asus 730 W

[cranston3]

hello, i recently received my asus 730W. there must be more of you out there who have a 730W. but i dont see any discussions or comments on this model. does any one else have a 730 w that they have questions about or comments. hopefully we will get some exchanges on this model. regards cranston 3

[s_kates81]

I m also gonna buy this model.So how much did you buy it,and from where?Did you check the USB host functionality by plugging a USB keyboard to it?

[Menneisyys]

hello, i recently received my asus 730W. there must be more of you out there who have a 730W. but i dont see any discussions or comments on this model.

Thet's because the majority of Asus users have traditionally used the PocketMatrix forum: http://www.pocketmatrix.com/forums/index.php

[cranston3]

hello, i paid 569 from mobile planet. no sales tax , no shipping or handling charges. they are very good people to deal with

[Johnathan]

I'm gonna buy this model too, but I just care about the price! I'am still using A620+ now :oops:

[mattp]

I m also gonna buy this model.So how much did you buy it,and from where?Did you check the USB host functionality by plugging a USB keyboard to it?

As Menneisyys pointed out, PockeMatrix has traditionally been the Asus forum. I recall a post there about USB devices that people have tested with the A730, but didn't read it to see if it included keyboards. You should check it out . . .

[mattp]

Ha Ha, just looked at the PocketMatrix forum -- I guess you already found it s_kates -- sorry for the pretty much useless reply.

[kevinsky18]

I got mine a couple weeks ago and love it. They are also coming out with a new firmware upgrade that will make the camera much better than it is atm.

[Lukas44]

Pocket matrix forum does not have separate PDA sections like this one & brighthand. It stays general.

[Ripper014]

The other major problem with Pocket Matrix is that it is dominated by someone that works for PROPortable... and to say that he his are bias would be an understatement of the largest proportions.

Your probably better off getting information from here or at Brighthand... but as always... be aware of who the advice is coming from and take that information with a grain of salt.

Always try and sort out the information for yourself... and do not just blindly follow the suggestions of others... as they say... information is only worth what you paid for it... and sometimes its not worth that.

[Patrick Y.]

A730w is really the best VGA Pocket PC. :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: I really want to get one, but the price tag is too high(Well, not so high compare to hx4700/2000 series). I mean, it got everything you can think of. Some website have quite negative reviews on this model "only" because of the battery life. A730w, in fact, is cheaper and smaller than the ugly Ipaq. Also, it got better benchmark than x50v. I hope they will have more promotion on this model!

[1BADRIDE]

IMO, the A730W has a reasonable price tag in relation to comparable VGA PDA's. The major benefit is being able to use BT and WiFi simultaneously which (I may be mistaken) is not possible on other PDA's.

It is a very compact package, somewhat flimsy but definitely acceptable.

My biggest complaint at this point would be minor English spelling errors within the ROM, and the low-light issues with the integrated Camera. The integrated LED "flash" is useless unless the subject of the photo is 30cm away or less.

Also, I bought the extended battery which makes pretty much every case out there useless.

Satisfactory bang-for-the-buck.

[Patrick Y.]

How much did you pay total for the device and accessories? Also, I'm very interested in your exprience with A730w. :D

[LightMan]

After having an excellent opportunity to sell my faithfull Ipaq 2215 for a really good price, and after taking a really close look at the competition, I went for the Asus a730w.
I was well aware of the battery issues (basically, the only soft spot I find on this great pda) but the small form factor (very important for me) along with the 128 Mb of RAM, the usb host ability that I really need and use a lot (both of which excluded the x50v) made me decide.

As I said, imho, the only problem is the battery. Really makes no sense that the Axim has a faster processor, equally large screen, same battery capacity and it lasts in average 40 to 60% more than the Asus. Anyway, the fact that the Asus comes with 2 batteries was a very good idea, although Asus really ought to have released a cradle with a standalone battery charge slot. It really isn't handy to have to charge the battery in the pda itself.

Despite this issue, I love the Asus and Pocket Hack Master's scale mode helps to squeeze 20 to 30% more juice out of the battery, so all is well when it ends well :D

[Patrick Y.]

