Dell Axim X50v - Handheld - Windows Mobile 2003 SE - 3.7" color TFT ( 480 x 640 )

• This handheld comes equipped with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile.
• It includes an integrated CompactFlash Type II and Secure Digital / SDIO Now! / MMC card slots for flexible expansion.

I've also been using this device for a month and it meets every reasonable expectation. Compared to my old Toshiba 355, it is lightning quick, including ActiveSync connections (the Toshiba took several seconds, but this one connects near instantly), which is nice for quick syncs.

I've played DVD movies on it using the format provided by a pocket DVD conversion utility and they run great. Built-in storage isn't huge (80 MB), but considering I didn't even have that option on the Toshiba, it is a great addition.

What is hands-down the best addition to this PPC is the VGA screen. I use the device mainly for scanning through, reading, and storing research papers and books. Using RepliGo (as Adobe doesn't have the sense to release a VGA-compatible Reader), I can read long documents MUCH more comfortably than I ever could on my old PDA and without the mess of paper that comes with printing every one of them off. Not to mention I can pull up old materials for quick reference on-the-fly.

To give you an idea of how you could use the power of this device: I store 400 MB of music on the CF card, 180 MB of documents (including novels, scientific papers, and maps) and a single compressed 256 MB DVD movie on the SD card, and a satisfying ensamble of programs on the Built-In storage (I still have about 50 MB left, which I have been shaving off with hi-definition Today themes).

I use the Main Memory storage to house quick access to SlovoEd's exhaustive dictionary/thesaurus. I very rarely have trouble finding the meaning of a word (and in academia, you run into some doozies) quickly. This increases my speed for assimilating papers and books that use unfamiliar terms.

I use a bluetooth keyboard, so if I need to type something up on the bus, I can initialize the keyboard, start up Pocket Word, place the cursor where I want it, lock the screen input, put the PPC safely in my pocket, and type out my thoughts with the keyboard sitting on my lap. Before, constant bumps in the road imperilled my Toshiba as it rocked back in forth atop its plug-in keyboard. The bluetooth range is considerable so you can even type documents and messages on the PDA from across the room for parlor tricks if you so desire.

As the previous reviewer stated, wireless access is simple to use and works great.

EDIT:

Gosh how much can change in 3 years! This was great for its time but I really wouldn't recommend it anymore. Just get an iPhone! It does everything I mentioned in this review and more. You do have to pay a monthly fee but it is worth it.

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Having used a myriad of PDA's (in various flavors of PPC/Palm) I can honestly say that this is among the best of the bunch if not the best I have used.

Onboard audio is good; no need for an outside program (for the most part if so, go get betaplayer [search google] as its a free program that will play pretty much any media file).

Storage is a bit on the shy side, yet with the dual capability of both SD and CF cards this really isn't a problem.

Wifi works good, I get signals all the time even in places where I probably shouldn't. Some theaters and grocery stores really need to ramp up their wireless security.

The screen is bright and sharp, running one of the true-vga programs makes for a neat change (especially with some of the enhanced calendar programs).

The first of two downsides to this PDA is that old programs that are not compatible with the new hardware yet you are going to run into this with any PDA eventually.

The second is the arguably slow IRDA port. It will work for browsing television but you will not want to replace your remote control with it.

Bluetooth is solid but I really don't recommend it for file transfer; there is a bug (arguable as to which end it is on) that can limit the file size or transfer capability.

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I've been using the Dell for about 1 month. I think it's great. It run faster than my old Tungsten t5, and very rarely (only once that I know of) has had to be reset. I haven't lost any data. I like having the ability to change batteries, and it play movies like a dream. I do wish it had the palm style flip cover, and it is a bit of a pain using a card reader to load large files onto an sd card, but the device runs fine.

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Overall, the x50v is a good PPC. Dual memory slots, a 3.7" VGA screen, and good self-contained audio make it a great solution for people who want to use it for both work and play.

Like another reviewer, I have been using my PPC to run encoded movies. I've run small encoded movies (390MB full length movies) and large encoded movies (700+MB). I've had absolutely no problems. The pictures are sharp and clear on the VGA screen, I have witnessed no lagging, and the sound is good. In fact, I've found that it's better to compress the video stream more than the audio stream because the fidelty of the x50v will pick up on sound compression very quickly.

I've never had any trouble transferring files to my x50v. As noted above, I've transferred files well over 700MB, MP3s of all sizes, and I've never lost a file along the way.

Bluetooth and WiFi work as expected and up to expectation. I wish the PDA's onboard software had included more options--such as direct sending of Notes or Tasks to mated cell phones instead of just Contacts.

The biggest downside? Weak battery. I would highly recommend the extended life battery if you want to go more than a few hours without recharging. Also, be aware that you're only getting 64MB of RAM (and you will want to make sure you don't install programs into that memory). The iPaq series sports twice as much RAM. Luckily, the x50v carries another 16MB in graphics processing which seems to help keep it moving.

Overall, I'm happy with the x50v. It's a good platform for PPC games, movies, music, and work applications. If you don't plan on watching movies or playing games, you might want to save the money and get the midline model. But if you want the additional entertainment functions, I would strongly recommend the "v" model.

We like the Dell Axim x50v. It does a lot of work for a device that easily fits in your shirt pocket. It is fairly intuitive when working with Microsoft and similar programs. The only caveat is we lose data. Occassionally we'll need a contact phone number and it's gone. Looking around, usually a whole swath of contacts have been cut, such as 40 people whose last names begin with "P." Oh, they're not gone permanently, they always reappear after a soft re-start but we have had to do this a dozen times in the 5 months we've had it.

The screen is clear, the memory sufficient for a huge database of contacts and prospects, and easy to use. Overall, it's a great value.