Editorial Review

Organize your busy life with the Casio Cassiopeia BE-300 Pocket Manager. Running Windows CE 3.0 as its operating system, the BE-300 features a unique interface that emphasizes ease of use, while offering superior connectivity with Windows PCs.

The Casio BE-300 comes with 16 MB of RAM and 16 MB of ROM, a 166 MHz processor, and a bright, 320 x 240 pixel passive-matrix screen that displays 32,000 colors. It's equipped with a Type II CompactFlash (CF) card slot, enabling you to add memory cards, wireless network cards, camera modules, and more.

You'll be productive right out of the gates with the collection of software included with the BE-300. It comes with such PIM tools as Calendar, Contacts, To Do, and Memo, as well as e-mail and Web browser programs. Synchronize your contacts and e-mail with your PC using Microsoft Outlook. You'll also get multimedia programs for playing MP3 digital audio files, viewing still photos, and capturing images with an optional CompactFlash camera.

Take time out to play with your BE-300 with content from MyCasio.com. You'll find a complete spectrum of mobile content (music and e-books), travel services, restaurant information, the latest news, and more.

The Casio BE-300 is powered by an internal rechargeable Li-ion battery that provides up to a week's worth of power (based on normal usage). It comes with a USB connection cradle for synchronizing data with your PC.

What's in the box

• Cassiopeia BE-300
• AC adapter
• Lithium ion battery
• USB cradle
• USB cable
• Stylus
• Flip cover
• User manual

Editorial Review

There's no doubt that the Compaq iPAQ 3600 series occupy that rare class of gadgets that's noticeable for being eye-catching and fashionable as well as functional. Even if you don't regularly shuttle between nations in a private company jet, using the sleek metal device may make you feel like a high-powered executive (or at the very least, make other people think you are).

The most striking feature of the iPAQ is its bright, crisp color screen. We were a little surprised to discover that it only displays 4,096 colors (compared to color offerings from Palm and Handspring, for example, which display up to 65,536 colors). While the color quality is fine for everyday use, photos can appear somewhat grainy or posterized.

Other hardware notables include a headphone jack for listening to digital music (or even just the built-in alert sounds, which are the best we've heard on any device), an infrared port for beaming data to other similarly equipped Pocket PCs, and a voice recorder for capturing your ideas while in traffic. The unit is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that performed acceptably for a color display. A connection port at the bottom accommodates extension packs that can read CompactFlash media, PC Cards, and other peripherals (or just brightly colored jackets for expressing your fashion sense).

In terms of storage and software, the iPAQ is a modern workhorse. It has 32 MB of RAM for storing large media files like MP3s and movie or animation clips, plus 16 MB of ROM that houses the included applications. These include the Microsoft Windows CE 3.0 operating system, Pocket PC versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Money, Windows Media Player, and Reader as well as applicationslike a calendar, contact list, task list, and notes.

The iPAQ accepts data using a handwriting recognition system that was surprisingly tolerant of our scribbled notes--we encountered problems mainly with two-stroke letters like t, i, and k. An onscreen keyboard comes in handy in these situations, or you can use the "inking" feature to write directly on the screen, followed by a Recognize command that translates the writing into letters. Although inking seemed to lag slightly behind the stylus as we wrote, it picked up 80 to 95 percent of the letters.

This isn't to say that the iPAQ is perfect, however. Many aspects of Windows CE 3.0 drove us crazy, like the irrational choice to put the program menus at the bottom of the screen and present them so they don't appear to be menus at all. Another quirk is the iPAQ's Navigator, a large four-direction button below the screen that can be used to scroll through selections. Looking at the QStart screen (an icon view of most of the programs), you can highlight different icons using the Navigator. However, counterintuitively, you have to push up and down on the Navigator to highlight objects to the left and right, respectively. Pushing the center of the Navigator acts like the Enter key on a computer keyboard, taking you to the selected program or file.

The iPAQ interfaces with Windows-based PCs (sorry, Macintosh users) using Microsoft's ActiveSync 3.1 software (which also includes a full version of Outlook 2000). The synchronization process is pretty efficient, and lets you browse the contents of the iPAQ from your desktop. However, it took three PCs running three flavors of Windows and three ActiveSync installs before we were able to get the computer to recognize the iPAQ.

