Manufacturer: Casio Model#: E1.25 Weight: 1lbs Height: 1"     Width: 3.25" Length: 5.13" Average Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars	Retail Price: $299.99 Online Sale Price:
Features: 32 MB of internal RAM, expandable using CompactFlash memory cards Synchronize to your desktop with rapid USB data transfer Color screen with 240 x 320 display in 65,536 color Includes Microsoft Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Money, and Pocket Internet Explorer What's in the box: Cassiopeia E-125, Stylus, USB Cradle, AC Adapter, Lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack, Connector cable, Pocket PC User's Guide, Hardware Guide

User Submitted Casio Cassiopeia E-125 Color Pocket PC Reviews (cont...)

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.

Date: 2001-04-19
Cassiopeia E125 Good, but major flaws
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.

Date: 2001-03-26
Palm, Casio, HP or Compaq?
I recently lost my Palm V, and was forced to get a new PDA. I researched and researched the new Pocket PC's. I don't know that I would even consider the Palm a device that a Pocket PC user would consider. They are two drastically different devices with the Pocket PC having tremendously more flexibility. Although the Palm has more applications, most of the practical applications are written to duplicate inherent capabilities of the Pocket PC. I won't try to compare the different platforms, but rather the different Pocket PC's because they are in a catagory by themselves.

I ordered the Compaq, waited 3 weeks and went and bought the Jornada 548. I used it for 2 days and returned it. It felt fantastic! It is well designed, ergonomic and includes everything I wanted. My major disappointment was the screen display. I am not one of those people who care too much about how many different colors can be displayed, but I do care about clarity. My Jornada was dim and had a streaky display. I don't know if they are all like that, but I have seen similiar display problems on newsgroups. It is unfortunate, because I really liked the way it looked and felt. If I could get one that had a screen like my E-125, I would buy it.

That takes me to the E-125. I love it. The screen is bright, clear and easy to read. I don't know if you can read it in "direct sunlight" as has been its criticism, but I hardly have the occasion to use my PDA in direct sunlight. It's outstanding in my office, on a plane, in my car, and sitting outside in a cafe. My criticism is that I wish they had included headphones like HP does and I would say it is a little more square than I would like. Furthermore, it doesn't include a flip cover to protect the screen, which I prefer. One review I read referred to it as brick, I would call it a "thin brick".

The reason, I would never trade it for the IPAQ now is a feature I didn't realize I would care about until I have used it. The ablility to swap out batteries is priceless. You can always have a charged spare with you and not worry about having to find a plug, connect a charger, etc. I like the design of the IPAQ better, but I would not give up this feature. I also like the ablility to use full size PC cards on the IPAQ, but so far, I have not been in a situation where this was required (but I like the flexibility if I ever needed it). However, if you think you will always have power available, the Compaq is really well designed. I can't comment on the synching problems I have read about on the IPAQ as I never received mine.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my Casio and would highly recommend it to anyone considering a Pocket PC.

Date: 2001-03-25
Stick with the palm
As a first time PDA user, I did my research for about 3 weeks, going back and forth from the handspring, palm, casio, and jornada, I decided on the casio which looked like the best overall. My advice to you is to save a little $$, stick with a palm or handspring device. The casio is bulky, good luck finding a decent case to put it in (everything is made for the palm), the activesync hasnt worked yet, it came with no user manuals, so Im having to figure out everything on my own. Finding software in a retail store for the windows based is next to none, and when trying to buy the accessories (cases etc...) from Casio they are out of stock. So I guess in the mean time the screen will get scratched, cant find a case to fit, and I still cant get the active sync software to work. Save yourself some $$ stick with the palm based pda, until the windows makers come up with some more solutions, dont make the same mistake I did. Oh by the way they tell you the casio is compatible with window 95, what they dont tell you that it has to be the second version of 95, or else you will have to upgrade to windows 98, costing you more $$$ and headache.

Date: 2001-03-24
Better THan the rest
THough not owning a Cassiopeia, my fellow schoolmates own the three most popular pocket pc platformed handhelds:HP Jornada, Compaq Ipaq, and the,of course,Cassiopeia E-125. THe Compaq,though sleek and stylish, my friend has many problems:Dusty screen and system failure. HP jornada-less powerful than Ipaq and E-125,IMPOSSIBLE to see outside,IMPOSSIBLE.Also i have found that is significantly SLOW> E-125-fast,reliable,stylish, and great for all ages.