HP 1910 vs. Dell Axim Basic - Compared!

[Newsboy]

So, I just ordered two Dell Axim Basics (one for me, one for her), and I have to say, I wasn't happy with the Axim. Soooo...I went out the next day (today) and bought an HP IPAQ 1910! So, differences:

Size, size, size!: The Axim looks, and feels, like a brick. In all actuality, it's about the same size as my old Palm III and Audiovox Maestro. Almost identical in fact. However, for some reason, be it the design or what have you, the Axim just feels and looks much beefier than the Maestro. Comparatively, the 1910 is tiny. I cannot stress how small this thing looks and feels.

Screen: The Axim and 1910 screens are superior to the Maestro. However, the Axim has a bit of a bluish tints to the white backgrounds, and the contrast suffers in comparison to the 1910. The HP screen is -incredible-. Beyond comparison. The best PocketPC screen I've ever seen. At 100% brightness it hurts the eyes to look at, contrast and color rendition are as good as my desktop LCD (if not better!).

Controls: The Axim includes a jog dial, which is useful for one-handed web surfing, or Microsoft Reader documents. Doesn't do much good otherwise however. The four way D-pad on the Axim feels like trying to press down on a gummy bear. In a word: horrible. Otherwise the buttons feel good, and are slightly recessed to precent accidental presses. Power button on both units is in the middle of the unit, above the screen. A good location, and easy to use on both. It's also backlit for battery and reminder warnings. The D-pad on the 1910 is stiff, but responsive. Works like a dream. The center-press button is entirely separate from the outer rim, preventing accidental presses while navigating.

Software: The Axim comes with a nice, well designed "Home" screen, which contains all the regularly used program and settings icons. There is also a handy "launcher" program which resides at the top of the screen to kill running programs and conserve memory. The 1910 is incredibly bare in this respect. It doesn't include much of anything, including Reader, Transcriber, or Media Player, which must be installed separately. This doesn't trouble me however, as I use Calligrapher, PocketDivX, and don't use Reader.

Axim Pros:
Long Battery Life
Included Software extras
CF slot
SDIO
32 MB ROM
Transflective Screen (better than a reflective unit)

Axim Cons:
HUGE (Looks huge anyway! Heh.)
Horrible D-Pad feel/control
Heavy
Low-Contrast Transflective screen (worst I've seen)

1910 Pros:
Small (truly "pocket" size)
Comfortable form factor (feels good "in hand")
64 MB RAM (47 MB available)
Super-Bright High Contrast Transflective Screen (best I've seen)
Light

Cons:
No CF slot
SD only, not SDIO (thought that may be coming! Let's hope!)
16 MB ROM
No extra software included
Odd 2.5mm headphone jack (adapter required for anything other than the included earbuds)

So what'll I do? Well, I'll give the SO her Dell, she won't care much about size/weight, and I'll keep the Dell and HP for myself. I can use the Dell on campus or when I need WiFi (using the CF slot and an Ambicom CF card), and take the HP with me during those times when I just need to throw a PocketPC in my pocket and take it with me!

If you can, get both! If you can't, carefully weigh your needs, and if you don't need the CF slot, go with the HP 1910. It is hands down the best PocketPC design I have ever had.

[etalianstallion]

Have you considered the new Toshiba E750?

[tewmgd]

Yes, I've seen the DELL AXIM of a friend and compare to my 3970 the screen is worst. On my 3970 I regret only the jog dial.

[jd4science]

I'm not quite sure, but I don't think the Axim has SDIO. :?: :?

[Pony99CA]

I'm not quite sure, but I don't think the Axim has SDIO. :?: :?
I don't believe the Axim has SDIO, either; it's a memory-only slot.

Steve

[Newsboy]

I've considered the e750, but honestly, for the same price, I bought the 1910 AND the Axim. For Wifi, the Axim has better battery life, and when I don't need the CF slot, I can slip the 1910 easily into a pocket. I'd rather have two devices that do one thing well, than one device that compromises in every area.

Also, the form factor of the e750 is about the same as the Axim. I have always yearned for a truly small PocketPC, and the 1910 fits that bill perfectly.

Dunno if the Axim has SDIO, and don't care. It's got a CF slot! Heh.

[Newsboy]

I should also say that I considered the Viewsonic V35, the Genio e550g, and the Toshiba e335.

The V35 was too "square" for my liking, and the 1910 has a better screen (truer colors, higher contrast). The 1910 is nearly identical in spec, but feels better in the hand and in the pocket.

