The new Cassiopeia BE-300 Pocket Manager is Casio's frontal attack on Palm Computing, which dominates in the $200–$300 PDA marketplace. Based on our examination of a pre-production unit, we think Casio has a winner. This unit had the final hardware and late beta versions of the built-in software. We did not have access to Casio's proprietary synchronization and installation software.

The Pocket Manager is, in a sense, a hybrid. It is a palm-sized device aimed at the general business user. It uses the Windows CE 3.0 operating system, but not the Pocket PC applications and interface. Casio applied its own proven PIM applications to this new PDA and is partnering with veteran Windows CE developers, including bSquare, Pumatech, Stellent, Inc., and others, to create proprietary built-in applications.

The under-$300 price-point was a primary goal in the development of the product. Compared to a standard Pocket PC, some compromises were made on the hardware. In addition, the built-in software is not quite as complete and robust as Pocket PC software. Nevertheless, Casio did a remarkable job in creating an easy-to-use yet powerful suite of applications on a platform built for expandability. In addition, Casio launched "myCasio.com," a support Web site for all Cassiopeia users, with many useful free and subscription services (see sidebar).

Hardware and expandability

The Pocket Manager's screen, which is protected by a removable plastic flip top, contains about 75% of the viewable area of a standard Pocket PC. The device is about as thick as the Compaq iPAQ, HP Jornada, and Casio EM-500 Pocket PCs, but smaller and lighter.

The top of the Pocket Manager is slightly thicker than the rest of the body to accommodate a Type II CompactFlash card slot. This slot will enable it to use wireless network cards, LAN cards and Bluetooth cards, and more. Casio plans on making the necessary software drivers available for these CompactFlash I/O cards. Most commonly, the slot will be used to add file storage capacity. The "Type II" specification means that it can accept standard CompactFlash cards as well as the IBM 1 gigabyte "Microdrive," a tiny rotating-disk hard drive in the CompactFlash format. The Microdrive would add plenty of room for storing data, music and videos.

Casio plans to offer a PC Card expansion "jacket," which will piggyback onto the Pocket Manager similarly to the way the Compaq iPAQ Expansion Packs work. That way, the Pocket Manager will be able to accommodate additional storage cards, wireless cards, and more.

The hardware controls and ports are at the bottom of the unit. The serial port (with USB client support), the headphone and the AC jacks are along the bottom edge of the Pocket Manager. Since the hardware is similar to other Casio Pocket PCs, Casio accessories such as chargers, sync cradles, connectivity cables, the Stowaway keyboard, the serial modem, and the CF camera card will work with the Pocket Manager.

Below the screen reside four smaller buttons, which form a V around the game-style cursor control button. The left button brings up the main application menu and the right button turns the unit on and off. The other two buttons activate "OK" and "ESC". For example, if you are entering a new contact, press "OK" to save the contact, and "ESC" to cancel and delete it. Touch-sensitive icons, located at the bottom of the screen, launch seven applications: Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, Mail, Internet Browser, and Settings. These icons can be mapped to other applications, although our prototype didn't contain the software to do so.

Pocket PC users will miss the infrared port, the voice record feature, and the external speakers. The alarm (not working on our prototype) buzzes. I found the stereo quality good using the headphones.

Flash storage permanent

One of the true strengths of the Pocket Manager, and one I wish Pocket PC manufacturers would duplicate, is that all data, applications, and the operating system are stored in Flash ROM memory there is no RAM available for file storage. This benefits the user in a number of ways.

First, it means that you don't have to worry about losing data if the battery dies. All notes, contacts, installed applications, and so forth will still be there once you recharge, and there's no coin-sized backup battery to worry about. Second, Flash ROM storage means that all applications, even the "built-in" ones, are upgradeable and even interchangeable. If you find a better photo viewer or task manager, you can install it and remove the original. If you don't use a particular application, such as the mail program, you can delete it and use the space to store more information or another application. Since all the built-in applications are included on a CD that comes with the unit, you can always re-install a deleted application.

Finally, having the OS in Flash ROM means that it is a whole lot easier to fix bugs or completely upgrade the OS.

The one "gotcha" associated with using Flash ROM rather than RAM is that Flash memory is more expensive. To keep the Pocket Manager below $300, Casio limited the Flash ROM memory to 16 Mb, which is used to store the OS, applications, and data. Casio made this limitation work by compressing everything that's stored in Flash ROM. When you turn Pocket Manager on, start an application, or access data, the compressed files expand into the system RAM. Approximately 6 of the 16 Mb of Flash ROM are used to store the OS. The remainder are used to store data and applications. The standard applications take up 4.5 Mb, which leaves about 5.5 Mb for data storage. If you delete some of the applications, more room is available for storage.

For users interested in basic PDA functioning, that storage may be sufficient. However, other users will probably want at least a 32 Mb CF card for data storage and for installing the additional multimedia applications that come with the Pocket Manager.

Windows CE operating system

and third-party applications

Like all Pocket PCs and the NEC MobilePro 790 reviewed in this issue, the BE-300 Pocket Manager is powered by the Microsoft embedded Windows CE 3.0 operating system. That means that in most cases it will be easy for developers to "port" their Pocket PC application to the BE-300. Other than the built-in applications, the major difference between the Pocket PC and Pocket Manager has to do with the latter's different user interface. For example, on the BE-300 there is no Start icon and no tap-and-hold capability. We have been told that many applications written for the Casio E-105 Palm-size PC, which pre-dates Pocket PCs, should work without modification. However, on the prototype, we weren't able to get the several we tested to run.