I know that this is kind of off-topic, but do you know the best speed setting with Pocket Hack Master for PXA 255 300 MHZ?

[LightMan]

I know that this is kind of off-topic, but do you know the best speed setting with Pocket Hack Master for PXA 255 300 MHZ?

From what I've seen of Pocket Hack Master (PHM), it really depends on the purpose of your usage of PHM. Personally, I use it to save battery, mostly in scalable mode, with the default system (45%, 55%, 70%) .

So, if you mean overclocking, I have no experience about what the best setting would be for your device.
If you mean underclocking/saving battery, then I'll eventually be able to provide you some useful info.

[Patrick Y.]

Well thanks. Can tell me more about your with A730w. I'm very interested in this device. I think it is the best VGA Pocket PC so far.

[LightMan]

Well thanks. Can tell me more about your with A730w. I'm very interested in this device. I think it is the best VGA Pocket PC so far.

Well, although I love it, I honestly don't think it is the best. It was the best for my needs when I decided to purchase it.
If I had to put a label "The Best" in one of the current VGA ppcs, I'd probably pick the HP4700 (despite the touch pad) Anyway, I really need the usb host ability and after owning small ppcs like the Ipaq 1910 and the 2215, I really don't want to go back to bigger/heavier ppcs.

Although the Loox 720 is slightly bigger than the Asus, the fact that the Loox has a MUCH, MUCH better battery duration (due to the bigger battery and a better battery management) did make me struggle between the two, but in the end, the Asus prevailed.

What more can I say about the Asus? Well, the screen is excellent (as the other VGA ppcs, with the 4700 being the best in this chapter) , it's very good and fast for playing games, bluetooth and wifi are working without any issues so far ... The d-pad is not perfect for gaming, but one gets the hang of it after a while ... I preferred the d-pad of the Ipaq 2215.
The main issue is really the battery as I mentioned above. If that is an issue for you, I'd say go for the Loox ;)

In case you haven't read it, Mobile Review have posted an excellent article comparing the top VGA ppcs. You can read it here (http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/vga-comparing-en.shtml)

[Patrick Y.]

I still prefer Asus to hx4700. I mean, Asus is small and stylish and 4700 is big and ugly. Also, 4700 it is one of the most expensive PDA in the market. I bet that Asus can do a lot better with the similar amount of money. The 4" VGA screen of Ipaq is nice but I don't think it is worth it due to its price. Asus also have higher benchmark than Loox. The battery issue, in my opinion, isn't very important. You can always get more batteries. The camera on Asus, according to the review of PDAGold, is very good for a Pocket PC that small. I really appreciate your feedback.

[surur]

The Loox is 5mm taller, but thinner and less wide. It looks sleeker, and I would not call it bigger. Of course it has a larger capacity battery (but is still thinner) and the cradle has a second battery charging slot. And of course you can use wifi and bluetooth at the same time. The Loox has consumer IR and bluetooth 1.2 (asus is 1.1, so no bluetooth headphones) The Loox even has more free RAM available (113.52 MB vs 94.2 MB) and more free ROM (28.68 MB vs 19.22 MB )

Sorry, the Asus may be cheaper, but you get what you pay for. The Loox is better.

Surur

[LightMan]

I still prefer Asus to hx4700. I mean, Asus is small and stylish and 4700 is big and ugly. Also, 4700 it is one of the most expensive PDA in the market. I bet that Asus can do a lot better with the similar amount of money. The 4" VGA screen of Ipaq is nice but I don't think it is worth it due to its price. Asus also have higher benchmark than Loox. The battery issue, in my opinion, isn't very important. You can always get more batteries. The camera on Asus, according to the review of PDAGold, is very good for a Pocket PC that small. I really appreciate your feedback.

I agree. I'm also not fond of the 4700, but the between the Loox and the Asus, the choice gets much tougher.
The battery issue is starting to get to me about the Asus, although after getting a retractable sync'n'charge cable, things have improved. Nonetheless, the fact that you have to charge the spare batteries in the pda itself (cradle has no charging slot for spare battery) becomes a bit annoying, having to remove the battery cover somewhat frequently.

