Big review of Asus MyPal A730

September 29, 2004 | Pavel Koza | format - Other (ar.) | viewed - 366x
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(197 votes) | category - -

Big review of Asus MyPal A730

Over the past few weeks, on-line discussions on this server have been dominated by a single topic: expectations of new VGA devices. Somewhat surprisingly, only two of them have been in the limelight - HP iPAQ hx4700 and FCS Pocket LOOX 720. The others have been rather undeservedly neglected, which is especially the case of Asus MyPal A730. After a powerful but not very attractive Asus MyPal A716, the manufacturer is coming up with a device which will not only serve as a worthwhile companion but will surely appeal to the eye as well.

The Asus MyPal A730 will be available in two versions. The device I tested had an integrated Bluetooth module. The other version will offer a Bluetooth & WLAN module and 128 MB of RAM. I would like to thank the firms Sunnysoft and Levi for kindly providing the device for testing purposes.

Please note :: The device I tested was a pre-production model. Therefore, do not take the information herein for granted. Features that can be changed easily, such as software, are likely to be fine-tuned before the device hits the market. If I manage to obtain the final model, I will update this review.

What is in the box?

An attractively designed box, which is dominated by catchwords like VGA and 1.3 Mega Pixel, contains the following items:

Asus MyPal A730
Cradle
USB synchronisation cable
AC adapter (5V, 2A)
Case
Two styluses
Two CD-ROMs
User manual and other documents

Let's leave the device for a later time (for a change:) and take a look first at the other items on the list. The cradle is quite compact and simple, its stability enhanced by a relatively big weight and two rubber stripes on the bottom. It sports attractive, two-colour design, although the greyish-white colours may appear a little cheap. I would prefer a different shade. A stylus holder will come handy, even though this solution is making virtue of necessity, as you will find out later. The cradle has three connectors. The one at the back is for a USB synchronisation cable. A detachable cable is a more practical - and in the end cheaper - solution than a permanently attached one. You can have the cradle at home and just take the cable with you when you travel. Another connector connects the PDA itself and the last one is for the power cable.

The synchronisation cable is 3,6ft / 110 centimetres long, with a standard USB connector on the one end and a special connector that connects to the cradle or directly to the device on the other. The power cable connects to this connector, too - there is no standalone adapter for the power cable like those in iPAQs and LOOXes.

The AC adapter is compact, with a fixed, 6ft / 180-centimetre cable. It is the same AC adapter as that shipped with iPAQs and LOOXes and other devices that require a 5V/2A output. The connector is also the same, which will be appreciated by owners of other devices, such as GPSs and other gadgets fitted with this most common type of connector.

The case is very elegant, made of a combination of black leatherette and nylon. It is one of the more attractive types that manufacturers bundle with their devices. Soft lining protects the device against damage. The case attaches to the belt in a horizontal position, which is more convenient considered the large size of the device. The belt strap is fixed to the case, which prevents wearing it on trousers without a belt. A pair of sewn-in magnets prevents the device from slipping out - a protection I found absolutely sufficient. A metal eye for attaching a neck or wrist strap is quite unusual, at least in the Pocket PC world...

The manufacturer supplies two styluses, which I do not consider as a courtesy but a matter-of-course in such an expensive toy. There is nothing unusual about them, they are ten centimetres long and very thin (4 millimetres in diameter). The main part is made of a light polished metal, the tip and the top are made of black plastic.

Finally, there are two CD-ROMs (one of them contains standard applications from Microsoft, such as ActiveSync and Outlook, the several bonus applications), and some papers, such as a user manual, quick start guide and warranty card.

Design

Design is a matter of taste and personal preferences. I quite like the Asus, although its combination of six different colours may seem a bit wild. In any case, the Asus MyPal A730's design is unusual and original. The back, bottom and a large part of the sides are all one piece of plastic with rounded corners, which resembles a small tub in which the device rests. This represents no practical advantage, perhaps with the exception of the fact that the device holds very comfortably due to the rounded corners - it appears merely as an attempt to step out of the crowd. If it seems to you that the device does not hold firmly in the shell, do not worry - it is easily removable to allow battery replacement. The dimensions of 4.62 x 2.86 x 0.66 in / 117.5 x 72.8 x 16.9 millimetres are adequate given the size of the display. The weight of 5.46 oz / 170 grams is acceptable, too.