It's worth noting that the glitches we ran into were more interface annoyances that are probably easy to adapt to (though we'd rather have software engineers bend to users' needs). The iPAQ 3600 series is the closest device we've seen that (mostly) intelligently packs the capabilities of a full-size PC into a handheld. --Nelson Finn

Pros:

• Good color screen
• Easy transfer of Word and Excel files between PC and handheld
• Good handwriting recognition
• Expansion jackets provide for more memory and peripherals

Cons:

• Awkward Windows CE interface
• ActiveSync synchronization software can be flaky

Editorial Review

The Palm m125 is similar to the Palm m100 and m105 in its shape and classic, powerful Palm organizer functions. But it also offers several features that elevate it above the other two models--a memory card expansion slot, bonus software, and compatibility with peripherals for i705 and m500 series models.

The curved base of the Palm m125 fits snugly and comfortably in the palm of your hand. It features a protective cover that flips up and is flexible at the end--a nice touch to prevent damage if you scrape it against anything while opening. It also has a window on the cover that lets you check the time by pressing the button that pokes through.

Like other Palm handhelds the Palm m125 doesn't have a keyboard. Instead, you write shorthand-like strokes on the special writing area at the bottom of the backlit grayscale screen, which the m125 recognizes as letters. You can also tap with the stylus to type letters using an onscreen keyboard, as well as open menus and select icons. (For more keying power, you might consider the optional Palm portable keyboard.)

The Palm operating system (OS) is very efficient, so the 8 MB memory is enough to store a lot of data and quite a few applications, too. If you want to add more applications or content, you have two choices. First, you can find applications and e-books on the Web, download them to your desktop or laptop hard drive, and synchronize the data using the USB HotSync cradle, which attaches to the Palm universal connector at the base of the handheld. It's the same connector as on the m500 and m505 and Palm has promised to support it for three years, so there should be plenty of peripherals available.

Your other option is to use the expansion slot on the side of the handheld, which accepts Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMediaCard (MMC) memory cards. Palm offers a number of expansion cards with content (such as e-books and Lonely Planet travel guides), applications (the PalmPak language translator, for example), and games. You can also store applications and content on memory cards (such as those from Viking or SanDisk) without sacrificing any of the Palm m125's 8 MB memory.

The Palm m125 comes with Palm OS 4.0, which has new e-mail and Web browsing software, and enables you to send SMS (Short Message Service). You can use infrared to connect to your cell phone for a wireless connection, or add an optional modem to connect to a standard phone line.

In addition to the standard built-in utilities and the Palm Desktop application (for both Windows and Mac), you get extra software including an e-book reader, Documents To Go (for viewing and editing Word and Excel documents), and AvantGo (which downloads Web content, such as news from BBC or the latest soccer scores).

For a budget PDA, the small, light Palm m125 has some nice design touches, is loaded with software extras, and can be customized with thousands of available Palm OS applications. It may not be the most powerful PDA on the market, but its expansion capabilities certainly kick it up a notch. --Mary Branscombe and Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Expansion card slot for SD and MMC memory cards
• Lots of bonus software, including Documents To Go and Mobile Internet Kit software
• USB universal connector ready for lots of peripherals

• Not as thin as the Palm m500 series

Editorial Review

Fuji's FinePix 4900 is one of a new style of consumer digital cameras appearing on the market. Borrowing features from both film SLRs and point-and-shoot digital cameras, these hybrids offer an extremely potent set of features in a compact package and will undoubtedly steer even more film photographers over to digital.

The 4900 features an impressive 6x optical zoom lens plus a 3.7x digital zoom. Shots are captured on a SuperCCD sensor that generates images at resolutions of up to 2,400 x 1,800 pixels, producing photo-quality prints at sizes of 8 by 10 and beyond. By default, the camera is as easy to operate as a point-and-shoot, but virtually every function is manually controllable. Shutter-priority and aperture-priority modes are available, and the ISO, focus, white balance, and exposure compensation can all be adjusted. A pop-up flash features slow-sync, fill flash, and red-eye reduction, and a hot shoe on top of the camera allows you to use a dedicated flash unit.

