PC Plus - Asus MyPal A636


location based services

Darwin would be proud. Many have written off the PDA, squeezed as it is by smart mobile phones on one side and powerful ultra-portable laptops on the other. But PDA manufacturers always seem to find a compelling and distinctive new feature that’s not available in rival form-factors. Constant evolution has kept the PDA market alive and kicking.
The current hot feature is built-in GPS, with integrated antennas enabling PDAs to patch into orbiting satellites for location-based services. The A636 is merely the latest to hop on the GPS bandwagon. Its antenna is neatly tucked in the rear, folding out and twisting to always present the best angle. Reception is solid if unremarkable, although as ever there is little or no reception indoors.
The supplied GPS software is Destinator, a route planner that includes maps for the UK and Ireland. Its unfriendly icon-driven interface aside, the program works well in an ever-changing mobile setting. You can easily set a starting point and destination, then simply follow the on-screen or spoken instructions. It works out which direction you’re facing as long as you keep moving, so you receive simple ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ prompts rather than anything more complicated.
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Asus has shown the imagination to accessorise the A636 with car-friendly add-ons not normally included with Pocket PCs. The car charger and cradle mean you’re ready to exploit GPS while you’re driving, straight out of the box. Keep the unit’s Wi-Fi function switched off as you drive through towns, though: the strong reception readily detects every passing network, putting up prompts that obscure the GPS system.
The coolness of the GPS system isn’t met with equal innovation elsewhere. Pocket PCs are becoming as commoditised as their desktop cousins, with few companies having the chutzpah to add flair or innovation. The Asus has a bland exterior: the only surprise is the landscape orientated button icons such as volume, on the assumption that you’ll use them most for entertainment.
With Windows Mobile 5 as its foundation, the software bundle is honed to peak efficiency, with Office-style viewers and Windows Media Player for movies and music. But with such features available on every Pocket PC, only the motorist-friendly navigation and accessories make the A636 stand out from its rivals.
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Richard Hill
PC Plus Issue 239 - February 2006
Reformat for printing