The e550g has a huge screen, but is the same size as my Maestro, and the contrast and brightness of the screen are horrid compared to the 1910, or the Axim for that matter.

The e335 was thinner than my Maestro, but the same size, and again, too square for my liking. There's just something about rounded corners that makes a device feel better.

Remember folks, specs aren't everything. There's also the intangible of "feel". The Axim is a nice machine, spec wise. But it didn't excite me at all. The 1910 stirred my soul the first time I took it out of the box and powered it up, and still does. While the Axim was half the price ($156 after rebate!), I almost immediately felt "buyer's remorse". The 1910 was twice as much ($311), but I have absolutely no regrets about spending the money.

[Crystal Eitle]

Hey, thanks for that side-by-side comparison! I fell in love with my 1910 the minute I saw it, but once I saw how much the Axim can do, I started to wonder if I'd made the wrong choice.

Now I'm pretty happy with my decision (although maybe the answer is to do what you did and buy two! :mrgreen: )


The e550g has a huge screen, but is the same size as my Maestro, and the contrast and brightness of the screen are horrid compared to the 1910, or the Axim for that matter.

I read somewhere that the reason the 1910's screen looks so nice is because it is cramming the same amount of pixels into a smaller area, and because of that, it just looks sharper and clearer. Are Pocket PC screens always going to be 240x320 pixels? If this is the case, it seems like for every gain in screen size you're going to lose something in sharpness. Can anybody address this?

[PetiteFlower]

I think the Axim screen is gorgeous, only *slightly* less impressive then the 1910 screen from what I've read here. It is also NOT SDIO, but who needs it anyway with a CF slot?

IMO I would never spend that much money on a stripped bare model like the 1910. Not to mention that HP LIES and says in the specs that it has a 3.8" screen when in fact it has a 3.5" screen, which pisses me off on principal. Nor would I ever want to own TWO PPCs! The whole reason I got one was to be able to have everything in ONE place! I do not nor will I ever understand why anyone would want to sacrifice function/features for size alone, which IMO is the only thing the 1910 has going for it. The battery life is the pits and it has NO expandability(except for SD memory) or connectability. It's cute. So what? My Axim feels good even in my hands, and I have little tiny hands. The rubber sides are the best idea ever.

If your D-Pad sucks, I recommend getting a replacement unit from Dell, I did that and mine works great now. It was easy too.

[Janak Parekh]

IMO I would never spend that much money on a stripped bare model like the 1910.
To each their own. This argument has lasted since the Palm V ever came out and it's unlikely to change.

Not to mention that HP LIES and says in the specs that it has a 3.8" screen when in fact it has a 3.5" screen, which pisses me off on principal.
I doubt it's a lie, rather a typo. If I knew someone there, I'd contact them to correct it.

The whole reason I got one was to be able to have everything in ONE place!
It's not so simple, though, yet. :( What about your cell phone? Your MP3 player?

I truly want a Pocket PC with laptop-like and cell phone functionalities -- then we might be talking about "everything in one". The 1910 is decent for what it does, despite its reduced expandability.

I do not nor will I ever understand why anyone would want to sacrifice function/features for size alone, which IMO is the only thing the 1910 has going for it.
Maybe you haven't tried putting the unit in a pants pocket :) You can do it easily with the Dell, but you can't even feel the 1910 in your pocket.

Mind you, I don't use a 1910 - it's lack of expandability isn't good for me. However, not everyone needs the expandability and wants a smaller unit. Realize that you're a power user. ;)

--janak

[Newsboy]

...not everyone needs the expandability and wants a smaller unit. Realize that you're a power user. ;)

--janak

LOL! A power user! How's this for a Power User:

Casio EM-500, Audiovox Maestro, Dell Axim X5 Basic, Ipaq 1910, Intermec 6651 HPC

And this doesn't include all of my obsolete devices, like the Palm III, HP OmniGo, HP100LX, HP200LX, IBM Z50, and Psion Series 5!!!

Am I a geek? :D

Btw...far and away my favorite device: the Intermec 6651. Equipped with Calligrapher for handwriting recognition, it's unstoppable! Not to mention it makes even hardcore geek jaws drop. :)

[Newsboy]

The battery life is the pits and it has NO expandability(except for SD memory) or connectability.

