Palm Tungsten E vs E2

The Palm Tungsten E2 is the replacement to the very popular Tungsten E, with major improvements to its capabilities. First and foremost, the E2 has moved to an Intel Xscale processor that runs at a much faster 200Mhz compared to the 126Mhz Texas Instruments OMAP (ARM) processor. Faster processor means faster program loading and better overall performance in all applications that you have.

Another key change in the E2 is the memory. Despite having the same amount of memory as the E, at 32MB for the entire system, the E2 has changed to non-volatile memory. Although non-volatile memory is not as fast as volatile memory, it has the advantage of retaining data even when power goes out. So if you fail to charge your E2 and your battery goes kaput, your information would not go along with it. This is one of the most major concerns PDA users had in the past. Aside from retaining data, the use of non-volatile memory extends battery life by a little bit since it doesn’t need to be constantly refreshed like volatile memory does.

With connectivity, the E2 still does not have Wi-Fi built-in but you can purchase a Wi-Fi SDIO card for that. What the E2 has is built-in Bluetooth along with IRDA; the E only has IRDA. Having Bluetooth extends the capabilities of the E2 much farther as you now have a wide variety of accessories to choose from along with the ability to wirelessly send data without much hassle. Bluetooth accessories include headsets, GPS receivers, and many more.

Lastly, the E2 is now equipped with Palm Athena connector, which is a multi-connector, whereas the E relies on the mini-USB connector. The Athena connector can be used to charge the device, sync with a computer, or connect a headset.

Although some users had minor qualms with the E2, like some of their older accessories being no longer compatible, it is a rather good improvement over the E. It’s better specs and added features more than make up for the things it lacks.

Summary:
1. The E2 is the replacement to the E
2. The E2 has a 200Mhz Xscale processor while the E has a 126Mhz ARM processor
3. The E2 uses non-volatile memory while E uses volatile memory
4. The E2 has Bluetooth connectivity while the E does not
5. The E2 uses an Athena connector while the E uses a mini-USB

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