Handheld Reviews

I recently purchased this AC adaptor for use with my Casio E-125. That was a mistake -- the charger is not compatible with E-125.

The Casio E-125 uses a light gray, model AD-C59200U charger that outputs 5.9 volts. The AD-C50200U charger produces only 5 volts, and is not recommended for use with the E-125. (Though it may be compatible with the E-115...)

So don't be silly goose like me and get this device for you E-125. Get the AD-C59200U AC adapter for your unit instead.

I use this AC Adapter with my Casio E-115. The adapter has a horizontal orientation, a first in my collection of AC adapters. The adapter doesn't hog an entire wall plate - the wire to the PDA runs out of the side of the adapter, not the bottom. The adapter's shape doesn't encroach on the other socket in a standard US wallplate.

No lazy engineering here - Casio realized that people might actually have something else to plug in.

This adapter rocks - it doesn't get hot, and it is lightweight. The only thing missing is the great scent of pine!

You know that you hate climbing under your desk when you want to take your power supply home...and then having to crawl back under when you bring it back to the office.

Save your knees, buy one for home and one for the office!

My company originally bought these cards for use in the Casio E-105, E-115 and E-125's. Then we switched to Compaq IPAQ 3635's. These cards work beautifully. It is the smallest CF Modem card out there.

I bought this modem a while ago when my computer was slower than molassis. After I bought this item my computer gets to sites in a quick sec and th downloading qualities are amazing. So if you are looking for a modem get this one. You won't regret it.

SIZED JUST RIGHT
This Pocket PC holder is just right in size. I orignally purchased the travel size pocket PC holder from Fellowes and it just didn't cut it. It was too big and bulky without the capacity to justify the size. This one is smallenough to drop in your purse or briefcase.
(1-1/2" deep x 4-3/4" wide x 6-3/8 long)

THE RIGHT STUFF PROVIDED FOR
This is one of the few Pocket PC holders that had a spot both for the stylus and a pen and a spot for a pad of paper.
It seems odd with all the capacity of a Pocket PC to want a pad of paper, but hey, try to leave a note for someone with just a Pocket PC in hand. Hence my wanting paper and pen at hand too.
Also, under where the pad of paper fits and is provided, you can put credit or business cards. There is no wasted space.

EXPENSIVE LOOKING THOUGH NOT REAL LEATHER
This handheld Pocket PC case is expensive looking and feeling, with a plastic zipper that has a large metal tang that is easy to grasp. The plastic zipper is desirable as many Pocket PC owners complained of the metal zippers damaging the finish on their devices. The large metal zipper pull makes it easy to close up quickly.

This is the best mix of size and capacity I have seen on the market for the Pocket PC, and I've looked at them all. The price is right too.

For this price it aint gonna last I got mine at office max on sale for 14.95 but even for 22.95 it still aint gonna last. It holds your PDA and other stuff but it is still small. I would reccommend this as the best pda case because you can put any PDA in it not just a special type!§§

The GPSMAP76CS continues the evolution of Garmin's GPSMAP line of GPS receivers. It is well-suited for walking, car navigation and casual marine use. I already own a GPSMAP76S. The major advances of the 76CS are:

(1) Color TFT screen - makes it so easy to see your maps and data; it's bright and sharp, easy to read in any light. The variable-level backlight is great in low-light situations. The night-time color scheme is pretty cool, too. You can have the receiver automatically switch between day/night color schemes at sunrise/sunset, or manually select the mode. There are several alternate color schemes for day or night-time use.

(2) Point-to-point automatic routing - works very well. There are two audio-visual prompts for each turn, one about a minute before, and again (with a different tone sequence) about 10 seconds before the turn. You can choose from several different tone sequences, but I'm happy with the defaults. The prompts display a zoomed-in view of the intersection (great for tricky interchange exits and ramps). If you miss a turn, it re-calculates your route to get you to the next point, or your destination. Generally it uses the most major roads available for routing. For areas that I know well, I may take a local road that I know will get me where I'm going sooner. When driving in unfamiliar territory, I rely on the route it calculates for the most part. Apparently, you can select variations on the routing algorithm on the "follow roads options" page: Car/Motorcycle (the one I use), Truck, Bus, Emergency, Taxi, Delivery, Pedestrian and Bicycle. I haven't tried any of the other routing options yet. Overall, I would give the routing capability 4 stars.

(3) Customizable page sequence - in my other Garmin GPS receivers, you can cycle through the main pages forwards or backwards, but you can't change the sequence. The 76CS lets you add, remove, or move individual pages within the sequence. I put the pages I use most often next to each other; I like this feature.

(4) Recent Finds page - a new feature and real time-saver when I want to go to a place that I've looked up before. I use this page so often, I added it to my main page sequence. However, I discovered you can bring up the Recent Finds page by pressing the Find button twice.

