The Asus MyPal A696 very nicely combines a PDA with a GPS, and it is a device that's barely more than a half-inch thick. 

This sleek and shiny PDA features a stainless steel frame and has everything a user might want on the personal assistant side, from 802.11b/g wireless and Bluetooth connectivity to a bright 3.5-inch screen with sharp 320x240 resolution. The former connects to the Internet from your favorite WiFi hotspots, while the latter delivers crisp video and images in any lighting thanks to its transflective display (lit from both front and back).

The A696 hits the mid-range in terms of power and performance. Its 416MHz Intel processor opens applications quickly, but isn't top-of-the-line. Asus provides 64MB of RAM and 256MB of ROM on this PDA, so you have a decent amount of room for storing files such as MP3s or office documents. As the A696 is running Windows Mobile 6, you can open Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook documents away from your home or office. It also offers a unique Remote Presenter application that lets you control your PC presentation from the PDA via Bluetooth.

Unlike Asus's other PDA/GPS combo the A639, the antenna for the A696 is completely hidden inside the PDA body. Even so, we were able to get satellite locks in a respectable amount of time. Asus includes a car charger and a windshield mount so you can set the PDA up in your vehicle. The anti-glare screen worked quite well when viewing GPS maps even on bright days.

One caveat with the GPS ability: since the storage space on the A696 is limited, you'll be using the SD card slot to hold any extensive maps. (The PDA comes with a 1GB SD card featuring the adequate Destinator GPS software and detailed maps of North America.)

In terms of audio, this PDA beats most others out there. The front stereo speakers deliver decent sound for such a small device and there's a headphone jack for listening to music in private. The built-in microphone lets you use this PDA as a voice recorder for saving quick memos.

Battery life was quite impressive, averaging over 10 hours with a mix of activities from listening to music to browsing the Web and running the GPS receiver. And at less than six ounces, the A696 is an excellently light PDA to carry around. It's not as robust as some convergence devices, but the Asus MyPal A696 covers the basics of being both a PDA and a GPS device well.

Pro: Versatile functionality, bright screen
Con: Limited storage

Warranty
1 year, limited