According to CNET.com's tests, the 1910 lasted 3 hours 16 minutes playing MP3s with the backlight at 50%. This compares to:

ViewSonic V35 - 2 hours 47 minutes
Toshiba e335 - 4 hours 16 minutes
Dell Axim X5 - 6 hours 22 minutes

My actual time doing the same test on an Audiovox Maestro that's about a year old yields just 57 minutes! So comparatively, battery life on the 1910 is amazing! It's in line with similar PocketPC devices, and comparing the 1910 and Axim just isn't fair to either device. They're designed to do different things, and fill different needs. Also keep in mind that I (and most users) will be using a CF Wifi card with my Axim, which means I'll probably end up getting the same battery life out of both the 1910 and the Axim under "typical use".

The 1910 is more than just "cute". It's a fully functioning PocketPC. Just because it doesn't have a compact flash slot does not make it any less so than the Axim is. I would never carry the Axim around with me everywhere I go, whereas I do (and will) with the 1910. If I dont' have it on me, it's of little use to me, and that's where the 1910 shines.

[Janak Parekh]

LOL! A power user! How's this for a Power User:
OK, OK, I didn't mean for it to come off that way. :oops: ;)

--janak

[Newsboy]

Another thought on screens:

In Landscape mode, movies are unviewable on the Axim. Because of the lighting and pixel arrangement on the screen, the image created by the two eyes doesn't match. So it's uncomfortable to look at, as though each eye is seeing two different images and trying to combine them into one, but with no sense of depth. The 1910 however is easy to look at in Landscape mode. No such problem. I noticed the same problem as the Axim on my Casio EM-500, but not so much with the Audiovox Maestro.

This was my first disappointment with the Axim, as I purchased it to watch ripped DVD movies, using my 512 mb CF card. The long battery life is perfect for long plane flights, but with that screen it's impossible to watch movies in landscape mode.

Guess I'll have to buy a portable DVD player for those flights to NYC every weekend! (Yes Janak, I said every weekend! Free sometime? Heh.)

[PetiteFlower]

Realize that you're a power user. ;)

I am??? Wow, I never thought of myself that way at all, thanks :blush:

Seriously though I think I'm mostly just someone who insists on getting the most functionality out of her dollar; that's why I got the Dell. I carry it in my pocket and it doesn't really bother me; sure I'd like it if it were a wee bit smaller, but not at the sacrifice of functions. Plus I think the weight/design makes it feel solid and sturdy, I'm not worried that I'm going to break it easily.

I guess I just really don't "get" why people get so excited about that tiny little thing :)

[Newsboy]

Plus I think the weight/design makes it feel solid and sturdy, I'm not worried that I'm going to break it easily.

Then I'm guessing you've never held a 1910 for any extended period of time. I've broken enough PDA screens (two!) to know that how "sturdy" a PocketPC feels has little to do with how durable it is! The 1910 has a metal case, and feels at least as sturdy as the Axim. The buttons have a much more positive feel than the Axim buttons (all of them), with a solid *click* when you press them. Holding the 1910 in hand, I have no fear that if I squeeze it too hard it will crack, it feels no less strong to me than the Axim, despite the small size.

[Jacob]

Not everyone has a lot of access to WiFi hotspots or feels a need to have a camera attached to their PPC(or just about any other use for a CF slot that I can thing of). My work has WiFi throughout our building, but do I need to sync when I'm in the bathroom or in a meeting? Not really. When I'm at my desk(most of my day) I just plug my 1910 in and it syncs.. no problem.

Yes, size is one of the major advantages of the 1910 - but for many people such as me, it's more important than a CF or SDIO slot. I.e. An axim would be useless for me because I would HATE carrying it around and I'd end up leaving it at home where the dust bunnies would get more access to the screen than I would.

Even if the Axim was $100, I'd rather spend $300 for a 1910 that I'd use than $100 for what would end up being used as a $100 paperweight.

I think I could get used to holding the Axim in my hand, but with the 1910 there's no need.

This isn't to say that there isn't any reason to buy an Axim over a 1910 - just recognize that there are valid reasons to choose either one :D

With the HP 2200 coming out whenever it does - it looks like it will be much like an axim - but sized much closer to a 1910. It should give the Axim a run for it's money.

[Newsboy]

I read somewhere that the reason the 1910's screen looks so nice is because it is cramming the same amount of pixels into a smaller area, and because of that, it just looks sharper and clearer.

