Toshiba Pocket PC e310

If there's one area where Palms have always held a huge advantage over their Pocket PC counterparts, it's size. Only Compaq's mould-breaking iPAQ range came close to the Palm m505 (see Labs, issue 87), with a weight of 170g vs 139g and a depth of 16mm against the Palm's 13mm. But Toshiba has re-written the Pocket PC rules - its e310 measures a trim 12mm in depth and weighs a mere 140g.

This is a spectacular achievement, as the Toshiba e570 (see Labs, issue 87, p94), our A-Listed PDA until the Sharp Zaurus arrived (see p124), weighed 180g and measured 18mm deep. The only physical casualty is the e570's CompactFlash slot. This severely reduces the number of peripherals that can be added to the e310 - for example, Wireless LAN cards and IBM's Microdrive - but the SD slot is still available.

Toshiba already supplies an SD Bluetooth card (for £125 exc VAT), but the slot's obvious initial use is for adding memory, and the existing 32Mb will be quickly filled if you take advantage of the e310's many features. At the time of writing, a 64Mb SD card cost £43, so converting the e310 into a 96Mb MP3 player adds up to £358; Toshiba doesn't supply headphones, but there's a 3.5mm jack. You could theoretically watch movies on the e310 as well, but as a two-minute MPEG-1 file weighs in at roughly 5Mb, even 96Mb of space will be quickly consumed.

But movies do highlight two of this device's great strengths. First, its pace - in common with all Pocket PC 2002 devices so far produced, the 206MHz StrongARM processor means programs are quick to respond. And second, its screen. This is notably brighter than the e570, and although not as large as the iPAQ's it remains one of the best we've seen.

The brightness - varying from Low Bright to Super Bright - has the largest impact on battery life. Switch it off entirely and Toshiba claims the e310 can last for ten hours. We doubt anyone will come close to this in practice, but in testing with the front light set to High Bright it lasted just over three hours. This is respectable, but frequent travellers will be pleased to see that the PDA can be charged without using the docking station.

We should also praise Toshiba for the excellent battery monitor. It shows exactly how much battery is left as a percentage; the only annoyance is that as soon as it reaches 50 per cent an alarm appears, warning that the main battery is low. The other useful software innovation debuted here is Home. This groups all the programs into those that are running (where it allows you to stop those you wish to close), the main apps and games. You can also create your own groups.

Our final word of praise goes to the e310's looks. Its smooth, brushed metal finish will appeal to all professionals hoping to make an impression on clients and friends alike. Plus, the fact that it's so thin means it slips easily into a pocket, even with the protective jacket in place.

What's more, at £315 the Toshiba e310 rivals high-end colour Palm devices for affordability, including Sony, while the slim, lightweight design means it's a mere 1g heavier than the m505. This is the best Pocket PC we've seen, and if it hadn't been for the amazing Sharp Zaurus it would have been the best PDA overall.

Author: Tim Danton