Based on what I'm hearing from the reviews for the Dell Axim X50v (about 3 - 4 hours for standard use), I'm not sure if I'll be able to last the whole day. I don't know how to translate these studies to human terms, without actually testing the device myself. My gut feeling is that I'll be fine and last the whole day without problems.
If you plan to use wifi or bluetooth more than occasionally then I would stay away from the x50v, unless you go with the extended battery. Sure the cradle charges a spare battery but who wants to carry a spare around all day.
I rarely make it through the day without a recharge or battery swap and my activities are fairly normal I would assume. Multiple contact lookups per day, couple dozen calender/task checks, 20-30 min total internet wifi, sometimes a few pages in an ebook.
Since I started using the x50v I find myself guaging my activities according to how much battery I have left, something I never considered with my previous PPC (4355)
I have an X50v and it is great. I can watch more than 3hrs of DivX video off a standard battery using BetaPlayer and the Intel 2700g Plug-in (this gives you better frame rates than the iPAQ hx4705). Wifi and Bluetooth do chew the battery a bit though. However you can get a spare battery in Australia for $14.30, which is like $10US so you can't complain.
I have also got the X50 Mixer program which is a free download you can find at Axim Site on a Stuck thread. This gives you a equaliser for the 3D sound chip in this device. Must have this!!
There is also a GAPI tweak on AximSite on a Stuck thread which will allow you to run all the QVGA games (which use GAPI) much faster. Also a must have if you are a gamer.
I have an X50v and it is great. I can watch more than 3hrs of DivX video off a standard battery using BetaPlayer and the Intel 2700g Plug-in (this gives you better frame rates than the iPAQ hx4705). Wifi and Bluetooth do chew the battery a bit though. However you can get a spare battery in Australia for $14.30, which is like $10US so you can't complain.
Just curious, what bitrate are you encoding your videos in order to get 3hrs of battery life?
I have an X50v and it is great. I can watch more than 3hrs of DivX video off a standard battery using BetaPlayer and the Intel 2700g Plug-in (this gives you better frame rates than the iPAQ hx4705). Wifi and Bluetooth do chew the battery a bit though. However you can get a spare battery in Australia for $14.30, which is like $10US so you can't complain.
Just curious, what bitrate are you encoding your videos in order to get 3hrs of battery life?
IMHO, it doesn't really depend on the bit rate (BetaPlayer uses the CPU as much as possible even with lower-bitrate videos AFAIK), but the CPU, memory etc. speed you set at playback. Try using the 206 MHz mode.
"Compared with the competition, however, the Axim X50v is nonetheless a good choice, as Asus' VGA PDA with integrated Bluetooth and WLAN functionality, the Mypal A730W, currently sells for $600. Sure, that device also features an integrated 1.2 megapixel digital camera, but it also has far worse battery life."
Is that true? Tom's hasn't reviewed the final A730 / A730w at all, and, much as the A730(w) indeed has subpar battery life, I wouldn't think it's THAT bad. Actually, people over pocketmatrix.com ( http://pocketmatrix.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=11 ) have reported that a half-hour Wi-Fi session "only" reduced their battery life with 30%. (That's still very high, compared to hx4700 / PL720, but not worse than x50v's result.)
BTW, it's interesting to see how much power consumption the BT unit has. Switching the BT on on the iPAQ 2210 (in discoverable mode!) doesn't decrease its battery life much (let's say with 15-20% at most). The x50v seems to have a much more power-hungry BT unit.
As it turns out, Tom's didn't really dive into the problem (I was right, then): PDA Buyer's Guide has just published its A730w test. A quote from it:
"Using Turbo mode with Automatic power savings checked, we surfed the web using Pocket IE for 85 minutes before hitting the 30% power remaining warning."
... For those of you who own an X50v, are you happy with your device?
Exactly the question I had wanted to pose. . . . So weigh in, please!
Yup, happy with it. It's just fine for what I'm doing at the moment. I really like the screen and the look of the unit. I'll be happier with it when my Sena case arrives, but the supplied case is proving just fine for the time being.
I am happy as well... when I've got the extended battery in. With the extended battery, I feel like I have the "up-time" that *should* have been standard with the device.
My problem is that I ordered a Sena case (I'm impatient and really really wanted a case that I could keep on while charging - I keep losing the slipcover in another room), and afaik it doesn't accomodate the extended battery. Which is upsetting. I contacted both Sena and Vaja when I ordered my device to tell them that it was pretty likely a lot of people would want to have a case that would fit the extended battery... But apparently they didn't listen.
I typically used bit rates between 400kbps and 600kbps 2 pass encoded. The audio is usually about 128kbps. I don't know that it makes a huge difference to the battery life though. Also I don't run the screen at 100% brightness all the time.
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