BSquare (www.bsquare.com) will manage Casio's software developer program, providing independent software vendors with a wide range of software products, tools, and services, including technical support and a free Software Development Kit (SDK). BSquare will host a developer's conference in September.

When asked why Casio developed the BE-300 as a "Pocket Manager" instead of trying to produce a less expensive Pocket PC, Casio's Scott Nelson replied: "Because the production requirements for Windows CE products are slightly different than those of our Pocket PC products, Casio was able to develop a unique processor and components set that allows for a feature-rich product at a lower price."

The built-in applications

Our pre-production Pocket Manager came with applications installed both on the unit and on a storage card. Installed on the unit were Contacts, Calendar, Notes (text and drawing), Tasks, Mail, Internet, PhotoViewer, Clock, Calculator, Settings, Connections, and Backup. On the storage card, I found AudiblePlayer, FileManager, MoviePlayer, MusicPlay, and a file viewer program that lets you view Word DOC files, Excel XLS files, and PowerPoint PPT files. Unlike the Pocket PC, Pocket Manager does not come with Pocket Excel and Pocket Word built in, nor does it have an eBook reader. However, the file viewer means you can read .doc and .xls e-mail attachments or files that you've downloaded for reference on the go.

I played with all of the installed applications. They seemed straightforward and intuitive to use, but not as full-featured as their Pocket PC counterparts. The Pocket Manager uses a consistent set of icons to navigate and access different menus. However, these icons are slightly different than their Pocket PC counterparts.

Along the top of the display in different applications, you'll find three icons: The first, in the upper left, is a "go back one screen" icon that looks like a U-turn symbol laying on its side. This only takes you back to screens within the same application; hence, it doesn't show up on the main screen. In the upper right you'll find an "exit application" icon that looks like a tornado. Occasionally, you'll also see the more traditional question-mark icon next to it, indicating that a Help screen is available.

The bottom row on the screen, immediately above the stenciled application-launch icons, displays the time and icons that let you access information about the CompactFlash slot and the battery life. There is also an icon that lets you open the input screen and change from a "soft" keyboard to a character recognizer.

The application launch menu is a simple list that pops up when you press the left hardware button. All in all, the Pocket Manager is simpler to use than the Pocket PC, which is important in Casio's quest to conquer Palm.

I especially liked how storage card access was built into the design of the software. For example, on the application launch menu and in a number of the programs, there are "Main" and "Card" tabs. To view the applications installed on the CF card, all one has to do is tap on the "Card" tab (see Screen 1). Similarly, within PhotoViewer one can look at photos stored in main memory or on the card by tapping the appropriate tab.

Screen 1: View applications installed on Pocket Manager's CF card by selecting the "Card" tab in the main menu.

A useful related feature is that a CF card containing applications is self-sufficient. That means that I can keep multiple CF cards with different applications or data, or borrow a card from another Pocket Manager user. Each time I insert a different CF card into the Pocket Manager, only the data or applications installed on that card show up in the menus. Everything is ready to use.

Input: a "soft" keyboard and a character recognizer

Pocket Manager's input feature is similar to the one found on the Pocket PC. An icon with the letter "A" in it, at the bottom of the screen, lets you access the input panel. Press the up-arrow icon next to it to select the method of input ("keyboard" or "recognizer").

The keyboard supports the "slide up" gesture to capitalize a letter. Along the top of the keyboard are four keys that let you access a European character set, two symbol sets, and common Web address symbols. I particularly appreciated this last key, which lets me quickly enter "http://," "www.," ".com." ".net," or ".org" with a tap.

The character recognizer uses a clever method for inputting letters. To enter text, you print letters alternately in a left and right box. By the time you've entered the next character, the previous one has been recognized and translated. It did a reasonable job translating my handwriting and I could never get more than a character ahead. You have to conform to the way it recognizes letters, but a Help screen is available to show you how a letter should be entered. In most cases it was similar to the way I naturally write letters. With a little practice, I imagine you could enter characters with a high degree of accuracy and speed. The recognizer input boxes are surrounded by keys that let you capitalize letters, delete characters, backspace, and more (see Screen 2). If gestures, even just for space and return, were supported, input would go even more quickly.

Screen 2: Recognizer's dual input boxes are surrounded by keys that let you capitalize letters, delete characters, backspace, and more.

The future

Casio is certainly committed to the Pocket Manager platform. They plan to produce 500,000 units in the first six months and 1,000,000 the first year. Casio's marketing material indicates that there will be a Pocket Manager product line. A unit with more Flash memory would be an obvious initial addition. Following Compaq's success, we might expect to see a number of expansion jacket options.

Gary Rado, president of Casio, Inc., explains Casio's vision as follows: "The Cassiopeia Pocket Manager BE-300 is a mobile computing device that fulfills the requirements of active business people who travel extensively in the course of their work. Not only can users use PIMs or business applications, they can also connect to networks (via separate optional modem and ISP subscription purchase) for sending and receiving e-mail and viewing Web content. By using the Casio Mobile/myCasio.com Web services, Casio plans for users to have remote access to office e-mail servers, as well as access to such services as airline and hotel reservations and Casio's Local Information Service."

Final impressions

To achieve the under $300 price-point, Casio made certain hardware and software compromises as discussed above. In addition, like many current Pocket PCs, the screen is not reflective so it can't be easily read out-of-doors. And although it was in the acceptable range, I did find the system at times a little slow to respond. Casio told me that this might be due to the unit being a prototype.

Having said that, the Cassiopeia BE-300 Pocket Manager is a fun and useful device. I like the feel of it—its weight and size. It is more capable and expandable than similarly priced Palm OS based competitors, while remaining easy to use. It should prove an excellent under-$300 tool for the mobile professional.