.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE The Dell Axim X50: The small unit with the big heart
.AUTHOR Jason Giacchino
.SUMMARY Author Jason Giacchino recently made a carefully researched purchase of a Dell Axim X50 Pocket PC. Is he ready to trade in his Tablet PC for a handheld? Read on to find out.
.OTHER
A late adopter into the true realm of literal pocket computing, I’m finding myself wondering what has fueled my devotion to tablet and notebook computers for so long. This revelation in thinking has been sparked in part by my recent acquisition of a Dell Axim X50 Pocket PC, the very tool I’m using to write this review while sitting in the brightly lit surroundings of my favorite local coffee spot.
Sure, I’ve done countless articles from this very seat through WordPerfect, which is installed on my Dell Inspiron notebook computer and Acer Tablet PC, but this is the first through Microsoft’s equally impressive Pocket Word. And even more amazing to me, it was done without a massive bag across my shoulder or chronic battery indicator checks between sentences.
If you’re a photographer, you might be interested in the review of the Axim X50v we ran in Connected Photographer Magazine at http://www.connectedphotographer.com/issues/issue200503/00001518001.html.
This purchase was a carefully made, much researched endeavor, and much to the delight of my credit card company, included a slew of after-market and factory accessories, sweetening the pot to the level of irresistibility. Among them, a Dell foldaway keyboard, a sturdy travel case, and a USB car charger, in addition to the USB PC docking cradle, battery (lithium ion), and charger shown in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A A box full of goodies (excluding the extras I opted for).
The unit itself, complete with 64 Megabytes of SDRAM, 64 Megs of Intel StrataFlash ROM, an Intel Xscale 416 Mhz processor, came preloaded with Windows Mobile 2003 Premium; a slightly outdated operating system in terms of Microsoft’s recent releases, but still a practical, feature rich tool that has proven itself bullet-proof and limitlessly upgradable, see Figure B.
.FIGPAIR B Windows Mobile 2003 Premium; still packs a punch.
I found navigation with the stylus to be natural and swift within the first few minutes of operation, nearly as effective on the 3.5-inch LCD touch-screen as a mouse on the desktop. However, far from an expert with Graffiti, and not too much faster with the on-screen virtual keyboard, I find the optional foldaway keyboard priceless for entering sizable amounts of text (like this article for example).
.BREAK_EMAIL Click here to learn more about the Dell Axim X50.
For whatever reason, brand new and out of the box the letter "O" seems to require a more deliberate stab to register than the remaining keys. And the letter "K" tends to stick, offering me more misspellings than I can (and do) already provide in my writing. Fortunately spell check is fast and efficient, and I’m almost constantly discovering more of the perks of using Windows Mobile’s compatibility with Windows XP.
Admittedly, much of the appeal of owning such a unit, for me anyway, is the ability to extract the inputted data and transfer it to my desktop, as it serves as my primary emailing station/late-night editing system. Fortunately, the Axim delivers on that front as well.
Microsoft ActiveSync software is a breeze to setup and has functioned without hitch since installation from the enclosed software CD. The cradle/docking station allows for near instant recognition of the unit as it locked into place, syncing automatically to the desktop while charging the unit’s main battery. The cradle shown in Figure C also offers a slot to charge a spare battery for those who wish to swap and run.
.FIGPAIR C Transferring data is an effortless affair with the USB cradle.
Pocket Word (and Pocket Excel) files transfer effortlessly into any program capable of opening compatible Word or Excel applications. I happen to use OpenOffice.org 1.1.3 on my desktop.
In addition to all the goodies Windows users have come to expect, Mobile comes equipped to make use of the touch screen with programs such as Notes, which allows for totally handwritten characters or drawings that can be copied into documents, emails, or presentations. Best of all, voice recognition with a build-in microphone and speaker allows for voice memos and reminders to accompany text. Using the Recognize option does an instant translation of the written characters into text, albeit sometimes a little off base, but this could be the result of my handwriting, which many fellow human beings can’t even decipher.
In all honesty, I’ve found there isn’t much I can’t accomplish with this portable powerhouse. My only regret in the decision to purchase it is that I fear my new laptop may start collecting dust. Upon completing this review I’ve decided, for old times sake, to drag over the battery indicator icon, just to get a feel for how much time I have left to enjoy some MP3’s on Windows Media Player. Just under 9 hours of charge remaining!
I guess the only question that remains: Is anyone looking for a slightly used Acer Tablet PC?
.RATING 4
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on the Dell Axim X50, visit http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/pda.
For our full review of the Dell Axim X50v, visit http://www.connectedphotographer.com/issues/issue200503/00001518001.html.
For more information on WordPerfect, visit http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel3/Products/Display.
For more information on Acer Tablet PCs, visit http://us.acer.com/acerpanam/page74.do?dau119.oid=25&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&ctx1=EU&crc=2985574567.
For more information on OpenOffice.org, visit http://www.openoffice.org/.
.END_SIDEBAR
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