The front panel is dark grey, which makes the large display appear yet larger (its diagonal is 5 millimetres longer than average). There is a narrow, slightly rounded strip above the display. Its task is to distribute light from small colour LED indicators (blue on the left, green/orange on the right) so that it is much better visible. On the other hand, it may become annoying if the Bluetooth module is permanently activated. Under the display, there is a usual combination of four user-definable buttons and a joypad with a button in the centre. Each button can be assigned two actions - one for a short press, one for a long press. Controlling the device with the joypad is fine despite its asymmetric shape; I had absolutely no problems playing games. To the left of the joypad, there are two pinholes that lead sound to the built-in microphone.

On the top, there are two expansion slots - SD/MMC and CompactFlash type II, a standard 3.5-millimetre stereo headphones jack, and an infrared sensor. Its eye looks black but in reality, it is the same dark violet plastic as that used e.g. in remote controls. On the bottom side, there is a data connector, a soft reset button and a stylus shaft, which is a very unusual location for it.

There is little to see on the left and right sides. On the left side, the only interesting part is a small piece of plastic that is not part of the "tub" but the body of the device. At the top, there is the main switch and another soft button a little lower. This button can be assigned only one action. On the right, there is a lock which keeps the "tub" in place. If you need to replace the battery, just unlock and slide the cover off.

Finally, onto the back - besides a loudspeaker dotted grill, there is a complete equipment for photographers - camera lens, a high-power LED diode emulating flash light, and an indispensable metal mirror for auto-portraits. That's all for the external features and now, let's dig under the shell.

Parameters

By Asus's decision, the A730 does not feature the latest technologies available (applies to this version in particular). This is compensated by a lower price. The Asus is powered by an Intel PXA270 processor running at 520 MHz. A software utility makes it possible to switch between three modes (Turbo, Standard and power saving mode), or let the system adjust processor performance automatically. The memory size is a bit of a problem. Theoretically, the device is equipped with 64 MB of RAM (the manufacturer declares 45 MB of free memory). Yet after a HW reset, there is only 33 MB accessible to the user, which is too bad... This is partly compensated by almost 20 MB of rewritable ROM that serves as a FlashROM disk (64 MB total). A memory card will most likely be a necessity, anyhow.

The display is perhaps the best component of the device. The diagonal of 3.7 inches (94 millimetres) appears as a good compromise between a convenient size of a VGA display and a convenient size of the device. From the technical point of view, the display is the same as those used in competing Pocket PC devices, i.e. transflexive TFT display with a VGA resolution of 480 x 640 pixels. However, it excels others in quality. White colour is really white, backlight is adjustable at eight levels separately for battery and mains operation, the touch layer is highly sensitive, black margins are negligible - absolutely nothing to criticise. The only feature that is lacking and that would make the display absolutely perfect is a sensor for automatic backlight adjustment but it is really insignificant considered all the other qualities. However, the Asus was not a very strong performer in direct sunlight. There were oil-like colour spectrum patches on the display, when a larger grey area was displayed, the image slightly trembled. When taking a photo, it is sometimes hard to position the device so that the photographed object appears on the display. Due to the pre-installed Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system, this Asus offers ClearType support, easy screen rotation by 90 degrees, as well as change of system font size. A fast way to rotate the screen is by tapping on a simple utility which sits in the tray of the Today screen.

Audio are close to absolute perfection. The headphones output in particular will satisfy even the most discerning listener. The standard 3.5-mm jack makes it possible to choose from a wide range of quality headphones. If you choose, say, Koss Porta Pro, the Asus will serve as a decent replacement of any MP3 player. Noise level is negligible but if you use some of the numerous software filters, the noise level will grow a little. Besides the more or less standard five-level treble and bass adjustment, the Asus offers also stereo effect - at the maximum level, the result resembles a concert in an empty factory hall:) The maximum volume is satisfactory, too. I can imagine only a few places where it would not suffice. The same praise applies to the microphone. It is extremely sensitive (it could capture a dialogue in another room through open door without any problem). The recording volume can be adjusted either manually at five levels or you can leave it up to the device to do it automatically. The Asus makes it possible to connect a headset with microphone - a useful feature for those who use internet telephony, which should not pose any problem because the device supports a full duplex mode. The relatively weakest point is the built-in loudspeaker. The problem is not in its quality but its location on the back - it plays into your hand and sometimes, you may mute it completely. Otherwise it is an average speaker good enough for system beeping. For quality playback, use headphones.

