I did much research before getting my e405, I checked reviews and info of two ipaq models (1935 and 1945) and was also considering the Axim X3. Since I'm outside the US I didn't have the opportunity to go to a store and play with them, so I had to base my choice only on my internet research.
I picked the 405 mainly because of the 300mhz processor, the included 32 mb Nand flash memory card(internal), the voice command software, and of course the looks and style. It's not a perfect PocketPC, there are a few flaws as specified below. But since the Axim X3 and both the 1935, 1945 ipaqs has flaws, I judged that the e405's flaws were less severe than the other models.
Looks and form factor: The PDA is incredible light and thin, and also it's very solid, no flex at all. The metal case it's great, the dark blue color it's gorgeus. This is a solid PDA with style. The ipaq it's thicker, and I read that the Axim X3 feels cheap and has flex.
Screen: it's great, nicely saturated, very bright and very responsive to taps. Doesn't have color issues. I read that the 1935 also has a very good screen, but the 1945 has a "yellow tint" issue, in which whites turn yellow when the pda is tilted from your point of view.
Processor: the e405 comes with an Intel xscale 300mhz. The Axim X3 comes with the same processor, but the ipaq 1935 comes with a 203 mhz Samsung processor (not xscale), and the 1945 with a 266 mhz Samsung processor (also not xscale). Both Intel and Samsung processors are ARM, but there are software optimized for Xscale and it's important to mention that all of the mid-range and high-end PocketPCs use Xscale processors. I must say that it seems that most ipaqs owners are very happy with their Samsung processor's performance.
Memory: e405 has 64 mb of ram, 16 mb of Rom, and an additional 32 mb flash rom internal card(all 32 megs are available). The entry level X3 (the one I could afford) only has 32 mb of Ram, and no flash rom disk. Both ipaqs hase 64 mb of ram but also no additional flash rom disk.
Battery: very good. With normal calendar, tasks and notes use, with screen light in Auto-mode, you can get close to 5 hours of battery life. If you listen to mp3's and step up the brightness etc, then 3 1/2 to 4 hours. One flaw with the Battery is that it is not user replaceable, as it is with the Axim X3 or the Ipaqs. This could be a problem in the long run.
Buttons: if you are an occasional gamer then it should be fine, howewer if you are a hard core gamer then the button layout might not fit you. The d-pad it's not made for fast movements and there's a fraction of a second of lag. The apps button surrounds the d-pad making it difficult to operate the d-pad at the same time than the buttons in a game. Also it seems there are some issues on some games when pressing the d-pad at the same time than when pressing one of the apps buttons, it seems to generate lag on the d-pad. I experienced that issue when playing Anthelion. I've tested a few games and they work with no problem: Age of empires, Argentum, Fifa 2002, Anthelion (Playing with the stylus), 4Pinball(reconfiguring the flippers to the apps buttons). As I said if you are a hard core gamer (I'm not one) then you probably should look elsewhere. The Jog wheel, record button and hold button are all very useful, and I think they are not present in the ipaqs or the Axim.
Speaker and sound: one of the few flaws. The speaker is weak, you can tweak it to make it louder so you can better hear your alarms. But on a noisy environment it probably won't be loud enough. I read that the ipaqs speaker are very loud, and also the Axim seems to have a better speaker than the e405's. On the other hand when using headphones the e405 stands out, sound quality is very good and loud, it comes with adjustable treble and bass sliders and the headphone jack it's standard, unlike the ipaqs 1935/1945 which comes with a headphone jack that requires an adapter.
Stylus: another flaw. The stylus it's telescopic, thin and small. Although you end up getting used to it I think Toshiba could've done a better job with it. Both ipaqs and the Axim has better styli.
Voice recognition software: It works very well, it takes time getting used to it but once you learn the voice commands it can be very useful when driving, or to control the mp3 player hands free. One flaw I noticed is that you can't stop or change track in the mp3 using a voice command when a mp3 is playing, I think it's because the mp3 is taking up most of the cpu power, so the voice command software has problems processing a new command.
Other cons: as with most entry level PocketPCs nowadays, the e405 comes with no cradle and no case. I believe that Toshiba should've included both, since the e405 costs $70 more than the older model (e355) and the latter included both a cradle and a slip case. I'm using a Body Glove universal case which protects it very well. Also the e405 doesn't come with any form of wireless(bluetooth or Wi-Fi), that's a plus of the ipaq 1945, which comes with bluetooth, neither the Axim X3 Basic nor the ipaq 1935 comes with wireless.
All around the e405 it's a great PocketPC and I believe it will become popular as an entry level PDA once the discontinued older model (e355) is no longer available. The e405 has some features only available in more expensive PocketPCs (like the nand flash rom disk, the hold button, metal case), it features a great screen and an excellent form factor, fast processor and good amount of memory. Any buyer should evaluate those pros against the real cons (weird stylus, weak speaker, buttons and d-pad not for gaming, not user replaceable battery) and the no-wireless con (which I think it's not much of a con in this price range).
