Protection

The touch screen is the most important and also the most delicate part of the Pocket PC. It's easily scratched. Even minute dirt particles can scratch the screen whenever your stylus rubs across the screen. Now, a scratch on the body of the Pocket PC may not matter much but when the scratch is on the touch screen or if the screen is actually scratched, then there's a lot to be worried about.

For one thing, the touch screen is the sole interface between the user and the Pocket PC. There's no separate keyboard or mouse. Data is entered and viewed through the touch screen. As such, any damage to the touch screen will impair the usability of the Pocket PC.

Another reason for protecting the touch screen is the prohibitive cost of replacing it. The Hyper Amorphous Silicon TFT screen used in the E-125 is very expensive and is probably the most costly part of the E-125. Replacing it will cost you a lot of money so it makes sense to protect it.

Screen protectors are a must, if you wish to keep your touch screen scratch-free. Although Casio sells screen protectors, none were provided with the E-125. IMHO, at least one screen protector should have been included in the package.

For protection from direct physical trauma, a simple soft pouch with two hard inserts was provided. It does a decent job of protecting the E-125 from physical damage but it also leaves a lot to be desired.

For example, it makes the entire package thicker by 9mm! Because the E-125 is already 20mm thick, that means the Pocket PC with its pouch will be 29mm thick! Now, that's really bulky... Worst of all, the pouch doesn't come with a belt clip or some quick release mechanism. That means you really have to find a pocket large enough to carry the Pocket PC in its pouch or buy another cover for the E-125.

In addition, a pouch isn't a very suitable cover for a Pocket PC. To use the E-125, you will have to pull it out of the pouch using two fingers, which brings with it the risk of dropping the E-125 if you are too hasty. Alternatively, you can "squeeze" the pouch to push out the E-125. Irrespective of the method, the pouch is cumbersome to use.

A hinged hard cover (like the one that comes with the HP Jornada Pocket PCs) would be a lot better because it really protects the screen while you can quickly flip it open when you want to use the Pocket PC. Casio would do well to think of a better cover for its upcoming Pocket PCs.