As I wrote at the beginning, the Asus A730 will be offered in two versions. I could test only a version with Bluetooth module version 1.1 from Widcomm. The other model offering a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi modules should be available in a few weeks' time. The device offers all the main profiles, such as serial port, dial-up and file transfer (for more info in Widcomm Bluetooth click here). Everything worked fine when I tried connecting a mobile phone and a GPS, only pairing and communication between the devices appeared a little more sluggish than in other PDAs. The Asus can communicate also via USB both as a client and host. A USB host cable is not included in the package and you need to buy it extra, which is a disadvantage in my view. This is also why I could not test this functionality. The Asus can also communicate via infrared port at 115.2 kbps. My attempts to control TV and DVD with the device failed. I managed to switch the DVD on and off a few times but do not throw those remote controls away for the time being.

To put it bluntly, a 1150-mAh Lithium-Ion battery is just insufficient for a device with the parameters of the Asus A730. The device started asking for power unexpectedly soon when in normal operation. It was particularly noticeable when I tested the camera. The first battery test when the device played MP3 songs with the display turned off suggested that something is wrong - the battery lasted for 6 hours and 25 minutes. Some other devices are able to work that long with full backlight. The standard test when other devices last for 3-5 hours on average, was even worse. The 2 hours and 13 minutes is an embarrassing result which spoils the otherwise excellent performance. If you need more (I am sure you do), you can either buy a spare battery with the same capacity or a 1800-mAh one including a new rear part of the cover. As a bonus, the Asus offers an option to charge over the USB port, which may come handy.

Camera

When I reviewed HP iPAQ rx3715 a few weeks ago, I did not expect to see another Pocket PC with an integrated high-quality digital camera so soon. Here we go - a very good piece again. Unlike that in the rx3715, this camera is tuned for practical close-distance photos.

A package of four applications called Asus Camera takes care of everything concerning the camera. First of them, Asus Camcoder, captures still photos and video. Let's start with taking photos. The integrated 1.3-MPix digital camera offers a maximum resolution of 1280 x 960 pixels but photos can be downsized to as little as 80x60 pixels (!). When you select a lower than the maximum resolution, you can use a 4 x digital zoom. It seems that the Asus can save photos in the JPEG format only. You can let the device adjust the white colour and other parameters automatically, experienced users may want to set them manually. The Asus offers different modes for taking photos indoors illuminated either by a bulb or fluorescent lamp, or outdoors in sunny or cloudy weather, in the dusk and dark. Those who find those presets insufficient can select from several effects, such as B/W and inverse image. Brightness, contrast and shutter sound volume can be adjusted at five levels. You can save photos either in the main memory or the memory card.

Photos in a resolution of 352x288 pixels can be framed to create a piece of art:) You can also name each photo (the name is generated from your word, date and an incremental numeral), choose whether photos will be saved automatically in a specified folder, as well as whether you want the camera to take a sequence of photos or automatically repeat exposure in a given interval. In bad lighting conditions, you can use an integrated "flash" - a high-power LED. It offers three modes - off, 0.5-second flash or permanent light.

Video can be captured under the same conditions as still photos. The options are the same, including automatic or manual white colour balance, the same effects and brightness and contrast controls. File settings are different, although the parameters are similar. The application can save video in the 3GPP or AVI format in five different resolutions, 352x288 pixels maximum. Besides that, you can choose from three recording quality settings for audio and video separately, as well as the frequency (15, 25 or "as many FPS as possible"). The applications uses these parameters to estimate time left on the selected storage medium. It is possible to set default file name, auto save and specific time and length of video sequence to capture in a similar manner as for photos. The flash and zoom are available for video, too.

