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Toshiba Pocket PC e570 Review

Posted by timothy on from the needful-things dept.

msolnik writes: "PocketNow has a review of the new Toshiba Pocket PC e570. With an integrated CompactFlash Type I/II, Secure Digital (SD) slot, a 206Mhz StrongArm, and upto 64MB of ram the Toshiba is going to give the IPAQ a run for its money. Just FYI with some slight modifications the Handhelds.org IPAQ Linux distro should run just fine on the Toshiba."

7 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Linux on the e570 by Walter+Bell · · Score: 2, Informative
    One of my friends has an e570 and he has been running Linux on it for a few days. He told me he has had a mixed experience with it:

    • He has not been able to get it to use the CompactFlash slot, but he said there is a kernel patch that addresses the issue (which he hasn't had time to test yet)
    • Support for power management on these devices is quite a bit different from standard PCs, and is a bit quirky.
    • The StrongArm chip is blazingly fast, and the system is considerably more responsive with Linux on it.
    • He tried NetBSD on it a few days back, but wasn't able to get GGI to work properly.
    • His next big project is to get ext3 or JFS running on it, to avoid corrupting flash memory cards.


    ~wally
  2. Re:Is there any real use in these thing ? by thenerd · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't see anyone using them for Quake or DOOM.


    You haven't looked hard enough!

    Download Quake, Doom, a flight sim, and a NES emulator here:
    www.pocketpcpocket.com.

    thenerd.

    --
    The camels are coming. I'm in love.
  3. Journaling is a way of life...JFFS2 by runswithd6s · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, there's a filesystem designed for this very application. It's called JFFS, or Journaling Flash Filesystem. The original development for the filesystem was done by Axis Communications, but it has since migrated to the kernel proper under the term JFFS2. You can probably follow discussions regarding this filesystem and the kernel API at the Memory Technology Devices site. Check out the mailing list archives and/or subscribe to linux-mtd from the aforementioned site.

    --
    assert(expired(knowledge)); /* core dump */
  4. Another fast PDA with gaming problems by desideria · · Score: 2, Informative

    Apparently, the device doesn't recognize diagonals on the game pad. This makes it almost completely useless as a gaming device.

    This issue seems even more annoying than the button problems on the iPaq, but hopefully Toshiba can fix with a software patch, or at least in future hardware revisions

  5. Re:Ubiquitous Processors by tercero · · Score: 2, Informative

    Hitachi makes a better processor called the SuperH. But why no one is using it is beyond me.

  6. Re:What does a SD slot get me? by lizrd · · Score: 3, Informative
    The security part has rather little use to anyone. The secure digital people claim that it uses an encryption system similar to that used in DVDs for content protection. Take that for what it's worth.

    The advantage to this kind of slot is that it also reads Multi Media Cards which are pretty much like a 1/4 size version of Smart Media Cards and don't have any "content protection" schemes involved. The gain here is that you can stick a MMC in the SD slot and have a bunch of extra storage space for your MP3s and maps and stuff and still have the CF slot open for a modem or network adapter without the extra bulk of a second CF slot.

    --
    I don't want free as in beer. I just want free beer.
  7. Re:Ubiquitous Processors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Casio was using the SH3 in their Cassiopeia, but now that they are out of the market, there won't be any more SH3-based Pocket PC devices (thank god).

    The SH4 is definitely a nice processor but slower than the SA1100. Now go get yourself an XScale or SH5 (wowee) and you'll have a better chip. Unfortunately, those aren't on the market yet.