Dell Axim X50: Dual Slot Goodness at a Reasonable Price [Archive]

View Full Version : Dell Axim X50: Dual Slot Goodness at a Reasonable Price

Jason Dunn

10-12-2004, 08:00 PM

<IMG SRC=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dellaxim-x50.jpg> Product Category: Pocket PC Manufacturer: Dell Where to Buy: <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=E9EmfDpHZ*g&offerid=63029.10000370&type=3&subid=0">Direct from Dell</a><img src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=E9EmfDpHZ*g&bids=63029.10000370&type=3&subid=0" /> Price: $399 USD (mid-range X50) $299 USD (entry-level X50) Specifications: 119mm x 73mm x 16mm, 167g (5.9oz). 3.5" QVGA screen, Intel PXA270 520 mhz CPU, 64 MB RAM, 128 MB ROM, 802.11b. Bluetooth 1.2, 1100 mAH battery. The entry level X50 has a 416 mhz CPU, 64 MB of ROM, and no WiFi, but is otherwise identical to the mid-range X50. Pros:<li>Reasonably priced for what you get; <li>Excellent quality screen, no yellow tinting; <li>Spacious 93 MB of ROM storage; <li>Strong performer. Cons:<li>No built-in screen cover; <li>Dell branding is a little overpowering; <li>Based on Dell's track record to date, there may or may not be an operating system upgrade for this device.Summary: The mid-range Dell Axim X50 is a well balanced Pocket PC that delivers a strong set of features (including WiFi and Bluetooth) at a reasonable price. The styling isn't anything to write home about, and while it's bigger than the iPAQ 4150, having dual slots is a huge benefit for some people so the size bump may be worth it. And you can't argue with the price! <!> <PAGEBREAK> <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50front.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50front-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 1: The Dell Axim X50. Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. First Impressions: Design & Styling When I first took the X50 out of the box, I had mixed feelings about what I was seeing. The branding is very strong: the silver Dell logo visibly stands out on the glossy black background, as does the word "Axim" to the right of it. The "X50" logo below the screen is in italics – I couldn't help but think of <a href="http://members.aol.com/Polecattt/speed.html">Speed Racer</a> when I saw it. Overall I find the Dell branding too aggressive and a touch cheesy. By way of comparison, the branding on the X30 was much more subtle and I would have greatly preferred to see it carried over to the X50. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50versusx30.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50versusx30-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 2: The Dell Axim X50 compared with the X30. Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. On the plus side, the build quality is excellent – there was no significant creaking or movement when I gave it a gentle torque. The device also feels much better in my hand then the X30 ever did – I wasn't a fan of the boxy design on the X30 because it always seemed to be poking my hand in a strange way. The backside of the X50 is rubberized plastic, and when you hold the X50 in your hand it has a nice feel to it. While it's taller than the iPAQ 4150, a device I consider to be the most elegantly designed Pocket PC ever made, it still fits fairly comfortably in the hand. While I was hoping for it to be a bit shorter, I have to keep reminding myself that it has dual slots and shouldn't be compared directly to the iPAQ 4150. <PAGEBREAK> Buttons, Slots, Etc. Button-wise, it's a fairly straightforward affair. Four buttons plus a direction pad below the screen. The buttons are small but slightly raised, so they're easy to press. The d-pad works well for gaming – I tried a demo of SkyForce and it performed nicely. I was able to move diagonally and fire at the same time (I turned off auto-fire), so the X50 doesn't seem to have the "button press issues" that plagued earlier Pocket PCs. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-sideview.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-sideview-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 3: The left side Dell Axim X50 showing the buttons. Black on black photography is tricky. ;-) Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. On the left side of the device there's a toggle that completely locks down the device. Dell must have heard all the complaints from people who have their Pocket PCs turn on in their pockets due to random button presses. The device shipped with this toggle turned on, so I was baffled for about 30 seconds as to why I nothing would work after a soft reset. Below the lock toggle we have the wireless button - according to the manual, pressing this button once is supposed to turn on both WiFi and Bluetooth, which I've always found a bit silly. Why not one press for WiFi, and a double-press for Bluetooth? On my device, the button only turned the WiFi on, not the Bluetooth…until I manually turned on Bluetooth once, then the button started to behave normally with one press turning both on, and another press turning both off. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/pocketpclineup.