The application includes a basic viewer for quick preview of a photo/video. Just choose a file and tap to view.

Another application in the package, Photo Viewer, offers more comfortable image viewing. It can either open a photo at a time or create a slideshow from selected files, displaying the photos automatically in a certain interval. It is also very primitive. You cannot add a whole folder to the list but have to select the photos one by one. You can at least save the list for a later use...

There are two more applications, image editing utility Photo Editor and Photo Album for creating photo albums but I'd rather skip them. Their user interface is quite nice but never before have I seen so slow and unstable software. After the fifth error message, I just gave up. The bugs should be easy to fix but for the time being, you will need another image manager.

Expandability

Elaborating on this point would be a loss of time, there is almost everything in the Asus:) The device offers two expansion slots (Compact Flash type II and SDIO) to host both memory and I/O cards. I tried an IBM Microdrive, Pretec SD WLAN and a few memory cards and everything worked well. The only problem is the absence of an eject mechanism in the CF slot. It required quite an effort to pull out a Microdrive with my thumbnail. Connecting with a BT device worked fine, too. The Bluetooth module from Widcomm successfully paired and communicated with two mobile phones and a BT-enabled GPS. As I wrote above, the BT software sometimes had longer delays than I would expect but it was most likely due to the driver. Storage options are significantly enhanced by the so-called USB host functionality, which makes it possible to connect a USB flash drive or even a hard drive (as well as a keyboard and other peripherals). At this point, I have to rely on information from the web because the package does not include the necessary cable. It should be also possible to connect accessories via the system connector at the bottom of the device but Asus has not announced any as yet.

Software

The Asus MyPal A730 ships with pre-installed operating system Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Premium, offering the complete software suite for Pocket PCs from Microsoft except for special applications for devices with an integrated GSM module. Other applications in the ROM are scarce Besides the applets and four camera-related applications I mentioned above, there are only two bonus applications.

Asus Launcher is a simple application launch aid. You can group shortcuts according to different categories but that is about al it can do.

A utility for data backup is not the most sophisticated one I have seen but it is preloaded in the ROM and therefore always at hand. It can backup either everything or just the PIM data (contacts, calendar and tasks) to any memory card or the FlashROM. That is not everything, a utility called Smart Keeper will perform an automatic backup when battery power decreases under a certain level. Data is then easy to restore after a HW reset.

The Asus A730 ships with the same two CD-ROMs as the A716, so I will now use a trick called "copy&paste". One of the CD-ROMs contains the traditional package of basic applications from Microsoft, such as MS Outlook, MS ActiveSync, Windows Media Player, etc. The other offers a wide selection of bonus applications. Unfortunately, some of them will be useful only for those who travel to Hong Kong or Taiwan or students of Oriental languages. Besides two navigation applications for easy orientation in those parts of the worlds, the CD offers Pocket Book, a utility for reading books in Chinese, MonsterSIP for writing Chinese characters, and Monster Chinese, a solution for a complete Chinese localisation of the system. Besides those (for us useless) utilities, there are a few quite useful applications and games. Talented artists may find use for Aidem Pocket Painter (demo version). If you have problems with your personal cash flow, an application called Maction MoneyTracer (demo version) may come handy. Maction Presentation DX (demo version) will help you publish presentations directly from the Pocket PC. A desktop converter will transform complex slides into a form acceptable for a PDA. Aidem Engineering Calculator is the right application for those who need a robust and powerful scientific and engineering calculator. Two other applications are also freely available for download from the internet (Acrobat Reader for Pocket PC and RealPlayer Mobile). Finally, there are four simple games for you to kill time - an arcade game called Maction Dung Cleaner and three logic games - Reversi, Gobang and Guess color. I would appreciate if the selection of bonus applications were different in supplies to the European market. The main problem is that none of the applications is optimised for the VGA resolution - all of them are designed for a QVGA screen and do not even support the landscape mode. It works, of course, but I think it a little "shoddy".

There is nothing more on the CD-ROMs but you can install any of the tens of thousands of available applications compatible with this device.

