Toshiba's New Pocket PCs, One with a Full VGA Display

[Russ Smith]

At a where it looked like HP was the only OEM innovating in the Pocket PC world, Toshiba came through with a new first: Toshiba's new e800 Pocket PC is capable of displaying a full 480x640 (VGA) resolution on it's 4 inch screen. Toshiba has also announced the e400 Pocket PC, clearly aimed at the ultra-portable market now blanketed by HP's 1900 series Pocket PCs. Specifications and pictures of the two new Toshibas follows.

[Russ Smith]

The Toshiba e800 Pocket PC (http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/pc/pc_prodDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1847940822.1066 913591@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadcjjkmmgfgcgfkceghdgngdgli.0&comm=CS&plin=Toshiba%20Pocket%20PC&pfam=Toshiba%20Pocket%20PC%20e800%20Series&poid=263419&Adoid=539593) has the following specifications:

Memory: 128MB SDRAM memory, 32MB CMOS Flash ROM, 32MB NAND Memory (Flash ROM Disk)
Processor: PXA263 processor running at 400MHz
Display: 4.0” TFT Transreflective Color display (240x320) or (480x640, user switchable**) color display w/64K colors
ATI Graphics Controller w/2MB internal video memory
Expansion: 1-SD (Secure Digital) card slot (3.3V), 1-Type I/II CF Card Slot (3.3V)
Cradle Connector Port(USB Client, USB Host, Serial)
Infrared port (115kbps)
Additional ports using optional Picture View Presentation Pack:
1-RGB (Monitor) port and 1-USB port
Sound: Built-in Speaker and Stereo headphone/Microphone port (Stereo; 4 ring jack 3.5mm)
Wireless: integrated Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b)
Operating System: Microsoft® Mobile Software for Pocket PC 2003 Premium Edition
Extra Software Included: IA Presenter for ATI, IA Screen Mirror for ATI, World Clock, Toshiba Voice Recorder, Toshiba Text to Speech for Pocket PC, Voice Command, Toshiba ConfigFree™ Software, and VoIP Software

[Russ Smith]

The Toshiba e400 Pocket PC (http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/pc/pc_prodDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0150342887.1066 914459@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccciadcjjkmmkeecgfkceghdgngdgll.0&comm=CS&plin=Toshiba%20Pocket%20PC&pfam=Toshiba%20Pocket%20PC%20e400%20Series&poid=263418&Adoid=539592) has the following specifications:

Memory: 64MB SDRAM main memory, 16MB CMOS Flash ROM program memory, 32MB NAND Flash memory
Processor: PXA261 processor running at 300MHz
Display: 3.5” TFT trans-reflective color display (240 x 320 portrait resolution w/64K colors)
Expansion: 1-SD (Secure Digital) card slot (3.3V)
1-Cradle Connection port (USB Client/USB Host)
Operating System: Microsoft® Mobile Software for Pocket PC 2003 Premium Edition
Extra Software Included: Toshiba Voice Recorder, Toshiba Text to Speech for Pocket PC, and Voice Command.

[Casio Collector]

Hi,

Well, its nice to see that Toshiba is pushing the limits of the PDA market, with that screen (ans yes, its been said 1000x) but it should be useful.

Its also refreshing to see another colour instead of the usual metal (not that i have a problem with that colour - my H5450 looks stunning!!)

The Toshiba Video Out should also be very useful. I still don't think that it is convincing and revolutionary enough to warrant an upgrade yet, though I really miss the USB Host of my E-200 (and all the accessories I bought for it!!)

Timothy Monger-Godfrey

[ChrisSpera]

Despite the value that the e800 might provide, I am still very weary about purchasing PPC's from Toshiba. I have no interest in puchasing one of their devices only to have it orphaned less than 12 months down the road.

Let's see how they do with support for these 2 new models first before I go and spend any money...


Kind Regards,


Christopher Spera

[Pony99CA]

Wasn't it just a short while ago that reports were circulating that Toshiba would be exiting the Pocket PC market? :rolleyes:

Steve

[Gerard]

As I understand it, those rumours were caused by a rash, unauthorised statement made by an Australian Toshiba rep. Head office has disassociated itself with any such nonsense, and as should be abundantly plain, Toshiba has done anything but leave the arena.

