Rating: 
Summary: A Small Price To Pay For A Good PDA
Review: I've had the Casio Cassiopeia Pocket Viewer for some time now and have found it to be a PDA worthy of rivaling any Royal brand organizer and can surpass any Sharp or other brand name organizer (under $100) I've seen out in the market. Among its many features, includes a calendar, scheduler (complete with To-do list, reminders, appointments, etc.), expense manager (which can calculate expenses by payment or expense type from particular dates), conversion calc, two games, and memo. In addition, it includes a Quick Memo feature which enables you to simply write out what you need to remember. You can also create a screensaver which briefly appears every time you turn on the Pocket Viewer from this feature. I especially like the great backlighting on this PDA. Also, I enjoy the Pocket Sheet feature which enables you to create your own mini spreadsheets. I've found it particularly useful for keeping track of class and textbook reading assignments. Apparently, you can also download Excel documents from your PC into your Pocket Viewer and vice versa, although I haven't tried it myself yet. You can also download other documents (games, etc.) from the Casio website by installing the free software that comes with your Pocket Viewer onto your PC. So overall, I'd say this PDA is great for anyone who wants the feel of a PDA (this PDA is actually more slimmer and easy to take along with you than most regular PDAs I've seen)--that is easy to use and has some good features on it-- without having to spend $100s of bucks for.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent personal organizer ... if you don't need perks
Review: I always tell people that if this ever falls out of my pocket, I'd have to call my wife for directions to get home. This little thing keeps me organized! All of my appointments are in here, and if they aren't then I'm in trouble. It is easy to use, and holds up to 10,000 items (4 mgs of memory). The unit is backlit, and the indiglo light will stay on for up to 30 seconds. I thought that it would take some getting used to become comfortable using the stylus to peck and poke away at the letters and numbers, but it was easy to learn, and you can actually use your fingers if you have to.The PV400 Plus also has a memo pad, an address list, a calendar for the next 200 years (should one live that long), and a couple of solitaire card games. But for those who are looking for more perks such as email, mp3 download capability, and a color screen, you won't find it here. You'll have to get a Palm Pilot or a Sony. But if all you need is an easy way to organize your life, this unit will suffice. The only negative thing I would point out about the PV400 Plus is that it seems easy for dirt or dust to get underneath the LCD display. There is one prominent piece of dust right in the middle of mine, and I always feel tempted to want to wipe it off and I have to remind myself that I can't because it is embedded inside the glass. You'll want to keep your PV400 plus under its plastic cover whenever you are not using it.
Rating:
Summary: This thing is great.
Review: If you're looking for an inexpensive PDA to help organize your life, and don't need things like full color screens and wireless e-mail, look no further. I wanted a something to help keep me organized, but didn't want to spend hundreds on a bunch of high-tech toys I didn't need. The Cassiopeia PV-S400Plus Pocket Viewer is simple to use and a great value for the money. I read some reviews here complaining of it using up batteries quickly. I don't know where they're getting that. I bought one of these seven months ago and haven't had to change the batteries once. Highly recommended to anyone who needs an inexpensive, no bells and whistles organizer.
Rating:
Summary: take your desktop with you
Review: Three months ago, I went out and bought an expensive PDA. I returned it after one week because I did not find it to be a very good value. I found the PV-S400Plus on sale for peanuts just recently. It is a VERY good value and I have only had it for less than 48 hours. I'm considering getting a few more as a gift for my family. Here is what I like about it: 1)Syncs very well with Outlook (contacts, calendar, to-do)
2)Nice text sync program
3)The finance program looks simple and efficient (although I don't use it)
4)Pocket sheet is supposed to sync with excel although I still have not gotten that to work.
5)Cool Chess program and other games! For what you are paying, and the value this delivers, you should have no complaints. You could pay 20 times more for something with better connectivity, storage capacity, and features, but that's what desktops are for. This device is small and synchronizes well with Outlook and Act! Buy one of these and take your desktop with you.
Rating:
Summary: The best PDA purchase - EVER!
Review: I've recently upgraded to the PVS400 Plus from earlier inexpensive PDA's and I'm thrilled with it! It's not as heavy as Palms, looks just as sleek and is the best PDA ever... It includes all the basic functions... multiple contact lists (personal, business, etc.), great calendar functions (one time events up through yearly birthdays - all with optional alarm functions, which activate even when PDA is off!), memo areas (one where I keep passwords, medical info, emergency info and the other which is free-hand to take down quick notes, phone numbers, etc.) expense area (not used - can't comment), games (2), calculators, and a super large screen which avoids need to "wrap around" and scroll down to read... all of which can be password protected! I purchased mine for $50, including cradle and set-up disc. For those who have Outlook Express (OE) which you can't sync with, (unlike the real "upgraded" Outlook), it's great that Casio has it's own operating system (OS). I couldn't tell you how many PDA's (4 at last count!) I purchased, and returned, because I couldn't sync w/OE and/or OS's weren't included. This is a great gift... update family info on PC program and download into various PDA's and voila! Great for students of any age, kids finally moving out... they'll all have current contact info, birthdays, medical info, etc. at their fingertips, and with individual docking cradles, they can update as needed.
