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Toshiba e800: a first look

John P. Falcone CNET

Published: 30 Oct 2003

Toshiba's new e800 sits atop the company's updated Pocket PC line. The successor to the well-regarded e750 runs the latest Windows Mobile 2003 OS and will be available later this month for £399 (ex. VAT).

Toshiba’s £399 (ex. VAT) e800: fast and feature-packed, but relatively bulky and hefty.

The e800 runs on a 400MHz Intel XScale PXA263 processor and includes Secure Digital and CompactFlash slots, as well as integrated Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities. In addition to ample memory -- 128MB of RAM, 32MB of ROM and a separate 32MB of flash memory for data backup -- the unit features Toshiba's Text-to-Speech and Voice Command software, as well as an application that can support 640 by 480 VGA resolution on the 4in. (diagonal), 65,536-colour transflective screen.

Toshiba includes software to enable Voice over IP (VoIP) functionality, but users will need a separate service subscription to take advantage of it. The inclusion of dual expansion slots offers maximum expandability but makes the 198g e800 bulkier. And if you want to add on the USB-based accessories and VGA output, you'll need to purchase a Presentation Pack accessory.

Despite the e800's powerful specifications and intriguing software bundle, it faces stiff competition from the likes of HP's new iPaq H4350, which also includes Bluetooth and a built-in keyboard. Check back for our full review in a few weeks to see how the e800 stacks up.

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Featured Talkback

Put simply, what is the compelling reason to pay ~$200 extra for an Eee with Windows XP? A Windows Eee won't come with any useful applications and you'll have to buy anti-virus software to boot. The truth about low cost computing is that nobody really cares whether the machine is running Windows or Linux as long as its cheap, its easy to use and it works.