This device is serious. It doesn't have a GPRS card, and so I'm searching around for what options are available. I'd like to go wireless, and the e800 looks like a fine one to go with for that leap. Unfortunately, what I would like second-most (after built-in phone functionality) would be a GPRS SD card. Looks like that is still a little way off, perhaps not until this time next year. I have too many CF accessories to just dump them, and if this were to be my phone I'd want that CF slot clear for a camera and for memory cards.

Still, this might be just the push the other manufacturers need to get busy and make a bunch of similar devices. Shaping up to be the most interesting season yet in PPC-land, it seems...

[Pony99CA]

Originally posted by Gerard
This device is serious. It doesn't have a GPRS card, and so I'm searching around for what options are available. I'd like to go wireless, and the e800 looks like a fine one to go with for that leap.
You can get CF phone cards. In fact, Chris Spera is auctioning one off (http://discuss.pocketnow.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14511).

Originally posted by Gerard
Unfortunately, what I would like second-most (after built-in phone functionality) would be a GPRS SD card. Looks like that is still a little way off, perhaps not until this time next year. I have too many CF accessories to just dump them, and if this were to be my phone I'd want that CF slot clear for a camera and for memory cards.

First, as you said, I don't believe there are any SD WAN cards available.

Second, even if there are, will the Toshiba support them? I haven't seen any information (including Toshiba's detailed specs (http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/product/pdf_files/detailed_specs/pocketpc_e800.pdf)) indicating that the SD slot supports SDIO. If it doesn't, you'll have to use CF for connectivity peripherals and SD for memory expansion.

Steve

[Gerard]

Funny, aI thought it'd been written in one of those French articles that the SD slot supported I/O functions. Just looked at a few again, and can't find it. Oh well, we'll know soon enough, long before I could afford one anyway. I'm in no rush, just enthusing over what looks like the first set of engineering leaps of real consequence since the advent of the PPC. Most of what the rest of the current crop offer can be done with an E-115 Casio, really. That's 4 years old, or close to it.

[Pony99CA]

Originally posted by Gerard
I'm in no rush, just enthusing over what looks like the first set of engineering leaps of real consequence since the advent of the PPC. Most of what the rest of the current crop offer can be done with an E-115 Casio, really. That's 4 years old, or close to it.
Uh oh, you've struck one of my hot buttons! Please read my editorial on Pocket PC innovation (http://www.garlic.com/~svvg/svvgppcthoughts.html#THOUGHT_COMPAQ_INNOVATION). (It's more about Compaq's innovation, but you'll get the point.)

Specifically, I'd count Bluetooth and WiFi as items of "real consequence".

Steve

[Gerard]

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi... both of which can be used with a CF card in a Casio E-115. Sorry, but I have a Casio EG-800 - basically a glorified E-125 - and know from my own direct experience as well as reports by other users of this device that it can support pretty close to 100% of the accessory functions made available in the more recent iPAQ models. Of course, only one card at a time may be used in the Casio. Extensive emailing and searching have determined that the slot itself is the limiting factor, not the fact that no one has bothered to make a twin-slot adapter for the unit.

So I say quite confidently that the oldest Pocket PC models, including the E-115, the Jornada 525, and the earliest iPAQ (with the right sleeves) can all perform the functions of the most recently released iPAQ models. Sure, the current crop tends to integrate functions more, with 1 or 2 networking features built into some models. I don't use networking myself (except for dialup access, if that counts), and so the differences seem less significant to me than to some others. Then again, with most of the current crop not offering a CF II slot, from my perspective they are severely limited. What about CF cameras? CF > PC adapters for use with external hard drives? The older Casio and Jornada (though the latter had only CF I, a very cheap 'backpack' add-on allows CF II use) allow for the greatest variety of add-ons, without the need for expensive and often bulky sleeves. SD cameras are now coming available, but with most SD slots being non-I/O this is of limited interest... so far.

I am not saying improvements have not been made. Of course they have. But they are baby steps, small increments in convenience similar to what has happened with the bulk of cellphone release history. Add a feature, charge more. It's a great way to milk the market for every spare dime, giving the average, gullible consumer the illusion of significant change while really improving very little.

The Toshiba tosses that to the wind. They have preserved ALL the best small improvements, included the most proven of wireless networking protocols, and given us twin slots in a very trim package. Added to that they offer the biggest PPC screen ever, the highest resolution by a factor of 4x the pixel density, and made a relatively cheap (currently listed at USD$99) battery available offering more than 20 hours of usability! These are killer changes. No other PPC has ever offered a claimed 25 hours of use (of course, manufacturer's estimates should always be clipped by about 20% or more, as they tend to be based on ideal circumstances). This release marks a significant shift in the way a PPC is used and seen. It makes serious graphics work a real possibility for the first time. I've been struggling with Pocket Artist on this 3835 for too long, and desperately want a proper screen.