Price

Asus has always pursued quite aggressive pricing policies, making no exception this time. You cannot expect such a high-performance device to sell for a few bucks bundled with a half-giga SD card. The model with Bluetooth will sell for $529 USD, the BT & WiFi version will be some 70 dollars more expensive. The BT model should hit the market at the beginning of October, the WiFi model a month later.

[POLL]

Benchmarks & Tests

My test SD card now contains standard games (Anthelion, Snails and Z-Raid [affiliate]), films (a Shrek 2 trailer in MPEG format 650-kbps bitrate), the same short movie in Windows Media format (250 and 500-kbps bitrates), newly added DivX video (500 and 1000-kbps bitrates), a few MP3 files of various genres, and some documents and images. I have discovered a great DivX player called BetaPlayer which, when combined with extremely user-friendly PocketDivXEncoder utility, will make you forget about all other players. I deleted a 1-Mbps Windows Media file and created a 1-Mbps DivX file because Windows Media Player is embarrassingly sluggish in comparison with BetaPlayer. And finally, please be advised that whereas I stick to the fact in the other chapters, here I share my impressions:)

I have already described the design. Even though low price is one of Asus' main advantages, I am not sure if economising on shell material is appropriate. The design is nice but the type of plastic and assembly, especially the "tub" are not very convincing. The back part is a little wobbly and it is uncertain if it can get worse over time. The Asus is shaped for a perfect grip, I especially appreciate its rounded corners. It is small enough to fit in a trousers pocket but it needs to be loose enough. The stylus shaft opening at the bottom is quite unusual, one needs to get used to it. From a practical point of view, the main disadvantage is that you need to take the stylus out before putting the device in the cradle or have a spare stylus ready. I have already praised the display, both brightness and contrast are excellent, I could have been better adjusted for sunlight. One extra point for the snow-clear white colour, though:) Unfortunately, I did not have another device to compare but the 3.7-inch / 94-millimetre seems as an ideal compromise between the VGA resolution and the overall dimensions of the device. The sound is absolutely perfect with a wide range of settings - it is hard to imagine anything better. This is not a cheap toy, so it would be suitable for Asus to offer a version with a combination of both wireless modules in this series. I have not encountered any problem in real life but for slight sluggishness, which seems to be a feature of the device as such. Expandability options are excellent, battery life disastrous...

I have tested numerous applications and everything worked fine. It seemed to me that the Asus sometimes "pondered" a little longer than I would expect from a device with a 520-MHz processor but I may have been influenced by the camera-related package of applications which are EXTREMELY slow and some of them EXTREMELY buggy. The biggest problem by far was the insufficient capacity of the main battery. I have not lately encountered a device that would charge longer than operate. Of course, you can reduce the backlight intensity or processor speed, still the battery will remain the weakest point.

If you are a passionate gamer, you will be satisfied with the Asus. Although none of the games I use for testing is optimised for the VGA resolution, playing them was enjoyable. The scroller Z-Raid was perfectly playable (I reached my personal record:), occasional jerky motion tolerable. Anthelion was even better, absolutely seamless throughout. The well-designed joypad contributes significantly to the gaming experience. I got used to its irregular shape very quickly. Add large buttons positioned far enough from the joypad and you get an ideal gaming machine.

Asus was good as a multimedia device, too. Audio playback was flawless. You will need to get BetaPlayer to watch video because Windows Media Player was not even able to smoothly play a VGA-optimised clip with a 380-kbps bitrate. BetaPlayer can replay 500-kbps video in the VGA resolution without any problems, minor jerkiness appears only in full-screen shifts. I tried playing a video clip downloaded from the web without any optimisation (576x240 pixels, 420 kbps) and it was possible to watch, too. All in all, it is not perfect but certainly better than average.

