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Casio Cassiopeia E-125 Color Pocket PC

Casio Cassiopeia E-125 Color Pocket PC

List Price: $299.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Dont even bother
Review: Ok, this is a pocket pc not even worth gettin'. The only reason you would actually want one is for the 16bit color. But if all you want a pocket pc for is to play games and what not, because thats all this ppc is good for, then you might consider buying. If you want a pocket pc for either business or school i would sugjest getting either the HP Jornada or iPAQ. The HP is better for price and quality but the iPAQ has more speed, depends on personal preferance. Now, going back to the Casio, if you want to waste your money on a PDA that has only one good feature(16bit color) then go ahead. Like i said before this one is good for games but who wants a pocket pc that lasts anywhere from 3-6 hours? Thats not very reliable now is it. See this happened to my friend who goes to high school with me. He was playing games and fooling around on it during most of our first classes. When he was getting ready to synch on one of the school computers to print off his homework(well we synch at school because its easier that way)well anyway, he went to synch and the battery warning came up. The battery ended up dying on him before he could print up his paper. So, you know how strict high school can be, gave him an F on his paper. Afterwards I went up to him and told him quietly "Told ya so". See what happened was me and went looking for a ppc together a week before high school stared. I bought the HP Jornada 548, He bought teh Casio E-125. I told him before he bought it that it isnt very good on battery life but he said he didnt care he wanted it because of color(stupid thing to do). Well when you go looking out to buy a pocket pc make sure you consider the following: Price, Speed, quality of product and manufacturer. You all know how dependable anything HP makes. You can be kind of iffy on the Compaq and just dont waste your time wuth the Casio. Plus it all has to do with pesonal preferance as i said before. I guess in writing this im trying to promote the Hp Jornada but i still havn't put down the other two(well besides the battery life on the Casio) Thank you for taking the time to read my review and i hope you make the right choice when buying a pocket pc.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: best Pocket PC at the moment
Review: I think the Cassiopeia E-125 is the best of the current Pocket PC devices. Unlike the various Jornadas, it is stylish. And unlike the iPAQs, it doesn't have any glaring hardware deficiencies (iPAQ: dust under the screen, occasional reversed screen, nonreplaceable battery). The E-125 display is bright and beautiful, brighter than I thought I'd ever see on a handheld device.

Some things I discovered:

The technical specs say Windows 95 is supported. What they don't tell you is that you get a USB cradle with the E-125 but only serial (RS-232) syncing is supported under Windows 95. So if you're using Windows 95 you'll have to either buy a serial cable or hope that you can get infrared syncing to work (I couldn't). The same is true for Windows NT 4. Windows 98 + USB works fine.

If you're using USB for syncing, you cannot do a full backup of the device without installing a fix onto the E-125 for the USB driver. Without the fix the backup will run for a while and then get stuck.

The built-in handwriting recognition works but only if you draw your letters exactly as the recognizer expects. The recognizer cannot be trained to understand your handwriting. This is little better than Palm's Graffiti, but at least you don't have to learn the Graffiti chickenscratch. There is a better handwriting recognition product available called Transcriber. It has much better default recognition and it is trainable for problem characters. Transcriber is free and downloadable from Microsoft's web site

It is also on the ActiveSync CD that comes with the E-125.

Lefties should note that this is a right-handed device. Both the hardware buttons and the scrollbars on the appplications are laid out for righties.

Under Windows every application has a little 'X' at the top right of the window frame that you can use to close the app. That 'X' is not present on Pocket PC apps, which makes it somewhat cumbersome to close applications. The fastest way to close an app is by typing ctrl-q at the onscreen keyboard. This works with all the builtin applications.

I rate the E-125 four stars for an excellent device with some software issues. If you would buy this unit for some particular application (Pocket Explorer, Pocket Excel, etc.) check Internet resources to verify that the applications have the features you need before laying down your money. All "Pocket" versions of Microsoft applications have missing features that may be critical to you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply the best Pocket PC, hands down.
Review: Like most of you out there, I did alot of research before deciding on a PDA/pocket pc to invest in. Alot of that research done right here at Amazon, reading your various opinions. In the end, the PDA race for me finished off with 3 finalists.

