Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 Pocket PC

Pros: stylish looks
Cons: could use better hardware!

The Casio EM-500 is probably the coolest PDA on the market, combining powerful hardware and a stylish design it is the "Imac" of the PDA world. With lots of multimedia features and a great design it is suppose to be targeted towards the [filthy...

Pros: Beautiful Screen, Excellent Hardware
Cons: Expensive, Larger Than Most

Were I to recommend one of the many Pocket PC OS PDAs on the market this would have to be right up there. The Compaq iPaqH3650 was my previous top Pocket PC choice but I think this would have it beat by a slim margin were it not for its size. Casio...

Pros: Color screen is super clear and bright. Expansion slot for more memory.
Cons: Few accessories available. Low RAM.

INTRO/WHAT TO EXPECT

The Casio EM-500 comes in varied packages, depending on the retail location. I purchased mine for $299.00 at Costco, and this included a 32 megabyte multimedia storage card (talked about below), which is not...

Pros: Bright screen, MP3 playback, USB support, Fast enough
Cons: Few accessories, 16mb rather than 32, bad in light

Casio replaced their older EM-125 version with this model... I have experience with both and will talk of them in this review.

Let's just cut to the chase by saying that the EM-500 is an incredible handheld computer that should help elevate...

Pros: TFT 65536 color display, USB, nice case
Cons: Too large for a pocket, limited expansion with MMC cards

I am a software developer and wrote the PacMan emulator for Microsoft's PocketPC release in April. Being a software developer working with Microsoft, I have owned and/or tested every HPC/PPC/PocketPC device and so far, the Compaq iPAQ and the EM500 are...

Pros: modern, color, easy to use
Cons: i've been having minor problems...

I actually received a Casio EM-500 under special conditions, and it's surpassed my expectations. I had a Compaq, but the plastic of the push-pin battery compartment opening mechanism broke, and the battery compartment would no longer close. Noticing...

Pros: MMC expansion slot, great color screen, price
Cons: Not enough memory, could be faster, easily scratchable screen

Once in a while you get a device while it's new and hot, and forget to tell anybody else about it (at least on Epinion)... this is one of those times...

I've had the EM-500 for almost a year now. At that time, I was looking for a...

Pros: Uses inexpensive MMC cards.
Cons: Limited application.

The Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 doesn't make any sense when compared to the Casio Cassiopeia E-125. The EM-500 has half the memory (16MB), can only use the new 64MB MMC cards (the largest configuration currently available), has no size advantages over the...

Pros: Beautiful display, fast processor, separate backup battery, great functionality, USB connection
Cons: MMC memory cards are extremely rare and expensive; no cradle

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...

Pros: Incredible colors, Big screen, Very nice layout.
Cons: Lose of sleep.

I am thirteen years old and asked for a Cassiopeia 500 for my birthday. I was originally looking at a MP3 player that could hold addresses and phone numbers, I then realized that I could get 10X the screen size and capabilities with a PDA. I was looking...

Pros: Nice screen, batteries can be changed (with purchased spare), add memory without sleeve.
Cons: No cradle, no flash rom, short battery life.

Since most of the recent attention is on the Compaq Ipaq, I will gear my review to a comparison of major points which led me to buy the Casio:

1. I can carry 80MB of memory in the EM500 in my button-up top shirt pocket with no additional...

Pros: Cool multimedia features, more than a simple PIM, Pocket Office, beautiful color screen
Cons: Battery life, lack of peripherals, bigger than Palm V

I paid $250 for my Palm IIIxe and never used it as anything more than an expensive PIM (Personal Information Manager). But with the Casio Cassiopeia EM-500, I have been having so much fun since I bought it 6 months ago -- and actually getting some real...

Pros: Great display; great value; PocketPC operating system.
Cons: Fair design; no cradle; very limited upgrade options. No wireless options.

I had the unique opportunity to use and evaluate the Casio EM500 for a week to determine if I was interested in purchasing it. At the end of that week, I really wanted to buy this PDA, but I had some lingering concerns that kept me from doing so. Here...

Pros: Brilliant Display, Good for gaming, slim size.
Cons: Expansion is limited by no I/O and hard to find MMC cards, 16mb.

or at least your PDA screen.

The Casio EM500 was released much at the same time as the Compaq Ipaq 3600 and the HP Jornadas. Casio decided to target the em500 at a younger generation, and billed it as a multimedia device. Overshadowed by the...

Pros: style, cost and o/s.
Cons: bulky size, limited 16 mb ram, unreadable screen under sunlight

I bought it refurnished-new from ubid for 180$.
There are many things I like about it: the very pretty green cover and the great screen color resolution. A huge plus, for me, is the o/s windows ce; I am used to the window o/s and I like the...

Pros: Lightweight, Versatile
Cons: Less Memory

I went out today in search of a Pocket PC that I could fall in love with now that my romance with the iPaq is over and I found it. The Cassiopeia EM500 is truly on the mark.

For those of us who want a lightweight unit (7.7oz) with a good...

Pros: Great screen, very good character recognition
Cons: Mediocre sound recording, Battery life too short, No cradle,Accessories availability

I wanted a good TFT color screen. I preferred the Cassioppiea over Palm because of a better screen resolution and larger usable screen size. I preferred it over Compaq because of better pricing and better score in a PC Magazine review and a wider range...