(5) More memory - 115 MB stores detailed map data from optional Mapsource CD ROM sets. I was able to load all of North Carolina and about half of South Carolina and Virginia from the North America City Select database. This is nearly 5 times the memory of the 76S!

(6) USB connection - my old 76S (with serial connection) takes the better part of an hour to load a full 24MB map set from the Mapsource CD ROMS. The USB connection on the 76CS makes loading the full 115MB much quicker. Also, loading waypoints, routes and tracks between the receiver and PC is way faster now.

Garmin periodically updates their GPS receivers' software, and you can easily download the updates from the Garmin website. They have already posted an update to the GSPMAP76CS (version 3.40 was released June 8, 2004).

Quibbles: as mentioned in another review, you can't customize the data fields display to show small data fields three-across, as you can with the 76S. Admittedly, the small data fields on the 76S are hard to read while driving; I would consider this a minor setback for the 76CS. One can still display up to 4 data fields in large or medium size as an option on several of the pages, much like the 76S.

One feature of the 76S that I like is the ability to show the name of the upcoming cross-street (when lock-on-roads is enabled). This is a useful feature when you're just cruising around an unfamiliar part of a city. At first, I thought this was missing from the new 76CS, but I discovered that when the map has guidance text turned on all the time (instead of only when the unit is actively navigating) then when not navigating, the text area displays the upcoming street name. Another great feature of the 76S which carried over to the 76CS: graphic editing of a route. When the "use map" option is selecting while editing a route, move the pointing arrow to touch a route segment. The segment then appears as a dotted line, and if you press the Enter key, acts like a tight rubber band attached to the panning arrow. One can then move the panning arrow to any other map feature (for example an intersection) and press Enter to add an intermediate route point. I've found Garmin's manuals provide a good introduction to basic operation, but may not cover all the features. However, I've found the 76CS operation to be fairly intuitive.

Now for the major gripe: to enter text or numbers, Garmin has reverted to the character matrix format (found, for example, on the Etrex Vista), where you move the cursor about a grid of letters and numbers, press Enter to select that character, then move the cursor to the next character, etc. Finally, you move the cursor to the "OK" spot on the grid and press Enter. On the 76S there's no character grid, you just cursor left to clear a field, cursor up to advance the current letter or down to move back through the character set, then cursor right to select the next character, etc. I found this method fairly intuitive and much easier to use on the fly. Hopefully, Garmin will fix this in a future software update.

As with the GPSMAP76S, the sensors are a useful feature, particularly while walking. The compass can be used for getting a bearing while standing still, and the barometric altimeter provides useful information for those of us who just have to know, "how high (or low) are we?". If you don't need these features, the GPSMAP76C should work just as well at a lower price. Garmin's GPSMAP60C / 60CS have the same color screen and similar software, but only 56 MB of memory in a smaller unit. Nearly all Garmin GPS receivers have rugged, waterproof cases, but I prefer the 76-series size and flat shape. They even float!

If you're looking for a general-purpose, easy-to-read, easy-to-use mapping GPS receiver, you need look no further than the GPSMAP76CS (or GPSMAP76C without compass and altimeter). Garmin got it right with this one!

I got the gpsmap 76cs just in time for a trip to Alaska. So far the unit is great. It acquires satellites faster than my old gpsmap 76, which is a much appreciated improvement. The new screen is great. Clearly readable without backlight in many different lighting conditions. The color is does not make the screen look washed out or illegible as with other units I have seen.

The new operating system is quite good though I have a few quibbles. The unit will not display as many data fields in certain views as the old operating system but it is also less cluttered. I have also always wondered why Garmin does not include GPS elevation as a data field choice. The lack of an SD card slot is mildly annoying but 115 mb with a USB port is a big improvement.

I would recommend this unit to anyone who is looking for a high quality color GPS. It is also worth noting the Garmin is really good about providing free updates to operating software.

I love mine because I can plug it into my Palm VIIx and update notes, my time card and other chores that I need to quickly take care of when my PDA is far away from my PC.

There are some things you need to consider when deciding between this and the more portable offerings from Palm Computing and Targus. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of this keyboard and the alternatives, then decide:

Strengths: The Genovation's typing area is well designed and solid. I didn't care for the flimsy feel of the Targus and Palm portables. It also draws zero power, ensuring that you do not drain your PDA's batteries prematurely.

Weaknesses: The Genovation keyboard is not portable in the same sense as the Targus and Palm offerings, both of which fold neatly into a package the size of your PDA. If you take notes at meetings the Genovation is much quieter - the alternatives make clacking sounds while the Genovation keyboard makes no noise. So it boils down to how much "baggage" you want to drag to the meeting, and the distraction factor of keyboard noise.