Surur makes good points in his post. Actually, now that I'm using wifi more and more and the Asus average battery duration is dropping fast due to that, I'm considering moving to the Loox ... I'm going to take a look at one this weekend "hands-on" to see if it feels much bigger or heavier than the Asus.

[Patrick Y.]

I still think that Asus is the best though...... As I mentioned before, Asus has better benchmark result than Loox. Also, Asus' camera is much better than the one on Loox according to PDAGold. As for the battery problem, you can get a extended 1800mah battery.

[Kowalski]

I still think that Asus is the best though...... As I mentioned before, Asus has better benchmark result than Loox. Also, Asus' camera is much better than the one on Loox according to PDAGold. As for the battery problem, you can get a extended 1800mah battery.

i am afraid i dont agree with you, i dont find asus the "best" for a couple of reasons. firstly with an extended battery, the device is very heavy and very tick, in fact the device is tick without the extended battery.
the back door is moving a little and this is very annoying.
there is no rugged or plastic side grips like found in 2215, the new 2400 etc, and the device is likely to slide in my hand.
the device is useless in powersaving mode, and lastly the model without wireless has very little ram

[etabetapi]

I have to agree with Kowalski. My first choice would've been a Loox if not for the fact that Fujistu doesn't offer them here and I didn't want to forfeit my warranty in importing one.

The battery on the Asus is a serious limitation, so I ended up shelling out another $70 for the extended battery. I know that some units come with 2 batteries (although my reseller wouldn't confirm this) but the reason I got one was because I couldn't be bothered swapping the charged battery out in the middle of the night.


OT, but it's refreshing to see people honestly talking about their PDAs and not frothing at the mouth defending them for no good reason except that they own one. You have no idea how ridiculous people are about their electronics on other boards. You'd think you were insulting their children or something. :roll:

[Patrick Y.]

I agreed with both of you in many aspects. Though, I'm going to list some reasons that makes me decide that A730w is the best VGA device. (Correct me if I list something that's not true)

1. Asus has a nice camera with rich features
2. The device is stylish and small compare to other VGA Pocket PC
3. The package comes with two batteries, which last longer than other devices together. Some people doesn't like to change battery all the time (it may be a bit troublesome), but it is fine with me.
4. Have a lot of bonus software. (Some people said that Asus has very "little" bonus softwares because most of the softwares are in traditional Chinese. But it actually comes with lots of softwares if you can understand Chinese. (Look it up on Asus' official website if you don't believe it)
5. It may have less memory than Loox, but it seems more than enough to me. (You don't install more than 96 MB of programs in the main memory, do you?)
6. It has nicer performance than Loox



For the battery problem, I can't deny that. Correct me if I am wrong, but the battery seems to be the only major problem. It still has a lot of qualities that Loox doesn't have.

In conclusion:

You may not agree with me, but I think it really depends on our own personal taste.



P.S.

there is no rugged or plastic side grips like found in 2215, the new 2400 etc, and the device is likely to slide in my hand.
the device is useless in powersaving mode, and lastly the model without wireless has very little ram

I may be wrong, but very few devices have plastic side grip, right? Also, A730w (not a730) have 128MB of RAM, which is plenty. Lastly, what do you mean by "useless in powersaving mode"?

[Kowalski]

lets see what we got here:
1. i would rate the camera of asus mediocore, it shoots still images with a decent quality but video recording is not good enough
2. yes, the device is small compared to other VGA devices, and stylish but i didnt find the device "solid", i mean the build quality doesnt feel top notch
3. the second battery coming with the device is reay a plus, but some devices have much longer runtimes thus no need for second battery
4. have alot of software? sir, i cant understand chinese :roll:
5. the device has less than 50 megs of ram space and after a soft reset, device uses more than 12 megs for program memory. this leaves a small space just for average users
6.well, asus performs well, i agree with you