It remains to be known whether this device truly delivers. It's completely possible that one or more of the new features is buggy, in which case it offers even more incentive to other manufacturers to jump in with a similarly feature-rich device but better QC.

.........................

As to your table of innovations:

~ Strong ARM 206 MHz processor (a first in the industry)
* Yes, true enough. The older MIPS and SH3 processors were slower... But in the case of the MIPS, this was later discovered to be an intentional crippling by the bSquare corporation, who were given the task of optimising the ship and chose not to bother. A 133MHz MIPS processor should have been able to out-perform a 206MHz ARM, with estimates on relative performance with proper optimisation running between 210MHz and 235MHz (apparent, as in benchmark performance). It was unfortunate that bSquare Corp. was allowed to get away with this, essentially driving Casio out of the PPC market.

~ Side-lit screen that's easily visible outdoors (a first in the industry)
* ... and painful to anyone on the user's left side. Ever sit up in bed with your partner reading a paper book, you reading your iPAQ? Ever get told to shut the damned thing off by that angry, irritated partner? I have. It's an embarrassment. The brilliantly shining sidelight also calls unwanted attention to my 3835 on public transit and in other public places... sometimes the attention of would-be thieves. I have been followed at least a couple of times by thug-types who obviously hoped I might step into an alleyway and grant them an opportunity to challenge me for the iPAQ. Fortunately, I am a somewhat imposing man and nothing has come of this. I'd hate to be a small man or a woman alone with one of these beacons in hand, in public. My old Casios were much more discreet. Many apparently thought I was playing with a small radio, from comments I had.

~ Flash ROM for upgradability (a first in the industry)
* Definitely cool, if Compaq bothered to release an upgrade for one's particular model. Support hasn't proven all that great for quite a lot of iPAQ owners, from the many comments I've read over the years in public forums. Of course, this is at least in part due to ROM size limitations. But why not then make a little effort and offer users of 16MB ROM devices a trimmed custom ROM version of every OS? There are features which could be left out, perhaps rendering several user-type specific versions, each at a price. With features fully listed there would be no cause for user complaints. Those who just wanted the newest media player and optimisations could grab that version, those who wanted better features in Word and Excel could grab another.

~ Expansion sleeves (a first in the industry)
* This represents an advantage primarily for Compaq, and now HP, who have made a lot of money selling over-priced sleeves to accomodate all the many expansion needs of users. This was especially profitable with the early, slotless iPAQ models. With any other PPC all one need do is pop in the card of choice. With an iPAQ there were two costs for many single-purpose expansions. This is an advantage to the consumer? Add to this the fact that many of the Compaq and third-party sleeves were/are very poorly made and prone to dying, and there's a lot of cause to be angry at Compaq for this sleeve decision. I have a very nice, very dead PC sleeve. It has a great battery, which I cannot use, because after just over a year of use it just stopped working.

~ 64 MB RAM (a first in the industry)
* Yup, that's a good one. I agree.

~ iPAQ 3800s - 64k color screen (a first, I think)
* I told you about this error before; why haven't you corrected this on the chart? The Casio E-100 had the first 65K screen. That predates the E-115 by a year and a half, and the general public availability of the 4K iPAQ 36xx devices by almost 2 years. The 64K+ iPAQ 38xx series devices didn't become available until 2 and a half years after this advent. Please, correct the error.

~ SD support (a first, I think, although the Casio EM-500 had MMC)
* A Casio EM-500 can use an SD card, up to 128MB. That's my understanding. Please correct me if it's in error. The Casio didn't support the 'secure' aspects of the SD card, but then again neither has any significant development been done supporting this area. A few medical text programs delivered on SD cards, perhaps one or two other things. That's it. Otherwise, an SD slot which is non-I/O behaves much like an MMC slot for running programs or reading data.

~ Bluetooth (a first in the industry)
* Available on just about any device with a card. Buggy, seldom works according to plan, and quite possibly a dying protocol.

