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BOX CONTENTS

   Asus has released 2 models of the A730: the A730W offers Wi-Fi + Bluetooth and 128MB of RAM, and the A730 which has Bluetooth only and 64MB of RAM - this review is for the Dubya-less version.

In the box:

• A730 Pocket PC device
• 2 Styli
• Charging Cradle
• Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery
• AC Adapter & Power Supply Cable
• Warranty & Owner information cards
• Bonus CD with demo and free software
• Windows Mobile Software CD
• USB charging cable / cradle connector
• Carrying Case

    While the Asus does offer USB Host connectivity, they do not provide you with a cable to do so. This is extra, and can be found online for around $25. As a result of this omission, I was not able to test this functionality.

THE DEVICE

The Asus A730 has a sturdy cradle formed out of gray plastic, with a side slot for you to rest your stylus. The base feels as if it has extra weight added to it, helpful in preventing it from toppling over.

The backside of the cradle has a slot for the USB charge/sync cable, as well as a plug for the power adapter.

    Asus includes 2 identical styli for use with the A730. Each have a metal center and plastic tips. One is to be kept in the bottom of the unit, the other is for the stylus slot on the charging cradle. I thought the bottom was an odd place to locate the stylus, but this must have been to accommodate the IR port and memory slots being located on the top. As such, when the unit is cradled, you do not have access to the stylus. Asus solved this by providing a second stylus for the cradle's slot. I had no trouble getting used to the location of the stylus, it slides in firmly and never slips out. Though if you switch between Pocket PC devices, you may find yourself reaching to the wrong spot when you need the stylus.

    On the subject of power, one downside is that you must have the sync/charge cable and the AC Adapter if you want to recharge while on the road. There is no single slot on the device for just the wall plug. Instead, the sync/charge cable is plugged into the device, and the connector has a slot where you can plug in the AC adapter. I found this all rather cumbersome, and I really think a better solution could have been devised.

    The MyPal A730 is surprisingly lightweight. Compared to the weight of my Axim X5 400 (6.0 oz), the MyPal felt like nothing at all. I didn't think an ounce would make that much of a difference, but it did indeed. I was also impressed with the design of the casing for the device. Whereas the Axim was a but bulky and oddly shaped, I found the A730 to be very appealing to the eye, as well as being very comfortable to hold. Interestingly, it is very similar in shape and form to the newer Axim, the X50.

Right side of A730

Left side of A730

    Those who are used to rubber grips on the sides will be disappointed, the A730 has none. Instead, the sides are made of a smooth silver metal. The right-hand side has a sliding latch that releases the battery cover (and works best when used with the stylus). On the left you will find two buttons, one for the power and the voice-record button) which is also to be used with the built-in camera).

The docking port resides, as expected, on the bottom of the device, along with the reset function. Resets can be initiated by pushing in the circular recessed hole with your stylus. To do a hard-reset, you push with the stylus while holding down the power button.

    On top, you will find headphone jack and IR port, as well as slots for both the SD (SDIO 3.3V) and the Compact Flash Type II memory cards. The memory cards, of course, are not included, but Asus did include the plastic inserts shaped to fit the slots, to prevent dust accumulation for times slots are not in use.

    Flip the device over and you will discover a pretty cool little extra - a 1.3 megapixel camera! Actually, don't get too excited about this, but more on that later in the review. The larger, silver circle is the camera lens. To the left, is a small domed area. It looks like a parabolic mirror, and is beveled out just enough to keep the A730 from resting flat on a table top. I assume that this is to prevent the camera lens from scratching. The flash is the white circle just below the lens.

    The battery compartment for the A730 is a bit unusual. I don't think I've ever seen a design quite like this. The backside of the unit slides off, to reveal the battery and exposes the camera and the speaker. While it does give the back of the device a sleek, elegant look, the removal process is a bit clumsy.

    Once removed, you can pop out the Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery. The back cover is made of painted plastic, and feels rather flimsy. Since it will most always be on the A730, this isn't a big issue. However, were you to be too rough sliding the cover, I think it could crack or one of the latches could break off. This is unlikely, since the cover slides on and off smoothly, but being plastic, it is a possibility. One thing that I did notice while playing a game was that the back cover seemed to give a little. Not much, but as I gripped the device to use the directional buttons to move left and right, there was a noticeable sound of the back cover shifting slightly. Not a major issue, but I did wonder at times if I might crack it somehow if I gripped it too hard. Maybe I should play less stressful games, like "Bookworm."

    Asus describes the VGA screen as "'3.7' Brilliant Transflective TFT LCD, 65,536 Full-Colors, 16-bit Display, 640x480 resolution." I would definitely agree with the word "brilliant." Compared with my Axim, I might toss in the word "Amazing" as well! The resolution is extremely crisp, and bright. The blue glow at the top is to indicate that Bluetooth has been turned on (blue for Bluetooth, very clever).

    Also worthy of mention are the hardware buttons on the front of the A730. Gone is the directional pad I had come to love. At first look, I really didn't think I would like these buttons at all. As it turns out, I found them to be a great improvement. The four application buttons have a tactile feel each time you press one. Press it, and you know you've pressed it. On my Axim, each press is rather "squishy" and I was never really certain if the device knew I had pressed one. The center directional button sends back a nice "click-click" when pressed in any direction. I was concerned that this would cause problems when I played games that required fast movement left or right. After a few rounds of Resco's Guardians, my fears were put to rest - movements were precise and responsive. With the Axim, I was always a little concerned that I would wear out the D-pad. With the sturdy design on the A730's directional button, there is no reason to be worried about that again.

    Asus included a protective case, which is made from a combination of nylon and leather. It does the job, but I have a few comments to make about it later in this review.

PICTORIALLY - ASUS A730 AGAINST OTHER DEVICES
    Unlike other reviewers at pocketnow, I only have one Pocket PC device. So, for the comparative photo section, I had to scrounge around for some other items. My choices? The 20 GB 4th Generation iPod and the Nokia 3595 T-Mobile (non-Pocket PC) phone. The following photos should not only showcase the elegant design of the A730, but also it's relatively small size.

From left to right: Nokia 3595, Apple iPod, Axim X5, and the Asus A730. Next to the A730, the Axim looks like a behemoth!

Bottom to top: Asus A730, Axim X5, Nokia 3595 and Apple iPod. Notice that the A730 is just a bit longer than the iPod, and shorter than the Axim X5.

Once again, bottom to top: Asus A730, Axim X5, Nokia 3595 and Apple iPod.

Back-to-back: Axim X5 (left) & Asus A730 (right). Note that the Axim is not only thicker, it is much wider as well.

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