see, asus may fit your needs but 730 is not a good device for most of us

[etabetapi]

lets see what we got here:
1. i would rate the camera of asus mediocore, it shoots still images with a decent quality but video recording is not good enough
2. yes, the device is small compared to other VGA devices, and stylish but i didnt find the device "solid", i mean the build quality doesnt feel top notch
3. the second battery coming with the device is reay a plus, but some devices have much longer runtimes thus no need for second battery
4. have alot of software? sir, i cant understand chinese :roll:
5. the device has less than 50 megs of ram space and after a soft reset, device uses more than 12 megs for program memory. this leaves a small space just for average users
6.well, asus performs well, i agree with you

see, asus may fit your needs but 730 is not a good device for most of us

I think we have to consider the fact that most PDA cameras suck. We are not talking about a camera we would want to bring to a wedding here. But this is the best that most PDAs can do (with that exception of the Sony Clie that had a 2 MP camera but was bloody MONSTROUS in size.) Comparitively, the Asus fares well in this respect I think.

I like the design as well, but I haven't yet had the chance to handle my Asus yet (in the mail.) It would've been nice if the unit had been made in metal, but that might've added too much weight to it overall.

Different reviews have said different things about the build quaility though, some like it and some don't. One reviewer stated that he liked the fact the back came off easily; it made the battery easy to replace. I can imagine how much worse it would've been if it had been _difficult_ to remove the back and have the battery fly out and hit the ground, or cause the user to damage the unit.

The biggest drawback is the battery. I don't think anyone will disagree with you. But I think the PDA overall is quite good. It's just that the Loox offers everything the Asus does and MORE, so that makes it better.

As for the average user, I think most people justify their $700 PDA by telling themselves that it's for _work_. Well, if that were true then these PDAs would be overkill. They can certainly do everything QVGA models can, but are slower, and suck up more battery life. And for what? Extra power that you don't need if your PDA if all you're doing is opening up word documents...

What we really want them for is an all around multimedia device. But really, the Asus can do EVERYTHING that other PDAs can (with the exception of the x50v, that has accelerated graphics for the real gaming nut.) You won't be installing movies on the device itself, nor will you do that with MP3s. Everything will go on to SD or CF cards, and Asus can do that just fine.

[surur]

The difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys. My Loox is definitely my toy. I use it for work of course, to keep notes, keep track of work Ive done, keep my calender etc. But I love the VGA screen and WIFI for surfing the web when I cant get to the computer, and of course I use it play music. For this the good battery life is a real blessing. If its within my budget, and the technology has advanced enough to justify the upgrade to myself, I don't have to claim productivity benefits. A toy is for pleasure, not work. After 5 PDA's I've trained the wife now to expect a new PDA every year.

The nice thing is that if I DID want to use it for work I could easily plug in a USB keyboard and I'll be up and running, doing documents in Textmaker. The good battery life means I could do this for 4-6 hours without any problem. The truth is though that a laptop is much better suited for such work.

Now what I'm having a hard time doing is justifying spending £1400 on a nice tablet PC, to use on the couch. Thats a bit tough. Ive got the wife on board, but cant really justify it to myself yet :(

Surur

[Patrick Y.]

lets see what we got here:
1. i would rate the camera of asus mediocore, it shoots still images with a decent quality but video recording is not good enough
2. yes, the device is small compared to other VGA devices, and stylish but i didnt find the device "solid", i mean the build quality doesnt feel top notch
3. the second battery coming with the device is reay a plus, but some devices have much longer runtimes thus no need for second battery
4. have alot of software? sir, i cant understand chinese :roll:
5. the device has less than 50 megs of ram space and after a soft reset, device uses more than 12 megs for program memory. this leaves a small space just for average users
6.well, asus performs well, i agree with you

see, asus may fit your needs but 730 is not a good device for most of us



The camera, in my opinion, is very good. You can't expect a small device with Wifi, Bluetooth, dual slots, USB Host, VGA screen, etc. to come with a camera that has the quality of a top Sony camcorder. Also, the camera is already a big bonus since neither Dell and HP have it. From what I've seen so far, the rating of Asus' camera is higher than Loox's. Even with a camera, this device is the lightest, smallest VGA device.

