The primary emphasis in today’s PDA market seems to be smaller and lighter. Many of the newer models seem to be focused on having limited features while maintaining the smallest profile and lightest weight possible. This appears to work for most users, but there will always be a certain group of people who want a PocketPC with all the features, expansion, and performance they can get. The Asus A716 is designed for this type of users. A user whose main objective is all the features and functionality they can get without worrying about having the tiniest PDA in their pocket.

First, let’s look at the basic specifications:
400-MHz XScale PXA255 Processor
Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003
3.5” Trans-reflective TFT LCD, 65536 Color, 16-bit Display with 320x240 resolution
64MB Flash Rom, 31MB usable for storage
64MB SDRAM, 55 MB user accessible
One Compact Flash Type II Card Slot (3.3V/5V)
One SD / MMC Card Slot
One Navigation button with 4 programmable application buttons
Fast IrDA port with 4Mbps/115kbps
Docking and Power ports
3.5mm Stereo Headphone Jack, Microphone, and Speaker
Integrated Bluetooth version 1.1
Integrated 802.11b WiFi
1500 mAH Lithium Rechargeable Battery
Optional 3000 mAH Lithium Rechargeable Battery
135mm x 78mm x 17.6mm (LxWxH)
197g. weight

As we can see from the basic specifications, this is one “loaded” PocketPC. Containing almost everything a user would want in a PDA, the Asus A716 is a designed for “Power” users.

The A716 features a Type II Compact Flash slot and a SD / MMC Card Slot. I have used it with an IBM Microdrive, Pharos CF GPS, and assorted memory cards. The SD Card Slot is designed for memory expansion and supports all available SD memory cards. Being one of only a few current PocketPCs that have a Compact Flash Slot, the A716 is well designed to support Compact Flash devices such as GSM Phone, FM Radio, GPS, GPRS, and Camera cards.

The 400-MHz Intel PXA255 processor is a solid, proven platform for a PocketPC. This processor can run in different modes to allow the user to customize it to their needs for performance or battery life. The Asus Settings utility allows the processor to be set to Turbo (400MHz), Standard (300MHz), Power Savings (200MHz), or Automatic mode where the A716 automatically senses the needs of the current application and adjusts the processor speed for the best battery life. The A716 run a little slower in overall performance than previous Asus models using the same processor. This might be due to the additional hardware features of the A716. Regardless of this, the difference is very minor, the A716 is still one of the fastest PocketPCs on the market and its performance is better than most models using the same processor.

The A716’s integrated WiFi and Bluetooth provide all the basic connectivity you will need. Both work well and the built-in utilities to set-up and connect to other devices are easy to use. Unfortunately, the A716 cannot use both WiFi and Bluetooth at the same time.

As you can see from the specifications, the A716 is big. It is approximately 30% thicker than most PocketPCs. It is also longer than many other models. And its weight is about 30% heavier than most. The size and weight are the costs of having so many features in one device. The Compact Flash Slot and the user-changeable battery accounts for most of the added thickness and weight.

The application buttons are recessed into the case, so they are harder to “accidentally” push. This is very nice. The Navigation button is comfortable to use and responded well to fast inputs such as when playing games. The power button is at the top and is “flush” with the surface of the case. The A716 does not have a Record button, but the Record function can be assigned to any of the application buttons. Instead of a “Jog” dial, Asus as opted for a three button set on the left side for Up, Down, and Action. The Asus Settings Utility contains a “Wake Up” configuration that allows you to deactivate all of the application buttons so that they do not “wake up” the A716. A Reset button is also on the left side and can be pressed using the stylus. The battery lock is on the left side and can be locked or unlocked using the stylus. The battery lock must be firmly in the locked position for the A716 to power on properly. There is a Backup Battery switch under the battery so that the users can completely power down the A716 without draining the backup battery.

The A716 contains a 3.5-inch, transreflective TFT, LCD display supporting 65,536 colors in a 240x320 resolution. This is typical of most current PocketPC’s. The screen is clear, sharp, and does a good job reproducing colors. It is very easy to read indoors or in normal to low light levels. Outdoors in bright sunlight, it is still easy to read, but not as clear as some PocketPCs. Better contrast would have improved the display in sunlight.

