Entered CNET Catalog: 03/16/2004
SKU: 90A-S4K1010
Manufacturer: ASUSTek Computer Inc.
Manufacturer description
Looks may be deceiving. The ASUS MyPal A716 is not only a Pocket PC, but this speed demon is also a road navigator, phone, radio, digital camera and presenter in disguise through additional GPS, GPRS, FM, Camera, or VGA card CF or SD modules. With built-in SD and CF card reader, there is no need to worry about how to store data while using certain function at the same time. With integrated 802.11b Wireless and Bluetooth, the MyPal A716 connects you to all kinds of information without limitation. The A716 is the perfect solution whether you are on the go or simply want to eliminate the clutter of wires. With a hot spot, you may securely surf the Internet, check email, or access corporate data anywhere with ease. No hot spot in sight? Information can still be in your hands simply through a Bluetooth built-in mobile phone. Moreover, with various kinds of Bluetooth supported devices such as earphones and printer, you may enjoy the uncluttered lifestyle! Eliminate fears of your Pocket PC shutting down and losing all your precious data! ASUS' unique Smart Power Saving technology allows the A716 to operate continuously up to 19 hours. Better yet, with a removable battery, power hungry users can almost double battery life with the 3000mAh optional extension battery. With the latest 400MHz Intel PXA255 processor, video at 60 frames per second, and a vivid transflective TFT LCD supporting 65, 536 colors, you can be assured that ASUS MyPal A716 does not disappoint multimedia fanatics; supplying stellar speed and performance. The A716 is the perfect mobile solution for gamers and movie enthusiasts. Tired of the same old color? The MyPal A716 distinguishes itself from conventional Pocket PCs with its slight purple-silver tint and smooth, elegant design.Product summary
The good: Fast processor; lots of memory; integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; nice display; user-replaceable battery.
The bad: Heavy and bulky; no Hold button; screen is barely visible in sunlight.
The bottom line: With excellent features and strong performance, the A716 challenges but falls just short of established high-end Pocket PCs.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/02/2004
 Make room for the Asus A716--it's a biggie. |
The metal Asus A716 feels sturdy in your hands, and its polished finish looks sleek. Anyone who has used a Pocket PC will be instantly familiar with the controls: below the display, four programmable application buttons surround a five-way pad. Adequate spacing reduces the risk of mispresses, and the layout is tried and true, but we find it uninspired. We had hoped that a new player in the U.S. market would shake up the design a bit more. The speaker sits in the lower left, the power key in the upper right. Finally, a long, thin status light lines the top of the face, glowing green during battery charging and blue while Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is on.
 The included cradle keeps the A716 abreast of your PC work. |
Up and down menu-navigation keys sit above the programmable Action button on the PDA's left side, where they're easy to access with one hand. Pressing Action can execute commands, launch the program of your choice, or open the Start menu. Below these controls are the infrared port, a tiny hole for soft resets, and the release for the user-replaceable battery.
The top of the A716 is home to the SD and CompactFlash slots, a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, and the stylus. To record voice memos, you speak into the bottom-mounted microphone.
The MyPal ships with a full complement of accessories. Along with a synchronization cradle and a USB cable, you get an AC adapter, but if you use that as a travel charger, its long power cord will leave you in a tangled mess. A protective case also comes in the package.
Aside from the A716's overall size and weight, our only major design complaint is that you can't disable the controls without entering the Settings menu. The absence of a Hold button increases the odds of accidental power-up and battery drainage. For the MyPal A716, Asus threw in everything but the kitchen sink. The PDA has a top-of-the-line 400MHz Intel XScale PXA255 processor, 64MB each of RAM and ROM, and an additional 32MB of flash memory. And integrated SD and CompactFlash slots give the handheld room to grow.
 Running on empty? Don't worry. The A716's battery is user-replaceable. |
One of the A716's main selling points is its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Like other wireless-capable PDAs running Windows Mobile 2003, the MyPal lets you browse the Web; check POP3, IMAP4, and Web-based e-mail accounts; and access your company's network securely via VPN. The included WiFiMe utility configures 802.11b connections.
Those wireless radios drain the PDA's juice, and in any case, being able to swap in backup power wards off data loss, so we're pleased that the A716 comes with a user-replaceable 1,500mAh battery. Asus's optional 3,000mAh cell doubles longevity but increases the unit's size and weight.
