Casio Releasing New Pocket PC In Japan?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/news_8720.html' target='_blank'>http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/news_8720.html</a><br /><br /></div>Casio hasn't given up on Pocket PCs entirely. :D They've announced a new unit in Japan -- the DT-10 M50S, with a 3.7" VGA screen, BT and WiFi (on the M50S, as opposed to the BT-only M50), 416MHz XScale CPU, 128MB RAM/64MB ROM, SD and CF slots, and it measures 5.5"x3.1"x.98" and weighs 10.5oz.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040930-CasioDT10.jpg" /><br /><br />Given those dimensions, it's admittedly a brick. No news on whether it'll be released in North America, or anywhere else for that matter.

[stevew]

That may not be the worst looking PPC I've ever seen but it's close. :roll:

[johncruise]

The DT series are supposed to be their new line of industrial PPC's. I must admit, even how much I love Casio, that thing does looks like a brick. However, I love the new design on their dpad :-)

[Shuushin]

Whats the deal with that humungous bezel? if that's a 3.7 inch screen then that thing is giant overall.

Industrial? Rubber bumpers maybe?

[griph]

Casio hasn't given up on Pocket PCs entirely. :D They've announced a new unit in Japan -- the DT-10 M50S, with a 3.7" VGA screen, BT and WiFi (on the M50S, as opposed to the BT-only M50), 416MHz XScale CPU, 128MB RAM/64MB ROM, SD and CF slots, and it measures 5.5"x3.1"x.98" and weighs 10.5oz.

That's nearly as ugly as the MPx! :lol:
&lt;Fx: Activate Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo mode>
"That's a huge bitch!" :devilboy:

[manuelpl]

Brings me fond memories of my E-200 , That was such a great ppc.

I wonder if this one supports USB hosting


Nox

[jngold_me]

Is Casio out of their collective minds? What is this? Retro PPC?

After the e200 debacle I would hope that Casio would have hung it up permanently in the PPC business.

Brings me fond memories of my E-200 , That was such a great ppc.


Yeah, so good in fact that it had to be pulled from the market because I and hundreds of others couldn't get one that worked! :roll:

[Jonathan1]

Huh. I can’t totally condemn it because I really like the face of the thing. It has a really clean look to it. Almost Mac-like. But, as others have noted, what is with the size of the bezel around the screen?!? Its insanely large. I’m potentially seeing two speakers there. It could explain the size of the device which would lead to the inevitable question: WHY?!?!
Beyond that .98” 8O That has to be a freaking typo. What the bloody heck do they have in that thing? Dual X-Scale CPU’s backed by a car battery!?!

[kmchong]

worst design for VGA PPC. nothing really trivial but what make it so thick and brick-like... no wonder casio fail

[Howard2k]

My eyes!!!!!

[Paragon]

Where's my Hammer!?

[butch]

Yeah, so good in fact that it had to be pulled from the market because I and hundreds of others couldn't get one that worked! :roll:

Isn't it: "...couldn't get THE one that worked!!" :lol:

[johncruise]

Yeah, so good in fact that it had to be pulled from the market because I and hundreds of others couldn't get one that worked! :roll:

Isn't it: "...couldn't get THE one that worked!!" :lol:

Hmmm I guess I have it then huh? :wink: Lucky me! :lol:

[jngold_me]

Yeah, so good in fact that it had to be pulled from the market because I and hundreds of others couldn't get one that worked! :roll:

Isn't it: "...couldn't get THE one that worked!!" :lol:

Hmmm I guess I have it then huh? :wink: Lucky me! :lol:

Yes, it must be you. :mrgreen: Are the painted sides peeling off yet? 8O

[maximus]

1" thick ? No thanks.

Will need another laptop bag to carry this PPC :mrgreen:

[johncruise]

Yeah, so good in fact that it had to be pulled from the market because I and hundreds of others couldn't get one that worked! :roll:

Isn't it: "...couldn't get THE one that worked!!" :lol:

Hmmm I guess I have it then huh? :wink: Lucky me! :lol:

Yes, it must be you. :mrgreen: Are the painted sides peeling off yet? 8O

Surprisingly... no. However, the paint on the SD door is completely stripped off. There are scrapes in the side because of plugging in and out of the pc card unit though. This thing really needs to graduate and me moving on to the next one... if only Toshiba e830 gets released in US though. :hippy:

[Lex]

This was code named, 'Wheel Chock'. Use it to keep your car from rolling when parked on a hill.

[maximus]

This was code named, 'Wheel Chock'. Use it to keep your car from rolling when parked on a hill.