I'm very satisfied with this PDA, so far I don't have any bluetooth or wi-fi devices neither at home or office, and I don't think the company I work with it's going to install an access point any soon, so the no-wireless it's not an inssue for me. I'm an ocassional gamer so the buttons are fine, I'm getting used to the telescopic stylus and the speaker it's audible indoors. The not-user replaceable battery worries me a bit, but my previous PDA didn't have a user-replaceable battery neither and I keep it for 1 1/2 year and then sell it, and the battery was in very good shape, so if I can do the same thing with the e405 then I'll be happy.
If I had a bigger budget I'd probably would've gone with the Ipaq 2215($380 when I bought the e405), but in the price range I can afford I think the e405 it's a better choice than the Ipaq 1935 or the Axim X3 Basic. The ipaq 1945 it's very on par with the e405, but the yellow tint issue of the 1945's screen it's a deal-breaker for me.
Prior to picking up this Toshiba I was playing around with and testing the Dell Axium X3 and HP Ipaq 1945. After toying and fiddling with the three devices over the course of 2 weeks or so I decided to keep the Toshiba over both the HP and Dell. Reason for this is the ease, use, and accessibility of the e405. The device is very light, believe its just over 4 ounces, the screen is very bright (even at when first turned on at 70%), and more than anything else when installing pocketpc software and utilities onto my e405 it never once crashed as opposed to Axiom which crashed twice and the Ipaq which no longer was able to detect the SD card I plugged into it after installing some bundled software (it should be noted that the Ipaq did not crash but seemed to have some minor discrepancies or bugs).
Essentially, I would recommend the Toshiba e405 to any 1st time PDA user or buyer who wants a device which is dependable, fast (even when with hordes of software installed or utilized through SD card), and almost un-noticeable given how light it is. However, the one major downfall to this device is the fact that Toshiba did not integrate neither Bluetooth nor Wi-Fi. If it were not for this, essential, feature the e405 would be swinging alot of HP's business away.
Buy Toshiba e405 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 Now
The e405 is one piece of well-made hardware. The toshiba fits nicely in your hand albeit a little small. The buttons and directional pad are crisp and recorder works better than I expected.
For those who are new to the Pocket PC industry and are thinking of buying a e405 I suggest reading the downloadable manual to get a feel for Pocket PC's.
Most people don't realize why batteries die after a few days of not being used. The manual explains this and it is because all data on the e405 (and other pocket pc's) are stored on the ram unless saved on a SD or CF card. Anything stored on ram needs to be powered to maintain the data, hence battery drain over time.
Back to my review of this little device. As a student I wanted something that could store all my task, appointments and numbers. This e405 does it well just like any good pocket pc should. What sets this apart form the crowd are its design (sleek) and construction. This device is solid. No flex like Dell laptops (ughhh!) and every line and detail is superb. (I've had a Toshiba Satellite for 2 years now and very minimal in complaints; no major or minor repairs needed yet, hence the confidence in purchasing Toshiba again.)
With the software I have had no problems at all with activesync or the OS. Battery life is 4-5 hours depending on what you're doing. (3.5 if one is playing just music.) Give yourself a good hour or two to get used to operating a pocket pc. As for the stylus, it minimizes in half when stored in the device and found it to be a little smaller than what I would have prefered. The screen is great in color and is very bright. The screen when viewed in bright light has quite a bit of glare. This is annoying at first but one get's used to it after a while and a few occurences of strained eyes. Sometimes the screen is a little finicky when I try to scrool down pages but that could be a user issue.
My reasons for 4 stars are 1) build quality 2) ease of use 3) ability to store into nand flash and 4) sleek form and style. This did not get 5 stars because for the price I paided the device should come with a cradle and slip case and perhaps bluetooth.
Read Best Reviews of Toshiba e405 Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 Here
Just beware. I own an e335 model and am very happy with it. This time I bought the e405 for my wife and "surprise!" it comes without a cradle and a (vinyl) leather case. They are labled as "optional". The e305 vinyl leather case protected mine from an 7ft drop. You will have to spend another $25 for the case and $39 for the cradle.
My gift was incomplete and Amazon doesn't sell these accesories as of today (4/29/2004).
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I have this pda for about 6 months now and i love it. I had a sony clie before this which went dead on me so i was in the market searching for another pda. The sole reason i went for pocket pc rather than palm os was the wifi capability (Now i think palm os also offers wifi?) e805 has built in wifi but is more expensive than this one and is heavier also (bought this one cause its cheaper than 805) so what i did was bought sd wifi card and voila! i m online. This unit is thin, light and beautiful. You can easily carry it in your shirt pocket and wont be bothered by its weight or size. Screen is bright enough, no problems there. The only reason i have given it 4 rather than 5 stars is cause sometimes it would hang on me and i would have to reset it. Now i dont know if its all pocket pc which do this or is it some software glitch , so i thought would take the rating down a bit. All in all its a good one and is recommended. I wanted a well lit bright screen for my pda which this one has.
These screen guards provide MINIMAL protection; it's really thin and is damaged with horrific ease.