You may not think that the device is "solid", but one of the good things most reviewers said about A730W is its design and quality. I don't think most people will find the battery door "annoying".

As for the battery, Asus came with two battery with price of one. Like you said, the battery won't last very long. However, that is why it comes with two batteries. With both of batteries, Asus can last longer than other devices. The second battery, remember, comes with no additional charges.


I don't think it is really fair to say that Asus lacks bonus software just because they are in traditional Chinese. Besides, this device is mainly selled in Taiwan. You may not found most softwares useful, but the people who buy them in Taiwan do. I believe they won't have the same point of view as you.


the device has less than 50 megs of ram space and after a soft reset, device uses more than 12 megs for program memory. this leaves a small space just for average users

I will have to disagree with you. The device that has less than 50 megs of RAM space is A730, not A730w. A730w has 96 MB of available RAM, which is bigger than HP and Dell's device. I admit that it has really little flash ROM, but who needs flash ROM when you can just get a SD card.



Lastly, it has really good performance.

P.S.

I don't think that I am the only one who find Asus suitable. (it is really popular in Taiwan, you know. ) It offers a lot of features with reasonable price. The device itself is not low-quality either. I still think that it is better than other VGA device.

[Kowalski]

i am glad that you like your device :)
so we all agree that a730w is a good device if you dont mind the short battery performance
but wouldnt it be great if you dont have to carry second battery with you to achive good runtimes.

[surur]

The second battery is fine, but the advantage is COMPLETELY negated by the fact that you can not charge it separately. If you have to charge your second battery in the device you may as well not change that battery and charge the fist one.

Unless ASUS sells a separate cradle that charges the extra battery your only alternative is to buy a second sacreficial Asus to serve as a charging station, so you could leave home with two fully charged batteries.

This is a far from optimal solution, to say the least.

Surur

[Lukas44]

Build quality is high on 730w, but sliding back cover for battery should have been made of metal, instead of the plastic, which misleads people into thinking quality is low.
Also, the device's internals is very efficient to last as long as it does on it's cheap standard battery.

There is no doubt that the Asus730w & loox720 are the best Vga units so far. The Loox also has the same manufacturer's screen as the VGA HP.

Too bad the Dell 50v lacks the memory & screen quality, compared to the above PDAs, because it's video chip is a powerhouse, and it is a beauty to look at.

The HP is not worthy for comment, as it has nothing that the above PDAs dont have. :lol:

[Patrick Y.]

The HP is not worthy for comment, as it has nothing that the above PDAs dont have.

In addition, the device is gigantic and ugly.

[Lukas44]

Forgot 2 mention some points comparing the loox & Asus:
1- The difference in usable Ram is mainly due to the different camera software.

2- The difference in camera quality is mainly due to difference in fixed lens, not so much the camera sensor.
The Asus being able to take slightly closer shots.
After market add-on lenses for cellphone cameras resolve any close focus issues for both.

Important note:
Dont get a cheap case. A cracked screen would be devastating. Normal users should be happy with either one, until the new ones come out :wink:

[Ripper014]

I would not place the Asus in the same sentence as the Loox... the battery issue is a large enough issue to displace it anywhere the title of best VGA PPC.

All the VGA PocketPC's have something that is not quite perfect... some of the issues are not so serious... in my opinion things like 64mb of ram and limited battery power are serious issues.

[Patrick Y.]

I would not place the Asus in the same sentence as the Loox... the battery issue is a large enough issue to displace it anywhere the title of best VGA PPC.

All the VGA PocketPC's have something that is not quite perfect... some of the issues are not so serious... in my opinion things like 64mb of ram and limited battery power are serious issues.

Excuse me, but a730w (topic of this thread) has 128MB of RAM, not 64MB. In other words, it has more RAM than x50 and hx4700 . The battery life is bad, i admit, but now Asus ships a730w with an extra battery for FREE. This definately compensates the negative side of the device.

