Should I get an e740?

[kjhaycock]

Hello,

I'm a university student and I've managed to save enough to buy a nice PDA - I was originally looking at something cheaper than the e740, but our uni has a Wifi network and the e740 seems the cheapest way to take advantage of this.

I was intent on buying one, until I read this board :) -- it seems there are quite a few problems with them? Would I be better off with an Ipaq or Cassiopea?

What I want it for is: mp3 playing, divX playing, game playing, and connecting to the uni's wifi network (pop3 mail and websurfing).

Also, I'm not sure as to the strength of the Wifi transmitter at our university. I know the range is about 300m from the building that houses it, with a laptop -- will the range be significantly lowered if I connect with the e740?

Thanks in advance,
KJHaycock

[gamoooos]

The e740 is great because it's got both SD & Compact Flash. And of course 64mb or RAM. I think the e740 is a bit pricey for my taste. That's why I went with the Audiovox Maestro(toshiba e570)
Your other option is to wait until the 18th of November for Dell to release their new device which should only cost $300, with XScale 400mhz, 64mb(i think), and both SD & Compact flash.
I would wait, because once the Dell hits the market, by Christmas time, all the other competitors will have to try to match the price, including Compaq/HP.

[gamoooos]

I also found a very nice small sized WiFi card at BestBuy for $40 (open box) that works like a charm. So you can always add that to compact flash slot and still be able to play or record your music onto the SD slot.

[craig4wd]

I've been extremely happy with my e740. I've used it at home, in the office and even found wifi networks that I could use while in town. The new release of firmware from Toshiba looks like clears up of the buggy issues. I'd buy one of these over a Compaq any day.

[kjhaycock]

I'm thinking of buying off e-bay, is it possible to update the firmware over the internet or would I have to take it in to Toshiba?

[Hr.Mansen]

Yo...

Read the small leteres before you buy. The warranty is only one year and the support will only talk to you if you are in the contry where you bougth it.
I bought mine on a hollyday in the US, and to weeks after i arrived to Denmark, the Screen of the PDA whent blank (white). The Danish support won't talk to me because it's bougth in US (they even say they can't repair it, for money) and the US support won't talk to me because im not calling from the US.

Right now i'm living on toast and working my ass of to get another trip to US before the warrenty period is up. :)

Why do'nt the rewievers say anything about warranty??? I'll buy a compaq next time :)

[Pat Taylor]

I have had some problems with my e740, but the firmware upgrade I.D'ed on this forum (Good News for e740) has made a huge difference. All the little things that were piling up and starting to bother me have been addressed and "put to rest". This is a wonderful device, and the next step in the evolution of mobile computing. The WiFi is integrated and works like a charm; best bang for the buck out there...

[chen_stanny]

yes! i just ordered an e740 and it was only $389 no shipping and handling costs.
at amazon, they got a great deal.
be sure to get the free super shipping because it saves you $10 s&h charges.

[kling]

The WiFi reception does not rely on the e740, instead it is the strength of the signal in your area. It also depends on the configuration of the AP on whether you can have access to that network! An Access Point can be setup to filter out unauthorized access.

Anyways, the integrated WiFi feature could cost you another $200 for an CF adapter if you are getting other models. For low $400/high $300, the e740 is definitely worth it unless you dont care about network access!