OK, that was very mean, now stand in front of the class, and write "I will not be mean to Casio again" 500 times. :p

[gorkon280]

Is Casio out of their collective minds? What is this? Retro PPC?

After the e200 debacle I would hope that Casio would have hung it up permanently in the PPC business.

Brings me fond memories of my E-200 , That was such a great ppc.


Yeah, so good in fact that it had to be pulled from the market because I and hundreds of others couldn't get one that worked! :roll:

What was so bad about the e-200? I never saw anything but good reviews on that one.

[johncruise]

as much as I love my E-200, a lot of them are plaque with BLOD (backlight of death). I'd been a victim of this twice. Casio however were able to fix that but unfortunately, alot of people are not that patient and started shifting to other manufacturers.

And to the rest of the guys here, be gentle with this new one because this is not designed to be either gorgeous or fancy but it was designed to be tough and durable. Although granted that they should consider touching up the design a little. Also, they used a 2300mAh battery which explains why it's so bulky. Oh well... it's not going to reach us outside of Japan anyway and I'm pretty sure it's going to come out with a hefty price also.

[Gerard]

If they'd make a device that large, with identical specs except for two, I'd pay USD$800 for it; needs a minimum 3800mAh battery (like my Mugen battery for my Dell X5, giving about average 8 hours uptime) and minimum 4.5" VGA screen. I just scaled that image, and unless there's some fairly intense shock-absorption going on around the screen of this unit (and what's the point of that, as a direct impact will shatter any screen anyway!?) there is no good reason not to make the viewing/drawing area that large. 3.7" isn't big enough for VGA, in my opinion at least. 5" would be nice, but 4½" would be livable.

Otherwise, yeah sure it's a box, and they could have rounded over the corners a little more.... but it's not really that ugly if you compare to something like the e7xx Toshibas or the Viewsonic junk. This is more along the lines of NEC's PPC offering, æsthetically. And yeah, the D-pad or joystick or whatever that is looks like the first sensible control of this type since the old Casios. The D-pad on my old SG-800 is dang near perfect for gaming, and 100% accurate for file navigation, web page scrolling, or whatever. Unlike the stinker of a so-called D-pad on this here X5, or the clicky egg-shaped monstrosity on my old iPAQ 3835. This thing's a brick, but kind of a cute brick.

[IpaqMan2]

MAN!!!!

What has happened to Casio????
At one time they has some of the coolest looking pdas back in the day.. but lately...they've lost it... What happen to the EG800, the E-115G, and the EM-500G styles?? I loved them.. just add another button and bring them back! But this has to be the blockiest looking PDA I have ever seen.. You can't get any more "Brick" style than that.

[foebea]

*COUGH*brick*COUGH*

I am the proud owner of the Casio Exilim z4 camera, super small and slick, great interface and batterylife. I know thats not a PDA, but that is what I have seen come from Casio, I have trouble beliving this is real, not that I doubt it, just...

wow.


The only reason I can see for the size of this thing is an 80 gig fullsize harddrive inside. What takes that much space anymore?

[Dolphin]

10.5 oz.... yikes. Surely this an industrial model. I like the 3.7 inch vga screen, but it needs to weigh less than 5-6 oz. for me.

[jlp]

MAN!!!!

What has happened to Casio????
At one time they has some of the coolest looking pdas back in the day..

The Cassiopeia E10/100 series were considered the coolest devices around... and this one looks as boxy as them.

I wonder if they use tempered glass to make it that thick (and shatter proof by direct hit)?! I have no idea, just a guesstimate.

On a side note don't forget that Casio Japan has been selling the E-3000 as the successor to the E-2000 (Japan's E-200) for a while now; haven't checked if it's still for sale.

[FortimirCE]

I just retired my E-125 one week ago this evening.

*sniffle*

We had over three years of the good times... and the bad. He was always there for me. The hx4700 will take good care of the home he nurtured.

*******************************
***RIP Fortimir's Cassiopeia E-125***
**********2001-2004*************
*******************************

[gandi]

PocketPC Enthusiasts are so nostalgic people even my grandma would be impressed. Nevertheless they do not know the riches of a retro-designed device.

:devilboy:

[surur]

Just to add a counterpoint (but ok, this device IS ugly):

Its great to see a major company entering the PDA market (especially with toshiba and sony leaving). Also its interesting that they are actually RE-entering. They would not have done that if they did not see a real demand for the product, especially after being burnt before.

It must be reflection of the PDA market (and pocketpc market also) and probably means that America is acutally the only "land of the setting sun" with regard to PDA's, while Japan, Europe and the Rest-of-the-World is still a growth area.