~ Transflective screen (a first in Pocket PCs)
* Yup, the outdoor readability thing has always been the one place where I see the iPAQ line as shining. Of course, it came at the cost of a decent indoor screen, making any serious graphical work a joke. I can paint something on my Casio, dump it to my iPAQ 3835, and see almost none of it even at the brightest setting due to a combination of incredibly weak screen contrast and the milky overlay inherent in all the earlier models. With the 39xx series they finally got rid of the blue-whitel layer. I've been looking for a deal on a 3970 ever since... though now this e800 is looking a whole lot better.

~Consumer-level IR (a first in Pocket PCs)
* ... which they have now phased out, apparently due to almost complete lack of consumer interest.

~ 48 MB ROM (a first in the industry)
* Good, yes. But the iPAQ File Store is inherently unstable for many users, with weird file system errors and behaviors. Ever checked the time stamp on something you dropped in there a long while ago and haven't touched since? Says today's date, doesn't it? Same for EXE and DLL files. This can cause problems with resets, and also with editing documents in certain programs (GigaPad making this most glaringly obvious, as it refuses to allow editing due to errors being reported about once a second "The file has been modified outside of GigaPad. Do you want to reload it?"). Apparently, this extra bit of ROM has not been properly implemented as a user-friendly space, though for many uses it seems to work anyway.

~ Built-in fingerprint scanner
* Which almost no one uses. Passwords are still the favoured means of device security, and even there fewer than one third of users bother. This seems to me to be a sales tool more than anything else, something to move more units into 'vertical' markets by assuaging the fears of semi-ignorant IT folks and their bosses. The bulk of users will never use this.

[Pony99CA]

Originally posted by Gerard
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi... both of which can be used with a CF card in a Casio E-115. Sorry, but I have a Casio EG-800 - basically a glorified E-125 - and know from my own direct experience as well as reports by other users of this device that it can support pretty close to 100% of the accessory functions made available in the more recent iPAQ models.

Sure, if you have a CF WiFi card, you can put it in a Casio. I can also take a 1998 PC and replace the motherboard, hard disk, and so on, and have a state-of-the-art PC. If that works for you, that's great, but many people prefer integrated functions.

Originally posted by Gerard
Of course, only one card at a time may be used in the Casio. Extensive emailing and searching have determined that the slot itself is the limiting factor, not the fact that no one has bothered to make a twin-slot adapter for the unit.

Yes, only one card can be used at a time. I have three slots on my iPAQ, all of which are in use (256 MB SD card, 512 MB CF card, PC Card WiFi). So saying that the Casio can be expanded doesn't impress me much, because I can expand the iPAQ much more.

Originally posted by Gerard
I am not saying improvements have not been made. Of course they have. But they are baby steps, small increments in convenience similar to what has happened with the bulk of cellphone release history. Add a feature, charge more. It's a great way to milk the market for every spare dime, giving the average, gullible consumer the illusion of significant change while really improving very little.

As I pointed out in another thread (http://discuss.pocketnow.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14425), revolutions are much less common than evolutions.

Originally posted by Gerard
The Toshiba tosses that to the wind. They have preserved ALL the best small improvements, included the most proven of wireless networking protocols, and given us twin slots in a very trim package. Added to that they offer the biggest PPC screen ever, the highest resolution by a factor of 4x the pixel density, and made a relatively cheap (currently listed at USD$99) battery available offering more than 20 hours of usability! These are killer changes. No other PPC has ever offered a claimed 25 hours of use (of course, manufacturer's estimates should always be clipped by about 20% or more, as they tend to be based on ideal circumstances). This release marks a significant shift in the way a PPC is used and seen.

The only real new feature here is the 480 x 640 screen -- and it remains to be seen if software will support it.

The Toshiba e740 had CF and SD slots with WiFi. The Toshiba e550 (I think) had the four-inch screen. Large batteries are available for other Pocket PCs, and aren't really innovative (although 2640 mah is the largest I've heard of).

The e800 is basically a repackaging of existing technology with a newer screen, so the same ennui you express regarding Compaq and HP (as evidenced below) can equally well apply to Toshiba.

I think the e800 looks like a great Pocket PC, but don't claim that it's all that revolutionary. I give Toshiba credit, though -- they have probably innovated more than anybody else, excluding Compaq/HP. I hope this will kick other Pocket PC manufacturers into gear -- we need screens with better resolution, as Palm devices have surpassed Pocket PCs in resolution.