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/pocketpclineup-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 4: An assortment of Pocket PCs lined up for size comparisons. From left to right, an iPAQ 4350, iPAQ 4150, Axim X5, Axim X50, Axim X30. Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. Below the wireless button there's the voice recording button. I used to use voice recording a great deal, but I stopped using it when I realized that I always forgot to check my voice recordings. Tangent: I've asked more than one third party developer to create software that would integrate with Outlook Notes and provide some sort of system to remind the user to act on the voice notes, but no one has ever taken me up on it. If you're a developer and want more information about this, feel free to contact me. ;-) The stylus is thin – perhaps a little too thin – and it's somewhat difficult to get out of the holder on the top right of the device. The notch on the style is too small to be grasped with my fingers, so I have to resort to using my fingernail to remove the stylus. That's just bad design, plain and simple. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-dualslots.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-dualslots-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 5: The dual slots in action – in the photo I have a 4 GB Kingston CF card and a 512 MB Simpletech SD card. Because I use a digital camera that takes CompactFlash cards, I've been waiting for a small Pocket PC with WiFi and a CF slot – the X50 fits the bill perfectly. Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. The dual slots of the X50 are one of the more interesting features – you can pack a lot of storage in the device with two slots, and they managed to keep the thickness of the device down. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-versus-x5.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-versus-x5-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 6: It might not look like much in this picture, but the X50 feels much thinner than the X5 when you're holding it in your hand. Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. <PAGEBREAK> What You Get in the Box The Axim I had was an engineering sample, so I didn't get all the goodies in the box that you will if you order one. The mid-range X50 comes with the standard Outlook 2002 and ActiveSync CD, and the only full version application is Resco Photo Viewer. It's also supposed to come with a simple slip case, the cradle (which I did get), an AC power adaptor, and a power dongle. Yes, a dongle. Unfortunately you can't connect the AC power into the X50 directly, and worse still, the X50 has a completely different connector from the X5 and X30 series – which means I'm on the hunt for another sync 'n charge cable. Looking at the cradle, the verdict is in: the X50 cradle is nowhere near as cool as the X30 cradle. The cradle for the X30 was nicknamed the "Darth Dell" cradle because it was glossy, semi-transparent black, and the Dell logo lit up when the device was charging. It was easily the coolest cradle on the market. The X50 cradle, sadly, is a mundane affair (see below). <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-cradle.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-cradle-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 7: The X50 cradle. Decent looking, fairly stable (though a bit light), but nowhere near as cool as the Darth Dell design. Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-batteryholder.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-batteryholder-small.jpg" /></a> Figure 8: The X50 cradle has a slot for recharging an extra battery, and it lies flat, making it all but invisible from most angles. Nice touch Dell! Click the image above for a larger version of the photo. The Wireless Functionality You'd Expect The X50 comes with what you'd expect for built-in wireless in a device that isn't also phone: it has 802.11b and Bluetooth. The Bluetooth is version 1.2, rather than the 1.1 that ships on most other devices today. Bluetooth 1.2 <a href="http://www.brighthand.com/article/Bluetooth_1-2_Officially_Adopted">offers a few improvements</a>, but nothing to write home to mom about. One thing worth noting is that the Bluetooth stack, provided by Broadcom (it's what we know as the Widcom stack), provides a broad range of profile support: File Transfer, Information Exchange, Serial Port, Personal Network Server, Dial-Up Networking Server, and Audio Gateway. Even more importantly, this profile support is the same across the entire X50 line. Dell understands that Bluetooth profile support is not meant to be used as a differentiator among models, it's a core function. HP should take note of this approach, because it's the right one. Trying to force customers into a completely different class of device just so they can use a particular Bluetooth accessory is an insult at best, and unethical at worst. I was able to connect to my 802.11b/g network very easily, and the speed was what I was expecting. The X50v has been certified for CCX 1.0 (LEAP), Siebel, and Nortel VoIP. 802.11x support is built into the operating system, so this device should be quite compatible for all WiFi scenarios, from simple home-based usage to enterprise deployments. Although I doubt a Pocket PC could take full advantage of 54 