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"Great Product that has some minor problems" on by drjuanbosch
Pros: VGA Screen, Wifi, Bluetooth, Windows Mobile, Included Software, Option for extra battery
Cons: Intermittent need to do soft reset
Summary: I must say I was doubtful about getting a Dell Axim after being on Palm OS for many years, but I am now a convert.
The system has a beautiful screen that makes video and pictures come alive. The included software (Pocket Word/Excel/Power Point, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player) and Dell added programs make the X51v a great system.
The only downsides are that you have to do intermittent soft resets after the machine goes into power save mode. In addition, the boot sequence takes a little bit of time.
However, Im not so worried about that because Microsoft has been regularly updating their PDA OS and just like the Axim 50v, the 51v will only get better when they work out the kinks. -
"2 defective units, returned" on by rbogin
Pros: Affordable, good screen
Cons: Defective power-on
Summary: I wanted an affordable high end PDA so I bought this unit. Unfortunately, after being "off" for awhile the unit would not turn back on normally -- had to do a "soft reset." I called Dell and the customer service was great, replacing the unit immediately. Once again, though, the replacement unit would not power back on after being "off." I researched this on the web and found multiple comments about this problem, also with the X50.
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"Brilliant product but poor reviews based on pre-release models" on by orgaelin1
Pros: Aside from the excellent features which are without equal in any other pda, Dell are always releasing updates and don't abandon customers post-sale.
Cons: Without Dell's firmware upgrade(s) battery and performance suffers
Summary: I have spent two months looking at the various devices on the market. Initially I disregarded the x51v because of very negative reports about battery life.
I came back to it when I realised nothing else currently on the market can match its spec.
Then I was delighted to learn that firmware upgrades (now on version 4) have resolved battery issues and created a 150% improvement. Nearly every review online currently is out of date and wrong!
It's a shame there's no phone or camera, but then I have a phone and a camera already!
Bottom line, this is the most powerful device on the market and is the best value for money, PLUS you can always rely on Dell to keep providing free updates and fixes if anything goes wrong.
Oh, and all those people who had trouble getting the pc to recognise the device were victims of an activesync bug, not a problem with the x51v. Activesync 4.1 fixes this, but users should know any way to install software/drivers *before* plugging in *any* device. -
"Much better now" on by lupyne
Pros: VGA, Small and pocketable, Highly usable.
Cons: It doesn't double as a Maid.
Summary: I use a handheld for work and personal finance. I need one that is small enough to pack around in my pocket not on my belt. It has to have a very clear and crisp screen so as to be viewable in varied environments and I can't be concerned about losing my data via dead battery. That said, this is the only unit I have found that delivers my bottom line. Add to that the fact that I caught it on sale at Dell for 100 dollars off the standard retail price. Unlike some, I haven't had a bad customer experience with Dell Small Business support. I think I can finally quit upgrading these silly things for a while.
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"Fantastic - IF You know it's limitations" on by GiveMeABreak
Pros: Windows Mobile 5.0
Cons: Windows Mobile 5.0
Summary: I've had this particular unit for two months now. At first, it was a nightmare! Constant system resets, poor wireless performance, software that just wouldn't work! Not a very good start!
However, through investigation, and the assumption that this is one of Dell's flagship models, I figured there had to be a solution. I The first thing that I did was to upgrade the firmware. Mine now has version A.06 (it was shipped with A.01). This cured the need for constant soft resets, though the occaisional reset is still required.
The software issue is a Windows issue. Although Windows Mobile 5.0 states that it is backwards compatible with Windows Pocket PC 2003, my real world experience, is that it is not 100% compatible. A case in question is Microsoft Money 2005. The data is all over the place, with incorrect balances being displayed (though when you open the application, all is intact). Money also produces numerous errors, in as much that the Error Reporting had to be turned off on the device. Another problem was Microsoft Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager. There is a plugin for Pocket PC 2003, so in theory, it should work on Windows Mobile 5.0. It doesn't!!! That has caused me great pain, and a total restructuring of Outlook on my main PC. In addition, you cannot push a contact out using Bluetooth - it will receive contacts, but you cannot push any data out to other devices such as a phone. So, Windows Mobile 5.0 can be classed as a con in this case. The good (logical) news, is that because it is the latest version, Microsoft and all the other software houses will be writing with this version in mind. So as the OS matures, so should the apps.
Conclusion:
Great piece of hardware from Dell, but Microsoft appears to have rushed the OS to market without complete testing!
Dell Axim X51v user reviews
Where to Buy
As Reviewed: $499
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