COMPAQ Ipaq 3650 HP Jornada Casio Cassiopeia E-125

All the compelling reasons are there for them all. But in the end, I thought, what would be the REAL reason for having a portable system with me. Data storage? Processor power? Screen magnificence.

The CASIO won out hands down with literally ALL of the above. It's size disadvantage is really not a disadvantage at all. I don't believe I would trust myself to put an expensive device in my pocket and have me absentmindedly bump into a chair or something and break it. My CASIO is safely in my portfolio. It's light, convenient and POWERFUL. I use an Access compatible database program to actively use my Casio at work. Money works fabulous on it, and the Activesync link is flawless. It works each and every time and syncs everything.

All in all, I could not be happier with this little powerhouse. I love it and recommend it WHOLEHEARTEDLY!

PS: Pick up a pack of PDA SCREEN WRITERIGHT plastic protector sheets. They give a total sense of security.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Awesome product, but one very big flaw!
Review: I used to have an E-100, which was the immediate predecessor and after almost two years of happy use of it (I have to admit it worked beautifully for me until...), one day I could no longer get it to charge the battery.

I tried buying a new battery, but nothing: it was something inside...

So, I decided to call Casio, to see what they could do for me. Either their customer service is terrible in general, or they just didn't care about 'old' Windows CE-based Cassiopeia E-100 users, now that they had released their 'new line' of Pocket PC-powered PDAs.

The fact was that after looking for a painfully long time for repair center information, I was finally able to talk to a person, in order to find out about what would it entail to repair my PDA. She said to me that it would cost me $250. I asked her why, if they didn't even know what the problem was...

Apparently, that's the standard charge for repairing anything with them, which, as you may realize is a mjor turn-down. I told myself: "for $250 I can get myself one of those Palm-based PDAs". So I did, and I ended up selling it, because it's not even half as good as Windows-powered PDAs.

BUT, I will not buy any more Casio PDAs, until I hear a very good story about their service. For now, I will get myself a Compaq iPac.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Poor customer service
Review: My screen cracked about 5 months after I purchased my E-125. I did not drop it or misuse it. I called customer service. They told me to send it back to the manufacturer with a check and it would be repaired in 5 - 10 working days. Today is the 16th working day. I called to check on the status and they told me it would be another 2 weeks before they would even begin to work on it. I'm very upset about this (obviously) and would recommend that future buyers purchase insurance against screen breakage, and check out the customer service ratings on other Pocket PC's. As for it's performance, I loved the E-125! I'm only dissatisfied with the CS. By the way, my check cleared my bank 2 weeks ago. They took my money, but they are unwilling to repair it under warranty, and they are still making me wait another 2 weeks or more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Indispensable Little Machine--After a Few Tweaks
Review: I bought this primarily as an e-book reader. I receive long documents by e-mail almost every day, and it gets very tiresome to have them all printed out. My priority was therefore a high-resolution, bright screen. In general, I have been enormously pleased by the Cassiopeia. It is a little clunky (then again, so is the IPAQ, once you add the expansion sleeve). But the screen is wonderful as long as you don't need to use the device in full sunlight. I can also carry around lots and lots of family photos, and with a CF storage card (their prices are dropping fast) can keep nearly two hours music on the device as well. And it plays Scrabble. In short, it has become practically indispensable to me, far outclassing my old Visor.

To get the most out of the Cassiopeia, however, as with any Pocket PC, you have to tweak it a bit, and disregard some of the instructions. For instance, the Tahoma font that is standard on the machine is awful. But you can easily download whatever fonts you want from your Windows/Fonts directory on your PC to the Windows/Fonts directory on the Pocket PC. As for e-book reading, the Microsoft Reader that comes with the device is fairly useless, because while the type quality is OK, there are so few words to a page. I've had much better results, for really long documents and e-books, using the Peanut Press and a Times New Roman 10-point font. Set up this way, e-book reading on the device actually is pretty pleasant. Plus, PeanutPress.com has a much wider selection of books than exists for Microsoft Reader.

