Casio Pocket Manager BE-300

WHAT'S HOT: Priced at $150, the BE-300 is a bargain for those looking for a basic PDA with a few advanced features. It has all the common features of a basic PIM (Contacts, Calendar, and Mail, among others) plus colorful images from its 240-by-320-pixel screen.

The Cassiopeia BE-300 was the only unit we tested in the basic category to include an expansion slot that can take CompactFlash cards. Generally speaking, a CF slot is more versatile than one that accepts a Secure Digital card: CF slots can accept an adapter for surfing the Web, as well as storage cards, including IBM's Microdrive. The BE-300's 16MB of internal storage should be plenty for modest, everyday needs, however.

WHAT'S NOT: The device runs the Windows CE operating system--the precursor to Pocket PC 2002--so it doesn't support the whiz-bang features that devices running newer operating systems do. In our hands-on tests, the BE-300 didn't respond to our commands as quickly as other PDAs did. Plus we had to double-tap with the stylus to access applications from the main menu.

The silver-and-black device feels a bit bulky in the hand. At 6.5 ounces, it's the heaviest unit among those we tested in the basic category. Other downsides include a viewable screen area that's slightly smaller than others. The handwriting recognition wasn't as accurate as that on other devices, either. For instance, though we repeatedly tried to write the word "lunch," the BE-300 recognized several letters incorrectly. Using the keyboard pad would have been quicker.

WHAT ELSE: The smoky gray cover that's designed to protect the LCD display from dings is made of durable plastic, but we were able to easily pry it off from its hinges.

This unit has a four-way navigation pad and four buttons, two of which are used to select highlighted functions. In addition, seven icons span the bottom section of the LCD screen and provide shortcuts to a variety of common tasks such as Contacts and E-mail.

Casio provides no printed documentation, but it includes a CD-ROM that has a short manual with basic setup and troubleshooting information. A more extensive user guide details how to work with media applications. The programs for viewing image files and listening to MP3s have additional sections.

UPSHOT: It's a bargain for users willing to contend with largely nonstandard ways of accessing PIM functions, though models running newer operating systems do more things and, in some cases, do them better.

SUMMARY

Casio Cassiopeia BE-300 Pocket Manager Windows CE OS, 8MB of internal memory, 1.6-by-2.5-inch active screen area, CompactFlash expansion slot, 240-by-320-pixel resolution, lithium ion battery, 6.5 ounces. $150 www.casio.com