Advice on a purchase

[donkey33]

Hi,

Well, after my thread on VGA screens browsing the net, I've decided that I am going to get a VGA PPC and have decided on the Dell x50v.

Since this would be my first PPC, I really don't know much about it all so the reason I'm posting is to get some thoughts on my purchase.

I hear the x50v's battery life is no good which isn't too much of a problem since I'll just get a spare battery for it but how long should I be expecting. 2-3 hours or less or more?

I also heard that the screen may be not that good either but since I've never looked at another PPC screen, would I even notice.

Also, if anyone has any advice on why I shouldn't go with Dell, let me know. All I need is a VGA screen, BT and wireless B enabled and I think that's it.

I don't know much about slots so just something so I can get some more space on it. I don't think 64MB will last me long.

Thanks

Also, unless it's better for me to wait some time because something new is coming out. But, I also live in Australia so we get them later here I think.

[Menneisyys]

I hear the x50v's battery life is no good which isn't too much of a problem since I'll just get a spare battery for it but how long should I be expecting. 2-3 hours or less or more?

A bit more. If you don't use Wi-Fi a lot, it won't be that bad. Getting a spare battery isn't a bad idea, though. And, for playing videos, you can use the 208 MHz mode with BetaPlayer - and then, one charge will last 5 hours, which is even better than the video playing battery life of any other VGA PPC.


I also heard that the screen may be not that good either but since I've never looked at another PPC screen, would I even notice.

Nope. The x50v screen isn't bad. If you don't put it next to a hx4700 or the Pocket Loox 720 (the two devices that have the most contrasty and saturated screens), you will barely see the difference because your eyes will accustom to the screen of your device. Furthermore, it even has the advantage that darker plots are actually better visible than on the hx4700 /Pocket Loox 720 screens. See e.g. Deslock's comparative screenshots at http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35630&start=20 for examples.

Also, unless it's better for me to wait some time because something new is coming out. But, I also live in Australia so we get them later here I think.

It's highly unlikely that any new, better VGA model will come before Autumn so IMHO there's no point in deferring your purchase.

[donkey33]

A bit more. If you don't use Wi-Fi a lot, it won't be that bad. Getting a spare battery isn't a bad idea, though. And, for playing videos, you can use the 208 MHz mode with BetaPlayer - and then, one charge will last 5 hours, which is even better than the video playing battery life of any other VGA PPC.

That's fine because I won't really be using Wi-Fi that much. I don't really know that much about PPC's. Is 208 Mhz an option in BetaPlayer and is BetaPlayer free or do I buy it somewhere?

It's highly unlikely that any new, better VGA model will come before Autumn so IMHO there's no point in deferring your purchase.

Awesome. I can't see any reason then not to get it. Thanks but if you or anyone else has any other info I should consider, just let me know. I won't be purchasing for a week or so.

[Menneisyys]

That's fine because I won't really be using Wi-Fi that much. I don't really know that much about PPC's. Is 208 Mhz an option in BetaPlayer and is BetaPlayer free or do I buy it somewhere?

BetaPlayer is free and is clearly the best PPC media player available. Check out e.g. http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=59008 for more detailed info on switching the x50v to 208 MHz.

[donkey33]

Thanks Menneisyys.

You've been helpful.

[surur]

Good luck with your purchase Donkey33, and if you run into any difficulty please dont hesitate to post here.

Many things which frustrate new users have simple and free solutions that have been discovered the hard way by more experienced users. No reason why you cant benefit from them.

Surur

[donkey33]

Thanks Surur.

I'll definately be untilising this forum in the next week if the help is available.

I'll wait until I actually get the x50v in my hands and then I'll come back for some tips on what's the best thing to do next.

[JPD6825]

D33,
I'm curious. If this is your first PPC... why do you NEED a VGA screen? What plans do you have for using this PPC that lead you to conclude you need VGA?

[donkey33]

D33,
I'm curious. If this is your first PPC... why do you NEED a VGA screen? What plans do you have for using this PPC that lead you to conclude you need VGA?

Honestly, I don't plan on getting another PPC for some time and apparently, at the moment the QVGA screens are being fazed out imagine what they'd be like in 2 years.

That's how I based my decision there but as I said, I'm not buying for a week so if there were any other valid arguments, I'd reconsider my purchase.

[Ripper014]

I would wait... or look at a few other alternatives... especially something with a little more ram.. it is the one precious item that can not be adjusted for after your purchase.

Being in Australia... I believe you have a few more options... I do not know what the pricing will be there.. however... you might get a lot more for your money with Asus... Loox.. or Toshiba... The Loox and Toshiba offer a much larger battery... and all three have more 128mb of ram as well as BT and Wifi. The Asus and Loox also have a 1.3mp camera... The Toshiba a 4 inch screen...