mbps bandwidth, I'd like to see 802.11g integrated at some point. The added overhead of 802.11g would also allow the devices to shuffle wireless data around faster, and because I'd like to put my WiFi router into G-only mode. <PAGEBREAK> Memory & Storage Space The mid-range Axim X50 comes with 64 MB of RAM, of which 62.76 MB is user-accessible when you first start up the device (which is more than average). The 128 MB of ROM has a spacious 93.39 MB left over as a user-accessible storage card, although I only had 89.61 MB of that even after manually clearing it out (and deleting the hidden files). I'd like to see Dell provide a tool to completely clear out the Flash ROM area. Now here's where we come to the part of the review where some of my readers will vehemently disagree with me: I don't believe any Pocket PC needs to come with 128 MB of RAM if there's sufficient ROM space. In every use of my Pocket PC, I've never needed that much RAM space. I've heard of GPS scenarios where maps need gobs of memory to load, even when they're stored on a memory card, but I can't help but think this is just sloppy programming. I was going to explain why in this review, but my tests require an article all on their own, so I'll leave it at this: I installed 20 different applications, from games to utilities, into the Flash ROM area. I barely managed to use up half of the space, and every single one of those applications worked well from the Flash ROM. The only problem I noticed is that drawing the icons takes longer than it should because Flash ROM is slower than RAM. This only happens after a soft reset – once the icons are drawn they are cached and everything is snappy again. The short version is that Pocket PC owners, myself included, need to think of Flash ROM has the "hard drive" where we should be installing our applications. Battery Life The mid-range X50 comes with an 1100 mAH battery, which is 150mAH bigger than the battery in the X30. Unfortunately, due to the short period of time I've had the X50 for (only a few days) and the fact that Spb Benchmark doesn't seem to want to play nice with the X50, I haven't been able to get any battery benchmark numbers put together. By way of comparison, the 950mAH battery in the X30 is adequate, but not the type of battery that would allow you to use WiFi for many hours without worrying about draining the battery. Here's a test I performed with the X30 that might give you some idea about the battery life on the X50: I turned on WiFi, put the backlight to medium (four notches above off), and set the CPU to auto. I then set Pocket Internet Explorer to a page with 128 KB total of mixed text and images that would refresh every ten seconds. This test was designed to simulate an average Web browsing experience. The X30 lasted for 2:09 hours until it complained about a low battery, 2:25 hours until the WiFi turned off (at 14% battery life), and it lasted 4:47 hours total until the unit shut off completely - that's right, two hours of idle time with the screen on and WiFi turned off. The X50's battery is roughly 14% bigger, so I'd expect the X50 to perform roughly 14% longer than the X30 (all things being equal). Assuming I can get the Spb Benchmark battery tests to work, I'll update this review with more battery information. <PAGEBREAK> Performance: How Does the X50 Benchmark? The X50 seems to be an X30 with a different shell – the benchmarking numbers are all very close with one another, and in fact, once you factor in the speed difference between the X30 (624 Mhz) and the X50 (520 Mhz), the results are almost identical. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-benchmark-001.gif" /> Figure 9: The top three results match the speed of the CPU – no surprises there. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-benchmark-002.gif" /> Figure 10: The overall index score reveals no surprises – the X30, with the fastest CPU, takes the crown. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-benchmark-003.gif" /> Figure 11: The file system index is tied to the CPU performance, so the X50 comes in second. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/x50-benchmark-004.gif" /> Figure 12: Spb Benchmark measures the 2D performance, and in this test the Axim's dominate the playing field. The X50 comes in second place being the X30, which boasts a faster processor. Conclusion After spending a few days with the mid-range Dell Axim X50, I'm hooked. Despite the minor niggles I have with some of the design decisions they made, the X50 is a strong performer and a great value for the price, especially when compared to the over-priced offerings from HP. As much as I liked the speed of the X30, I never liked the way it felt in my hand and always longed to go back to the iPAQ 4150 that I gave to my wife to use. The X50, while being a big bigger than the 4150, feels good in the hand and has everything I need: WiFi, Bluetooth, gobs of ROM space for program storage, and both a CompactFlash and Secure Digital slot. The lack of 128 MB of RAM might be a deal breaker for some, but I'd caution you to investigate whether or not you really need it. The X50 an evolution from the X5, and Dell did a great job with it. That said, once I get an X50v in my hands, I'll probably use that instead. ;-)