The A716 contains 64MB of SDRAM, but only 55.2MB of it are usable for programs and data. A fairly common configuration for current PocketPC’s. A nice feature of the A716 is the 64MB of Flash ROM. 32MBs of the Flash Rom is used for the storage of the Windows Mobile 2003 OS and its applications. 31MBs are available to the user for extra program and data storage capacity, as well as data backup. This extra Flash storage is a great feature for users with large amounts of critical data they want to backup to a secure area.

The A716 features a user-replaceable Lithium battery. It is a 1500 mAH rechargeable battery. It is rare to find a high-capacity battery in a PocketPC. Asus claims a 19 hour battery life. Of course this would be under ideal conditions, running in Power Savings Mode, minimum screen brightness, etc. In the real world, most users run in a more “power hungry” mode. I found that operating at full screen brightness, Automatic Power Mode, and running power-hungry applications such as games and Windows Media Player, I could still get 4 hours of use before the A716 would shut down on me. Running in a typical use pattern with lower screen brightness, lower power mode, and WiFi / Bluetooth turned off, I was able to get 12 hours of battery life between charges. This is exceptionally good for a PocketPC. An optional 3000 mAH “Extended” Lithium Ion Battery is available and will double your battery life. Unfortunately, the extended battery adds a lot of additional weight and thickness to the A716.

The A716 contains the standard microphone and speaker for a PocketPC. The microphone is located at the bottom right corner and works as you might expect. No surprises. The speaker, which is located in the lower left corner, has average performance. Not as good for music as I would like and the maximum volume level is low, but it is fine for the normal clicks and sound effects found in most applications and games. For music and audio-in-video, use a headphone. The headphone jack is located at the top left corner.

There is a thin light bar at the top of the A716 above the power button that provides notification of battery charging, alarms and appointment alerts, and WiFi / Bluetooth activity. On the top right corner is the WiFi antenna. While this can be unscrewed to remove it, it is not recommended and it would reduce the range of the WiFi.

The A716 features a fast IrDA port with 4Mbps/115kbps speed capability. This feature worked well, but like most PocketPC’s, the port is on the left side of the A716. This is inconvenient to use when “beaming” to another PocketPC or communicating with a laptop computer.

In addition to the usual applications built into Windows Mobile 2003, the A716 includes a back up utility to save all your data to a Compact Flash / SD / MMC card or the internal flash memory. The Asus Settings utility allows you to control the A716’s screen brightness, processor speed, microphone sensitivity, audio volume, treble, and bass, as well as other functions. A basic application launch program is also included, but would have been more useful if it contained functions to close running applications. Utility programs are built-in to manage and control the WiFi and Bluetooth features.

The A716 includes a CD of additional software that you can install. Included accessories are:

Docking cradle, designed for the A716 with the standard or extended battery
AC Adapter
Manual, Quick Start Guide, and Warranty Card
Outlook / ActiveSync CD
Bonus CD with additional applications, games, and more
Protective Case

The A716 comes with a very complete, printed, instruction manual. The Asus cradle is a solid design with a “weighted” base and two wide rubber pads to prevent slipping. The cradle features a moveable block that adjusts for the thickness required for the extended battery. The block is extended when you have the standard battery so that it fills the empty space in the slot for the A716. When the extended battery is used, which makes the A716 much thicker in size, the block is retracted in order to give the slot more room for the A716.

The quality and feel of the A716 is excellent. Exactly what I have come to expect from Asus. I have had no problems using the A716. Fast performance, lots of memory, battery life, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, Compact Flash and SD slots, and Asus quality makes this a PocketPC that fits everyone’s needs, as long as you can deal with the heavy weight and large size.

Pros
Great quality
Fast Performance
Integrated WiFi and Bluetooth
Compact Flash and SD Slots
Long battery life
Extended battery option

Cons
Heavy
Large size
Cannot use WiFi and Bluetooth simultaneously

Rating: 8.0 out of 10 Stars.

Reviewed by

Harvey Lee
Technology Editor


Product: Asus “MyPal” A716 PocketPC
Manufacturer: Asus Computer International
Web Site: http://usa.asus.com
Category: PocketPC / PDA Platform
Price: $449.95
Availability: Now Asus "MyPal" A716 PocketPC