Finally, using the hideous Microsoft Media Player software to copy tunes to the device is a total waste of time. It insists on compressing (minimally) MP3 files as it transfers them, and transferring a single CD to the device took nearly half an hour! Use Media Player to transfer a single file--that has the advantage of loading all the necessary software onto the device. Then copy whatever MP3's you want to a My Documents folder on the storage card. Much, much more efficient.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The winner of a long research effort
Review: I previously owned a Palm IIIx, and then an HP Jornada 740. I wanted something that had expandable, standardized memory (Compact Flash), a FULL color TFT screen just like some laptops I have used, a speaker and microphone (yes, I play mp3's and record memos, but some day these things will have voice recognition), replaceable battery, and run the Windows CE operating system. Combined with the new, state-of-the-art hand writing recognition software I downloaded from www.pocketpc.com, this device is absolutely the ultimate. With a plug-in keyboard from IBIZ it does everything. Contrary to what you might hear, the Microsoft Reader for it is GREAT for reading e-books. I have ZERO complaints about this device. I'm glad I waited.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: E-125 vs. Ipaq
Review: After several months of reading reviews and visiting local stores, I purchased the E-125 in December. Last week I picked up an Ipaq. Now I can make an informed comparison from the comfort of my home:

1) The battery in the E-125 is replaceable - not so on the Ipaq. This is an important feature, especially if you're on-the-go ... you can carry an extra battery and just swap it out of the E-125. With the Ipaq, you have to find an outlet and wait for the battery to re-charge ... not a good option when you're in an airport or in the middle of conducting business! Compaq still hasn't figured out what they'll do when an Ipaq's battery has lived-out it's life - will they replace the unit just for a battery replacement? They're not saying ...

2) The E-125 has 16 bit color vs. the Ipaq's 12 bit ... a negligible difference you might say, but, to me, I feel that the colors on the E-125 are much more vibrant.

3) The E-125 has a 150mzh processor, Ipaq's is a 206mhz. In the early '90's, did you plunk down $3000 for a brand new 150mhz desktop computer, only to long for a 200mhz when they came out a few months later?

3) The E-125 has a built-in compact flash slot vs. the optional [for more money] Ipaq CF Expansion Pack. Now, there's a ... price increase on new Ipaq's because the Pack is included.

4) Compaq is known for adding their own software applications, such as "Q" this and "Q" that ... just another thing to eat-up precious memory.

5) If you're a game player, the E-125 immediately reacts to your "gamepad" commands ... the Ipaq goes into "pause" mode if you press the "gamepad" too quickly (playing a simple game like PacMan is disastrous).

6) The Ipaq's is way ahead of the E-125 ... the "brick" look of the E-125 continues Casio's "ho-hum" design.

7) The weight difference is significant. Remember though that the E-125 has a built-in cf slot - once you add the CF Jacket to the Ipaq there's practically no difference in weight and bulk.

8) The E-125 does have a built-in voice recorder (not mentioned in many reviews). The voice recorder button on the Ipaq is on the upper left corner ... when you hold the Ipaq in your left hand chances are you're going to press the button with your thumb abruptly accessing the voice recorder!

9) I've called both the Casio and Compaq customer service departments. With Casio you get bounced several times before ending up with someone who's anwer to all of your problems is a "hard reset" (all info is lost if you haven't backed it up!). Compaq's warranty provides an empty box with 5-7 day turn-around on repairs. Their reasonably priced "Carepaq" gets you next-business-day replacement of your Ipaq (you receive a "refurbished" unit, NOT a new unit).

10) The Targus Stowaway Keyboard is available for the Ipaq. Targus says it has NO plans to make one for the E-125. You can pick up a "LandWare GoType! Pro" for the E-125. It's also much sturdier than the Stowaway and a keyboard-protector is available.