Fuji has replaced the traditional optical viewfinder with a camcorder-style electronic viewfinder (EVF)--a tiny LCD display inside the eyepiece. The benefits of this arrangement are obvious: the EVF provides a traditional SLR-style through-the-lens viewing experience, works well even in bright sunlight, lets you hold the camera in the more stable, traditional position, and helps to extend battery life. However, there are some situations in which the EVF is inferior to a traditional optical viewfinder: if you're shooting in near darkness, it's virtually impossible to see through the viewfinder, and even in brighter light, the images tend to look grainy and washed out compared to the images in the 2-inch LCD on the back of the camera.

The 2.4-megapixel SuperCCD sensor was developed by Fuji and is only found on Fuji cameras. Instead of using a traditional grid of square pixels, it features octagonal pixels arrayed diagonally. Fuji claims that this system offers improved sensitivity and image detail over a standard CCD. To prove this point, the camera interpolates its 2.4-megapixel images up to 4.3 megapixels at the highest-quality setting. Independent tests typically place these interpolated images on a par with pictures from a 3.3 megapixel camera.

The 4900 is comfortable to hold, and its controls are logically arranged. Though it's bigger and heavier than a point-and-shoot, it's still smaller and lighter than an SLR, and the design feels good in your hands. The battery compartment forms a comfortable pistol grip for your right hand, and your left hand will naturally want to cradle the barrel. Fuji thoughtfully included dual zoom controls--one under your right thumb on the back of the camera, and the other under your left thumb on the barrel of the lens. An easy-to-reach thumb dial on the top of the camera controls shutter speed or aperture, depending upon your shooting mode, and a ring on the front of the lens manually adjusts focus.

Files can be saved at numerous resolutions and levels of compression, from a massive uncompressed 2,400 x 1,800 TIFF file (one shot nearly fills the included 16 MB SmartMedia card) to basic 640 x 480 JPEG files appropriate for emailing. The camera also features a movie mode for creating low-resolution silent film clips.

If you're an amateur photographer who loves using single-lens-reflex cameras but don't want to spend several thousand dollars on a true digital SLR, Fuji's FinePix 4900 offers most of the functionality of a digital SLR at a fraction of the price. The lens is not removable, but its 35-210mm range (35mm equivalent) is flexible enough to use in nearly any situation.

Pros:

• Impressive 6x zoom lens
• Comfortable, well-arranged controls
• Easy to use for beginners and experienced photographers

Cons:

• Electronic viewfinder is hard to use in some conditions

Features

• 2-inch LCD for previewing your photos
• Built-in flash, microphone and speaker
• Lithium battery included
• Cyber-shot digital camera with 2.6-megapixel maximum resolution
• 5x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 10x) with auto and manual focus

Reviews (30)

Nice camera, a few limitations
I bought this camera a little over a year ago, when I was doing a summer internship in the Albany area.I had been going out on nature outings with the other interns, and wanted a way to share my experiences with the folks back home.Over the last year I've taken my 505V on hiking trips, trips into caves and even on a diving trip, where I took some pics before getting in the water.Here are my observations from my experiences.

First of all.NEAT camera!It looks like something Captain Kirk would use to snap pictures of the orange-skied planets he used to visit!The controls are laid out well, so that buttons and things are under one's fingers when he holds the camera, and the menu system is simple enough to use.I did not notice any loss of sharpness around the edges of the frame; the Zeiss-designed lens, mounted well away from the heat-producing CCD, probably has something to do with this.The controls permit some simple Real Camera-type manipulations: several shutter speeds, several exposure times, that sort of thing, but there aren't nearly as many tweakable settings, or as much range, as there would be ina film camera.The 505V is designed to be used as a waist-level camera, and shots taken this way should be composed with this in mind.The front of the lens is threaded for standard filters (don't recall the size offhand), obtainable at a photo store.A UV filter to protect the lens and a polarizing filter for outdoor shots of sky and clouds might be a couple of good things to consider.

