GPS-enabled Windows Mobile PDA finds its way to the US

Pda news:
AsusTek Computer is about to introduce in the US the GPS-enabled PDA that won an award at last summer's Computex trade show in Taipei before it was even released. The A636 runs Windows Mobile 5.0 and features a swiveling GPS antenna and a "screen lock" that prevents accidental activation of functions.

The A636 runs a 416 MHz XScale processor with 64 MB of SDRAM and 128 MB of Flash. The 3.5-inch QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) 16-bit color display operates in both portrait and landscape mode. GPS functionality is provided by an integrated SiRFstarIII chipset. A rotating 25 square-mm patch antenna maximizes reception in either display orientation, according to Asus.

The device incorporates both Bluetooth and WiFi wireless, and features an SD card slot for expansion.

From a software perspective, the A636 comes with the usual complement of Windows Mobile productivity tools, including calendar, contact, file explorer, Internet browser, Pocket Excel and Word, voice recorder, tasks, and notes. It also includes Windows Media Player 10.

Navigation software was not specified, but Asus said the unit is "compatible with a wide range of navigation maps," implying that maps are not preloaded.

A posting at MobileTechReview says that the A636 should be available in the US by the end of this month, "according to our source at ASUS." Price has not been disclosed.