Toshiba e830 Will Not be Released in the US - And Neither Will Anything Else

We report this with a heavy heart, but in a meeting with bargainPDA.com, Toshiba has confirmed they have no plans to release the e830 or any other PDAs in the US this year. They went on to say that the US is not in their foreseeable roadmap for PDA product launches. They will continue to offer the e830 in Asia and other pockets of the world. While this is not an official exit from the PDA business, a la Sony, this announcement has roughly the same effect.

This news is disappointing, but not particularly shocking. Rumors of Toshiba leaving the PDA space have been abound for many months, but the promise of the e830 had PDA aficionados more bullish on Toshiba's future as a player in the PDA business then ever before.

The demand for VGA displays is high, and the e830 promised to not only deliver on a great screen, but a fast processor, dual wireless and dual expansion slots (CF and SD). With HP releasing a largely uninspiring batch of PDAs, there's been little to get excited about in the world of Pocket PC hardware. Hopefully Dell and Asus can deliver on promises to help invigorate the market and competition.