Toshiba e755 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003

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

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.


Best PDA Available   September 18, 2003
G (Connecticut, USA)
26 out of 27 found this review helpful

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.


Love it !!!   September 19, 2003
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I was a Palm guy. After going over 6 Palms devices (3Com, Palm, Sony, Handspring...), I decided to try PCC. This is now my second PocketPC2003 in less than a month. I first purchased the new HP iPAQ 1935 w/ PPC2003. The iPAQ 1935 is very small and so easy to carry. But with a lack of wireless (SDIO/802.11 not available everywhere) on the iPAQ, I decided to try the Toshiba 755.

Just got the Toshiba e755 yesterday. First impression, the unit is BIG and little heavy compared to my other iPAQ. I can now feel it on my pocket.
On first power on, the screen went white (just lighted). Tried several options/buttons and still nothing. I thought the unit was dead. I then removed the battery and put it back on. The unit then started working.
The first test was the wireless. It took me about an hour to configure the 802.11 with my Linksys AP. The reason it took so long was the WEP config. Without WEP, the unit detected my AP and I was connected to the network in couple minutes. You have to get use to browse the web via a handheld, the screen is very small. I liked using MS messenger, this is great.
Tried some videos using MediaPlayer9 via wireless and was impressed of the result. This unit is faster and smoother when playing video than my iPAQ. I will be testing VPN and Terminal Services, this will be a good test for work.

Battery usage seems to be good but carry an extra battery if you plan using the wireless. I got about 2h of wireless usage (regular use). The charging time is not too bad either, it took less than 2h to recharge from a dead battery.

Overall, I will give a 5 stars. THis is a great unit, if you're a power users, get this one. At $320, it offers many features than other PPCs for the same price.


Absolutely FABULOUS - Upgraded from iPAQ   October 14, 2003
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I have been a long time Palm user - I just gave my Palm Vx to my son and first bought an HP iPAQ 1945 to replace it - what a piece of JUNK! Not only did I have a horrible time getting things set up but, even HP's tech support spent hours on the phone trying to get Bluetooth to work. Then, when I tried to get help on HP's site, my questions were REMOVED! So, I took the iPAQ back to the store and bought a Tosiba e755 instead. BEST thing I ever did! Not only does the e755 come with a printed manual (which the iPAQ did not) but they also QUICKLY (within minutes) helped solve a problem I had with a setup issue.

In addition, the Toshiba comes with significantly more memory, speed, and other features which, after you would spend a gazzillion or so dollars adding the same things to an iPAQ, it makes my Toshiba a far better deal!

Avoid HP at all costs - I'll NEVER buy an HP product again. Get a Toshiba instead - you won't regret it!


Excellent Product!   December 31, 2003
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This pocket pc by toshiba is one of the best products you can buy. It is extremely user-friendly to someone with basic computer knowledge, and is very easy to set up appointments, calendar dates, etc. If you follow the directions provided in the box, you will NOT have ANY problems with the device.
Do NOT listen to any of the previous reviews telling you about problems with the e755 pocket pc. Not only have I never had to reset this pda, but I've not once experienced any problems with the software or operating system. I've also not once experienced any problems with wifi connecting to my home network. Everything synced perfectly with my laptop, no questions asked. The only problem I found was the battery life was rather short (4 hours), so I'd recommend the high capacity battery which is 3 times the length. Problem solved.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this product to someone who wants one of the most powerful pocket pc's to date, and wireless highspeed internet access.