NOTE: You'll also find this review posted to MobilitySite

The other day I took my IPAQ hx2415 out of my bag and it wouldn't turn on because I had inadvertently allowed the battery to get too low.  I was disappointed that I would not be able to use my Pocket PC that day until I remembered that I had the Lil' Sync USB Mobile Power Pack in my gadget bag.

Pocket PC Tech's Lil' Sync USB Mobile Power Pack is a fairly simple little gizmo that packs a powerful punch.  One end of the Power Pack has a mini USB port that is used to charge up its 4400 mAh capacity Li-Ion battery and the other end of it has a standard USB  port that is used to power a mobile device.  On the front are three indicator lights and an on/off switch. 

Using the Lil' Sync USB Mobile Power Pack is as easy as One-Two-Three!

One: Charge it up

The Power Pack comes with a multi-purpose mini USB cable that can be used to charge its Li-ION battery either by plugging it directly into a USB port on your computer or by plugging it into an AC adapter or an automobile adapter. 

To charge up the Power Pack, turn the on/off switch to the off position, plug the mini-USB tip into the Power Pack and plug the other end of the cable into a computer's USB port or into an AC or automobile adapter.  A red light appears to indicate the Power Pack is charging.  When the Power Pack is fully charged the red light turns green. 

By my estimates, a fully depleted Power Pack takes about 4 hours to recharge.

Two:  Plug it into your mobile device

The Power Pack can be used to supplement or recharge your mobile device's existing battery.  If you have a mobile device that has a mini USB port, like the newest IPAQ 100 or IPAQ 200, you can use the included mini USB cable that's used to charge up the Power Pack to power up your mobile device - just unplug the cable from the mini-USB port on the end of the Power Pack and plug the other end of the cable into the standard USB port on the other end of the Power Pack.  Then plug the mini-usb tip into your Pocket PC, and you're good to go. 

Since my hx2415 doesn't have a mini-USB port, you'll notice that I used Pocket PC Tech's Lil' Sync Pro Retractable Sync and Charge cable (another gizmo I keep in my gadget bag) to plug into the Power Pack to power my hx2415, but you can plug whatever sync and charge cable you currently use with your mobile device into the Power Pack.

Three:  Enjoy extended use of your mobile device!

The Power Pack has three lights on it to indicate its current charge level:

• Three lights indicate between 67% - 100% of power is available
• Two lights indicate between 34% - 66% of power is available
• One light indicates between 6% - 33% of power is available
• No light indicates you have less than 5% of power available...Time to recharge!

I am interested to see how much time all those percentages translate to, so I'll be running some tests to see just how much more battery power the Power Pack gives me.  But yesterday I was reading an eBook on my Pocket PC on and off most of the day and used the Power Pack extensively.  At the start of the day, the Power Pack showed 3 lights, and after at least 8 hours of reading (it was a good book), only one light remained.  I think between my extended battery and my Power Pack, I'll be able to load up my Pocket PC with lots of games, videos and music to keep me entertained on my next trip to Alaska, which involves at least an 8 hour plane trip, and I'll still have power to spare.

EXTENDED USES OF THE POWER PACK

The Power Pack works with all four of my Pocket PCs and is not limited to windows mobile operating system or windows mobile devices.  On a whim I plugged the Power Pack into my Cybook electronic book reader (I'll post more about my Cybook in another post) and I was delighted to see that I'll be able to recharge the battery on this device with the Power Pack too!

WHAT YOU GET

• Lil Sync USB Mobile Power Pack
• Mini USB cable

SPECIFICATIONS

• Input (Mini USB: 5VDC, 500mA Min.
• Output (USB Type A Port) : 5VDC, 1000mA
• Battery Chemistry: Li-ION
• Battery Capacity: 4400mAh
• Net Weight: 4.3 oz
• Dimensions: 2.75" L x 2.10" W x .86" H

CONCLUSION

I give Pocket PC Tech's Lil' Sync USB Mobile Power Pack 5 stars!  At an affordable price of $69, the Power Pack is a great way to overcome the limitations of the Pocket PC's battery life.  It's a "must have" for road warriors, world travelers or anyone who depends on their mobile devices.  I'm looking forward to taking it with me on my next trip to Alaska.

NOTE:  The Lil' Sync USB Mobile Power Pack is on sale right now for $59.99!

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