A730w also has lots of better qualities than other VGA devices. A730w has better benchmark result than Loox and x50v. And it also has good screen quality and USB host, which x50v doesn't have.

etc.
etc.

[Ripper014]

My point was not that the Asus did not have more than 64mb of ram... I am well aware of that... my point is that the Dell and Hx4700 would not be on my short-list because of the shortage of ram... and the Asus fell off the list because of the weak battery life.

The second battery is useless... since the only way I know of to charge it is through the device. I disagree that it compensates anything, it was a poor design... if and I say "if" you could charge the battery on the cradle like the Hp 2210 allowed then I might agree with you, but it doesn't.

My point is this poor battery life negates anything else it might offer. No matter how great a device is... if it is not working (no battery life) when you need it, then it is useless. I don't think you can say that the Asus is at the same level as the Loox, reviewing the two units feature for feature the Loox is the much better device.

Trust me I have no bias against the Asus... when all the VGA units were first advertised the Asus was at the top of my list...

[Lukas44]

I understand this completely and many good points have been made in the past concerning these 2.
I believe that the strengths of both would make you a happy ownwer either way.
Ripper, did you read the battery mod post? A bit of work, but that would help for heavy users and make the Asus last as long as any.

[jngold_me]

The Asus 730w was right on the top of my list to replace my 4150 but the reports of pathetic battery life drove me to choose the QVGA Ipaq 2750.

Sure, I could have went for a Loox, but at the time they weren't readily available from many on-line vendors. I know Expansys has them but I have heard some pretty bad things about them. Plus, I didn't quite know about Fujitsu's tech support.

What a shame about the 730w battery life. I will keep a definate eye out for the 730's WM5 replacement and hope that Asus improves battery life (and processor speed) of the device.

[Ripper014]

I myself ended up with the Toshiba e830 and I am quite happy with it overall.

[johncruise]

I myself ended up with the Toshiba e830 and I am quite happy with it overall.

Ahh... my first choice (really!). If only it was available in the US back then :-( (not sure if it's even available now). Presentation pack weighs better than built-in camera. I hate built-in camera, but still, I ended up with one.

[Patrick Y.]

I'm kind of discouraged about the fact that eveyone just excludes Asus on their top list for its battery life. For me, I consider battery life to be the smallest issue. Though, I admit that it is because I've never exprienced battery problem. My Acer n10 lasts around 6 to 7 hours with maximum backlight, and about 3 hours with WLAN (CF card) on.

Also, I'm a little "attached" to Asus' products. The ones I use are just very reliable and fast. Wouldn't you said that A730W is PERFECT excluding the battery issue?

[jngold_me]

I'm kind of discouraged about the fact that eveyone just excludes Asus on their top list for its battery life. For me, I consider battery life to be the smallest issue. Though, I admit that it is because I've never exprienced battery problem. My Acer n10 lasts around 6 to 7 hours with maximum backlight, and about 3 hours with WLAN (CF card) on.

Also, I'm a little "attached" to Asus' products. The ones I use are just very reliable and fast. Wouldn't you said that A730W is PERFECT excluding the battery issue?

I would say it's pretty darn important. I rank it right behind form-factor. What good is a PDA is it's average use (without wireless) is 3-4 hours?

Is the 730 perfect? Of course not. Aside from the battery life, I think the stylus slot on the bottom is just the most rediculous thing going. Even more rediculous is the fact you have to take it out and put into a holder when in the cradle.

Otherwise, a nice PPC. Throw a 624mhz and graphics chip and bump the battery power a bit then you got yourself a winner.

[Patrick Y.]

Is the 730 perfect? Of course not. Aside from the battery life, I think the stylus slot on the bottom is just the most rediculous thing going. Even more rediculous is the fact you have to take it out and put into a holder when in the cradle.

I think it depends on the users. For me, I think it is better to have the stylus at the bottom. It is just a matter of "getting use to it" for fresh users.

Otherwise, a nice PPC. Throw a 624mhz and graphics chip and bump the battery power a bit then you got yourself a winner.

