but an inscription "Pocket PC" above it. Below, there is much more: besides an unusual joypad surrounded by four user definable buttons, there is a status LED indicator on the left and a loudspeaker on the right. The joypad - well, nothing for passionate gamers. It looks OK, but controlling the device is not very accurate and despite much effort, I was unable to play any action game comfortably. The soft buttons surrounding the joypad closely do not help the gaming experience, either. This device simply is not a choice for gamers. However, it is fine for other types of entertainment - the joypad works well for most other tasks. The loudspeaker is located quite cleverly because it stays uncovered most of the time and the sound is not muted.

Given the extreme thinness of this Toshiba, the rear side is not completely flat but has several bumps projecting a millimetre above the surface, which show the location of the headphones jack, the SD/MMC card slot etc. Unfortunately, there is no opening battery compartment because Toshiba simply does not offer a replaceable battery. What you will find on the back is a soft reset button, an eye for attaching the fashionable neck strap, and a partly visible SD slot plug.

On the top side, there is a small main switch, the SD/MMC card slot, two microphone pinholes, standard 3.5-millimetre headphones jack, and a stylus shaft. On the bottom, there is a data connector in the centre as in other devices, to the left, there is a separate power connector (coincidentally, it is the same as in other Toshiba Pocket PCs and new iPAQs), to the right, there is protected hardware reset switch.

While there is nothing on the right side of the device, the left side offers a programmable button preset to launch Toshiba Voice Recorder, a three-way scrolling button (up, down, confirm), a switch that deactivated buttons during transport, and an infrared eye. The scroll button is exactly where it should be, so that you can control the device with your thumb accurately and comfortably. Unfortunately, you cannot assign an application to a press of the button, so that you need to launch, say the Start Menu, in a different way.

Pocket PC	Dimensions (in. / mm)	Weight (oz / g)
Asus MyPal A620BT	3.02 x 4.92 x 0.52 76.8 x 125 x 13.3	4.98 141
Asus MyPal A716	3.07 x 5.31 x 0.69 78 x 135 x 17.6	6.95 197
Dell Axim X3i	3.04 x 4.82 x 0.59 77.2 x 117 x 14.9	4.94 142
F-S Pocket LOOX 610BT	3.07 x 5.81 x 0.72 78 x 147.5 x 18.2	7.23 197
HP iPAQ h1940	2.75 x 4.46 x 0.5 69.8 x 113.3 x 12.8	4.38 124
HP iPAQ h2210	3.01 x 4.54 x 0.61 76.4 x 115.4 x 15.4	5.09 144
HP iPAQ h4150	2.78 x 4.47 x 0.53 70.6 x 113.6 x 13.5	4.66 132
HP iPAQ h5550	3.31 x 5.43 x 0.63 84 x 138 x 15.9	7.3 206.8
MiTAC Mio339	2.83 x 4.88 x 0.6 73 x 122 x 13.8	4.36 120
MiTAC Mio558	2.83 x 4.88 x 0.6 72 x 124 x 15.3	6 170
Toshiba e400	3 x 4.9 x 0.4 76.2 x 124.4 x 10.1	4.59 130
Toshiba e800	3 x 5.3 x 0.6 80 x 125 x 15.2	6 179
T-Mobile MDA II	2.75 x 5.12 x 0.71 70 x 130 x 19	6.53 185

Parameters

Now, let's talk about what Toshiba has under the bonnet, its features and capabilities. I'd like to make it clear once again that Toshiba e400 is one of the cheapest devices on the market, so one cannot expect any cutting-edge technologies. Somewhat surprisingly, the processor is not the most common Intel PXA255 but a new version Intel PXA261 running at 300 MHz. This Toshiba does not have software regulation of the clock speed. One of the frequently asked questions is whether 300 MHz is not "too slow". The answer is simple - it isn't:) I am not saying there is absolutely no difference between 300 MHz and 400 MHz but for ordinary users, it is really insignificant and they need not worry if their device lacks those 100 MHz. The most processor-intensive applications are games and multimedia in general, as well as Pocket Internet Explorer (rendering a page of HTML code requires quite a great deal of computing power). In most other cases, the processor performance is not the main limiting factor, although it depends on the way you use your device.

Toshiba e400 has three types of memory. User data are stored and applications run in a 64-MB SDRAM. Unlike in other devices, it is almost completely available to the user (more than 62 MB). The operating system and basic applications are preloaded in a 16-MB re-writable ROM. It is too small for the complete Premium Edition but sufficient for the limited Professional Edition. That is why you need to get a terminal client, Microsoft Reader and picture viewer elsewhere (they are not on the CD-ROM, either). Finally, a nice surprise, there are 32 MB of NAND-type memory which serves as a safe data storage. Reading and writing here is slower than in an SDRAM but this memory retains its contents even in the event of a power loss, such as if you accidentally let the battery run completely dry.

