Slashdot Mirror
Review of the new Dell Axim X50s
bargainPDA writes "We have posted an in depth review of the new Dell Axim X50 line which includes three PDAs. The high end X50v features a 3.7" VGA display, CF and SD slots and dual wireless. Dell has done well to beat HP at almost every level and looks good considering palmOne's Tungsten T5 snafus. "
Now I have to maintain another battery set and drain the PDA battery much faster just to connect an external bluetooth GPS receiver to the X50.
I'm reading the article and my eyes hurt already and we havent moved on from the appearance of the damn thing!
In case you can't be bothered to read the first 50% of the review - its kinda shiny, and a bit curvier than the old one. Hmmmmm curvy shiny things...
The tests leave no doubt that the sharper screen and faster processor on the X50v can eat into its battery life. However, I also ran another test, this time optimistically, designed to find out what the maximum battery life of the X50v is. I turned the screen to the minimum level of brightness--which is actually still quite bright--and left the processor mostly idle, as it would be for simple tasks like reading, typing, and PIM.
X50v maximum life: Approximately 8 hours, 30 minutes
My first "modern" PDA was a Palm III, it had 4 weeks autonomy, 2 when playing SimCity in Black and White.
I really loved it but it eventually fell one time too much.
I also had a Zaurus SL5500 which autonomy was even more pathetic than its sluggishness.
Now, all the other PDA I saw hardly have more than a working day autonomy, I think this is not good as this does not even make these suitable for camping or for long travels...
Besides the Tungsten C, I am not sure I want a PDA. But it only caus' it's got a keyboard and wifi.
Trolling using another account since 2005.
As usual, the PPC reviewer completely fails to listen to a recording of silence for the presence of buzz from backlight ballasts to near to the microphone leads. WHY???
It's still seems better than any PDA on the market. The most important feature to me is that it take standard batteries (it takes AAA's). I have 2 sets of NiMH ones and a set of alkalines as spares. One set of rechargables is always charging, the other is in the PDA. When the set in the PDA dies, I use the alkalines as a backup until I get home and swap the ones from the charge into the PDA. I'm still getting 3-4 weeks on a charge.
I had a Treo 90 for the colour screen but the internal Li-Ion battery wouldn't last through a 4-hour flight as an ebook. If I forget to charge it one night, it's useless the next day.
Jason
ProfQuotes
Actually that's a question to which the answer is interesting.
If you were thinking about running linux on your ppc, it's a good idea not to buy this. Dell hasn't released information about the hardware to make Linux on it feasable.
Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
Anyway why are we seeing more and more of these posts here?
Yet nobody mentioned the Fujitsu Siemens Loox 720?
Online backup with Mozy, sounds like Ozzie, but more!
I have an Axim X30. I carry it around all the time, and use it fairly frequently. One of the main things I use it for is an MP3 (wma really) player. As a music player it does a pretty good job- in fact, I put the iPod skin on top of Windows Media Player, and it works just fine when using my thumbs to navigate through songs, etc.
Of course, it can do more than just play music- I can surf the web, get e-mail, etc. etc. I've noticed that more and more restaurants offer free wireless internet access, and I use this about 1-2 times a week to check my e-mail. Just to make sure that taking a long lunch will be okay, and there are no emergencies dragging me back to the office. (or better yet, I won't get caught taking a long lunch...because replying to an e-mail is just like saying "I'm back in my office")
I even have some pictures stored on it, and if I really wanted to, I could put on some video.
So my question/comment is this- if Microsoft makes a product like this (the software) then why the heck would we want to buy their over-sized lesser-functioning media players?
I don't have one of their new media players- but as far as I know, the functions are:
- plays music
- plays video
Well, their PocketPCs can already do that. And now with the VGA PPC, the video can look pretty damn good. With a PocketaPC I can play a game, or use Excel, or whatever while I listen to music. I keep my contacts, appointments, etc.
So why not just sell a Pocket PC with a different marketing twist- aimed as a media player, that also does other crap?
While my PPC is not as nice of a media player as an iPod- it is a better media player than 80% of the dedicated devices I've seen. But you you add in e-mail, this devices zooms to the top of the 'useful crap in my pocket' category.
No reason to lie.
That hasn't stopped various hackers from getting a demo working for the X5. If enough people are interested in these models, the hardware will be reverse-engineered and Linux ported.
--- Hot Shot City is particularly good.
reviewers should really mention one thing "why should/shouldn't I go out and buy this to replace my current PDA." Now I'm not the type of person that will do that even if they do tell me. I'll replace my PDA when it stops working, until then I've got a great PDA. But let's say someone did destroy it tomorrow, I'd be looking at this review and go "nice price tag, what's so good about it that I'd want this one as opposed to another version of my recently-destroyed model? I see no extra features at all, let alone a killer feature. I do see a decrease in battery life, yet this is a good buy? Is this reviewer on crack or on the take?"
[/rant]
With so many positive PDA reviews being posted here I'd like, just once, to see a review that says why it's so much better. All I see "this is as good as all the current PDAs, but it's new so therefore it must be a good buy."
How you might ask? Something is portable when I can:
I consider my Zire 31 the better of the devices. I have an expansion slot, it is as small or smaller than the first palmtop I owned, I can go up to a week without needing a charge given normal usage and if (when) I break it, I need to spend only another $149USD to replace it. These new palmtops are just smaller laptops, not more advanced palmtops.
Magic Eight Ball: Outlook not so good., Hmmm, how about Excel and Word?
Another problem is that most Li-Ion cells are only good for a couple of hundred recharge cycles. Unless you are into MP3 from your PDA, you may not need to charge everyday.
The problem is that a device that fails after just two-hundred working days isn't very useful, even if the battery is easily replaced.
Actually, Li-Ion cells don't really suffer too much damage from discharge-charge cycles (as long as you keep them partially charged all the time). Full discharge/charge cycles are bad on Li-Ion cells, though.
*HOWEVER*, Li-Ion cells do age. For every day that the Li-Ion cell "lives" since the date it was put together by the battery factory, it wears out. They wear out faster if they're fully discharged (not significantly, though). So they'll last around 3-5 years since their manufacture. (Thus, buying spare batteries now to combat the effects of aging in the future is futile - i.e., a waste of money unless you need it now). Especially something to consider when buying refurbed items since the battery may have aged into significant loss of capacity while the device sat on the shelf.
Steve Jobs really pissed me off when he canceled the Newton, to this day it has the best handheld UI bar none. I think it could have been huge (no pun intended) if it had survived long enough to add smaller and larger formfactors, color, wireless.
I seriously doubt he foresaw the whole pda/phone thing, like the P800, Treo, E680, etc. But, I think he has a point when he talks about how the stuff we need to do with an organizer (todos, events, calendaring, contacts) can be done in a phone.
I think the main problem with that though is changing wireless standards, frequencies, etc, which require software radios.