Casio EM-500. Excellent for the time in which it was released. (Casio Cassiopeia EM-500)

Member Name: Mnehr

Product:	Casio Cassiopeia EM-500
Date:	17/12/02 (512 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A PDA that leaves little to be desired in terms of included software.

Disadvantages: Only includes a USB connection cable, many "necessities" are optional.

If the Rolodex was the ?in? organizer of the 80s, and the day-planer was the sheik thing to have in the 90s, then it would seem that the PDA is the new fad of 2000. Of all the PDA?s that stand out, a few lead the charge into the wireless internet realm. In a world where the Palm VII and IPAQ stand out as the leaders in the field, I was surprised to find that Casio?s <b>Cassiopeia EM500</b> leaves its rivals behind in many aspects. The most important factor in choosing the <b>Cassiopeia EM500</b>, was simply the fact that it was available when it was time to give up my beloved trial version of the Compaq IPAQ. I find it quite funny that I have an old IBM Thinkpad at home collecting dust, that for all practical purposes, will do less than this little palm top device. <b>Cassiopeia</b>.

<b>Technical Specifications</b>
The <b>Cassiopeia</b> is equipped with 16mb of standard memory, and though that may not sound like a whole lot, with the slimmed down software that it uses, that would normally prove to be enough memory for most people?s day to day usage. For myself, I ordered an additional 32mb memory card in the anticipation that I would need this additional memory. Casio has an ingenious system that allows additional memory chips to be added via a small slot on the top of the device. This will allow you to just replace the memory chip in the future instead of having to completely replace your PDA when you out-grow the included memory. I appreciate that Casio also puts a locking switch on the cover to the memory housing, as instead of sliding open, it folds open, and I could see a risk of this breaking. The Casio uses a VR4122 processor that is rated at only about 150 MHz, however, as slow as this may sound, it is quite sufficient for a PDA. Where you really notice the difference on the speed of the processor is when you are downloading any mail or information from Outlook or my daily backup of my calendar and not
es to my pc.

<b>Software</b>
The <b>Cassiopeia</b> includes a plethora of software that normally would be options on many competing PDAs. The most useful software for myself is Pocket Outlook. This is a slim downed version of Outlook 2000, that will allow you not only to download your e-mails from the Outlook program on your pc, for later reading, but has a calendar for your daily scheduling. I found a software package from <i>Franklin-Covey</i> that takes your Outlook 2000 and Pocket Outlook and customizes it to resemble the Covey day planner sheets, even down to your daily journal logs. This software is available only from Franklin-Covey, however I recommend it for anyone who has become accustomed to using the Covey day planner.
Casio also includes Pocket Word, which I have found to be very useful for writing down notes, or even starting some Epinions. With Pocket Word, even though it does have a grammar and spelling check, I still prefer to download any documents that I write, back to my pc, in order to finish editing them. This is more due to my own comfort level than any problems with the Cassiopeia. As for its internet software, Casio includes both Internet Explorer and a version of AOL made for use on a PDA. The web sites available to use on PDAs right now is very limited, however AOL does make very good use of a system they have made for PDA users that will give them a variety of news channels and shopping guides. For the most part, my internet usage is limited to just getting news headlines and stock quotes, so the limitation on sites has not really effected my usage (other than not being able to view Epinions.) I am sure that as more people start using PDAs and wireless phones to access the internet, the amount of companies that format their sites for PDAs or WAP will increase over time.

These are the only software programs that I have had an opportunity to use thoroughly enough to use, however,
this is not the limitation of the <b>Cassiopeia</b> capabilities. For those who like to use voice recorders, yes, one is built into the Cassiopeia. Unlike the iPaq, however, there is no software that will convert any recorded notes into text. (This software was on my Beta trial of the iPaq, however, I am not aware that this is available on the consumer market yet.) Casio also includes everything from Pocket Excel to a golf game, so as to not keep their users bored, or feeling as though they are being gypped on the software end. One of the more interesting software programs included, that I have not been able to experiment yet, is Microsoft Reader. This program allows you to download books off of either the internet, or a CDR on your pc, so as to read books directly off your PDA. While I may miss the smell of a freshly printed book, or the feel of pages in my fingers, there is something intriguing about this new program.

<b>Hardware</b>
The <b>Cassiopeia</b> looks and feels almost identical to the iPaq, and even uses a similar button set up for navigating your programs. Of course, most of the functions that you use on a daily basis it is simpler to use your stylus on the screen than to toggle through your buttons. Casio, however, did one thing which I find extremely useful, and that is to have an instant access calendar button on the face. This way, you can quickly access your calendar instead of having to jump back to the main program menu from whatever program you are in at the time. The size of the <b>Cassiopeia</b> is comfortable to hold while using, however, I find that the stylus is far to small to hold comfortably. I caught myself using a used up ball point pen more often than not instead of the stylus, and I purchased some protective screen covers just in case I accidentally pick up a pen that is not completely used up. To alleviate this problem, I have ordered a stylus from Levenger.com that doubles as a p
en, but is much larger so you do not feel as though you are holding a <i>Put-Put</i> pencil. Also from Levenger.com, I am ordering a new faceplate in wood-grain, as the Cassiopeia only comes in colors similar to the I-Mac computers. I originally just ordered this in a simple blue, however, this looks quite unprofessional, and if I had one request, it would be that Casio at least offer just a gray plastic option, instead of blue, green, pink, or purple. Of course, Casio includes the obvious rapid charger, but there are no adapters for using this with a cellular phone, or an in-vehicle charger.

<b>Connectivity </b>
I had to make a totally separate category for connecting the <b>Cassiopeia</b> to your pc because there are some very important things you should check before purchasing this product. While Casio includes all of the software you need, they only include a USB cable for connecting. It is important that you check to make sure that you have a USB port on your pc before you order. Even if you have a USB port, I recommend investing in the optional Serial cable, as this seems to sync with your pc much faster, and more efficiently. To use this as a wireless internet device in conjunction with your cellular phone, it is important that you make sure that your cellular phone is data ready, and you must order an optional adapter for your specific type of phone. Be warned, that these additional ?options? for proper connection, along with a car adapter, will end up running you a couple of hundred extra dollars on top of the $500 that the <b>Cassiopeia</b> costs. Still, if you are in the market for an internet ready PDA, the Cassiopeia still proves to be the best value.

As I am still new to using my <b>Cassiopeia</b>, I have not had the opportunity to explore all the features and software that it has to offer. For what I have used so far, I feel that Casio makes a PDA that leaves most of its rivals far be
hind. As I further venture into all the Cassiopeia has to offer, I will continue to keep this review updated. For now, I think I will try downloading some MP3s and check out the sound quality, and maybe play a few games of golf. Yes, the Cassiopeia can be used for much more than business.

Summary: