ROM

Like other Pocket PCs, the Casio E-125 comes with 16MB of ROM. The operating system and all Pocket PC applications as well as several Casio applications are all stored in two 8MB ROM chips.

As you can see in the picture on the right, they are mounted on a separate daughter board. This facilitates their replacement when ROM upgrades are available. All you need to do is unscrew the old daughter board and plug in the new one.

However, there's unlikely to be any ROM upgrade in the immediate future. At least, not until the next version of Windows CE is released.

Display

Without doubt, the E-125 has the best display of all Pocket PCs. Casio used the same HAST (Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT) touch screen used in all its Pocket PCs. And why not? It has the crispest display with full support for 16-bit (65,536) colours. That's something no other Pocket PC from other manufacturers can claim.

Although newer Pocket PCs are coming out with 16-bit displays as well, remember one thing. The quality of display is a subjective matter - colour resolution isn't everything. You should personally eyeball their display quality. For now, the Casio HAST screen produces the best quality displays. 

The E-125 also has the brightest backlight I have ever seen! Casio increased the brightness levels over that of the E-115 and now, it's so bright that it's actually quite a pain to look at when you are in complete darkness; even with the brightness level set to the absolute minimum!

On the "bright" side, however, the screen is now more viewable outdoors. Of course, it still can't beat strong sunlight but with a little shade and the brightness level set to maximum, you can use the E-125 outside without needing to squint.  

Incidentally, not only is the screen good to look at, it's also a joy to write on. The screen feels smooth and doesn't ripple when you write on it. All signs of an excellent touch screen.

The only downside I can think of about the HAST screen is their inability to support Microsoft's ClearType technology. Due to the way the LCD pixel elements are arranged, ClearType simply won't work at all. :(

         
E-115's GAPI Properties                              E-125's GAPI Properties

Performance

Specifications and technical details again, how well does the E-125 perform? As I migrated from the E-115 to the E-125, I noticed that the E-125 felt a little quicker. There was little difference when using applications or playing games but loading time was noticeably quicker. This is especially true of Microsoft Reader, which used to take forever to load with the E-115. It now loads up a lot quicker with the E-125 and no longer exhibits the occasional annoying pause during a page turn.

For less subjective opinions of the E-125's performance, I tested it using our very own GAPI Benchmark 2.0 and compared its results with those of other Pocket PCs. Let's check out how well it performs in comparison to other Pocket PCs in the market!