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

• 624 MHz Intel Xscale PXA270 processor
• 128 MB Flash ROM and 64 MB SDRAM memory with XMB (cross media bar) on-screen navigation to access memory
• Integrated 802.11b Wi-Fi
• Intel 2700G multimedia accelerator with 16 MB of video memor
• Operating System: Microsoft Mobile Pocket PC 2003

I have carried this PDA nearly every day for approximately six months. I listen to audio books on it from audible.com, use for keeping lists, and most importantly I used the interface with MS Outlook for emails and schedules. To keep it safe I use the magnesium shell case from innopocket.com and can carry it without concern in my cargo pocket or backpack without fear of damage.

The latest ROM version for PPC2003SE seems to have resolved all of the issues that is struggled with immediately after its release. The latest Dell PDA version of this line, the x51v, used WM5. At the time of this writing, WM5 ROM A6 for the x50v is available, however, detailed postings on aximsite.com show that there are still too many issues with this ROM update for the x50v to make it worthwhile.

PRO: Excellent connectivity, to wit; Bluetooth, WiFi, and USB. VGA adapter is available too. Great memory expansion with both CF and SD card options. Screen is excellentI watch movies that I have converted with pocketDVD and betaplayer.

CON: Battery life is okay. By adjusting the settings you can squeak out a fair amount of time on the unit. It does ship with two batteries and you can charge both the unit and the extra battery in the base charger. If you are looking for a good DC adapter for the car check out boxwave.com with their adapter that can charge the power hunger unit in the car.

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I started with a Tangerine Handspring Visor Deluxe, with a whopping 8Mb of RAM. I followed up with a Sony Clie SJ-33, then a TJ-35, and started to become a little annoyed with the low RAM and lack of WiFi or Bluetooth offerings, so I "cashed out" and just used my Nokia 3650 for a year. When I saw a deal on a Dell Axim 50v, I jumped on it and never looked back. Here's why it made sense for me.

1) I was looking for a replacement for a PDA, but I wanted Bluetooth (for my cellphone and desktop) and WiFi (for remote PC management). High-end Palms met this, and so did some PocketPC devices;

2) I was looking for a bigger MP3 player. The LifeDrive fit this but the 4Gb storage wasn't removable. The Dells have a CF card slot and a 6Gb microDrive stores 50% more than the LifeDrive, and is removable. The SD slot is a nice bonus with the Dells as well.

3) I was looking for some Office application compatibility, and Dell Axims with Windows Mobile 2003SE ship with Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. Outlook syncs with the device natively. I'd lose my existing library of Palm apps but the core utilities were easily replaced by ouf-of-box functionality.

4) Price: I wasn't going to pony up $800 on a PDA because at that level, I might as well get a cheap laptop. I managed to do quite well with a Dell Axim 50v and a Hitachi 6Gb Microdrive.

Of course, hitting features on a map and actually using them are two different things. The Axim 50v surprised me a lot and let me down a little...

1) Battery life is good, and I can swap out the battery with a larger one and get some serious runtime. I can play MP3s for three hours and not need to charge it, and still work with apps on it while music plays.

2) WiFi is pretty good, and being able to control my server PCs through a Desktop Connection is nice, real nice.

3) Pocket Word and Pocket Excel are pretty good; QuickOffice for Palm is actually superior, but I'm happy with the switch nevertheless.

4) The backlight is bright, almost too bright. Colors are beautiful. And storage is plentiful.

Downsides include:

1) Block Recognizer does not remember your input, so unlike true T9 input, it doesn't ever get smarter, and that disappoints me greatly.

2) Microsoft has shut off WiFi syncing for ActiveSync, so if you're stuck with a USB 1.1 connection for your cradle/ cable, that's the top speed you can expect. WiFi syncing is much faster.

3) Windows Mobile 5 is an utter disaster for Axim 50vs; this is largely mitigated by how good WM2003SE is. I don't feel the need to use the buggy ActiveSync 4.1 (which can easily drain your battery), or to hack the registry to have the Axim find my CF card when starting.

This is the PDA I recommend to people now. Its storage flexibility, two radios, bright screen, and swappable battery solution makes it a winner. WM2003SE is a stable operating system and the bundled apps make this an excellent tool from day one. The Windows Media Player is good enough for MP3 playback, although a 3rd party app like Conduits PocketPlayer is a good buy. There is some excellent freeware as well, to my surprise, and I'm not missing Palm any longer.

Fred

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I am one of the lucky few to have got the Dell Axim A50v as a gift. This PDA looks very strong and elegant and I just love the feel of it. It is easy to download music and listen to it later whenever I want to. The buttons are well spaced and easy to use. The video with its VGS screen is classy and the display is very bright and clear. The connectivity options are very good. The consumer IR port was a surprise, as most of the manufacturers do not include this on their devices.

The battery life is ok, but I feel it should have been of a higher capacity. The new Media Player is not up to the mark, few of its features being useful only if the user ties himself/herself to Windows Media format and applications. These are the reasons that I gave the product four stars.

Being Blue tooth and Wi-Fi enabled this is a great product. Its slim and light form along with the excellent features have won me over. I feel that the X50v is an attractive high-end Windows Mobile handheld to own.

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I did a whole lot of research before I bought one of these badboys.

My first choice was a Palm LifeDrive, however I did a ton of reading and there are a slew of problems with there built in 4gb CF drive. There is also NO way to switch batterys on the go, which is a HUGE downside. Overall the LifeDrive really isn't any better than the x50v, I feel it is much worse.

1) You can't switch batterys on the LD

2) You can't repair the CF drive yourself without killing the warranty

3) Doesn't compare to the dedicated intel 2700g 16mb gfx card

Now to the Axim.

1) Sound quality is superb. I bought this to replace my ipod, and I must say, this puppy puts the ipods quality to shame. You can get a software equalizer and tweak your sound.

2) Battery Life is good to me, you can buy a portable charger that takes double aa's, ideally you want 4 nimh batterys, 2500MAs are best. It will charge it 3 or more times on the go.

3) Graphics are amazing.

4) Productivity is amazing.

Overall I would highly suggest this PDA.

I have had my dell axim for several years now, this is a great product for multimedia purposes. You can download many programs and have music,movies,GPS navigation(need reciever), and much much more with this device. I need to mention that dell pda's has several problems with the software and hardware. There are web sites out there to help buyers with various problems from this device. I had to replace my initial Dell axim x50v because of a digitizer problem. My screen would not align and my stylus was never acurate, but after getting a replacment, I have yet to run into any major problems. I recommend having some type of warranty with this product since it has a reputation of so many problems if you are going to purchase this.