Asus AiGuru S1 review

Asus's first Skype phone sounded interesting, as it uses 802.11/g wireless.

Our dreams of using Skype without having a PC switched on were soon shattered, though. The AiGuru S1 still needs your PC to be turned on. Worse, the phone can't connect to your existing wireless network and you have to plug the large wireless dongle into a spare USB port. It turns your PC into an access point to which only the phone connects.

The only setting you have any control over is the network name (SSID). You can't choose the security settings or even the channel, which may cause interference problems in some houses. Once the dongle is installed, the phone has to receive the network settings over a USB connection. From then on, the phone charges in the provided docking station.

The AiGuru S1's screen is bright and allows you to scroll through your Skype contacts remotely. You can also dial directly using the phone's keypad. Call quality isn't very good, though, and sounded like a poor-quality mobile phone. As well as sounding distorted, it made the caller sound distant. Linksys's Cordless Internet Telephony Kit (What's New, Shopper May 2006) has much better call quality.

Asus's utility software comes with a free voicemail application. It's handy if you don't want to pay for Skype's alternative, but you can turn it off if you've already got the service, which is free if you buy a SkypeIn telephone number. The phone can also play music from a specified Windows Media Player Playlist. It displays a list of tracks on the screen and you can move backwards and forwards through the selection. Sound quality through the phone's speaker isn't very good, though.

The AiGuru S1 is a disappointment and its wireless implementation is very strange, and no better than using Dect. It's expensive, too. Linksys's phone is better value and works with your existing telephone line, too.