I could go on and on... I even talked my Dad into buying one and he loves it! If you're not looking for email, camera functions, etc., this is the PDA for you! For $50 you can't go wrong... trust me!
Rating:
Summary: Gets the Job Done
Review: This will take care of all the basics for your personal organizational needs- scheduler, To-Do lists, contact info lists, MS Excel Spreadsheet program, basic calculator, free writing memo option, as well as some additional games. It doesn't have all of the exciting extras that some of the other programs have (i.e. email, color, etc) but it's one of the few high quality PDA's at a good price.
Rating:
Summary: Simplicity, Reliability, and Great Battery Life
Review: I have used the PV-S250 for over two years and recently just got the PV-S400Plus for even less because the PV-S250 has been rather well used and I didn't want one of these overcomplicated power hungry expensive units. The software is virutally identical, so I was interested in extending the life of my PV-S250 and the PV-S400Plus was just the item. I use the unit for two things: I make notes of system network ID's, device names, logons, common command syntax, support phone numbers, etc. and I synchronize with outlook all the time. I carry it around in my pocket and check my scedule liberally. The system can carry about 100 alarms, so I usually get a beep at my default reminder time in my outlook (15 minutes before a meeting). I also have access to all my Tasks and my Contacts. The really useful aspect for me is the ability to modify my contacts, add phone numbers, email addresses, personal information, etc. to my Casio and then synch it back with Outlook. I can also take everything in my Outlook Contacts and Schedule with me whereever I go and never have to worry about remembering to put something into my Outlook if I have my PDA available. On the systems which I support that I don't touch very often, you can't imagine how useful it is to have the system ID number, network address or device name available because I saved it in my handheld. Plus, if you need to, you can password protect those items. I am not interested in email on my PDA or anything really complex. I don't need an MP3 player or wireless web access. The spreadsheet capability is great if you really want to invest the time to synchronize with the Excel tool, but the screen is so small, that I find it not very worthwhile and I don't use it. The simple expense tracking system is very useful and simple. I use it to track expenses on business trips and it does a great job. I have not, as of yet, had any problem synchronizing with my PV-S400Plus, but I did occassionally with the PV-S250 and it was a royal pain to have to then do a full-synch since it ran about 9600 baud the whole time. If you have a modem, you may wish to make sure you don't have interrupt conflicts, because my past experience with the PV-S250 was that it didn't like my fax modem being on at the same time. One other drawback is that if you want to sychronize any of the other information like your notes, you do have to make a separate transfer from PCSynch. I don't like this aspect and I rarely use it. To date, I have never lost anything from memory in two years. I wish it had the ability to synch with the notes folder in Outlook instead. Also, while the Excel compatibility gives the unit a bit a power for calculations, I personally would rather have a it be able to read WORD files instead. But that is getting into bigger color units that are expensive. My PV-S250 is still performing flawlessly even though it is showing some serious wear on the plastic exterior. Nevertheless, the unit has never failed me and the batteries last for over a month with regular use...try that with a color handheld PC!!
Rating:
Summary: Basic - But Good
Review: My old Sharp Zaurus was too bulky and I needed a PDA with a scheduler, a system that allows me to jot down notes, something to keep me busy when I'm stuck waiting and a phone book. I was shocked at how well this inexpensive unit does all of that. The scheduler allows you to link appointments with contacts in your phone book - double bonus. Another plus is the `quick memo' that allows you to write notes on the screen. Negative: the cradle has a serial port while many PCs have USB connections. You can buy a converter for about $...though.
Rating: 
Summary: Toy-Like Junk, No Instructions, Lame Software
Review: I have used a Palm III and Palm VII. I wanted a [inexpensive] Palm-like organizer, so I bought this unit. THe display is dim and fuzzy. There are NO INSTRUCTIONS for installing the PC Sync software, and no troubleshooting help available. The device would not communicate with my WIndows 2000 or Win 98 PC. It comes with a serial port connector (not USB) and "PC Sync 99" software. The unit is light, toy-grade plastic, the touch screen is too sensitive. There is nothing about this device to recommend. Spend a few more bucks for a Palm or a Handspring.
Rating:
Summary: Casio Cassiopeia PV-S400Plus Pocket Viewer
Review: I bought this a few weeks ago and I can not remember the last time I got more for my money. It keeps you organized and that is it...period. Not alot of fancy junk, but for the money you can't beat it. It takes a little while to figure out because the manual is less than stellar, but anyone should be able to play around with it and make it work. It links well with Microsoft Outlook. All I can say is I am happy with it so far and I have the piece of mind to know that I didn't give up a mortgage payment just to have a handheld!
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