Axim Backup Battery

[TJ]

Hello,

After ordering my Dell Axim - 400 MHz in mid-January, it arrived Friday (Valentines Day, how sweet). I've got a lot to read/learn, as I'm switching from a Visor, but one immediate question. I believe this was posted before, but I can't find it.

The backup battery, from almost immediately (and continuing to today) reads to be at the 80% level. It has so far (3 days) been maintaining at this level. Is this normal?

By the way, after wavering between the Dell and the 1910, I realized how good/lucky a decision it was to get the Dell. In the fall, I will need to present PowerPoint lectures in a room not equipped with an overhead projector. Last year I borrowed the "Departmental" laptop. It looks like ColorGraphics Voyager CompactFlash card, with ClearVue, will let me use the Axim with a portable projector, with Animations, etc. I can put the presentations on an SD card and use the CF-VGA card at the same time to hook into the projector (or so I think, hope it works). Lucky for me I read as many posts here as I can, and checked into this product (not ordered yet).

Thanks.

[Sven Johannsen]

There seem to be a number of posts that indicate this condition. Whether it is 'normal', or expected isn't real clear. My Wife's Axim had that indication and we had some problems with it. I just went ahead and replaced the battery and it hasn't gone down below 100% again. My Axim has not had that issue (yet). For a couple of bucks, I'd just replace the battery and see if it helps.

Glad you got lucky and picked the Axim before you really had all your requirements in your head. You should take a look at Conduit's Pocket Slides as well as the Westek Suite. I have had animations not work on Westek, but I haven't checked if Pocket Slides supports the same ones. Both have trials, so if it is a particular show you have in mind you can check in advance. (Guess you know that Westek currently comes bundled with the Voyager). Keep in mind to that Westek is predominantly viewer software. Pocket Slides does let you edit that spelling mistake you didn't notice but 10 minutes before the presentation.

[MPSmith]

I allowed my main battery to get all the way down to 5% the other day. At that level, the back-up battery dipped down to 80%. But once I recharged the main battery, the back-up level quickly returned to 100%.

I wouldn't worry too much about the back up battery gauge, until is gets down to less than 50%. Battery level gauges are notorious for being wrong.

[TJ]

Thanks for the info. I wasn't too worried yet about the battery, since it is holding, so far, at 80%, but I will try replacing it. That would be a cheap, convenient way to test it. And it sound like that resolved some other subtle problems that Sven experienced (maybe that I don't even realize might be happening on my Axim).

I had not checked into Pocket Slides. I had heard of a few other programs for PowerPoint, but I didn't think any of the other ones supported animations. I know Margi Presenter-to-go does not support the animations. The only animations I have are to have the text scroll onto the screen, one text box at a time. I don't want all the text to just flash up at once. I may typically have 4-5 text boxes to sequentially present to the class. The edit function would be nice, I didn't realize that ClearVue did not allow for editing. I did realize it came packaged with the CF-VGA card, which seemed convenient. I'll check into Pocket Slides, and see how it compares.

One lesson in choice of PDA is perhaps that one can't always anticipate needs, so power/flexibility is very nice. I leaned more towards the Axim because I thought there was a much better chance of the Axim being capable of an OS upgrade over the h1910.

[Stealthboy]

Here's my Axim backup battery story...

I've had my Axim for 2 weeks and, until today, the backup battery has been at 100%.

I was checking out the Dell Service site and I needed the Service Tag number (located on a tag behind the main battery). I turned the Axim off and removed the main battery. I wrote down the Service Tag number and pluged the main battery back in. I checked the power settings right after and noticed that the backup battery was now at 80%. The main battery was only unplugged for a minute.

Does the backup battery really drain that quickly when the main battery is not plugged in?

[luebster]

I don't yet have my Axim in my grubby little hands (come on, Dell! Ship it already!), but I find it interesting that the battery readings have been in increments of 10%... 100%, 80%, etc.

Does anyone have a battery backup reading of something that doesn't end in 0? If not, maybe anything between 80 and 99% is output as 80%.

I may be way off (since I don't have one to look at for myself...yet), but it's just a thought.

[TJ]

I forgot to mention in my original post, that Dell's battery meter and the battery meter with another piece of software (forget the name, one you guys recommended) both read 80%. It does seem a little suspicious, getting lots of reading of 80%. Perhaps it is the battery and/OR Dell hardware/software as well?

[Stealthboy]

Follow up to my previous post...

My backup battery has now returned to 100% again two hours after it dropped to 80% after removing the main battery for just a minute. I dunno...

[PetiteFlower]

My backup battery occasionally reads 90%. No pattern to it, it seems. But I'm not too worried about it.

[TJ]

An update. My backup battery, after starting off at 80% on my new Axim held at 80% for a while. It dropped briefly to 70%, then back up to 80% on the 4th day after receiving the unit. Today I replaced the backup battery ($2) for my Axim, as Sven had suggested (the simplest possible fix). It now is at 100% and seems to be holding. Thanks.