by phaminator » Feb 18, 2004 @ 6:44am
OK, first of all, I have an Asus A620 and so I don't NEED a PDA. However - listen to my story. Matt Keys gave the A620 a 8.5 / 10. Personally, I think it only deserves a 5 or 6 at most. Why?
Reviews like this (A716) and the A620 are really only surface reviews. How good is the PDA in the long-term? What idiosycrasies or little nitpicks does the PDA have that can impair it's usability? Reviews like this can never answer this question. I can because I've been using the A620 for almost a year.
Why the A620 licks compares to the Ipaq 3850 I still have?
[1. Screen Issues with A620]
a.) Screen may be crisp BUT only within a narrow range of viewing angles. For example, You have to tilt the screen roughly 25-30 degrees from the horizontal to get a good image (meaning colors actually show as colors and not gray). This is uncomfortable - I typically view the screen at a 50-60 degree angle.
b.) Weird light bleeding on the edge of the screen - shows up especially in black backgrounds during Movie playback. Annoying, but after color shows up this disappears.
c.) The screen is nice, but the sensitivity and accuracy of its response to the sylus is worth lamenting about. Using the on-screen keyboard to input text is alright on the Ipaq 3850 (the bigger 3.8" screen may be helpful) but at least it is always accurate - when I tap on the key, the key is inputted. But with the Asus is a different matter. For example, when I tap the "r" key, sometimes the "5" key will be hit instead. Or when I activate a program in the program bar of Omega One's Battery Pack 5, another program starts up - really annoying. Also, sometimes when I activate a program, I get this description of a link and it's program path instead of the program starting up. This happens when you tap and hold onto the program icon. This means that the sensitivity of the screen is wacko. When I use a screen, I expect it to be accurate. The Asus fails to deliver.
[2. Buttons & D-Pad]
a.) Microphone is crappier, not as clear. Records total garbage with Resco Audio Recorder - especially MP3 recording. At least with the Ipaq, Resco works. Likely a software-hardware issue, but I don't care much which, I just want it to work.
b.) Record button is located in the most annoying spot, right where you use leverage to pull the CF card out, or when you grip the top of the PDA to pull it out of your shirt/pants pocket. I always end up pushing the record button all the time and it loads up the recorder when I don't want it to. Hassle.
c.) D-pad is nothing to rave about. If the PDA is in your shirt pocket and you want to use the D-pad to switch tracks during MP3 playback, it often hits in a diagonal direction instead of the direction you want. In other words, there's no tactile feedback when you hit up or left. The Ipaq does have feedback. This becomes an issue when you have to map the D-pad for Mp3 playing - read below.
d.) Mapping of the buttons is awful. If you use Mp3 playback, and map a button for turning the screen off, it works. But if you map a button as next track or play/pause, the screen turns back on. ?!?!. So in other words, if I'm listening to a track and switch the screen off, and then want to change tracks by pressing its mapped button, the screen turns back on - exactly NOT what I want. There is an option to disable "wake up" on button presses but this doesn't change the situation I just described. This problem is likely a hardware issue because I've tried several mp3 programs and they all do this (any button mapping turns on the screen). Furthermore, this does not happen in my Ipaq. Therefore, I must map commands onto the D-pad, because pressing left or down doesn't turn on the screen. But even this has problems as I have just described above.
[3. CF issues]
a.) Switching CF cards doesn't always read in file explorer. Instead, it thinks that the previously inserted CF card is still inside. I have to re-inserts 2x to get it to read.
b.) Inserting/Pulling out CF sometimes causes the OS to crash - requires soft reset
[4. OS Issues - likely Not Windows related]
a.) Have to soft reset at least 2x a day. Switching the power on during MP3 playback or MPG playback often freezes it up. Sometimes just closing a program will freeze it up. I don't have to reset as much with my Ipaq
b.) Erratic battery level. If I run it down to say 40%, it'll show up as 60% if I soft reset. If I run it down to 0%, when I charge it, it'll show up as 25%. Why???
c.) Smartbackup doesn't work at Low power (~10%) battery. This defeats the purpose doesn't it??? I Just tried backing it up right now, and suprisingly it works but it's at 99% battery life.
There are probably a few more things I've forgotten, but these are the main things, and none of these issues were mentioned in Matt's review. Sure the screen is crisp and colorful, but that doesn't mean it's usuable as input. Yes it's fast, but what's the point if it crashes everyday, or I use it for MP3's more than half the time? Btw, this is a replacement A620, the first one that I got had a burnt pixel, which shouldn't even happen in the first place and was a real hassle especially since I ordered online.
All in all, the point of my complaints is this: If I win the A716, I will use it, everyday in fact (because I still use my A620 everyday) and I can give a "daily-user" review of the device instead of a "its fast, good battery life, good screen" review that are too common nowadays.
From the A620 experience, I would NOT buy any more Asus PDA's, nor would I recommend it - too cheaply made. But I have to try the A716 to find out Asus still makes them cheap quality but fast. The Ipaq that I still have as comparison is much more durable, stable, and reliable. I just can't wait until the Ipaq 6300 series comes out - should be good.
Phaminator
Asus A716 Giveaway