I'm much more impressed with my E-125. The bottom line is that it's really a matter of personal preference. Most will be attracted to the attractive looks of the Ipaq no matter what the cost, some will go with the E-125 because of it's "pros" over the Ipaq, such as the built-in CF slot and swapable battery. Good Luck!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Cassiopeia E125 Good, but major flaws
Review: I bought an E-125 to have something between a Palm V and a laptop that I could do work with, mainly word processing and spread sheet stuff, on airplanes and on trips. The E-125 actually works pretty well for this. The conversion program between Word for Windows CE and Word for Windows is pretty good, not perfect, but acceptable. I found I could actually work on a manuscript fairly effectively even with the small screen. The graphics are bright and clear, really nice.

Now the bad news. The touch screen is VERY fragile, NOT covered by warranty...The case supplied will not protect the screen from the normal pocket environment (at least what I consider a normal pocket environment). My screen was cracked while in the case in my front pants pocket sometime during an evening at the theatre. My Palm V survived this environment for years and also survived being dropped several times. No adverse effects. Needless to say Casio was not very sympathetic and explained to me repeatedly that the case would protect the touch plate in spite of data to the contrary. I have a friend with an HP Journada. He has carried the Journada, which has a much more effective built-in case, in the front pocket of his shorts for about 6 months. No ill effects, but then he spends most of his time on a bicycle and avoids the dangerous theatre environment. I opted for the E125 instead of the Journada because the screen is slightly larger and the graphics seemed to me to be marginally clearer and brighter. If you make the same choice, be very careful with that touch plate! And don't trust the supplied case to do much more than keep off the dust.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: No regrets!!!
Review: If you're a PalmOS user and you love it, then I'm happy for you, but if you want to carry around a little red wagon's worth of stuff in your shirt pocket, you've got to have Pocket PC. I shopped long and hard and sweated and cried over laying out $549 for my Casio-125. I looked at Palm, I-paq, Handspring, didn't look hard at HP for all the negative reviews I've read. For me it came down to the 125 and the I-Paq just from shear versatility and quality of the products. I chose the Casio for 2 reasons: 1)Price. Casio currently has a rebate that helped there. The I-Paq w/out the Compact Flash sleeve is about the same $, but with it (like Amazon has the bundle going, the price jumps.) The Compact Flash Type II is built into your 125. 2) User-replaceable battery. I-Paq must be sent back to factory. But not too big a deal since this doesn't happen often.

What I love: 1. AvantGo - sync's up my favorite web sites so I can read them over lunch or wherever. I get my ZDNet news, Wallstreet Highlights, Movie times, etc.

2. The MS e-book reader. I have a virtual library that I tote around in my shirt pocket. The books are very readable. I love it...One caveat here (see What I hate)

3. The handwriting recognition. I've tried the Palm Graffiti...Whatever!...With a program called Transcriber that comes on the ActiveSync CD, my 125 can read even my sorry handwriting (and my 3rd grade teacher sent me home with 200 pages of handwriting practice one summer).

4. Sync'ing with Outlook and files on my desktop. I'm trying to figure out if I can sync with both Outlook at home and Groupwise at work.

What I hate: 1. The Pocket e-book reader does not have Digital Rights Management built in like the desktop version does, so you cannot buy e-books from Amazon or Barnes&Nobles and read them on your Pocket PC (or Palm for that matter). There are however plenty of classics that are public domain for the MS Reader. And MS is working on a new Pocket reader that will incorporate DRM so you can have your cake and actually eat it too. I currently have about 15 books on my 125 including the Expedia Dictionary. I'm reading Treasure Island...Love it!!!

2. The I-Paq and HP's do look better, but oh well. The 125 is faster than the HP's and has advantages over the I-PAQ as well. You make your own choice.

As for Palm, unless they want to be relegated to a similar fate as IOmega's Zip-drive (promises to revolutionize the world, but settles into anonimity once it peaks out in usefulness), they will have to work hard to give you the PocketPC's feeling that the possibilities are endless.


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