Originally posted by Gerard
As to your table of innovations:

~ Strong ARM 206 MHz processor (a first in the industry)
* Yes, true enough. The older MIPS and SH3 processors were slower... But in the case of the MIPS, this was later discovered to be an intentional crippling by the bSquare corporation, who were given the task of optimising the ship and chose not to bother. A 133MHz MIPS processor should have been able to out-perform a 206MHz ARM, with estimates on relative performance with proper optimisation running between 210MHz and 235MHz (apparent, as in benchmark performance). It was unfortunate that bSquare Corp. was allowed to get away with this, essentially driving Casio out of the PPC market.

Nothing prevented Casio from switching to a Strong ARM processor. In fact, they did just that with the E-200. Blaming bSquare for Casio's failure seems like sour grapes.

Originally posted by Gerard
~ Side-lit screen that's easily visible outdoors (a first in the industry)
* ... and painful to anyone on the user's left side. Ever sit up in bed with your partner reading a paper book, you reading your iPAQ? Ever get told to shut the damned thing off by that angry, irritated partner? I have. It's an embarrassment. The brilliantly shining sidelight also calls unwanted attention to my 3835 on public transit and in other public places... sometimes the attention of would-be thieves. I have been followed at least a couple of times by thug-types who obviously hoped I might step into an alleyway and grant them an opportunity to challenge me for the iPAQ. Fortunately, I am a somewhat imposing man and nothing has come of this. I'd hate to be a small man or a woman alone with one of these beacons in hand, in public. My old Casios were much more discreet. Many apparently thought I was playing with a small radio, from comments I had.

I think that's just nitpicking about the great iPAQ screen, but I'll address those points.

If someone in bed is complaining about the brightness of your iPAQ, roll over, go to another room or turn the brightness down. If they're actually angry about it, that seems to be their problem.

If you're worried about using your Pocket PC in a dangerous neighborhood, maybe you shouldn't be taking it out at all. I think most muggers know what PDAs are now.

However, do you have any evidence of iPAQ robberies? If not, that's a complete red herring.

Originally posted by Gerard
~ Flash ROM for upgradability (a first in the industry)
* Definitely cool, if Compaq bothered to release an upgrade for one's particular model. Support hasn't proven all that great for quite a lot of iPAQ owners, from the many comments I've read over the years in public forums.

This seems to be an astounding complaint. As far as I know, many ROM upgrades have been made available from Compaq and HP, both iPAQ-specific updates and Microsoft's EUU updates.

Also, every iPAQ has had at least one OS upgrade available with the exception of the 3765 (which people knew was at the end of the line) and the 1910. (The iPAQ 3100 series may not have had a Pocket PC 2002 upgrade available, either, but I'm not sure.)

Compare that with Toshiba's upgrade policies, which have orphaned users of even new Pocket PCs.

Originally posted by Gerard
Of course, this is at least in part due to ROM size limitations. But why not then make a little effort and offer users of 16MB ROM devices a trimmed custom ROM version of every OS? There are features which could be left out, perhaps rendering several user-type specific versions, each at a price. With features fully listed there would be no cause for user complaints. Those who just wanted the newest media player and optimisations could grab that version, those who wanted better features in Word and Excel could grab another.
Read my upgrade editorial (http://thoughts.svpocketpc.com/##THOUGHT_OS_UPGRADE_POLICY) for my thoughts on this. For an embedded device like a Pocket PC, I think one OS upgrade is reasonable.

Originally posted by Gerard
~ Expansion sleeves (a first in the industry)
* This represents an advantage primarily for Compaq, and now HP, who have made a lot of money selling over-priced sleeves to accomodate all the many expansion needs of users. This was especially profitable with the early, slotless iPAQ models. With any other PPC all one need do is pop in the card of choice. With an iPAQ there were two costs for many single-purpose expansions. This is an advantage to the consumer?

It is for consumers who value flexibility and expandability. It is for those people who didn't need expansion, and liked the naked iPAQ form factor.

As for users of other Pocket PCs, sure they can pop in the card of choice -- assuming it fits the slot. With the iPAQ, I don't worry if a card will fit the slot -- I put on a sleeve to accommodate the card.

Originally posted by Gerard
Add to this the fact that many of the Compaq and third-party sleeves were/are very poorly made and prone to dying, and there's a lot of cause to be angry at Compaq for this sleeve decision. I have a very nice, very dead PC sleeve. It has a great battery, which I cannot use, because after just over a year of use it just stopped working.

I haven't had any problems with my sleeves being poorly made. My iPAQ has survived falls in both its Dual PC Card and GPS sleeves, and neither sleeve died.

