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10 out of 10 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"A beautiful device with a good price-performance ratio."
Pros: Crisp screen, thin profile, built-in wireless solutions, built-in SD and CF slots.
Cons: Easy to accidentally press buttons on the side of unit, don't care for the feel of the power button, stylus is so thin it's sometimes awkward to use and sometimes a pain to put in the storage silo.
Summary: After having owned a Palm IIIxe, then moving up to a H-P iPAQ 3955, I thought it would be tough to beat the Compaq. Though an excellent performer, I grew tired of the bulk of the 3955, especially since I was using it with the Expansion Pack Plus for extra battery life and a CF expansion slot.
I've enjoyed the power of the PocketPC operating system and decided to look again at iPAQ devices. I wanted a more powerful processor, but more importantly I wanted the convenience of having expansion slots built-in to the unit. I also wanted wireless capabilities without having to use an external add-on.
When I began looking at higher-end iPAQs, the price began climbing well above $500. I couldn't justify spending that much when I was merely upgrading out of desire, not necessity. I decided to look at Dell Axims. Two of my friends raved about their older Axims and a little research led me to look at the x50v. It had all the features I wanted plus an affordable price. I purchased mine for $425 directly from Dell in March of '05.
So far I've been very impressed with its performance, particularly using Wi-Fi. I have a home wireless network. With my iPAQ using an external Linksys card I could not wander through the house and get a signal, but with the Dell x50v I have been able to wander two floors up from the base unit and still have a respectable signal! I have not tried the Bluetooth feature yet because I've not outfitted either of my computers with it, but I do expect to have a Bluetooth phone in the near future, so I'm looking forward to being able to utilize it.
The screen is razor-sharp and it took a little adjusting to get used to it. The pictures of my children I used to carry on my iPAQ revealed much more detail on the Dell and the screen was nice and bright, too. Typefaces look as they should and are very clean and easy to read.
Two immediate things that were not pleasing to me were the power button and the stylus. My old 3955 iPAQ power button gave a solid response when depressed; a firm click. The Axim, however, had a recessed button that I really had a bit of trouble getting used to. It's response was not so positive, possibly even dull (if you were to describe a click), and sometimes I had to try two times or more to get it right. My fingers are medium-sized for a man, so I might imagine a person with larger digits could have trouble.
The stylus was very thin and difficult to hold. Unlike the iPAQ, where the stylus was a bit beefier and it clicked nicely in to place in its silo, the Axim silo is notched to line up with a nub on the end of the stylus. It fits flush in to the top of the device, but you sometimes have to line-up the nub to fit in the notch. Picky, maybe, but you never get the secure feeling that it's in place and will stay there. Also, Dell gives you only one stylus. H-P gave you two.
One final thing that impressed me about this was the battery life. I've read some reviews where people have said the battery didn't last long. Well, I have to say, I'm pretty impressed that I can have my screen brightness up fairly high and surf wirelessly for at least 40 minutes continuously before I get the low battery warning. And that's at the end of the day, after the unit's been used beforehand! I've thought about purchasing the longer-life battery for it as a backup, but so far am okay with the standard battery. Oh yes, I almost forgot the unit has a built-in backup battery to help protect from storage loss.
I have become used to the feel of this device; Dell has given the case some sort of rubber treatment to the sides that make it less slippery to hold. The microfiber case, I thought, was kind of cheesey, but for now it's okay. I miss having a nice hard case for it like I had for the iPAQ, but the Innopocket magnesium case may be my next accessory purchase.
In all, I think it's hard to beat the price-performance ratio on the Dell Axim x50v. For a high-end product it's a bargain.
Where to buy
624 MHz Axim X50v Handheld with 1-Year Advanced Exchange Service and 1-Year Tech Support:
$599.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$599.99 | See Site |
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