The display is one of the better ones that find their way to Pocket PC these days (meaning it is a very good display:) Speaking technically, it is a transflexive colour TFT display with a standard resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, 89-millimetre diagonal (3.5 in), and 65 thousand colours. When compared with iPAQ h4350, the display is a little brighter with almost no yellow tint owing to fluorescent lamp backlight. The backlight can be adjusted at ten levels separately for battery and mains operation. There is an automatic adjustment of a kind - unlike iPAQs and other devices that adjust the backlight intensity depending on the light conditions, Toshiba regulates the backlight depending on the remaining battery power. The less energy left, the less backlight. The ClearType technology can be switched on and off using an applet in the Settings, which no longer surprise anyone. The display is sensitive to the touch, of course. The whole area including the corners reacts to the slightest tap. I should add that in direct sunlight, you need to look at the device at an angle, otherwise you won't see much. When get used to it, you can use this Pocket PC even on a beach.

If you like using a Pocket PC as a pocket MP3 player or dictaphone, this Toshiba won't let you down. The audio features are at a very high level. Toshiba offers audio playback over a built-in loudspeaker (of quite a good quality) as well as headphones. The connector is a standard 3.5-millimetre jack, which means you can use any headphones you like. I tested the sound using various songs in the MP3 format and was very satisfied with the results. Not even high-quality headphones revealed any disturbing hiss or buzz. The Advanced Sounds applet makes it possible to set the headphones volume (at 16 levels, separately for the left and right channel) as well as to adjust treble and bass (also at 16 levels). There is not a super bass option yet this Toshiba can make your ears ring.

Sound recording is not so perfect, unfortunately. The result is fine if you record from an immediate distance but there was quite disturbing noise in a recording of a conference. There is an applet where you can adjust the microphone sensitivity but without much improvement. To make it clear, the device will provide services of an average dictaphone if not better.

There is not much to say about Toshiba e400's communication features. It offers a standard USB port and infrared port with the basic transmission speed of 115 kbps. You can add Bluetooth capability using an SD card, but that's probably not the way for most users.

Finally, let's mention the battery and power options. As I have already mentioned, the 980-mAh Lithium-ion battery is built in and cannot be replaced by the user. In my test when I normally used the device with full backlight on, it lasted for an average 4 hours. It could have been better but the result is quite acceptable given the small size of the device. A convenient feature is a possibility to set a battery power threshold when the device will notify you of the need to find a mains outlet.

Expandability

Toshiba e400 offers only the most usual standard ways of expanding its features and capabilities. Besides buying standard accessories that did not make it to the box due to cost reasons (such as a USB cradle and case), you can use any SD expansion card (such as Bluetooth), not just a memory card, in the SDIO slot. However, I expect a memory card will do for most target users of e400.

Software

Although prices that hardware manufacturers pay for tens of thousands of software licences are nowhere near those you pay when you buy software off the shelf, the cost is not insignificant and economising on bundled software can save a few bucks, as we can see in this Toshiba. The ROM contains only some of the applications we are used to seeing in Pocket PCs (see above) and the bonus applications offer is not overly generous either, even though four useful applications (all from Toshiba) did make it to the 16-MB FlashROM.

Perhaps the most useful utility in the suite is Toshiba DataBackup which can protect your data against disasters. You can backup to a memory card as well as to the FlashROM disc. You can choose between backing up everything or just PIM data. You can also set automatic backup at a certain time, which is quite convenient.

The other utilities are not as useful as the backup. Toshiba Voice Recorder is a well-done replacement for the integrated sound recording feature, Toshiba Home is a handy application that displays all important information ranging from a list of running programmes to battery status. Finally, Toshiba World Clock will help globetrotters who have problems getting the time zones right.

The CD-ROM contains some of the very basic Microsoft applications, two demo versions and two utilities, both for related to sound, more specifically speech. The first one, Toshiba Text Speech, can read any English text. Although the voice is purely synthetic, I did not have any problems understanding it (the easier for a native speaker:). Its variant Mail Speech will read you your incoming e-mails. The other application, Toshiba Voice Command, serves for controlling the device with your voice. This application is nothing for me, I must confess. For some reason or other, Toshiba could not understand my polished Oxford English pronunciation:) Nevertheless, a native speaker may be more successful, and I can imagine that the voice control can save quite a lot of time.

That's all folks, Toshiba ain't giving out anything more.

Pricing

Price is of crucial importance in such devices. The manufacturer sacrificed computing power, accessories as well as bonus apps in order to push the price as low as possible. MobilePlanet offers new Toshiba e400 for a decent U.S. $299!

[POLL]

Benchmarks

I use Spb Benchmark for a complete performance test. Having reviewed several new Pocket PCs, I will compare them. If you are interested in the detailed results, the complete .XML file is available for download here: Toshiba e400 (2003, 300MHz) [1KB]. If you copy the contents of the file to the form on this page (click on Add device), you can compare the results with other devices.

This Toshiba is the first device I tested with the GXmark graphical performance test. It is not as sophisticated as Spb Benchmark and offers comparison only with iPAQ h3600 but it shows how many graphic objects can move on the display simultaneously:)