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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 32 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Windows Media Player 10.0 Mobile; fast processor and ample memory; integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; sleek design; user-replaceable battery.
The bad: Heavy; small navigation toggle; lackluster software bundle.
The bottom line: Solid performance and advanced multimedia capabilities make the Dell Axim X50 a suitable PDA for both serious and more casual users.
Specifications: OS provided: Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2003 Second Edition; Installed RAM: 64 MB; Processor: Intel 520 MHzXscale; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 10/12/2004
- Released on: 10/12/2004
Taking center stage is the X50's 3.5-inch QVGA screen that displays 65,000 colors and a 240x480-pixel resolution. The four shortcut keys (Calendar, Contacts, Inbox, and Home) and the navigation toggle reside just below and, compared to the X30's, were quite diminutive. While this wasn't much of an issue with the shortcut keys, the smaller toggle proved trickier to navigate, especially for those with bigger digits, and we often pressed the center Select button by mistake.
The left side of the PDA gives you access to a host of goodies. There's a lanyard hook, a lock switch, a wireless on/off button, and a voice-record button. The one-touch access to wireless connectivity is a particularly nice convenience since you don't have to fish through the Settings menu to turn on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The top of the device houses a 3.5mm headphone/headset jack that accepts Walkman-style 'phones and supports VoIP and voice-recognition apps; the stylus holder; and dual CompactFlash and SD expansion slots. Also, there's a standard sync/cradle connector on the bottom of the device. Give the X50 a twirl, and on the back, you'll find a battery-lock switch that enables the user to swap out the 1,100mAh battery, a Reset button, and two rubber grips to prevent your handheld from slipping.
There aren't too many extras in the box, but you get a desktop sync cradle, a travel charger, and a protective case. We were disappointed that a protective case isn't included. As mentioned earlier, the X50 has a user-replaceable battery; if you're a road warrior, you might want to invest in Dell's 2,200mAh extended cell for $99.
A check under the Dell Axim X50's hood shows a well-equipped handheld. There's an Intel 520MHz XScale PXA270 processor that, like any chip in this family, features SpeedStep and Wireless MMX technology to optimize battery life. Memory is ample, with 128MB of flash ROM and 64MB of SDRAM (145MB of which are user-accessible). If that's not enough, the dual CompactFlash and SD expansion slots should do the trick.
The expansion options are particularly attractive since the X50 is the first Pocket PC to offer Windows Media Player (WMP) 10.0 Mobile. What does this mean for you? In short, it's a better multimedia experience. Aside from being able to carry your favorite WMA, MP3, and WMV music files on your handheld, you now can get album art with the accompanying song. Also, Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10.0 gives you access to audio and video content from subscription services such as Musicmatch and CinemaNow. Like to show off photos and videos? You can do that too with WMP 10.0. While this is all very entertaining, proceed with caution, as playing music and watching video takes up a lot of battery power. Unlike the X50v, this model does not include the gaming bundle, although it has Solitaire and Jawbreaker.
Wireless connection comes in the form of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which can be used simultaneously. The X50 ships with a WLAN utility that shows signal strength, encryption options, certificate enrollment for advanced Wi-Fi authentication, and more. Bluetooth also opens the doors to communication with other devices, allowing users to do even more with the X50. For instance, paired with Dell's GPS receiver ($249), you can use the X50 as a navigation device or to connect to a Bluetooth keyboard, such as the Think Outside Stowaway, for more productivity.
Like the latest crop of PDAs, the X50 comes loaded with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, which supports Landscape mode--a boon if you're keen on flashing photos, surfing the Web, or working on spreadsheets. There's also a companion CD with demo versions of programs such as Cash Organizer 2003, Full Hand Casino, and McAfee VirusScan PDA.
Editors' note: Due to time constraints with the product launch, we were able to run only one battery test instead of our standard three. We will continue testing the product and update as soon as we get the results.From a performance point of view, the Dell Axim X50 fell short of the high-end X30, but keep in mind that it sports a 520MHz processor compared to the X30's 624MHz chip. That said, the X50 was about 15 percent slower than the X30 in CNET Labs' tests. Numbers don't tell the whole story, though, as the X50 is still a very fast Pocket PC, and the average user will be hard-pressed to discern any difference in performance between the two models.
While the X50 offers great video performance, the magic was somewhat lost on the X50's QVGA screen. It's a fine screen and was readable in sunlight, but after using the VGA displays on the Asus MyPal A730 and the HP iPaq hx4700, we were left yearning for the new 3D graphical touches and crisper images. Then again, if you like what the X50 has to offer and desire a VGA screen, you can always go with the X50v.
On the other hand, the Axim X50's wireless connections were excellent. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth worked flawlessly in our tests. We were able to easily connect to our test access points and had excellent range. Again, you can use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi at the same time, but just be aware that this can quickly drain battery life.
Speaking of battery, the X50 comes with one main cell and one internal backup battery. In our drain tests, where we looped a video clip with the backlight and volume set to high and all wireless connections turned off, the main battery lasted almost 5 hours (see editors' note above), a very impressive score and a significant improvement from the X30 series. Still, it fell several hours short of some of the new iPaqs, including HP's multimedia PDA, the rx3715. As our drain test was designed to zap the battery as fast as possible, you will probably get more mileage in real-world usage.
Performance analysis written by CNET Labs project leader Dong Van Ngo.