The Audiovox Maestro, Dell Axim, HP 1910, all of the Toshiba devices (e570, e740, e310, e330, e335, e350, e355, e750...), Razor Zayo, and Viewsonic V35 all have 3.5" screens. They all have the same resolution, so the differences in clarity, contrast, and brightness you see are due to:

- LCD panel Technology (Transflective vs. Reflective)
- Backlighting (Toplit vs. Backlit vs. Bottomlit vs. Sidelit)
- Touchscreen technology (some touchscreens cloud the screen more)
- LCD panel manufacturer

Now, as for the 1910 vs. the Axim, the 1910 isn't necessarily "sharper", it just has a brighter backlight, more evenly screen lighting, and the LCD panel manufacturer has figured out how to make the reds, greens, and blues "pop" evenly. The Axim has a bluish tint to everything, doesn't have as bright of a backlight, and the screen lighting is slightly uneven.

Does the Axim have a bad screen? No! It's far and away better than the Maestro screen, which has a slight pink tint to it, and has much lower contrast than any of the new Transflective screens. The only disadvantage I can find is that it's near impossible to view in Landscape mode.

The Toshiba Genio e550g looks just as sharp as any other Pocket PC, however it uses a reflective screen, so the brightness and contrast are on par with those types of screens. It can't compete with Transflective screens, nor should it be expected to.

Indoors, my favorite screen is still the Casio EM-500. The 1910 is as good in every respect, but the EM-500 screen looks a little sharper. Outdoors however, the HAST TFT of the EM-500 is unreadable.

Are Pocket PC screens always going to be 240x320 pixels? If this is the case, it seems like for every gain in screen size you're going to lose something in sharpness. Can anybody address this?

Who can say? No one that I know of. I think 4" is the upper limit for 240x320 pixel displays. Anything larger than that will be severly pixelated. Of course, anything larger than that would also be creeping into HPC territory. I can however, potentially see a 320x480 pixel display coming soon, or even 480x640, but I doubt it.

For a demonstration of what happens when pixel size gets too large, go to your local BestBuy and find the Portable DVD player section. Compare the Mintek 1710 and Toshiba SD-P2000. The P2000 has an 8.9" display with 1024x600 pixel resolution. The Mintek display, while 7", has a much much lower vertical resolution, 1440x234. You can really see the difference when you compare them side by side however. The pixels on the Toshiba are so small you can't find them. However, on the Mintek, they're so large, you can see huge blocks in the picture where the pixels are.

[Pony99CA]

Are Pocket PC screens always going to be 240x320 pixels? If this is the case, it seems like for every gain in screen size you're going to lose something in sharpness. Can anybody address this?
Who can say? No one that I know of. I think 4" is the upper limit for 240x320 pixel displays. Anything larger than that will be severly pixelated. Of course, anything larger than that would also be creeping into HPC territory. I can however, potentially see a 320x480 pixel display coming soon, or even 480x640, but I doubt it.
Well, the Epson Rio PhotoPC (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=99336&PHPSESSID=2a8c4a4dbdd48359f359b73dbef47128) has a 3.8" 640x480 screen, so putting one in a Pocket PC wouldn't be impossible. The Pocket PC shell would need some software updates, of course, but that's a Simple Matter of Programming. :-)

Steve

[PapaSmurfDan]

I think for once I would like to see everyone here agree that not one PPC will fit everyones hands or everyones needs.

The 1910 is too small and slick while the Axim is the right size for myself. Hell, I was comfortable holding an Netwon MP100 and an Sony NZ90 (played with one the other day) in my hands (If you want to talk about bricks now : ). I don't have any issues watching movies or using my Axim in a landscape orientation. The viewing angle is drasticly limited, but it is still within a 40(deg) angle you can view it. Also I will testify that the Axim is one tough PDA. It has had a bunch of falls (cased and uncased) and sweated on (working out) during the 4.5 months I have had it, and still no signs of abuse or damage. The reality both are good PDA's with the hat going off to the 1910 for the kickass screen.

When I bought my Axim it was a Laptop and MP3 player replacement. The 1910 could not hold up to my needs (wifi, Microdrive support, long battery life). However, I recommend the 1910 for someone looking for a Palm replacement or the Axim if they want a cheap kickass multimedia pda.

My 2 cents
-Dan

[mc_03]

I think it is unfair to compare the 1910 to the Axim. Here is how I see it:

1910
Great for first time users, people switching from palm to PPC, and people who would sacrifice function and expandibility for form and that screen! :mrgreen: People who use their PDAs for PIM, word processing, basic gaming and basic multimedia would enjoy this PDA.

Axim
Great for users who want power, expandibility and battery life at a low price. Also good for people who like the design/don't care about the design. People who want wireless technology, more memory, faster processor and better battery life would enjoy this PDA.[/b]