Also, remember to place this in the context of the times. Many people wanted PC Card support when the iPAQ came out, and the sleeve design allowed keeping a relatively slim Pocket PC design while supporting expansion for those who wanted it. Even you like your MemPlug dual CF sleeve. :)

As for batteries, my Dual PC Card sleeve's battery seems to have lost much of its capacity, too, but I suspect I could get it fixed by Pocket PC Techs. The newer expansion sleeves have removable batteries (although there isn't a Dual PC Card sleeve with a removable battery).

Originally posted by Gerard
~ iPAQ 3800s - 64k color screen (a first, I think)
* I told you about this error before; why haven't you corrected this on the chart? The Casio E-100 had the first 65K screen. That predates the E-115 by a year and a half, and the general public availability of the 4K iPAQ 36xx devices by almost 2 years. The 64K+ iPAQ 38xx series devices didn't become available until 2 and a half years after this advent. Please, correct the error.

I didn't want to change it because that would have ruined the integrity of the piece. Fixing a typo is one thing, but that update would have modified a significant argument.

However, just to stop you from complaining in the future, I've changed it to say the first 64K side-lit screen (and flagged the editorial as having been updated, so people know the piece isn't as originally written). As I was doing that, I also took the liberty to add some more recent iPAQ innovations.

Originally posted by Gerard
~ Bluetooth (a first in the industry)
* Available on just about any device with a card. Buggy, seldom works according to plan, and quite possibly a dying protocol.


As we are discussing firsts here, were Bluetooth cards available for the Pocket PC before the iPAQ 3870 came out?

And are you claiming that integration isn't a useful thing? More memory can be added to Pocket PCs using CF and SD cards, so does that mean HP and Toshiba should have kept the internal RAM on their Pocket PCs at 64 MB?

Originally posted by Gerard
~ Transflective screen (a first in Pocket PCs)
* Yup, the outdoor readability thing has always been the one place where I see the iPAQ line as shining. Of course, it came at the cost of a decent indoor screen, making any serious graphical work a joke. I can paint something on my Casio, dump it to my iPAQ 3835, and see almost none of it even at the brightest setting due to a combination of incredibly weak screen contrast and the milky overlay inherent in all the earlier models. With the 39xx series they finally got rid of the blue-whitel layer. I've been looking for a deal on a 3970 ever since... though now this e800 is looking a whole lot better.

Most of this rant should have been placed up in the side-lit display section. The 3900s were the first iPAQs with transflective displays, so talking about the 3835 here is irrelevant.

Originally posted by Gerard
~Consumer-level IR (a first in Pocket PCs)
* ... which they have now phased out, apparently due to almost complete lack of consumer interest.

Can you back this claim up? The 2210 has consumer-level IR, and that's only about four months old.

Originally posted by Gerard
~ 48 MB ROM (a first in the industry)
* Good, yes. But the iPAQ File Store is inherently unstable for many users, with weird file system errors and behaviors. Ever checked the time stamp on something you dropped in there a long while ago and haven't touched since? Says today's date, doesn't it? Same for EXE and DLL files.
This is the first time I've heard about this issue. I checked my iPAQ File Store, and one executable did have today's date, but several .lit files had dates of 9/12/2003.

Originally posted by Gerard
~ Built-in fingerprint scanner
* Which almost no one uses. Passwords are still the favoured means of device security, and even there fewer than one third of users bother. This seems to me to be a sales tool more than anything else, something to move more units into 'vertical' markets by assuaging the fears of semi-ignorant IT folks and their bosses. The bulk of users will never use this.
I think it would be a time-saver. I use a strong password, and keep the password expiration time set to one hour because I hate having to reenter the password every time I turn my iPAQ back on. That allows a window of vulnerability.

If I had a fingerprint scanner, I'd require the password OR fingerprint every time the iPAQ was turned on, and just swipe my finger. I would increase my security and productivity, I think.

Also, saying that nobody uses it does not make it any less innovative. Many innovations fail, either because they don't solve real problems or are ahead of their time. I think the fingerprint scanner does solve a real problem, but whether the time is right for it is another question.

By the way, can you back your claim up that very few people use the fingerprint scanner? Has there been a survey taken about it?

However, may I suggest limiting discussion here to the Toshiba e800. I only mentioned my editorial on innovation to refute your claim that there weren't updates of "real consequence" since the original Pocket PCs. I didn't want to get into a debate about that here, especially one this long.

Steve