Pros: Good handwriting recognition, nice colors.
Cons: Not much memory, but that can be solved with a memory card

A few weeks ago I was out looking at an electronic store when I came to the section with the wonderful pocket PC's. I played on a few out and instantly fell in love with them. I decided that before buying one I should do some research on them.
...

Pros: Inexpensive Color PDA. Easy to use! FUN
Cons: MMC Memory hard to use, but can be substituted for SD.

I purchased my EM-500 last year to use as my date book and personal organizer. It comes with Outlook, word, excel, and Pocket PC for the OS. I began using my EM-500 by entering as many dates (birthdays, appts, etc) into the date book as I could remember ...

Pros: features, display
Cons: only 16mb, no cradle, reliability?

I recently purchased the Casio EM500 as a second choice option after finding that all our local retailers were out of the Compaq Ipaq. At first, I was pleased with my selection, despite being surprised to learn that a cradle was a $49 accessory. The...

Pros: Amazing display, powerful sofware, multimedia capabilities
Cons: Minor exterior design flaws

I've been planning for a couple of month to get a Palm, probably a Vx, since a lot of friends had it, I knew it, and seemed great. Just when I was about to buy it, I found out there are better alternatives to Palms, and that is PocketPCs, which are not...

Pros: inexpensive, pocket-sized means to break away from your desktop without losing contact
Cons: it dices and slices, but does a lousy puree

The Cassiopeia EM-500 may not be the end-all solution to doing away with your clunky desktop or laptop, but if you want an inexpensive way to get away from your cubicle without losing touch, well read on.

Let's start with functions: As...

Pros: Great color, easy to use and MORE
Cons: does not come with cradle but can buy it.

I bought the Casio EM-500 pocket pc in January, and I love it. I got a free MMC card when I bought it (about the size of a stamp). Anyway the 65,536 color screen just screams out at you when you use the applications. You can have tons of applications on...

Pros: This little PDA rocks! Beautiful screen, MP3 Capabilities, MMC Card Usage, Software
Cons: Not really anything, actually smaller I found than the new Compaq.

I am enjoying my EM500 thoroughly! I love gadgets and this one does about everything except wash dishes. I have had the EM500 for about a month now and couldn't be happier. It lets me organize my life, write notes and type word documents, play games,...

Pros: Excellent color screen, variety of programs, good expandable memory with MMC
Cons: Only 16MB built-in memory, lack of expandability

My PDA Requirements When I was shopping for my first PDA, I had several requirements. First ...

Pros: Nice color Display
Cons: Only has a MMC slot, only has 16 MB of RAM

The casio EM-500 is a very nice machine. If you know how to use the Windows operating system them you will have no problems at all with the windows pocket operating system. Its has a very nice 65,000+ color display. It would be nice if it came with 32MB...

Pros: Nice color display and functionality
Cons: Screen cracks easily

When I first received my Cassiopeia EM500 I was trilled. But after having it less than 30 days I accidentally dropped it from my lap onto a carpeted floor and the screen cracked. The unit is virtually inoperable after the drop. All I can do is turn...

Pros: Decent software, Easy to use.
Cons: *Dreadful* to use in daylight or strong indoor light. Expensive.

I have had my EM-500 for about 4 months now. I confess to having second thoughts about it all, now that I have had it for a while.

There is no doubt that it works exactly as its supposed to, WinCE is fine as an OS (unless you happen to be...

Pros: Superb stylish look with choice of colours, Easy to use, Large, clear screen
Cons: Unable to upgrade OS, Memory size small, Tab protecting computer connection easy to lose

The first thing that grabs you about the Cassiopeia EM500 is the look of it. Available in a variety of colours it's ideal for those people who like to have a slightly more personalised pocket pc. The design of the EM500 is in my opinion excellent. All...

Pros: A LapTop in your pocket.
Cons: Internal memory

I've been using PDA's since the Sharp Wizard days. I had most Palms, lastly the Palm Vx and now I know what the best is. The Casio EM-500 is by far the most complete PDA and most value for your money. You get all the Microsoft stuff like Internet...

Very good product. I would like to see more add-ons for it but works well and is dependable. I have noticed that the stores that used to carry this product a year ago no longer carry it or any of the accessories.

This is my third palm pilot that i have bought, in both pocket pc, and palm platforms. I definately prefer the pocket pc, as well as this model. It is easy to expand, but it is confusing at first, but you get the hang of it. I would definitely recommend this one for anyone, but definitely for the second time buyer.

I got my unit second hand so the price was right. I found it great but then again this was my first PDA. I wanted to say that The batteries can be found for as low as $15 if you look hard enough on-line. Also if the battery life is too short then buy an external battery to plug in for the "long trip". I got mine at best buy for $25 and provides 1800mAh. As for the SD card, I would have to agree - they should of included a Compact Flash port regardless of the increased thickness caused by it.

I have had this pocket pc for 2 years and it is still going strong. I love it because it is the thinnest of all its competitors and when you break it out people find it really flashy and eye-catching. It is very portable and easily slips in my pocket. The downside I have had is the lack of a compact flash port. All of the coolest add-ons are done through compact flash and not MMC. If you want a modem, wireless connection, or any of the cool add ons- this is not for you. If you are content without them, then you will really enjoy it!

This palm pilot to put it plainly stinks. What casio says it offers really doesn't come standard with this pocket pc. The battery slips out easily, just wait until it falls out and you can't find it, then you have to replace the battery, for at least $45 more. I say do not buy this palm pilot, if you can even find it, it is really not worth it!