Asus A716 Giveaway

[Matt Keys]

Now that my <a href="http://www.pocketmatrix.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15106">Asus A716 review</a> is out I will be giving away my review unit. To be entered in the contest you must be a registered member of the forums and you must post your answer to the following question in this thread.

How would you best take advantage of all the features the a716 offers?

I will stop accepting entires at 11:59PM Eastern time on February 23rd and a winner will be announced soon after. The device will go to the best answer, determined by me.

Good Luck!<!>

[sponge]

I will use the A716 to power my war machine, and to steal the souls of the damned.

[Kzinti]

I will use the A716 to further improve game development on the Pocket PC platform (think wireless multiplayer). Oh and also that bit about taking over the world.

This is not only an awesome PDA, it is perfect for software development:

1) Wireless
2) CF slot for good old Ethernet adapter
3) Lot of memory
4) SD slot for even more memory to store uncompressed data

[kosmicki]

Wow, nice PDA. What would I use this for.... first off I would really use the normal PDA functions, I can't keep track of anything with pen and paper. But my digital life is in order. (I currently don't have a PDA of any sort) Built in wi-fi is perfect for roaming around the house while connected to the net, I could see many a moment on the couch curled up with a machine like this. Bluetooth..... I want a BT phone in the future, so such a feature would be a nice bonus for places outside of a wifi hotspot Its amazing battery life would help with roaming about town without having to carry a spare battery all the time. And a CF slot along with an SDIO one! I'm a memory freak, I plan to get at least a 512MB CF card whenever I get a PDA for game storage and ebooks. Oh yeah, another great feature, games on an Asus. SD slot would be great for some games that come on an SD card, without having to lose all card slots. Its speed would really give it an advantage over other PDAs. Main thing I would use it for first, is storing all my digital A+ material so I could study without having to lug my mighty 1200 page book around. Superb battery life would really be a help with that. Well, I suppose that is about it.

[Nightwing]

Simply would use this on service calls as a multy-use tool. A laptop could but would be using a sledge hammer to tap in a nail.

With the wireless and the connection states abblity would help to check Wirless routers etc. Add a CF wire I/O card and can check out cables and connections. Also to check to see if this or that spot is better for a wireless router and or computer. Also if an external range extender or antenna are required.

Same with bluetooth to test out Bluetooth based items.

The "Outlook" tools for scheduling, appointments, email and other part of it to manage the paperwork.

Add via 3 party software a billing software program to record times and action done for clients.

The net connection to search FAQ and other reference sources and knowledgebase on the net to work on system with out the need to wast paper.

Have loaded all of my notebooks of hints and tips to get thing working again in a CF flash card so I can pull it up quickly to fix the problem.

And finaly wating for some action requiring something to do while wating for people to arive that are late for an appointment or are not avaiable at the time. IE Games!

[spiral]

The A716 would be really cool because I haven't gone "wireless" yet with any pdas nor do I have a cellphone. However, I have a 802.11b router at home that is pretty much not taken advantage of, and I would greatly enjoy surfing the Internet from any place in my home, as the computer room gets rather chilly. Also, I would use the A716 as a wireless DAR, and with a charger and an extra set of speakers, I could stream mp3's from my computer to my room with wifi via netuse. I plan to get a Sony-Ericsson T610 phone soon, which has bluetooth built-in, so I might explore checking my e-mail through bluetooth using the phone as a modem.

With such a robust battery life, I wouldn't have to worry about ever running out of power whether on wireless or movies or games (and PIM uses relatively little power). Dual slots would be nice since I have several CF cards, and a few SD cards, so I would be up to my nose in storage (but one can never have enough :D )

Of course there's also games and multimedia (even a Zire can handle PIM), even though it doesn't have the e800's resolution the A716 is more than sufficient when you have the fastest device without sacrificing battery life for screen.

I'd probably get a keyboard for word processing (maybe buy Textmaker if I wanted to go hardcore). I wonder if I would be able to sync my phone with the A716 too...

btw, I put an article up at PDArcade about the review (and the giveaway in the extended text, even if it's at the end of the review). It'll make more competition, but oh well. One note though, is it OK to use your pictures on PDArcade? And right now they're being loaded from PocketMatrix server till I can access Pdarcade's ftp server

last note, in the title of the review it says "Asus A716 - Revieww - Reviews..." just a heads-up about the extra W.

[clickdev]

The real question here is that can one actually use that kind of device to any other purpose than making other people jealous?

I already feel envious to the lucky chap who gets this babe.

/clickdev

[Delphian]

I have been a die hard PalmOS user (and developer) for years. The Asus a620 was the first PocketPC that really began to make me consider making the "big switch".

Now, with the a716, I'm sold.

With the great battery life and the WiFi I can take care of work (and a little play) while I'm away from the office.

The gamepad is absolutely gorgeous looking. And, if it works as well as you say it does, I'll be wasting a lot of time playing old NES games when I should be getting work done.