The Asus A716 runs the latest Windows Mobile 2003 and includes Pocket PC versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger, and Windows Media Player. In addition to these staples, the company throws in a couple of its own applications: Asus Launcher quickly calls up frequently used programs, and Asus Backup saves and restores data using a storage card. The specs suggest that the Asus MyPal A716 is a strong performer, and it didn't disappoint during our tests in the CNET Labs. Thanks to its 400MHz Intel XScale PXA255 processor and its healthy memory, this handheld has more than enough oomph for PIM (personal information management) and productivity tasks. In fact, excellent graphics and sound make this device a solid choice for gaming, as well. Overall, the A716's performance fell just short of the Toshiba Pocket PC e805's.
With its good audio quality and its bright, sharp display, the A716 is well suited for music and videos. Just stay inside to watch movies; in sunlight, making out the image on the low-contrast screen is difficult.
Considering the bright LCD and the power-hungry processor, the A716's battery life is solid. In our intensive-drain test, we turned off the wireless modes, set the backlight to a midlevel brightness, and played a movie loop. The MyPal lasted 3.7 hours, about as long as the HP iPaq H4150, which also has integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. But the e805 hung on for 4.5 hours, and both the HP Axim X5 pushed well past the 6-hour mark. When we ran the Asus through typical usage scenarios, its life span was about 12 hours, which is 7 hours short of the company's rating but still among the longest we've seen.
Both the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios delivered consistent connections over a good range. The A716 finds and hooks up to a hot spot automatically, prompting you to enter an encryption key if necessary. When multiple access points are available, the MyPal latches on to the best signal. Using Bluetooth, we were able to beam pictures and even big MP3 files between a laptop and the Asus without a hitch.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8out of 8 user reviews
The PERFECT pocket PC. Entire company uses them now.
Pros: Impeccable audio sound. Great storage.
Cons: A little big but I have no problem with it.
out of 8 user reviews
Support is really bad.
Pros: Its a great PDA the screens resolution is amazing, It is fast and a relly nice PDA, Little Bulky but superb. Wi-Fi and blkuetooth exccelent.
Cons: Regretably I broke my LCD screen on the first days of December and RMA support has not been what I expected. They have phone numbers that are NEVER answered. Shame on you boys.
out of 8 user reviews
Until the A730 comes the A716 is King.
Pros: WiFi, Bluetooth, awesome graphics handling, superior battery life, SD AND CF card slots. For the price this PDA just can't be beat. I did a full blown review on it over at DevHardware, just look under handhelds.
Cons: Can't use WiFi and bluetooth at the same time but who really cares. It's a bit larger than most PDA's but it's not monstrous.
out of 8 user reviews
HQ Sound , no pda replaces it
Pros: HQ Sound, Great display, Best of all Battery life, Great Looking.
Cons: No closing door to protect screen, but optional.
out of 8 user reviews
elegant, feature-rich with long battery life
Pros: well designed and pack with power and an enviable set of features; feels comfortable in one hand; excellen side grips that help avoid dropping
Cons: few real goodies in the acommpanying CD; a bit bulky with the extended battery
out of 8 user reviews
A true mobile office with excellent battery power.
Pros: LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGG battery life, decent screen graphics, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, SD(IO) card and CF card slots built in, comes with an excellent software package.
Cons: Very few accessories on the market, Bluetooth can not be used at the same time as Wi-Fi.
out of 8 user reviews
No Contest!
Pros: VALUE. plain and simple you can't get more for less than the A716 (at least until the A730 comes out). Excellent performance. Flash memory gives the moderate memory an extrodinary boost. A great buy for those that still have all their cf cards, and wan
Cons: I guess not being able to to use bluetooth and wifi at the same time. (i haven't run into a time to use both) Buttons instead of jog wheel takes some getting used to.
out of 8 user reviews
A716 vs e805?
Pros: -The A716 is actually much faster in graphical processing (except blitting) and CPU indexing than the Toshiba e805 which makes me wonder why the CNET reviewer said its performance "fell just short" of that of the e805. For actual benchmarks look up Spb Be
Cons: -Device is big and bulky -Would have prefered VGA resolution. For VGA resolution, wait to buy the Asus A730 as it is a wasted experience on the e805 -Cannot use both WiFi and Bluetooth at the same time. This would admittedly drain the battery but would be