As did several of the other reviewers, I have had problems getting good pictures in low-light conditions.Perhaps the CCD is not sensitive enough, or the shutter is held open too long for hand-holding, but low-light pics tend to come out blurry.The built-in flash is, of course, too close to the lens, though that's a problem with any camera whose flash is mounted right on the body.Last, the 505V is big.I've had it in some rather surprising places, but it was an effort to take it out of its case and put it back for every picture.I am considering getting a simple, compact digicam as an auxilliary adventure camera for spontaneous shots or narrow cave passages, though I do not anticipate the new camera replacing my 505.

I have bought a PCMCIA card for plugging the Memory Stick into my laptop (heh! I can mount it as a Linux filesystem and not have to touch any Windows software at all!), an extra battery, and of course, a bigger Memory Stick than the 8M one that came with the camera.I have also purchased a small Pelican case from the dive shop, so that I can get my pack wet or drop it onto hard places (or fall and land on it, as has also happened a few times), and not worry about damaging my camera.The Pelican case also fits an extra battery and as many Memory Sticks as I care to take along, and is thus a Good Thing.

Great curves and handling
I like the camera very much.What is especially nice about it is the size.Yes it is rather large, but that is a plus when you are a large handed person and this is one of the most comfortable cameras that I have tried out to handle.The buttons aren't microscopic and the lens makes a pleasant handhold also.Smaller is not always better.
The one thing I do not care for is the response time when taking a picture and also when viewing pictures that have been taken.The camera also tends to get a little testy when you try to do close ups.
Otherwise, lovely.

Pros and Cons of the DSC-F505V
This is a really good camera, but there are some drawbacks.

The large lens and overall design fits well in you hands, if you have small hands.The 505's image quality is very good and often opt for the lower resolution images (1856x1392).The low light capabilities are quite good, but you end up having to take one or two shots before finding the best as there is no enhancement of the LCD image prior to a shot.It is sometimes difficult to target with the camera unless you are used to the LCD screen.The menu system is very easy to navigate and allows you to do almost everything you need w/o the use of the computer.Despite the limited (~65min) battery, it is adequate to fill a 64 or 128Mb Memory Stick through normal use.A second battery along with the charger can keep you shooting all day long or as long as your memory holds out.As with any Sony product, the memory will cost you more but go to Synchrotech.com and they have good prices.The flash on the 505 is excellent.At its highest setting, it can easily penetrate 16-20ft.

Because of the 505's odd shape, it can be a challenge finding a good case for it other than the custom Sony case.I ended up with a Cascade Pack (#66009) a part of the MULTI pack series by MRock.Everything I need (camera, extra memory, extra battery, A/C battery charger and cables) will fit into this case and the overall size isn't much more than the camera itself.

Editorial Review

The Olympus Camedia E-10 is a near-professional quality four-megapixel single-lens-reflex (SLR) digital camera with a number of unique features. First and foremost, the E-10 features an exceptionally high-quality 4x optical zoom lens with a focal length equivalent to a 35-140mm lens on a 35mm camera, and has a aperture of f2.0-f2.4 to f11.0, depending on how much zoom is used. Unlike many of the digital SLRs on the market, however, the lens is not removable. Olympus works around this by offering an extended set of lens additions that convert the lens from a wide-angle wonder to the equivalent of a 420mm super-zoom. Additionally, while the E-10 is an SLR camera, the LCD monitor also features live preview. Most SLR cameras utilize a mirror to supply the optical viewfinder with its image. Because of this, on most digital SLRs, the LCD monitor does not provide a live preview of the scenes you are trying to capture. The E-10 uses a beam-splitter--basically a prism--that allows the image to speed its way to both the optical viewfinder and the LCD monitor. The LCD monitor also sits on a hinge, letting you tilt it up 90 degrees, or down 20 degrees, allowing you to take pictures from unusual camera angles while still accurately framing the scene.

Unlike most other digital cameras, the E-10 uses both SmartMedia and CompactFlash (Type I & II) for storage. Also unlike many other cameras, the resolution of your image can be selected from 2240 x 1680, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, or 640 x 480 pixels, an unusually large selection. A histogram function lets you view exposure information after you capture an image, giving you instant feedback about how to improve your picture-taking skills. A 32 MB internal buffer allows the E-10 to take up to take up to four shots in sequence at three frames per second, even when set to record images as uncompressed TIFFs.