MPSmith

10-12-2004, 08:18 PM

As always, a very nice review. Regarding the 64MB RAM; sounds like we need some polling data on that! :wink:

Typhoon

10-12-2004, 08:30 PM

Good enough for me. I'm going to buy it. I wish the reviewer could of shown a picture of the X50v in VGA resolution...that would of been cool.

Jason Dunn

10-12-2004, 08:34 PM

Good enough for me. I'm going to buy it. I wish the reviewer could of shown a picture of the X50v in VGA resolution...that would of been cool.

Once I get one, I'll do exactly what. :mrgreen: Again, this was NOT a review of the X50v - I don't have one, and when I do get one, I'll likely clone the review and tweak to the content to make a new review (even though much of it will be the same).

gibson042

10-12-2004, 08:38 PM

PPCT is my favorite PDA site for a reason. Great review Jason, and sorry for the server overload. :wink:

Ripper014

10-12-2004, 08:41 PM

Unfortunately... I think that everyone is looking at this as the x50v review... The demand for what is required on a PPC has shifted... and I am sure that although this review was appreciated... it is not the one everyone is waiting for.

I believe that the preformance and battery life will suffer greatly on the x50v compared to the v50...

mkheraj

10-12-2004, 08:41 PM

This has almost pushed me to the point of buying it but I'm going to wait for some of the Dell coupons before jumping the gun. For the time being, I have my Toshiba e800 to keep me company.

Can't wait for the x50v review...

Again, excellent review...

Murad

wbuch

10-12-2004, 08:52 PM

cubed

10-12-2004, 08:53 PM

carphead

10-12-2004, 08:55 PM

Good Review Jason,

Looking forward to the X50v review. But I know that neither will be my next device. For a start they've not got USB Host :( and only 64MB (still have trouble with that even with the large flash rom) :(

But I'm willing to comprimise and I'll see if I can get one cheap via my friendly Dell Enterprise Rep :) You know to evaluate it for work use :lol:

ctmagnus

10-12-2004, 09:07 PM

Tangent: I've asked more than one third party developer to create software that would integrate with Outlook Notes and provide some sort of system to remind the user to act on the voice notes, but no one has ever taken me up on it. If you're a developer and want more information about this, feel free to contact me.

Jason: Pocket Informant integrates Outlook Notes and voice notes in its Notes tab. Not sure about a system to remind you to act on them, but maybe you could just set a recurring task with an alarm to check them every day. :D

I concur. Give Pocket Informant a whirl. The notes view has the option to set alarms on notes. I don't use voice notes so I can't comment on the effectiveness of alarms on them, but I have had zero issues with the alarms I have set on my devices.

PPCRules

10-12-2004, 09:10 PM

Nice review, Jason. I figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't a VGA model being reviewed. Don't let that first guy bug you; he's probably a regular at Aximsite (I won't repeat my earlier comment comparing the sites).

What I want to know is, what's the deal on the CF slot? There have been comments about WiFi not being "supported" on CF (matters only to 'low' model), but today I saw a comment elsewhere that seemed to suggest that I/O in general is not supported in the CF slot. I find it pretty hard to believe that Dell (HTC?) would do that, as it would have to be intentional. To me, the CF slot is only negligibly valuable as a memory slot, but I use a lot of expansion devices so this is a significant issue.

Jason, can you offer any insight? Have you tried any I/O devices in the the CF slot? Modem, VGA out, 10/100 wired Ethernet, barcode scanner, CF to PCMCIA converter? Or can anyone direct me to more specific information? Thanks.

Jason Dunn

10-12-2004, 09:29 PM

Somewhat off topic, but I would like to see it addressed...M$ is not offering WM Media 10 as a download, but requiring you to buy a new device (such as the Dell) to get the new software. Wow, thank you to Microsoft for always thinking of the customer first!!! :roll:

Yeah, you noticed that I didn't mention the software on the X50 at all - I'm going to talk about WMP 10 Mobile later today or tomorrow, and address the upgrading issue (warning: it's not pretty).

