Professional advice on disposition of a Casio E105

[ECOslin]

I just spent $147 for a Casio E105 on Ebay. WinCE2.11. I also spent
$11.50 to Pacparts.com for the rom upgrade to WinCE3.0. Will this be
worthwhile to keep after upgrading to CE3.0? I understand that CE3.0
has a simple version of Wordpad and I'm concerned that I cannot seem to
get WinCE2.11 to file browse the compact flash card. I've not been able
to dig up patch files for WinCE2.11 and the previous owner wasn't savvy enough to have saved the original 3 cd rom disks. I have loaded media player 1.1 to it and it reads music from the card ok.

Can it have a healthy life with WinCE3.0?

Thanks,
Edward

[pixelator]

Most new PPC software still supports MIPS - and when you find something that doesn't, email the developer. They're almost always willing to port you a MIPS version (often times, they don't have a MIPS PPC to test it on).

I suspect MIPS will still be fairly well supported for another 8-12 months, and will 'live on' with what has been available up to that point for a long time. It's not 'dead' yet by any means.

b

[ECOslin]

I'm also running into a problem that most of the Mips programs I try to run on the E105, won't. Mips based programs install ok. During execution, I recieve messages like, can't find 'Shuffle'(program name) or one of it's components.
I have an IBM z50, which is a pda camoflaged as a sub-notebook. I tend to tease notebook people with the thought that the z50's battery lasts 14 hours(extended battery). The IBM z50 has CE3.0, a Mips processor and runs these same programs that the E105's CE2.11 doesn't. The z50 is only as portable as a notebook computer.
I'm intending to install the same programs, but, to use the E105 more as a Walkman, that, oh, by the way, does these other things.
Another argument for the rom upgrade.
Edward

[Ed Hansberry]

I'm also running into a problem that most of the Mips programs I try to run on the E105, won't. Mips based programs install ok. During execution, I recieve messages like, can't find 'Shuffle'(program name) or one of it's components.
That is because the 105 is a Palm-sized PC, not a Pocket PC. A ROM upgrade to Pocket PC 2000 is what you need, but I don't recall Casio offering one. I think in 2000 when the new E115's came out (basically a 105 with the new ROM and a few minor changes) they offered discounts to those with the 105.

Unless someone can correct me here, you cannot upgrade. :-(

[ECOslin]

The E115 came with WinCE3.0. Pacparts.com has the rom upgrade part that replaces the WinCE2.11 rom daughterboard with a WinCE3.0 daughterboard for $11.50(there is no real demand for it, so the price dropped from more than $70 a year ago.) I have the tools on hand to do the changeover.
My IBM z50 has WinCE3.0 and there are significant improvements between the two OSes.
Oh, It looked like a good deal...

Edward

[Ed Hansberry]

The E115 came with WinCE3.0. Pacparts.com has the rom upgrade part that replaces the WinCE2.11 rom daughterboard with a WinCE3.0 daughterboard for $11.50(there is no real demand for it, so the price dropped from more than $70 a year ago.) I have the tools on hand to do the changeover.
My IBM z50 has WinCE3.0 and there are significant improvements between the two OSes.

If you can do the daughterboard mod, do it. For $11.50 you can't go wrong. However, you are getting some things mixed up.

1. The Z50 is not a Pocket PC or Palm-sized PC. It is a Handheld PC Pro, very different.
2. The Z50 does not come with Windows CE 3.0. It has CE 2.11 with the HPC/Pro 3.0 suite of apps. The difference between the 3.0 suite and the original suite is the "new" apps can open .XLS and .DOC files without the need for ActiveSync conversions.
3. The WinCE 2.11 OS with 3.0 app suite is not and never was available on the Pocket PC/Palm-Sized PC formfactor.
4. Pocket PC 2000 and 2002 both have Windows CE 3.0 underneath but they have a custom UI on top, called Pocket PC. All new apps and UI. That is what the Casio E-115 comes with.
5. Handheld PC 2000 devices (like the Jornada 720) also come with Windows CE 3.0, but no custom UI. Very few HPC 2000 apps work on a Pocket PC and very few Pocket PC apps work on an HPC2K despite sharing an ARM processor and WinCE 3.0 codebase underneath.

[ECOslin]

When I open the Control panel/system files/system tab, I get:
Microsoft Windows CE Handheld PC Edition Version 3.0
Core system 2.11
Pocket Internet Explorer version 3.0
Pocket Outlook version 3.0
build 8262

IBM advertised it as being: Microsoft** Windows** CE Handheld PC Professional Edition Version 3.0 preinstalled software in ROM
I just know that the OS in these two devices seem near entirely unrelated.
Both use a Mips type processor,(E105 = Mips R4000),(z50 = Mips 4000 family).
I don't believe that I ever said it was a p/pc, which it thankfully is not.
I just hope that upgrading the rom daughterboard upgrades the writing app to be able to access .rtf and .doc files on the compact flash card.

Edward

[Ed Hansberry]

IBM advertised it as being: Microsoft** Windows** CE Handheld PC Professional Edition Version 3.0 preinstalled software in ROM
Yup. The 3.0 referred to the HPC version of the application suite. That is why the core version still says 2.11. Confusing, I know.

If you can get the upgraded chip with Pocket PC 2000 on it, you will have no problems opening RTF and DOC files from RAM or storage cards.

[ECOslin]

WinCE 2.11 makes me feel that I came late to the party. The place is trashed, things are missing, the noshes have mostly been noshed and beer bottles are still rolling around the floor.

I'm waiting for a CE 3.0 rom, which is in stock, but, is on hold for a set of screen protectors I ordered for another 10 days. I made my last screen protectors, this time I thought I'd buy the official version.

Haven't been able to find the CE 2.12 patch for 2.11. Half the software represented for Mips PPC and Cassiopeia E105 are really misrepresented Pocket PC programs. The Casio support guy just emailed me back with web site info I had already researched and gleaned. I sent him back some hairpulling questions.

I like to gripe,

Edward

[pmshah]

I have warned some readers on another forum that what Pacpart.com is offering as CE 3.0 upgrade is only a CD rom. After reading your earlier post on this forum I rechecked & they are still offering the same stuff.

What the CD really contains is ActiveSynch 3.0 instead of the WinCe Services packaged earlier by Casio. There is no way they are going to supply CE 3.0 Rom card for US$ 11/= What you actually need is rom card drom E-115.

I suggest that you recheck with them.

The actual CE 3.0 rom board as used in E-115 contains Pocket Word & Pocket Excel which can access .xls & .doc files without conversion.

The reason you are having problems with the device not being able to browse the CF card is that the files need to be in My Documents subdirectory which can easily be created while the device is connected to the desktop PC by browsing the Mobile Device in the My Computer folder on the desktop. Just go into the Storsge Card folder & create a new folder My Documents & copy your files to that folder.

If above procedure fails you have a problem with your CF card or the connector on the device. Please be aware that the card has to be formatted in Fat16 not Fat-32.

Tomorrow I am going to try to post images of compatible E-100 & E-105 main boards. Lets see how it goes.

[pmshah]

I have the site up and running. It is a very basic site but required information & images are there.

[url]http://business.vsnl.com/anushatech/index.htm

Hope this helps some of the readers.