I beg of you... reach out your hand and save me from my Palm TT induced hell...

In other words : "Pick Me! Pick Me!"

[WebGonzo]

I shall receive the aid of legions of unassuming humans...because they will be hypnotized by the secretions of a rare Peruvian Gaokin...after I collect the frog's fluid...I shall mix the floury batter and have a giant pancake jamboree!

To be fully powerful I would only need one more ingredient : The ASUS 716. This could help me with my plan for world domination while doing what I want. Where I want. Anytime. As long as it takes...

watching "learning videos"
reading ebooks
checking emails at the campus
playing with emulators

[Markdh]

I was tempted to give some soft story involving a child and a life threatening disease which required this PDA to cure. However, I, which may in the future be a regreted decision, chose to tell the truth:

As with the average person, I will do everything I do with my current PPC, just faster and for a longer time without the battery dieing out.

It also means that I can use all my CF cards I bought for my Jornada 525 which were unusable on my current PDA, this in turn means that I will have more space for games and apps on my PPC.

The wireless internet capabilities will allow me to do work stuff on the move, which would be kind of handy. This combined with the ASUS quality gaming ability would make it the perfect PDA for me.

Hence, that is why I would take advantage of this

[Miracle]

I'd use the A716 as a replacement for my A620BT, so that I don't have to plug in a WiFi card, I can actually stream my movies without having to charge my A620 after 1 hour (sometimes 1,5). Also I would use it to test FpseCE with it, and my brother would love to multiplayer with me . (WarFare should rule in multiplayer mode!)

BTW, Great review (again ), you really made me interested in the A716!

EDIT: Forgot to add, this 'Contest' ends at my birthday, so it would be a very nice gift .

[NunoLuz]

Well I'd use it firstly to make a review for my own site ( we dont often get test devices...).

Secondly to use to do tests for games and Pocket PC apps, I guess it's for a good cause

PS: I would also give away my trust worthy 1915 ( I guess it´s fair, as my father used to say: dont expect nothing unless you give something in return! )

Thanks

Nuno

Portugal

[NightStar]

I'd use it to keep my fiancée happy. (No - Not like that) Dirty person.

She keeps nagging she needs a PDA but never finds one that suits her needs. I've just got an A620BT and she has already clapped her eyes on it, but she can keep her mitts off!

If I had the a716 then she can finally give it a rest (Ah - A much needed break!) and have the a620 - Which is, until I can try the a716, the best PDA I've ever used!

[suchiaruzu]

Matt - great review! Thanks to PROPortable and PocketMatrix for this most awsome giveaway!

So I guess I should start with the features and what I would use them for. Here is what comes in the box (thanks, Matt's review!)

-Asus A716 PocketPC
I would use this as my new main unit and give away my Dell Axim for charity if I won. No, seriously! With WiFi Card!
[b]-Asus A716 Cradle
I'd probably use this to connect to my computer. Maybe I will use it to hold papers I have to type in too.
-AC Adapter
Charging Pocket PC, electric razor, cell phone and that other thing.
-Manual, Quick Start Guide, and Warranty Card
Flip through the manual, toss it aside. Make an origami swan out of the start guide. Look at Warranty Card and complain if there is no stamp (j/k)
-Outlook/Activesync
Set it aside for reinstall, as I already have it.
-Asus A716 Bonus CD (applications/games and the like)
Install what I need, keep it in a nice place. Maybe in 5 to 6 years attach a string and hang it from the ceiling of my room, once that's "in" again.
-Protective Case
Protect this beautiful device, what else? Maybe make a cup out of it if I decide to play football.

So, after the box content is all used up, let's look at the normal specs.