Jason Dunn

10-12-2004, 09:31 PM

Jason, can you offer any insight? Have you tried any I/O devices in the the CF slot? Modem, VGA out, 10/100 wired Ethernet, barcode scanner, CF to PCMCIA converter? Or can anyone direct me to more specific information? Thanks.

Hmm - no, to be honest, I didn't try any I/O CF devices. I'll see if I can give it a whirl later and let you know...

omikron.sk

10-12-2004, 09:34 PM

Just one question. Is the IR on this Axim the customer-grade one (answer YES, please answer YES!). I didn't find it anywhere.

Deus

10-12-2004, 09:35 PM

drop

10-12-2004, 09:45 PM

Thank you, Jason. Great review!

I wonder what made Spb Benchmark refuses to play nice with X50. This has been commented by other reviewers as well.

Thanks for explaining the RAM issue. I guess most people don't have my kind of problem. I needed to install a font on my X5. The font was over 6MB and had to be installed in, you guess it, Main Memory. Until the OS knows to use the available 90MB ROM as "hard drive", I probably not going to be able to do this. But, majority of the users don't have my problem.

Looking forward for your review on X50v.

Sit tight people, Jason still needs to charge the X50v after it arrives before testing it. There are other great reviews on X50 available to read in the mean time. I had three reviews on X50 opened up on Avant Browser :D . I value Jason's opinion, I still want to read his before placing my order. And waiting for the rumored discount code, accessories, review on extended battery, etc, these are a few of my favorite things.

fishfuzz

10-12-2004, 09:59 PM

Not to steal any of Jason's thunder (and thunder he did), but pocketnow.com (http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=495) does have the X50/v review posted today too. There are some great images of the VGA/QVGA side by side along with some videos of the included games. Battery usage is also there.

Once again, this isn't an attempt to steer peeps away from PPCT, just to add another viewpoint to this discussion. :wink:

PPCRules

10-12-2004, 10:08 PM

Does anyone have confirmation on thr IR for the High end model? Brighthand says CIR and AXIMSite says FIR
Just finished reading the PDAGeek review, where it is stated over and over as being "consumer" IR, although no supporting software is included. Other places I've read today had said it's not consumer IR.

There may be hope.

Damion Chaplin

10-12-2004, 10:11 PM

I think it's interesting that you didn't like the too-obtrusive branding on the unit itself, but then you said you didn't like the fact that the cradle was not ye olde 'darth cradle'. I always found the darth cradle to be way too obtrusive with the branding. The word 'DELL' lights up when you insert the unit into the cradle! Blech! I seriously didn't buy an axim because of that cradle. Dell isn't paying me to advertize for them, so I just couldn't have that cradle on my desk. At night, it would be the only thing you see! (my PC is in my bedroom) I'm kind of surprised they didn't make the Dell logo on the axim itself light up when it charges...

I must say though, these are by far the best looking axims that Dell has ever released. Almost as elegant as my 4150. I really dig the black-and-silver motif. I will seriously consider the x50v for my next PPC, provided there's nothing drastically wrong with it. We'll just have to wait for that review.

Anyway, great review Jason! Thanks!

quake97

10-12-2004, 10:26 PM

Saw the mention of the Bluetooth audio gateway profile, that's for bluetooth headphones, right? I'm curious if it supports any headset or handsfree profiles. It'd be nice to use a BT headset for VoIP someday.

Joe

Duncan

10-12-2004, 10:44 PM

Putting into concideration that you didn't have the X50v and that people were rushing for this review. I think it came out GREAT!

Does anyone have confirmation on thr IR for the High end model? Brighthand says CIR and AXIMSite says FIR

All the publicly available docs (manual, datasheet, online product specs) say Standard IR, 115Kbps. That means: definitely not FIR and unlikely to be CIR (standard 115K implies SerialIR).

Mitch D

10-12-2004, 10:49 PM

Having had a chance to manhadle Jason's "engineering" model X50 at the Calgary PPC User group meeting last week I must say I was very impressed with the feel of the X50 when compared to my X3i.