I take it that you're suggesting x50v. However, x50v is even slower than a730w and the graphic index is extremely bad. The graphic chip is totally useless for most programs.

[Darius Wey]

I take it that you're suggesting x50v. However, x50v is even slower than a730w and the graphic index is extremely bad. The graphic chip is totally useless for most programs.

Actually, with regard to a CPU and file system index, the X50v beats the A730/A730W. The Spb Benchmark index still needs a few tweaks before it tells the complete truth. Also, with regard to a graphic index, the reason why the A730W beats the X50v is because the 2700g isn't optimised for GAPI which is what the benchmark measures. Put the two Pocket PCs in an OpenGL test and the X50v will definitely come out as the winner. With Windows Mobile 5.0 coming soon, we'll start to see a whole collection of new Direct3D enhanced apps, and when that happens, the X50v will have a clear advantage over the rest.

[Patrick Y.]

I'm not sure, but I thought that a 730 and a730w have a quite different benchmark result. :?: :?:

[Darius Wey]

I'm not sure, but I thought that a 730 and a730w have a quite different benchmark result. :?: :?:

They do. But CPU/file system wise, the X50v still beats them both.

[Patrick Y.]

oops :oops: , sorry

[Lukas44]

I'm not sure, but I thought that a 730 and a730w have a quite different benchmark result. :?: :?:

They do. But CPU/file system wise, the X50v still beats them both.

I would expect Dell X50v to play better with movies on "betaplayer", which makes excellent use of it's graphic chip.
Right now, this is the main advantage of the Dell's graphic chip..

But for other tasks I would also expect battery life to be same, or worse, because the X50v's CPU is running at a higher clock speed with similar capacity battery as the Asus.

Anyway, battery issues can be rectified with larger batteries, and speed issues can be delt with overclocking... But RAM is the only issue you will face, sooner or later, that will pose a problem.


Right now, the graphics chip does not give the Dell as big an advantage.
The Asus and Loox has larger RAM memory, which is the true advantage.

Many utilities and "today Screen" plugins need to be in "main mem" to operate correctly.
Many larger programs, like mapping, GPS, dictionary, and readers/viewers, internet browsers, etc., will take up plenty of Ram when operating too.
That takes up valuable freespace.
You need as much "RAM/freespace" as you can have available, to avoid slowdowns.
More RAM space=better multitasking, and performance all around, whatever the task..

[Darius Wey]

Right now, the graphics chip does not give the Dell as big an advantage. The Asus and Loox has larger RAM memory, which is the true advantage.

With Windows Mobile 5.0 just around the corner, you're going to start to see the trend of more ROM over RAM since it now uses the persistent storage feature. Granted, more RAM is great for multitasking and high-demand applications, but the A730's and LOOX 720's small amount of ROM may be a worry for those who prefer to install their applications in main memory. And on another note, Asus may not be providing a WM5 upgrade for the A730, and we're still yet to see just how little ROM is left over on the LOOX 720 (and on the low-end iPAQ hx2000 series) when the WM5 upgrade is released for those devices.

In an ideal world though, I'd love to see devices feature more RAM and more ROM. We'll just have to wait for vendors to do this. :roll:

[Patrick Y.]

This is kind of off-topic, but wouldn't the persistant storage slow down the device dramatically? Is the flash ROM about the same speed as SD card? I'm asking this because I've exprience of programs loading VERY slowly when I install it on the SD card. For example, Leo's flight simulator takes about 20 seconds to load when I install it in RAM. However, the process takes about 2-3 minutes when I put it on the SD card. :?

[Darius Wey]

This is kind of off-topic, but wouldn't the persistant storage slow down the device dramatically? Is the flash ROM about the same speed as SD card? I'm asking this because I've exprience of programs loading VERY slowly when I install it on the SD card. For example, Leo's flight simulator takes about 20 seconds to load when I install it in RAM. However, the process takes about 2-3 minutes when I put it on the SD card. :?

For this topic, this thread is actually a great read: http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39977