Toshiba e355 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003

The choice fell between Toshiba e355 and iPaq 1935 both selling for $ 199.00. I opted for Toshiba e355 since iPaq was offering a measly 90 day warranty! Granted iPaq 1935 is perhaps more compact and smaller than Toshiba e355 but the performance of Toshiba rocks and I have no regrets. Both my PDA and Windows Mobile 2003 have worked flawlessly and has been very stable till now!

I do not know why everyone is complaining of absence of CF card slot when price differential between CF card and SD card has narrowed considerably. I got a SanDisk 256 Mb SD card for 59.00 after rebates only slightly more expensive compared to comparable CF Cards!

What can I say about Toshiba e355? Performance is impeccable. Very stable and so far reliable. I have added a few software, FlexWallet and ACDSee Mobile and both work flawlessly! I have transferred my address book from Outlook and few other data including several photo images from my desktop using Active Sync and everything is working well.

The only complaint I have is about the non removable battery. However I am fairly certain that in about three years time, I will be upgrading this PDA and I am not overly concerned about the battery replacement issue!

I have no hesitation in recommending Toshiba e355 to those who are looking for a base level PDA but do not intend to carry it in their shirt pockets (iPaq 1935 is more appropriate!)

Have fun using Toshiba e355!


Go for ipaq 1935 instead of this one!   September 11, 2003
Qi Zhang (Rockville, MD USA)
29 out of 39 found this review helpful

i bought this one two weeks ago and returned it after 3
days. i noticed that its battery life is not very good.
further you need to send it to toshiba for a replacement
battery after 1-2 year of use (i called toshiba service).
it still does not fit in a pocket well....
fortunately, during that period, ipaq 1935 came out
at the same price after rebate.

1935 has everything e355 has except that
it uses a slower processor, but i dont use it for
intensive computing. it is a lot smaller. it is battery life
is quite good....very happy to swtich to 1935


No Complaints -- Reliable Unit   October 15, 2003
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

I needed something to record voice notes in a clinical setting and I was going to buy a voice recorder with USB download, but this unit was only fifty dollars more than a recorder so I decided to try it. So I'm reviewing this device as a recording device.

Pros: I can deactivate the auto-on feature which prevents the unit from powering on if I accidentally hit a button, especially the record button. The unit can be turned on with the recessed power button, then pressing the record button begins the record mode without using the stylus. Holding down the button records, releasing it stops the recording. The recording shows up as a new item in a list with the number of seconds of duration. The jog dial lets you scroll up and down the list with your thumb. Takes a bit of getting used to, but works well once you get the hang of it. Sound quality can be adjusted from low frequency and bit depths to CD mode, mono or stereo. The high frequency sampling sounds really good but eats up memory. I've had no problems with memory depletion recording about 30 voice messages at average sound quality. I have the unit on maybe a total of 10 to 20 minutes a day so I haven't had problems with the unit going low on power. When I recharge it every three days or so, it still has about 80 to 90% power left. The included cradle allows full back up to a computer hard drive. I don't intend to buy SD memory, but I wanted to clarify it's not necessary unless you need on-the-go back up. I'll probably buy 512 MB when the price of SD comes down, so I can use this device as an MP3 player. The sound output of this device is amazingly good with headphones. The screen brightness can be set to 5 different levels. The screen is large and has excellent resolution and brightness. The sound can be turned off completely, and the unit can also be set so the screen light doesn't come on unless you really prod the device. I like the slim form of this unit. I had it in my pants pocket today and I usually keep it in my lab coat and I couldn't find it until I started fishing for change. It doesn't weigh much. It has a brushed smoke grey metallic finish which is attractive. I like the square design because I have OCD for things with corners. Just kidding, but I hate the round design of those damned IPAQs. This thing is also so inexpensive, it's nearly disposable. The OS has been stable.

Cons: Very sensitive to auto-on if you don't deactivate auto-on. Record function could be better designed so you don't have to keep holding the record button down. No wireless; its only two hundred bucks. In the settings I set it at, the unit needs to be turned on then off after being awoken from sleep mode to make the nav buttons work. This may be an OS bug. Not a biggie.

Conclusion: A very reasonably priced basic PDA with some very desirable office features. Highly recommended within the context of its use described above.


A pda to have   February 3, 2004
Christopher Williams (Brooklyn, New York United States)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

I am a high school teacher. I wanted something to take notes on and to remind me when homework was due. I searched far and wide reading review after review. I got alot more than that with the e355. I have been using it for about 3.5 months now.
I'll just list the Pros and Cons becasue i could go on all day!

Pros:
1. Great speed.
2. Works right out of the box.
3. Excellent battery life (3.5 to 4hrs continuous running)
4. Crisp display. (especially for video playback)
5. Smooth buttons that feel pretty nice on your fingers.
6. Good price for the quality you get
7. The speakers on this player play audio in the best way i have heard for a small speaker unit. You would not believe that a pda could do so well with sound. It plays my mp3s, wma, anything and don't forget the videos.
8. It has a SD card slot so you can expand the memory at any time. the SD card slot has a dummy card that protects it from being damaged by dust or other particles.
9. Quick charge time. Good size storage built in, 64mb.
10. Windows Mobile 2003 is much much much more stable than its predeccessor.
11. It's much much much thinner than many other pda's i have reviewed.
12. It's much more resiliant to 'falls to the floor' than the Dell or Ipaqs for example. I'm a teacher. I can guarantee you...running around the class will lead to a fall on the ground. It has a metallic covering. (no shaking inside!)

Cons.
1. Sometimes if you use up close to 90% of the memory, it stalls.
2. The 'record audio' button is placed near the top so sometimes taking it out you may mistakedly begin recording. (this can be disabled though so it is not really a con)
3. It does not include the ability to 'go wireless' for internet. You can still access the internet though but you need to be connected to your computer. I did not need wireless internet just yet. When it does become ubiquitous...maybe then i'll go for something else.
4. The battery is not removeable. By the time this actually becomes a problem I'll be getting a new pda..about 2 to 3 years from now.

THis is an excellent PDA is you do not need wireless internet access right away.
I would recommend it with all authority people out there.


slim function   July 30, 2003
Craig Pellin (Farmington, MN United States)
15 out of 19 found this review helpful

I was very skeptical to make the switch from Sony Clie OS based operating system to the pocket pc. I have no regrets!! The Toshiba E335 is a slim line dynamo. I have a 256mb SD card that allows me to save lots of information. I have found one of the nicest features to be the ability to play MP3 music. I am using the E335 as an auto GPS system with the use of the Pharos Pocket GPS. You will not regret this purchase if you are in the market for a PDA. A great value, ...