Asus MyPal A600

Picking a Pocket PC used to be a matter of deciding which of the three available models you liked the look of and getting out your chequebook.

Today, there are umpteen models to choose from and Asus has just added to the list.

At £387, the A600 MyPal is priced along the same lines as mid-range Pocket PCs from the likes of Toshiba and Hewlett Packard (HP).

In pure specification terms it certainly stands up to scrutiny, with its 400MHz XScale processor, 64MB of memory and SD Card slot.

It nips along at a fair pace and Asus has been thoughtful enough to include an application that utilises the XScale processor's built-in speed adjustment to help prolong battery life - other manufacturers take note.

Unfortunately, the MyPal doesn't look like it costs almost £400. The silver metallic case may be slim and sturdy but it's not particularly stylish and looks positively dull when compared with any of the HP iPaqs.

The application launch buttons also light up in blue, which is little more than a gimmick. Thankfully, the colour screen is clear enough but it's not as crisp as some we've seen, and the limited viewing angle means that it needs to be viewed face-on.

Contact: Landmarq 020 8768 9301
www.landmarq.co.uk