The body styling is better than most of the WM2003SE models I have had my hands on lately (E830, rz1710, rx3115) not to mention far "sturdier" than my X3i.

Great review Jason, looking forward to your impressions of the X50v.

ADBrown

10-13-2004, 12:15 AM

Just one question. Is the IR on this Axim the customer-grade one (answer YES, please answer YES!). I didn't find it anywhere.

To all who have been asking about CIR. The Dell pre-press Powerpoint definitely listed CIR as a function of the X50 and X50v. I've been testing this on my review units, and I can confidently say that it IS CIR. Using Total Remote (the others I tried were a little squirrley in VGA), I controlled my satellite TV box from about 18 feet.

Jason Dunn

10-13-2004, 01:15 AM

PetiteFlower

10-13-2004, 02:21 AM

I for one FULLY support the lack of reviews on Ipaqs on this site. Screw HP for their evil dictatorship censorship initiative! We didn't want any of their stinky overpriced toys anyway :p

Steven Cedrone

10-13-2004, 12:10 PM

O.K., after reading this thread, it became apparent that there were two themes being discussed here. The first was about the X50 - it's strengths and weaknesses. The second was the review itself (or more importantly - the reviewing "style"). As this was detracting from the flow of the conversation, I have split this thread. Please use this thread to continue to discuss the X50...

Go here to discuss Jason's reviewing "style":

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33241

Steve

wlandrum

10-13-2004, 08:29 PM

One of the responders mentioned waiting until they could get Dell coupons. Also, back about a month ago when Dell had the great price for one day on an X30, people mentioned Dell coupons.

I have never seen coupons from Dell. Where / how does one obtain them?

Bill

juttonn

10-14-2004, 05:42 AM

Memory & Storage Space
The mid-range Axim X50 comes with 64 MB of RAM, of which 62.76 MB is user-accessible when you first start up the device (which is more than average). The 128 MB of ROM has a spacious 93.39 MB left over as a user-accessible storage card, although I only had 89.61 MB of that even after manually clearing it out (and deleting the hidden files). I'd like to see Dell provide a tool to completely clear out the Flash ROM area. Now here's where we come to the part of the review where some of my readers will vehemently disagree with me: I don't believe any Pocket PC needs to come with 128 MB of RAM if there's sufficient ROM space. In every use of my Pocket PC, I've never needed that much RAM space. I've heard of GPS scenarios where maps need gobs of memory to load, even when they're stored on a memory card, but I can't help but think this is just sloppy programming.

I'd like a little more info on this. I currently have an HP 2215 and have everything installed to my SD card except some software titles that tell me that they won't run properly unless installed to RAM (Battery Bar, Journal Bar, Pocket Informant, etc.) However, when I run Pocket Artist (a photoshop-type program for the Pocket PC by Conduits) and try to open an image file from a memory card from my 5 megapixel Camera (about a 2.5 MB file usually), I get an error that says, "There is not enough memory to open this image at full resolution, would you like to open it a half resolution instead?" Now to me, that sounds like a RAM issue; that is, that there is not enough RAM.

So a couple of questions, does anyone know if I can install programs that say they need to be installed to RAM to the Flash ROM area without any ill effects? Also, Conduits seems like a good software company, so I don't think the memory issue is one of poor programing. I could be wrong however. Also, I get to a point while using my 2215 where I periodically have to restart (soft reset) the device to clear junk from the RAM. Does WM2003SE handle memory management better than first edition and how quick is a soft reset?

I gues my biggest dissappointment is that a really want to get this device and have it work well for me, but of the Pocket PC's I've own, first the Toshiba 2032 with 32 MB of RAM and now the HP 2215 with 64 MB of RAM, I've always found myself wishing I had more RAM. Maybe this device will handle things better and I'll be perfectly happy, but I think that that may be a little over optimistic.

By the way, great review. I appreciate the insites.

CapFelix007

10-14-2004, 06:10 PM

Hi,

Does the X50v support any USB host?

Kati Compton

10-14-2004, 07:25 PM

Hi,

Does the X50v support any USB host?

No. :(

juttonn

10-14-2004, 07:43 PM

Hi,

Does the X50v support any USB host?