All the current VGA units have issues... the Toshiba has a proprietory BT stack that has caused me some grief... the Dell small battery and lack of ram Hp their lack of ram and touchpad... the Asus... small battery and BT 1.1 and the Loox720 well I can not think of anything I can say bad about it except in Canada it is the most expensive...

I would suggest if you haven't... research the competitors a little deeper... user opinions are great... but we all seem bias to our own devices...

[donkey33]

I would wait... or look at a few other alternatives... especially something with a little more ram.. it is the one precious item that can not be adjusted for after your purchase.

Hmm, the only option there I think is to wait. I don't think the Loox is available here and the other two I'm pretty sure are fairly expensive. That's why the Dell appealed a lot more than it maybe should have.

How long would I be waiting if I wanted for new models to arrive?

The Asus and Loox also have a 1.3mp camera... The Toshiba a 4 inch screen...

I read the Asus isn't that great. Don't know much about the Toshiba. Also, the camera doesn't appeal really. I've got a 1.3mp in my phone.

All the current VGA units have issues... the Toshiba has a proprietory BT stack that has caused me some grief... the Dell small battery and lack of ram Hp their lack of ram and touchpad... the Asus... small battery and BT 1.1 and the Loox720 well I can not think of anything I can say bad about it except in Canada it is the most expensive...

I would be ordering a spare battery if I got the Dell. A hassle but I think I'll need the extra battery life. Can you fill me in on the lack of RAM. I mean, positives and negatives. Don't know a lot about it really so maybe that's why I havent really looked into it.

Thanks for your help. It's better for me to iron out these issues before I make a purchase.

[Menneisyys]

D33,
I'm curious. If this is your first PPC... why do you NEED a VGA screen? What plans do you have for using this PPC that lead you to conclude you need VGA?

Why would you choose a VGA monitor over a CGA? Or, in today's parlance, an (1280 x 1024) SXGA over a VGA? ;)

[Menneisyys]

Hmm, the only option there I think is to wait. I don't think the Loox is available here and the other two I'm pretty sure are fairly expensive. That's why the Dell appealed a lot more than it maybe should have.

How long would I be waiting if I wanted for new models to arrive?

Do NOT wait because WM2005 is slated to arrive in Autumn. WM2005-equipped, new-generation devices won't be, tehrefore, released before that. Some advanced WM2003SE models may indeed surface from HP/Dell/Asus (the latter is working on a VGA Phone Edition PPC - at least according to the gossip at PocketMatrix), but it's unsure whether they come at all or not. So, IMHO the best thing is buying a device now because if you defer getting a device, you may end up waiting 9 months.

I read the Asus isn't that great.

The Asus has a very bad battery life. Otherwise, it's an OK device IMHO. I wouldn't swap my Loox for it, though ;)

I would be ordering a spare battery if I got the Dell. A hassle but I think I'll need the extra battery life. Can you fill me in on the lack of RAM. I mean, positives and negatives. Don't know a lot about it really so maybe that's why I havent really looked into it.

It's not THAT annoying if you always do a lot of housekeeping by hand and try to move everything (including shared DLL's, fonts etc) to storage media. Very few apps do really require more free RAM than 64 Mbytes. For example, the built-in Pictures app at saving 14+ Mpixel images. I can't really think of other, practical cases.

[Lukas44]

They say 64MB Ram for both the Dell & the HP, but you will only get 46-47MB RAM after a clean hard reset, so ram will always be a nagging potential issue once you load your baby up..

Consider the $$$ you save on the Dell (as opposed to the others) as an option to save for a $200 RAM upgrade here:
http://www.pocketpctechs.com/Services.asp?type=DELX50V

So you see, the Dell with a RAM upgrade brings it up to the same $$$ as a Loox or Asus purchase!

[JPD6825]

The best advice in this thread was DON'T WAIT.
Waiting would probably be the decision most likely to be regretted in the future. Get it now. If you want a different PPC in 9 months, then just move on... then sell your first X50V to a friend or co-worker. You should have very little trouble recovering most of your investment... and the additional cost of your second PPC will seem relatively small. ENJOY!

[galt]

I'd like to pitch the Dell Axim X30 High (624 MHz) as a great newbie machine. I picked one up a few months ago after months of research, and even though it *only* has 64 MB of RAM and *only* has a QVGA screen, I have what seems to me to be plenty of room to run multiple programs at the same time even though I've installed many core apps to main memory, and in my opinion, the screen looks fantastic (except it is very washed out in direct sunlight)!

The way many folks talk about VGA screens around here (I've never seen one) I'm sure I'm missing out, but for web browsing, movie watching, and document editing QVGA seems more than capable.

Do you have a store near you where you could take a peek at some PPC's screens? Maybe that will help you determine what you feel comfortable with.