.: Toshiba e310 review

Author - Pavel Koza :: User rating -   (27 votes) :: Views - 9763 September 16, 2002 :: Toshiba entered the PocketPC device market only recently but the more aggressively. Toshiba e570 was not officially imported to the Czech Republic but it became popular in the West mainly due to its price. Toshiba has recently introduced two new devices - we are going to take a closer look at the first of them, Toshiba e310.

Slim... Slimmer... the Slimmest!

Toshiba as a PDA manufacturer is not completely unknown to users of Windows CE devices, although it entered the PDA market only recently with its e570 model. Just a few weeks ago, it introduced two new devices. The first one is Toshiba e740, designed mainly for the up-market: besides other advanced features it has a built-in Wi-Fi support. The other device, which we are going to talk about, is Toshiba e310. We could test the new Toshiba as a courtesy of the company Sunnysoft which is one of its distributors in the Czech Republic.

What's in the box?

A usually shaped and sized box contains more or less the same as in any PDA device packaging, including:

• Toshiba e310
• Cradle with a USB connector
• Mains adapter
• Protective case
• Stylus
• Applications CD-ROM
• User manual
• Warranty
• A quick-start guide

(Note: given the fact that all accessories are fully compatible with both Toshiba e740 and Toshiba e310, descriptions in both reviews are the same. Likewise, some of the features of the two devices are identical.)

The cradle is not as elegant as, say, the one supplied with iPAQ. However, there is no danger of it "travelling" around your desk due to its relatively great weight and anti-slip bottom. The standard cradle comes with USB cable only; if you need a serial connection with your computer, you must order it extra. Perhaps in an effort to push the price down as much as possible, Toshiba does not supply a spare stylus. I think everybody who has ever used more than one stylus can confirm that it is very handy. The case is convenient and protects the device well against damage; the display area is reinforced with a hard plate. The user manual can guide even an absolute beginner through the first steps with his or her new device. If you think reading manuals is a waste of time, there is a one-page quick-start guide which tells you, besides other things, how to activate the battery so that you can switch on your new PDA for the first time.

Parameters and design

Toshiba e310 is being presented as the slimmest Pocket PC device on the market. I have to admit that it is true, at least at the moment I am writing this review. It is a real midget with a thickness of 12 mm and weight of 140 g. It has a classical shape, unlike iPAQ that I already mentioned - Toshiba chose quite a sober design. Judging from the few days I could carry it around I can say it fits in the hand very well, you can hardly feel it due to its extremely low weight. The only problem I had was reaching the "Navigator" key on the left hand side of the device but maybe a bit of training would solve that.

Toshiba e310 is highly attractive at first sight. Its rugged metal housing feels nice to the touch. There is nothing unusual on the front - most of it is occupied by a large display, there are 4 application launch buttons and one direction button in a row, a speaker is located below the keys and to the right, an indicator LED is on the top. The indicator can shine orange, green or yellow (in case the device is overheated - according to manufacturer specifications, it can operate at temperatures from 0 to 40 degrees Celsius).

The back cover is completely uninspiring; the only interesting element is a soft-reset button.

The sides are much more interesting. Looking from the top, you can see a headphones jack, a MMC/SD slot with a plastic lid, microphone, an infrared eye (115.2kbps), power on/off switch, and the stylus. On the bottom side, there is a cradle connector, power connector (the device can be charged even without the cradle), and a battery switch. The last side worth mentioning is the left-hand side , which hosts a control for scrolling up and down, pressing it executes a command. A record button is right above the scroll control. There are no controls on the remaining side.

Toshiba is powered by Intel StrongARM processor running at 206 MHz. 32 MB of RAM can be considered below-average and suitable only for less demanding tasks. 32 MB of re-writable FlashROM containing the system is a standard. The device is equipped with a graphic chip from MediaQ with own 256 kB memory.

We have performed tests using the VOBenchmark benchmarking utility produced by Virtual Office Systems. The results are as follows:

The display is significantly better than that used in Toshiba e570 - it is brighter with clearer colours. It is a 240x320-pixel, 16bit-colour reflexive TFT display. Its parameters are standard but it still lacks something of the quality of displays used in devices like Compaq iPAQ 3870 or Compaq iPAQ 3970. Although it seems brighter, it is harder to read under direct sunlight. Unlike in iPAQs, the backlight comes from the lower edge of the display.

Intensity of the backlight is set from within the operating system separately for operation on battery and in cradle; there are five degrees for each situation. The size of the display is a bit of a disappointment, it is considerably smaller than the display of, say, iPAQ. The overall image is somewhat spoiled by overly thick black borders of the display. It might be an intention - otherwise the difference in size would be even more visible. Sensitivity to the touch is somewhat lower in the corners, medium elsewhere. I welcomed the option to switch on the ClearType technology which is very helpful, unlike in iPAQs.

Sound quality is a little worse. The device has a standard set of features: a built-in speaker, microphone and a headphones jack. Recording is OK but the microphone could be much more sensitive. If you put it on the table and speak from a distance of one metre, the recording is quite poor - you need to speak directly to the microphone. Sound from the speaker is even worse - it ticks and clicks and playback is significantly softer than from other devices. If you use headphones to listen to your favourite MP3s, you won't be disappointed. However, the funny noises are even more audible when playing standard system sound effects.

A 1000-mAh Lithium-ion battery is not replaceable. The manufacturer claims it can last for up to 10 hours. I can confirm that from my own experience.

Expandability

Toshiba e310 has one MMC/SD slot with full SDIO support which makes it possible to use not only memory cards but also all other SD cards, such as a Bluetooth adapter from Toshiba. This is the only expansion slot, there are no jackets like those used with iPAQ. Nevertheless, one SD slot should be more than sufficient for most users of this model.

Software

The manufacturer provides only the very ... basic applications. On the one hand, it is understandable: Toshiba's goal was the lowest price possible and all - or almost all - extra applications must be paid for. Nevertheless, even though it is difficult to select the right ones from the abundance applications to please most users, it is pitiful to find only standard Microsoft applications on the enclosed CD. The only exception is a simple utility for launching and closing applications called Home, and a utility for backing up data and applications on a memory card called Backup.

Other

What remains unclear is the warranty period. A leaflet enclosed in the box specifies a two-year warranty, Toshiba's website gives one year only. I tried to find out but with no success. Anyway, you need the invoice and the bill of delivery. I have no idea of the quality of Toshiba's service or its products as such. I have been using Toshiba e570 for several months without any problem.

Related links

• Toshiba e310 official home page
• Toshiba e310 detailed specs
• Toshiba e310 user comments
• Toshiba e310 discussions
• Discuss this review
• Purchase @ Amazon

Ratings

What's in the box?	Everything you need to start working including a protective case and a PocketPC quick-start guide.
Parameters and design	Offers average performance in the era of XScale processors, 32MB of RAM is too little in the basic configuration; on the other hand the display is much better than in e570.
Expandability	A MMC/SD slot is the only option for expanding the device. Considering the target group, it is sufficient.
Applications	Basic applications that are supplied with every Pocket PC device, nothing more.
Value	For $399 (or even $349 ($249 with mail-in rebates!), check Amazon) it is a highly attractive offer.

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