Now, onto the camera. As I suggested above, I think the camera is adjusted differently than that in the iPAQ rx3715. Long-range photos are not ideal, mid- and short-range ones are much better. The biggest problem is the slow reaction of the camera. It takes sometimes more than five seconds before a photo is taken after you press the shutter release button. That means that it is useless for photographing objects in motion. The image "freezes" on the display at the moment you release the shutter and you never know what is going on before the lens when the photo is actually taken, which can be those five seconds later when a wonderful scene may be gone. The application cannot even show the actual image immediately after it is captured, so you do not know what is in it. To sum up, the camera is good enough, it will find use mainly for practical tasks, such as copying timetables, secret documents;) etc., but the software deserves a major revision.Sample Pictures [2453KB]

Considered the camera cannot focus, it is quite good at photographing text information.

The variety of settings and an integrated "flash" makes it possible to use the camera in bad light conditions but I would appreciate a full auto mode for that purpose. The flash is useful at short range but do not expect any miracles.

Presentation of colours depends on your skills as a photographer and what settings you choose. For example, if you choose "cloudy" from the list of available presets, the Asus will enhance colours and the photo will be richer.

I was surprised at the quality of the video. Novice filmmakers will choose a different camera to shoot their first feature film but it is good enough for fun. With maximum detail and FPS, the file size will be about 3 MB/min, depending also on the type of scenes you are shooting. If you have a video player that supports 3GPP files, you can download these sample videos. :: Sample videos [2197KB]

NB :: Please remember that the comments apply to this camera in comparison with other integrated cameras. It just cannot compare to any stand-alone digital camera.

Finally, some exact figures. I use Spb Benchmark for a complete performance test. Having reviewed several new Pocket PC, I can compare them. If you are interested in detailed results, the complete .XML file is available for download here :: Asus MyPal A730 (2003 SE, 520MHz) [1KB] . To compare with other devices, copy the contents of the file to this form and click on Add device.

ROM version of the tested device :: V3.43.02.4 WWE

I am not offering the usual GXmark graphical system benchmark because it does not work with VGA displays.

Detailed evaluation

I have decided to make evaluation of devices more detailed and stricter. This is because the rating of most devices I have reviewed lately ranged from 90 to 95 percent and it was difficult to tell which device is better (I tried to avoid a 100-percent rating). Another reason is that this new system is more transparent... That is why the final rating is NOT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE. 90 percent now and 90 percent before are completely incomparable figures.

A few words to explain the new system: Type can be Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone edition, or Smartphone. Class means the target group, which is key for understanding the other categories. Numbers of points in the other categories are relative with regard to the class. For example, a device with a VGA display, two expansion slots and BT and WiFi modules in the high-end category will receive nine points for a certain weight whereas a device in the "entry" class with a QVGA display, one slot and no radio module will receive three points for the same weight. The date is also important - if I am rating a 1.3-Mpix integrated camera today, it will receive 10 points because there is nothing better available. Half a year later, when 2-Mpix integrated cameras will become available, this one will receive fewer points.

If you would like to comment on the evaluation, please join the discussion. I am doing this for you to help choosing a new device easier. If you think it is a wrong idea, just let me know:)

Rating
Name:	Asus MyPal A730
Type:	Pocket PC
Class:	High-end
Date:	September 22, 2004
Design, user friendliness
Design:	8
Dimensions:	9
Weight:	8
Buttons, user comfort:	9
Assembly quality:	7
Performance, memory
Processor:	8
Free RAM:	4
Free ROM:	4
Display
Dimensions:	10
Size:	8
Quality (indoors):	10
Quality (outdoors):	5
Backlight:	9
Touch layer:	9
Camera
Features:	8
Resolution:	10
Quality:	7
Audio
Microphone:	10
Loudspeaker:	7
Headphones output:	9
Communication
USB:	9
Infra:	7
Bluetooth:	8
Battery, power settings
Features:	4
Battery life:	3
Expandability
General:	9
Software
System, settings:	8
Bonus apps in ROM:	3
Bonus apps on CD:	4
Accessories
Quantity:	9
Quality:	8
Other
Overall impression:	8
Manufacturer's support:	4
Price/performance ratio	6
Total
Asus MyPal A730	7,32 out of 10

Notes :: Rating on the scale from 1 to 10. The higher the number, the closer to the ideal. If a device receives 10 points for "Design", it means it is beauty from heaven. On the other hand, if it receives 10 points for "Weight", it is a witness of an extremely low weight.

That's all, folks:)