Casio’s new PV75O is a thorough reworking of the pocket organiser concept (PV stands for Pocket Viewer). It has been upgraded to synchronise desktop data, link to mobile phones, exchange email, track expenses and provide a jotter pad — all as part of the underlying OS.
Casio has obviously done a lot of work on this product and it’s way ahead of the Palm for application breadth.
However, it isn’t anywhere near as easy to use. It doesn’t have handwriting recognition, and its ‘8Os-style desktop link application is very clunky (but you can link into Outlook by downloading
an extra applet off the Web). Its tip-tap requirements make Microsoft’s Pocket PC menu-heavy interface look sparse. On top of this, the unlikelihood of extensive developer support puts the PV’s future in doubt.
However, the design is neat, with a blue flip lid covering the 130 by 130 plastic touchscreen, and a simple scroll/enter button on the left side. All other input is made through the stylus and screen icons as there are no one-touch buttons.
Inside the unit is a proprietary CPU and 2M of RAM, powered by two AAA batteries. According to Casio, they will last for up to 160 hours, and It didn’t go flat during APC’s testing. However, using the built-in IrDA modem will reduce battery life. The modem sits on the right side, just above the synchronisation port on the bottom edge, which is used to connect to a host PC through the serial cradle.
The PV is very quick, but because of the innumerable stylus taps required to perform any task, it is slower in practice than many others. Entering a full address using the pop-up virtual keyboard is particularly fiddly.
Ail the applet views are clear and sharp, but the backlight is not very good. The usual schedule, contacts, and memo sections are included, as well as a couple of games and a currency converter. The PV’s main advantage is Its ability to send and receive email through any mobile phone. Setting up is relatively straightforward and phone type plus all TCP/IP settings are easy to configure using the comprehensive manual. You then tap in a message, hit send and place it next to the IrDA-compliant phone and you are connected. However, even with this capability, the PV75O begs the question, ‘why did they make it?’.

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