Like the latest crop of PDAs, the X50v 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. As you would expect, Pocket Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer are present, while other applications and utilities include MSN Messenger, a VPN client, a clock, a calculator, File Store, and Backup. 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 X50v was somewhat disappointing, as one of the PDA's best highlights--the VGA screen--turned out to be its biggest downfall. That said, we noticed similar hiccups in other VGA models such as the Asus MyPal A730 and the Toshiba e805, and while not ideal as your primary media player or gaming device, the X50v is still a very capable PDA.
This flagship model sports Intel's state-of-the-art PXA270 processor running at 624MHz, currently the fastest chip for Pocket PCs, as well as Intel's 2700G multimedia accelerator. Unfortunately, we were disappointed to see that all this power produced below-average video performance and subsequently affected its overall standing in CNET Labs' tests, scoring about 40 percent lower than the midlevel X50. Even in real-life usage, we experienced a noticeable lag in response time on the X50v when switching between applications.
Playing games on the X50v wasn't ideal. We tried out Stuntcar Extreme and enjoyed the great graphics on the VGA screen, but overall, it was a sluggish experience, and often, the game froze if another application was running in the background. Also, the small navigation toggle made it difficult to maneuver in the game. On a brighter note, when we were viewing Word documents or Web pages or performing other PIM functions, the screen produced sharp, crisp images and was even legible in sunlight.
Like the X50, the X50v's wireless connections worked very well. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth passed our test without a hitch, as the handheld instantly connected to access points and had great range.
Battery life was so-so. In our drain test, where we repeatedly played a video with the backlight and volume set at high with all wireless features off, the battery lasted almost four hours. By comparison, this was almost an hour longer than the A730 but fell short of the HP iPaq hx4700's mark of 5 hours, 25 minutes. Then again, the hx4700 doesn't have all the multimedia flair of the X50v. As our drain test was designed to zap the battery as fast as possible, you'll get more mileage with normal usage.
Performance analysis written by CNET Labs project leader Dong Van Ngo and Eric Franklin.
- See more CNET content tagged:
- Dell Axim,
- battery,
- PDA,
- multimedia,
- Intel
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 113 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 3 of 113 user reviewsSee all 113 user reviews
-
22 out of 22 people found this review helpful
-
21 out of 22 people found this review helpful
-
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful
- See all 113 user reviews Write review