As far as I know, no

Julio

10-15-2004, 05:28 PM

Hello Jason,

Really liked your review. I've been seriously considering the Dell and your review helped a lot.

If you can shed light on one issue though, does the CF slot support I/O devices? This was mentioned by another posting before also - but I just wanted to add my voice and concern. If you have a chance to test this with the X50v, please also let me know. Lack of I/O ability would be a deal-breaker for me since I use it very frequently.

Looking forward to your X50v review.

thanks in advance,

Julio

ifxmnfly

10-18-2004, 03:02 AM

ADBrown

10-18-2004, 04:30 AM

Ditto on Julio's question. I would want to use the CF Slot as an output to a Margi Card to play PowerPoint to a projector. If this works, the Axim X50 @ 520 mhz is perfect for my needs. If not ...

Also, ADBrown said: "To all who have been asking about CIR. The Dell pre-press Powerpoint definitely listed CIR as a function of the X50 and X50v." This is probably relevant to me, but I don't know what "CIR" is. Can someone please expand on that?

I've been all over the documentation Dell gave me, as well as my X50 and X50v, and I can find no indication anywhere that the CF slot doesn't accept peripherals. I think it's a safe bet that it does. I'd test it, but the only CF I/O device I have handy is a WiFi card, which I don't think would play nicely with the internal WiFi radio/drivers.

CIR means Consumer InfraRed. It's a shorthand way of saying that with the right software, you can use the X50 as a universal infrared remote control for something like a TV, disc player, or anything else that uses a universal remote.

ifxmnfly

10-18-2004, 11:57 PM

I phoned Dell and after 45 minutes playing "phone maze" got through to a tech named Larry. Although getting through was a hassle, Larry was absolutely great. He had just finished training on the X50 line and was a huge help. (Ten Stars to Larry.)

My first Question: Is the CF Slot an I/O device. Larry: "YES!!"

My second Q: Does the X50v export a better quality picture than the X50 Advance and why? Larry: Unlike the X50 Adv. the X50v has a full VGA chipset, so YES, the exported picture is far better. In fact it is comparable to that one would get from a PC. In addition, the X50v has "MirrorMode" built into the ROM so it is rigged to operate PowerPoint out of the box.

Fully satisfied, I went online and placed my order for a X50v!! Delivery is about Nov. 23th. :D :D

ADBrown

10-19-2004, 12:36 AM

ifxmnfly

10-19-2004, 02:39 AM

Just FYI, 'out of the box' may be a little exaggeration. The X50v is fully equipped for VGA out, but the cable to connect it to a projector/monitor is not included. For that, you need to get the $79 presentation bundle.

Thanks ADBrown. I've tried a Margi Card on a borrowed iPaq 2215, and was fairly disappointed with both. The iPaq transmitted an unacceptable quality PowerPoint show and the Margi card was cheap (not price) and popped apart with any pressure. I'm pretty enthused about the prospects of a VGA Chipset in the X50v, and this time I am going to try the IA system or FlyPresenter-CF to make that interface to my projector.

Edit: I notice that the Dell site sells the Margi Presenter and appears to consider it the best interface for their Axim series PDAs. Although it (MP) seems flimsy to me, I may stick with it after all. At least it works.

hamishmacdonald

10-20-2004, 03:50 PM

You probably know about this already, but there's a freeware Today screen plug-in that shows when you have voice notes in your My Documents folder:

http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=1863

I've been using this for a long time. The only issue now is that its icon looks jaggy on my new Pocket LOOX. :cry: I'm enough of an interface geek that I can't bear to look at an icon that doesn't fit with the new set of smoother ones.

Jeff00000168

10-24-2004, 06:53 PM

Hey Jason, where's your review of the X50v? Did you make one review already or did I just miss it? Thanks! :D

Kati Compton

10-25-2004, 12:53 AM

I think he said Monday, but I could be wrong.

Orbsplateau

02-03-2005, 07:54 PM

For those of you who'd tried both units (X50 and h2215), which do your prefer? You don't find the X50 too bulky or heavy?

I'm also wondering, has anyone tried the base (416Mhz) version of the X50? Is it noticably slower than the mid version?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.