MyPal A600, a sleek PDA for your pocket

MyPal A600, a sleek PDA for your pocket

Zatni Arbi
Columnist
Jakarta
zatni@cbn.net.id

Choosing the right PDA for yourself or for your loved one this
Christmas has become quite a challenge. Almost all of today's
PDAs boast a very sleek design, a complete set of features and a
slew of add-ons. You can add a digital camera, a video camera, a
cell phone, a GPS device or a host of others to complete the PDA
of your choice. Which PDA is right for you?

At a time when the PDA market was getting crowded -- even Dell
recently came out with a model -- ASUS launched its second
generation PDA. This new model is marketed as Razor Zayo in the
U.S., while elsewhere it is simply called ASUS MyPal A600.

ASUS claims that its MyPal A600 is the thinnest and lightest
with the latest Intel processor, but so do the other PDA makers.
Besides, the claim of being the smallest and the lightest -- even
if it is true -- would not last long in this ever-changing high-
tech world. Still, with a shiny casing made of polished aluminum
alloy, the 138-gram MyPal A600 does look quite attractive.

ASUS did a drop test from a height of 75 centimeters, and it
claimed that the PDA survived the fall without a scratch. While
the company did not tell us whether it fell on a hard or
cushioned surface, it is good to know that the slippery PDA has a
level of sturdiness to it.

MyPal A600 also uses a very fast processor: Intel's 400 MHz
PXA250, which is more widely known as the Xscale processor. The
operating system is managed by Microsoft PocketPC 2002, which is
complemented by Microsoft ActiveSync 3.5 to synchronize data with
Microsoft Outlook and other applications in the PC or notebook.

Other specs of this PDA include a 64 MB memory and 32 MB Flash
ROM, a reflective TFT LCD screen capable of displaying 65,536
colors, a built-in speaker, a microphone for recording, a stereo
headphone jack, an infrared port, a slot for secure digital
multimedia card (SD/MMC) memory for additional storage and, of
course, a stylus. The deluxe version comes with a leather pouch.

Below the screen are five buttons, including a four-
directional button for navigation. Apparently it has been
designed for our left hand, as a jog dial can also be found on
the left side of the casing. The power button and the recording
button are also located on the left. The buttons are well-made,
so it is unlikely that you will inadvertently press them.

The cradle connects to the PC via the USB port. When the
battery is being charged, a small LED light will glow red. Once
the battery is full, the LED will turn green. If you turn on the
device, a blue light in front of the cradle will also glow.

The operating system includes Pocket Outlook, Pocket Internet
Explorer, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel from Microsoft. PocketTV
is also included, but you will need to hook the PDA up to the
Internet.

The fast processor helps in playing back MPEG files, for
example. To fully benefit from the power of the new processor,
the operating system and applications should also be optimized
for it. I was told that the current operating system and
applications were made for StrongARM, Intel's earlier processor
for PDAs.

The jog dial helps move the cursor up or down and left or
right on the menu. We can recharge the battery by plugging the
power adaptor's cable directly into the unit. This allows us to
travel a little more lightly as we can leave the cradle at home.

ASUS is an industry leader when it comes to power-saving
technologies. Its notebooks are full of features that can extend
battery life by adjusting the speed of the processor and other
components based on the users' changing needs. ASUS has also
built this feature into the MyPal A600. You can adjust its
processor speed to reduce power consumption. Pressing the home
button will take you to ASUS' settings utility. This will allow
you to select between turbo mode, standard mode, power-saving
mode and automatic mode, which adjusts the speed depending on
what you are doing. You can also maximize the performance by
activating ASUS' exclusive advanced performance enhancement
option. ASUS claims that a battery can run 15 to 16 hours on
normal settings.

The utility also allows you to adjust the screen's brightness
separately when using the battery or when the unit is attached to
the power adaptor. The microphone's sensitivity can also be
adjusted.

I do have some wishes on my list, though. First, that this
US$599 PDA does not come with built-in Bluetooth capability.
While it has a slot for the SD/MMC, you will need to buy the
optional jacket if you also want to add CompactFlash memory. It
would disqualify the PDA from the thin and light category,
obviously.

During my casual test, I was able to easily send a business
card from a Nokia 7650 to this PDA via the infrared. However, I
was unable to do the reverse. I guess I should have explored
further to figure out how to do that.

The connection between the PDA unit and the cradle is a little
bit too tight. You have to press the PDA down each time.
Understandably, releasing it from the cradle also requires a bit
of strength. I guess this will ease over time, as the connecting
parts wear out a little.

The sound reproduction is a little bit too metallic, but that
is to be expected from a slim device such as this one. The
speaker is located inside the navigation button, so your thumb
dampens the sound when you place your thumb on the button to
operate it. The speaker should have been placed somewhere else.

All in all, MyPal is a very nice PDA to have if your emphasis
is on size, weight and processor power. MyPal A600 has received a
number of Editor's Choice awards from publications, including PC
World, PC Direct, CHIP, Home PC and Personal Computer.

It is not easy these days to impress your co-workers with a
PDA that stresses its stylishness alone. I have been told that
soon ASUS will launch the accessories for this PDA, including a
keyboard. For one thing, though, you will have to dig a little
deeper if this is your choice for filling your stocking this
Christmas.