How one bad design decision killed this handheld's chance
Written: Oct 02 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful display, fast processor, separate backup battery, great functionality, USB connection
Cons: MMC memory cards are extremely rare and expensive; no cradle
The Bottom Line: If you don't plan to use memory cards, this unit is excellent. If you want memory cards, look at the iPaq, which is only slightly more.
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| rfman's Full Review: Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 Pocket PC |
Those of you who read my Epinions in electronics know that I bought an HP Jornada 525 Pocket PC in the not-so-distant pass. I also returned it because I couldn't stand the incredibly long transfer times through the serial interface. And so I set out to look for another PDA, with a USB connection this time.
I knew that I wanted to get one with a USB connection, and I was totally hooked on the PocketPC devices. They do exactly what I want them to, unlike the Palm devices which are more basic and have less memory.
I wasn't willing to pay for the upscale models, so I tried a Casio EM-500 for only 40$ more than the Jornada 525 I had returned. It has the same amount of memory, but uses a better processor and display. The store didn't have one charged up to try, but the salesman assured me that I could return it for a full refund if I didn't like it.
The EM-500 fixed the synchronization speed issue, since it's USB, but it does have a major flaw that made me return it within a few days. Here are my impressions:
THE VERY GOOD:
-The display screen. It's a backlit 16-bit color TFT screen that's exactly like a good laptop display. Pictures look great on this display. It's extremely readable, but like a laptop display, it becomes dark in the direct sunlight.
THE GOOD:
-Processor speed. The EM-500 is noticeably faster than the Jornada series PcoketPCs. Menus are more responsive and performance is quite good.
-All the PocketPC functionality. It reads Microsoft Office documents directly, it plays WMA and MP3 files, it can play games, and many software packages are available. The possibilities are much beyond what a PalmOS device offers.
-Button placement. The buttons on the EM-500 are very suitably placed to play games with. It's not unlike holding a Nintendo Gameboy in your hand, which is nice considering that there are some handheld video game emulators available for the PocketPC.
-Rugged casing. It's rubberized in most areas, and it thus has more chances of surviving a few drops on the floor and other such mishaps. I wouldn't try on purpose, but it's nice to know it's solid.
-Separate backup battery. The EM500 uses a 3V lithium battery to keep your data alive in the case your main battery dies. With most competing units, all data is lost when your battery gives up.
-Removable main batteries. This makes them very easy to replace, whether it is to replace an old battery or to bring some spares on a long trip. No other brand of PocketPC offers this.
-The USB connection. It's certainly faster than outdated serial connections and allows synchronization in reasonable time.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
-The included case. It's pretty cheap, doesn't have a belt loop and won't do much to protect the display of the EM-500. A better case would be a good buy with an EM-500.
-No included cradle. The EM-500 uses only a cable to synchronize, which means that you'll always have a loose cable dangling around your desk, or in my case, falling underneath it.
THE REALLY BAD:
What could be so bad as to make me return a device that seems outstanding as far as this Epinion goes so far? In three words: The expansion memory. The EM-500 uses MMC memory cards for expansion, which are virtually impossible to find in my area, and when you do find one, it's over twice the price of a same-size CompactFlash card. I wanted a PocketPC to use as an MP3 player, and there was no way that was going to happen soon with the EM-500.
When I went to the store where I bought it asking if they could special order a 64 MB MMC card, the clerk noted that the Compaq iPaq H3635 was now down to 550$ (Canadian), which is only 50$ more than the EM-500. Considering that a 64 MB MMC cars is more than 50$ expensive than a 64 Mb CF card, an iPaq with a 64 MB card was less expensive than an EM-500 with 64 MB, so I made the switch at the salesman's recommendation.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 325
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Epinions.com ID:
rfman
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Luc Delorme
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 103
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
Electrical Engineer, amateur photographer, car buff, technophile, video game player and collector.
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