The best pda ever made!!!!!!!! (Dell Axim X5 Advanced)

Member Name: gpk115

Product:	Dell Axim X5 Advanced
Date:	25/08/03 (4810 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great pda, price

Disadvantages: bit on the fat side

Introduction


First of all before you buy a pda you have to decide between Palm OS or Pocket PC. Palm OS is usually easy to use, they weight much less and of course they are more affordable. Some Palm OS models feature build in digital camera's and other features that Pocket PC models don't have. Pocket PC models are more advanced and are not just for staying organized but playing games and such. Some of the things I noticed about Pocket PC models are




1. The Displays are surprisingly better then the Palm OS Models
2. Pocket PC models usually have two expansion slots, Palm OS pda's such as the sony clie models have only 1 expansion slot.
3. They are more complicated to use then the Palm OS Models. However if you know how to use a actual PC you might want to consider Pocket PC Models.
4. Pocket PC models let you use more advanced features such as Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, MSN Messenger and Microsoft Reader. These will come in to be very handy later on. You may also use the Transcriber expect the keyboard on the screen. With the Transcriber you may actually print words and the PC will recocnize them. this makes writing down notes or other stuff much easier.
5. Pocket PC models have built in speakers for listening to music without headphones or playing games. Palm OS models do not.


Affordability



O.k. I will ask all of you to open your newspapers and see if you can find a Pocket PC model for under £200. heres a hint, you will be looking for a while. Not only is this the most affordable Pocket PC model out there but it outperforms £300-£500 models out there. Its main competition is the Toshiba e310 and Viewsonic V35. The Toshiba e310 retails for around £230 and the Viewsonic for around £300. The Toshiba e310 is just about the same, even though it might be more portable because it easily weights less I have heard many complaints about this unit breaking down for no reason
about just about everything you can amagine. It will also take a few more dollars out of your wallet. The Viewsonic V35 is just about the same also exept the price which scares people away. So I can easily tell that this is the most affordable unit out there. It might cost less but the features easily compare to a £300 Pocket PC model.


Size and Weight



This Pocket PC weights about 6.9 Oz. which is a little more then average for a Pocket PC. Usually the weight is not a problem for me so I don't think it will be a problem for you. It might be Pocketsize but you will have to have a big pocket to fit the Dell Axim in. Its height is 5.o4 inches, its depth is .71 inches and the width is 3.21 inches. This is about average for a Pocket PC.


Features



There are many great features on this pocket pc, first of all there is two expansion slots, the Compact Flash card (type 2) and the Secure Digital Card. Compact Flash will expand your memory (for additional games, music, ect.). Right now i am not sure what the Secure Digital Slot is for. I will update the review once i find out. It also has a built in microphone which just about all the Pocket PC models have. it is made to record short notes. This will also come in handy later on. One of my favorite features in the removable Lithium-ion Battery. This means that when your battery dies out (usually takes 1-2 years), you will not have to send it back to Dell. you can replace it by yourself. this unit also has optional Wireless Network Capabilities. This means that if you want to use the internet on your PDA you will need one. Some Pocket PC models already feature either Bluetooth, Wie-Fi or both. Those models tend to me from a price range from about £500-£800 so you might want to think again before buying them.


Unit Description



This unit has the following features




Basic Model
Processor-300Mhz Intel X-Sc
ale Processor
Installed Memory-32mb
Installed Rom-32mb
Display Resolution- 240 X 320



As you can see it has decent Ram to store all your files.It also has 32mb of rom. The 300Mhz processor is fast compared to other models. its competition use mostly 200Mhz processors which tend to be very slow.




Advanced Model
Processor-400Mhz Intel X-Scale Processor
Installed Memory-64mb Ram
Installed Rom-32mb Rom
Display Resolution 240 X 320



If you can afford the Advanced model for an extra£50 or so I would recommend getting it because of the fact that it has double the space to put your music, games ect. and it also has a 400Mhz processor which is the fastest out there. Everything else is mostly the same. The advanced model also comes with a USB Hotsync Cradle which the Basic Model does not come with. You will have to make an extra £30-£40 investment.


Accessories



The unit comes with the following accessories




-1 Stylus
-AC Adapter
-Software CD
-USB Hotsync Cable



As you can see the unit comes with everyhting exept a Hotsync cradle. When I bought my unit it came with a hotsync cradle and a flip case but I bought mine refurbished on ebay and the accessories were included, however if you buy direct from Dell they will not be included.


Some Problems With This PDA



Of course one of the problems is the Dell Customer Service, I have heard nightmare stories about this and I really hope that this will improve. The £50 Rebate from Dell might make you wait a year if not more. Another problem with this Unit is the Navigation Button is terrible for playing games, so if you are planning to play alot of games you might want to think about it. I think Dell is working on a plan on how to make the Navigation button be more precise.


Why Did I Buy this Pda?


<
br>There are many reasons that I bought the Dell Axim Basic Unit. The main reason was the price which has decreased over the last month or so. Another reason I bought the Dell Axim pda is because I had a Sony Clie N760C before which I ended up selling because I needed a more advanced unit, this unit was right on my budget.

Summary: