Brighthand Reviews the Toshiba e355

But for some reason I just can't get very excited about the e355, and it's the same reason I couldn't get worked up about its predecessors -- the e310 or the e330. The reason is esthetics.

While the Toshiba e355 Pocket PC is certainly a capable little device, it lacks appeal. For one thing, it lacks curves, so it doesn't feel that great in your hand. (Heck, even the Palm III was tapered on the sides.) It also lacks a distinctive design, so it's not going to turn many heads. And it even lacks a catchy name, like Zire or iPAQ. So you're stuck calling it by its model number, the e355, which doesn't exactly roll off your tongue.

So with the Toshiba e355 Pocket PC, what you end up with is the Ford Model T of handhelds -- functional but not very sexy. While it may have worked for the Model T, those days are long gone. Design counts, as Steve Job will tell you, and Toshiba better realize that before it's too late.

Sony, Palm, and HP already have.

Form

Toshiba made a name for itself in the laptop computer arena by developing solid devices with excellent specifications for corporate buyers. It didn't worry too much about design elements, and at first it didn't have to worry too much about price either, as long as it was in the same ballpark as IBM and NEC.

While it's had to change its tune about price -- thanks to the advent of Dell -- it's never really had to worry about design. And that shows up in its handhelds. Unfortunately for Toshiba, handheld buyers are primarily consumers, not corporations -- 70% by most accounts -- and consumers demand style. And while its not an unattractive device, the e355 simply lacks the eye appeal of many of the other PDAs on the market.

Size and weight

If thin is what you're looking for then the Toshiba e355 Pocket PC may be for you. At 0.4" thick, it qualifies for the ultra-thin category of handhelds, and at only 5.3 ounces it's lightweight too. However, at 3.1" wide and 4.9" wide, the e355 is about the same dimensions as the original Palm Pilot.

A tour of the outside

Along the top of the e355 (see picture below), you'll find the microphone, for recording voice notes; a stylus, which annoyingly rattles around in its silo; a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack; the Power button, which is so recessed that it's impossible to press accidentally; and an infrared port.

Also on top is its Secure Digital expansion slot, which comes with a plastic slug to keep dust and dirt out. The downside of a slug is that it's easy to lose, unlike a hinged door that's attached to the unit.

The SD slot is also SDIO capable, although the security function of the SD memory card is disabled. So data that's been encrypted onto SD cards will not be readable.

On the bottom of the e355 are the cradle connector port, a DC-In socket (so you can charge the unit without the cradle), and a battery switch, which also serves as a hard reset switch. The cradle connector port works as both a USB Client and a USB Host, so with an optional USB Host cable you can connect standard USB devices such as keyboards to the e355.

The Record button and scroll wheel are located on the left side. Both sides are trimmed with a thin black plastic strip that juts out from the device's shell. It's intended to aid in gripping the device, but a more rubberized trim would work better, something like what Franklin used on its eBookMan handheld.

On the front side of the e355 (see picture below) are four small silver program launch buttons (set to launch Calendar, Tasks, Home and Contacts), a 5-way directional pad, and a speaker. The program buttons are recessed in a channel that also curves around the d-pad.

Above the display there a small LED that doubles as a charging indicator and to notify you of events and alarms.

Finally, the only thing you'll find on the e355's otherwise smooth backside is a hole where the reset button is located.

Cradle and charger

The e355 comes with a USB synchronization cradle. However, you don't have to use the cradle if you just want to charge your e355, thanks to the DC-In port. This eliminates the need to purchase a separate travel charger.

One interesting point about the cables that come with the e355: they're looooong. The USB cable is more than four feet long and the power cables (two attach through a junction box) total twelve feet in length!

Overall, we give the Toshiba e355 Pocket PC a GOOD rating based on form.

Function

Speed. Powered by Intel's PXA255 XScale application processor running at 300MHz (or 298MHz according to its System Information app), the Toshiba e355 Pocket PC seems plenty quick enough to handle any task -- or group of tasks, after all, it is multi-tasking -- that you ask of it. It appears that all of the problems with XScale and Pocket PC have been sorted out.

Memory. The e355 comes with 64MB of RAM (or 63.19MB according to its Memory app) and 16MB of Flash ROM. However, 10.5MB of that appears to be reserved by the operating system. That leaves about 53MB of RAM for you to load apps and data into. While you don't get the full 64MB to use for your programs and data, you can always purchase a Secure Digital memory card to store things on.

Multimedia. The e355 comes with Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC for playing MP3 music files and Windows Media formatted (WMV) video files. It also includes an Advanced Sounds app to control the volume through the left and right headphone channels.

Display. Toshiba's 3.5" (96 mm) color display is excellent, if a tad on the dark side. Since it is a transflective display -- meaning it can light up the screen with either its own backlight or using ambient light -- it is viewable both indoors and outdoors. It is a 16-bit display so it is capable of displaying images using a palette of more than 65,000 colors.

It includes apps for controlling the backlight, screen alignment, and turning on and off ClearType, a form of anti-aliasing, or smoothing, of text characters that appear on the screen.