x5 or x30?????

[Stevoo187]

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about getting a dell and don't need any of the wifi or bluetooth wireless features. Pretty much I want a ppc for word processing, music playback, and maybe a few movies here and there. I was wondering if anyone knows if the x5 can be upgraded to the new windows mobile 2003 operating system for free? Also, since I would be buying the x5 from a 3rd party, would I have to get in touch with Dell customer service to activate the 1 year warranty that it comes with? Thanks for you help

Steve

Also, If the campanion disc is not included with the x5, can i just download Activesync 3.8 from Microsoft.com and be able to hotsync my ppc to my computer and transfer movies and other stuff? Thanks again :)

[Jason Dunn]

You can't upgrade the X5 to Windows Mobile 2003, but you can upgrade it to Windows Mobile 2003...if you can find the CD. I checked Dell's product page:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productlisting.aspx?Page=productlisting.aspx&spagenum=1&items_per_page=50&orderby=&sortdirection=&image_flag=True&show_summary=True&category_id=5905&brandid=&sku=&mnfsku=&SearchType=&Pageb4Search=&ModelSelection=&iCompatid=&selectiontypeids=&l=en&c=us&cs=19&SubmitSearch=&servicetag=&reset=True&prst=&prEnd=&InStock=&refurbished=&fe=&mnf=694&k=

And I can't seem to find the upgrade. The X5 is an old Pocket PC...I think you'd be much better off with a basic X30 - they go for $199. There are also some rumours about new devices coming out soon, so if you can wait a few months, that might be a good idea.

[ADBrown]

Also, bear in mind that if you buy from a third party, you will not get a warranty.

[Stevoo187]

So you guys don't think i should get this?

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AXIM-400-K1&sourceid=qIa2Ql42FnJgAnfwhC1X

It seems like a pretty good deal to me, considering I'm not a real heavy duty ppc user and don't need bluetooth or wifi.

[ADBrown]

I'd call that a pretty good deal, particularly given all the free accessories. The X5 is old, but reliable, and it's got great battery life. If you don't mind having the newer 2003 Second Edition OS that the X30 has, the X5 could be a good workhorse.

[Stevoo187]

With the older version of windows mobile and the axim x5's older processor, would movies and music still be able to play with little or no lag?

[ADBrown]

Music certainly wouldn't be a problem. With movies, the bottleneck would be the processor, but you could still do it.

[David Prahl]

I would suggest getting a new X30, the screen brightness, size, and overall 'speed' is much better than the X5.

I've watched movies on my X5, and they're okay. However, the brightness that an X30 has would definately be welcome. If you can make it work financially, I would strongly suggest that route.

Good luck, let us know how things go! :)

[Stevoo187]

Well, I decided to go with the Axim X5 despite it's age and other factors. The X30 probably would have been a little faster and more convenient to put in my pocket, but the price just wasn't right. Also, as I am pretty new to this pocketpc stuff, I'd rather get an older unit and get the feel for things before I invest in a super cool unit. Plus, the Axim should be able to play music, movies, some games, and do word processing just fine, which is pretty much all I want it for. Thanks for everyone's input! :wink:

Steve

[emuelle1]

That line of thinking is OK as long as you don't have to clear your purchases with someone else :devilboy: . Somehow, my wife has it in her head that any electronics I buy should last me the rest of my life, and if I find myself needing something new the problem is with me. I don't understand it, because SHE is a computer geek too. Just because she's willing to live with a 1 Ghz AMD system for the rest of her life...

Not that used isn't bad when you get a good deal. I still couldn't get my ipaq 3765 for what I originally paid for it. I got it two years ago for $120, and I've still seen it come up on price searches for $250. I'm also getting a good deal on an x30, which is now on it's way to me. Older often is great, but be careful not to spend your money on something right before a new technology revolution breaks.

[ksmj]

yes i agree with what u said emuelle1, never buy anything just before its successor come out :D. I just bought an x30 last week, great price, about $120 shipped to me with spare battery (I think is 1800mAh), 2 SD cards, screen protector, casing and all accessories with warranty though it is second hand, but still have some of its warranty left for me ;). It has WiFi and Bluetooth, though only 64M ROM/RAM and 300MHz processor, but i am happy with it as it gives me what i need, wifi and bluetooth though not best processing power, but it gives me what i ask in reasonable time :D.