Things to consider: Genovation claims that they have a Windows CE driver for this keyboard, but that it does not work with Pocket PCs (such as the HP 54x-series, Compaq iPaq, etc.) I have an older driver disk that allowed this keyboard to work flawlessly with an HP 545, so I know it can be done. However, do not expect Genovation to support this. They also claim that this keyboard will not work with Handspring PDAs, so if you have one of those pass this keyboard up. Finally, if your Palm PDA is one of the newer models that use USB instead of serial, this keyboard will not work for you - it connects via a serial connection.

I love mine, but my needs may be different from yours. If you value ergonomics and are willing to sacrifice some portability this is a wonderful peripheral for your Palm PDA. If size does matter, then consider either the Palm or Targus keyboards, which fold into a remarkably small size.

A really nice tactile feel to the keys, with larger hands, the GOTYPE wasn't an option. This is one though keyboard, with slightly smaller key placement than a full keyboard. I use my palm as a "mini-laptop" for lots of note-taking and flash-card review. It's lightweight, yet very tough. Software is easy to set up--I was up using it in about 5 min. Couldn't be happier with this one.

Great product. Can send messages, receive e-mails anywhere in the US. Was on vacation in Wisconsin, driving between Green Bay and Madison, and got an urgent message from the office. Was able to respond in a few minutes, issue was handled and I continued my vacation. Did not have to get into long calls once I got to my hotel. Easy to use.

This module has features and capabilities no other seems to have. It's "always on" so there's no waiting and no busy signal. It can work outside the Visor! It is two-way. Lots of power and you can reliably connect from anywhere, and STAY connected because it's always ON. It uses ReFLEX technology that can retain connections anywhere in the world, so you don't have to worry about travelling. I find this to be the most reliable gadget of this type, with a lot of available software to expand capabilities as needed.

This module won a prize last night at the CTIA Wireless IT 2000.

In the consumer application category, Glenayre's @ctiveLink won with its two-way wireless messaging module which works with the Handpsring Visor Handheld computer, snapping seamlessly into the Visor Springboard tm expansion slot to wirelessly enable the powerful personal information management utilities of the handheld computer. The @ctiveLink provides users with Always @ctive -- not session-based - connectivity to ReFlex networks, whether or not it is inserted in the Visor. This means the user does not have to "log on" to the network and the module is constantly receiving messages.

I wasn't surprised at the "win" since I found it to be the best such device, myself.

If you wait in line all the time, or if you are at airports all the time, buy this card. It will occupy your time. Both games are identical to their physical counterparts and they are color as well.

Both Monopoly and Scrabble work great. I have a color PalmOS PDA and love both of them. I was afraid that the screen size would limit the functionality, but that turned out not to be the case. In fact, I think it is easier than on my PC screen programs with 4 and 16 times the number of pixels -- superior design went into implementing it on the PDA version!

My son, 9 years old, also loves playing both. Of course, he sometimes hits the "accept word" (after spell-checker flags it) when he spells words wrong just to get high points (e.g., "XJQVY"), but he usually spells them right and this helps in his vocabulary and spelling.

Monopoly is just as easy and has helped my game playing tremendously. I am not thinking about going pro, but if I were, I would certainly have this game in my arsenal.

I bought this when my kid dropped (and broke) her first handheld that she was using to stay on top of school work. The bright blue color is easy to locate amongst a pile of papers, comes with a ring that can be attached to a lanyard, and is padded enough to survive getting banged around in book bags. I'm ordering a second one for kid #2.

The best case I have Its padded for extra protection.stylish and you can hook it to your purse or belt w/the d ring and it has enough room to have a module in slot,Prism fits quite nicly.

Was the same stylus that came with my Visor. So happy with this transaction, especially since I haven't been able to find a replacement anywhere! The seller was AWESOME!

You get what you pay for. The Handspring stylus is FAR superior to the generic stylus they now offer everywhere. from the reset pen in the tip to the screwdriver in the base. It just feels betterin the hand. Like a quality product should.

Most of the title examiners I know cannot figure out why Hewlett Packard has stopped manufacturing this item. I looked at this scanner 3 years ago when they cost 750+ and only a couple of land surveyors owned one. I bought one when the price came down to the 400 range as did just a few other title abstractors; now I have to keep mine under lock and key. The copies are clear enough (although not as good as photocopier copies) and it simplifies my job tremendously to be able to make my copies with a scanner rather than spend my day looking for a working photocopier. The battery works for roughly 8 hours and the charger holds 4 batteries so there's no running out of power. Some examiners download to a pc but I prefer to use a portable desktopr copier (made by HP). Time is money in my business and if HP were smart they would make themselves a lot of money by reissuing this device.

HP has never really known who to market this device to. I do legal and real estate research and when I first saw a co-worker with this device, I knew I had to have it. It was just beginning to sweep the courthouse where I work when HP discontinued production. The price has sky-rocketed for a used device as this little toy can literally double your productivity if you are out in the 'field' making copies. Mine paid for itself in the first 3 months and I have had it for 3 years.