Interesting at least....

Surur

[yorkslad]

Have I just slipped into a trans-dimensonal time warp thats taken me back to the 1980's 8O ....Im sorry but Casio needs to be aware that things have moved on and no matter how loyal people were to them in the past, you just cant go back. Shame on you Japan :oops: when normally you make normally make things nanno stylish. Retro can be in sometimes but thats just taking the :?: , no-one will buy it unless it comes free in a packet of cornflakes.

I guess HP's current naff sense of design is rubbing off on the competition eh?? Now where did I leave my flux capacitor its time to go back to the future 8)

[Stephen Beesley]

That may not be the worst looking PPC I've ever seen but it's close. :roll:

Well it is certainly the "worst looking PPC" I have ever seen....

[jonathanchoo]

That may not be the worst looking PPC I've ever seen but it's close. :roll:

The worst being the Motorola MpX! :devilboy:

[thunderck]

I have fond thoughts of my old em-500. This is a big step somewhere away from that elegance. :|

[daveshih]

Casio hasn't given up on Pocket PCs entirely. :D They've announced a new unit in Japan -- the DT-10 M50S, with a 3.7" VGA screen, BT and WiFi (on the M50S, as opposed to the BT-only M50), 416MHz XScale CPU, 128MB RAM/64MB ROM, SD and CF slots, and it measures 5.5"x3.1"x.98" and weighs 10.5oz.


Editor, please add the original Casio press release at:
http://www.casio.co.jp/release/2004/dt_10.html (in Japanese)

It's not your typical PPC, as it's more "industrial" in usage:
1. Anti-shock -- 1 meter drop test standard
2. splash-proof
3. Dust-proof
4. 3.7 inch VGA (640x480) transflective screen
5. 2300 mAh battery for up to 27 hours of continuous operation
6. CF + SD (SDIO)
7. Wifi+Bluetooth
8. PPC 2003 SE
9. Intel ARM PXA270 416 Mhz CPU
10. 140 mm x 80 mm x 25 mm
11. Available in November of this year in Japan

Thus the "clunky" feeling...

Dave

[Cybrid]

Hey,
I'd buy it...only if the did the classic e-1xx/eg-800 d-pad button arrangement. :mrgreen:
I mean, It is a box granted but a wifi/BT, industrial PPC with 27hour battery. WooWoo!!
I tend to reason form must follow function. I don't see everyone giving up there current PPC's for a cutesy little HP1940....

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Editor, please add the original Casio press release at:
http://www.casio.co.jp/release/2004/dt_10.html (in Japanese)

It's not your typical PPC, as it's more "industrial" in usage:
THANK YOU!!

Even the old E125/EM500 weren't close to this size despite having the same screensize... Casio couldn't be so dense to release something of this size without reason. It's an industrial unit meant to be large and rugged just like the Symbol devices (which I believe are even larger and heavier than this Casio solution).

This also explains why Gerard finds this device to be intriguing, he used the Casio EG800 which was their industrial device back when the E125/EM500 was around.

BTW, even after Casio pulled out of the PDA market, wasn't it only outside of Japan. I believe Casio has continued to make PPCs in Japan all this time, no?

[johncruise]

BTW, even after Casio pulled out of the PDA market, wasn't it only outside of Japan. I believe Casio has continued to make PPCs in Japan all this time, no?

You are right... in fact, after their E-2000 (japanese version of E-200), they released E-3000 and E-3100 both of which is identical to ASUS MyPal 710.

[PBennett]

Late press release from Casio:

"In keeping with the high environmental consciousness of the parent company [Casio], the new industrial PDA will not use the environmentally-dangerous silicon-based circuits. Instead, this unit will be powered by a vacuum tube design with an external power supply. Not pictured with the unit is the power supply that will be housed in a separately cooled room. An extra long power cord will be provided. "

[DGMcC]

:lol: Opps this wasn't sapposed to be released until 04-01-05 :lol:
the only redeeming factor Intel ARM PXA270 416 Mhz CPU
but what's with the VGA????? industrial yah sanding block!

[Janak Parekh]

The worst being the Motorola MpX! :devilboy:
I've never seen anyone so obsessed with the MPx's looks... I've played with it in person, and I totally disagree with you.

Editor, please add the original Casio press release at:
http://www.casio.co.jp/release/2004/dt_10.html (in Japanese)
I would, except it's off the frontpage, so I'm going to leave it alone for now. But thanks for the heads-up. :) Some of those features sound pretty sweet.

--janak