-400MHz Intel XScale PXA255 Processor
First of all, MARVEL at the amazing speed. Make an amazed look every time you see the device. Marvel some more. Mock some friends because it is faster than their PC. Marvel even more. Play Anthelion. Watch for spit not to drop out of mouth. Repeat.
-Microsoft PocketPC 2003
Enjoy all those wonderful new features, like that new game. And, at the last, an OS that is more efficient with processor and memory usage. And, yeah, I guess marvel at the speed with which the unit will react compared to my Axim Cheapskate.
-3.5" Transflective TFT LCD Display (65k colors)
View porn outside. Nah, seriously, I am an artist, hence I am always looking for the perfect screen. That [url="http://www.pocketmatrix.com/reviews/a716/images/screen.jpg"]comparison Matt posted[/url] looks really nice and bright.
-64mb Flash, 64mb SDRAM (53mb user accessible)
Use for frequently used apps, like TopKey, EZNote, Dexplor, etc. As well as images and documents created and edited on the go.
-Compact Flash Type II slot
CF Cards are much cheaper than SD cards, and since I would give my WiFi CF-Card away, I would maybe save for a microdrive - even though that might take some time as I have only very little income. If I can afford that, I would rip copies of my favorite movies: "Pulp Fiction", "Magnolia" and both "Wayne's World"s, all of which I have on DVD. I won't give long bus rides as an example here, cause that's cliché. However, we are going on a school trip for a week in October, and this would be a great feature to have.
-SD/MMC card slot
Interfacing with my digital camera. I also have a 256 MB SD Card, which now contains MP3s of R.E.M. in time and Sing When You're Winning, as well as both of Stephen Lynch's CDs, all of which I legally purchased (I hope that's a plus for winning...), which I could play with today player on my new beautifully handcrafted today screen.
-3.5mm stereo headphone jack
I would use it to listen to said music in the gym. Yes, I go to the gym now, that's why I don't post as much lately. I can just highly recommend it to you guys, the people at my gym are super nice and it's just fun to have a workout.
-FIR/SIR (infrared)
Once I have my new printer, I would be able to print using the IR port, which would be, you know, good. Also, I might get one of those remote tools, as the remote control of my TV is really bad.
-Bluetooth Wireless
Connect to cell phone, definately. WAP is dead, long live GPRS and the one, true internet. I could especially use this when we go to Denmark to visit my godmother. We always stay for a week and they have no internet at all.
-802.11b Wireless
This is my favorite feature, definately! I have this rather bulky WiFi Card for my Axim, but it is a huge power drain - besides, I am always afraid of it coming apart. I would set up a proper home network, so I would not have to sit in front of the computer to chat all the time. Controlling Winamp is another great feature, so is accessing files via the network. Instant access to all my design stuff. For quick tasks, I could log on to my PC using Terminal Services Client or Pebbles and either do some quick GFX/Flash Editing from downstairs or simply check how far a download has progressed.
-1500mAH Lithium Rechargeable Battery (optional 3000mah battery available)
This is almost too obvious. My Axim often gives up on me when playing music or - especially nasty - reading ebooks. I just love ebooks, so this would make it a little more like a normal book.
-135mm x 78mm x 17.6mm (L x W x H)
Use it to replace the banana in my pocket.
-197grams
Use it as a weight to determine the accuracy of scales in the supermarket.

After that's done, I would like to go into detail about what would be my main areas of using it.

First of all, I am a gamer. Those games look just too sweet. The DPad on my Axim is the worst I have ever tried, it would be great to have something more quality-like again, like on my old E115. Did you know that the E115/125 had white plastic buttons with a metal looking paint on it? How I found out? Let's just say I "really liked Doom"

But wait, there is more! I frequently beta test games. As I said, the Axim's DPad is not very good. In fact it sucks. But anyway, it would be an awsome addition to many games to have those sexy buttons. And the DPad would be just plain sweet, especially with RPGs coming up!

Matt tried an SNES game for me which I absolutely love. If I mention full speed SNES emulation here, my keyboard will be too wet to continue typing. So I will talk of PlayStation emulation. The Asus is the only device which gets this impressive task done in a satisfactory way. The whole emulator is optimized for Asus, and ... Final Fantasy 7 ... ... ...

As I said, I go to the gym now. And there are always those kids with their Minidisc Walkmans. Those things are just sooo cool. But guess what would be even cooler? Yup, having a PocketPC with color and real playlist management! It would also beat the iPODs at school, cause playing music is not the only thing it can do by far!

I am a graphic designer, most people here know that. There is a number of great apps out there, but many suffer under the slow speed of my Axim. The monster processing power of an Asus A716 would be able to keep up with them easily.

I absolutely love ebooks as well. I am almost through with the complete works of Sherlock Holmes (even though my Axim is still valiantly trying to number the pages). The huge main memory would also provide more space for extra books. I am looking forward to reading Dracula, for instance. Besides, there are about 5 books we are supposed to buy for school now...it would be easier to have them as ebooks, that is if the page flips fast enough when you read and the battery does not give up on you in a two hour lesson *cough*Dell*cough*. The battery compared to the A620 is jawdropping.

I would take my A716 to CeBIT this year and walk around the palm booth
Actually I did that the year before last with my E115 and sent people interested in it to Compaq. Directly, as in person to person, I already "sold" 5 Pocket PCs. Here's the mafia part: I would be more than happy to direct all future onces to PROPortable

And of course, showing off in the User Group against those Cliés and everything. I have the slowest device in the whole group. Matt, don't let me down! I need this device. Really. Think of all the kids who would like to have the Dell (I would put proof of a donation up).

Also, I will release my new .hack// today screen / WISBar skin combination to all those interested in it. I worked for it for several hours, and finally everything is perfect. If there is anyone who wants it, msg me and I will upload it.

I guess this is my new longest post. Just shows that I am serious about this
PocketMatrix, PROPortable, rock on! You are the best community / mobile device provider I know. Continue like this, and please let me win the A716!

Regards,
Björn Eike Schwarz

[James S]

I'd best take advantage of the features by turning them on.