Dell Axim x50 - First Thoughts

Michael Gartenberg | October 12, 2004, 09:28 AM

I often carry multiple devices and one of them I usually carry is a PDA. I like the idea of using a PDA in conjunction with a Bluetooth phone for times when I want a larger screen or the ability to connect via WiFi when it’s available. I also read a lot of e-books on PDAs when I travel and like to use it reference Office documents as well. Because I like connectivity, I want a device with Bluetooth and WiFi. That rules out most Palm devices for me (other than the late Sony UX-50) and I also like the PocketPC ability to multi task so I can download RSS feeds, check email and still surf the Web at the same time. Until now, I have been using an HP 4100 which is small and ubiquitous and meets all those needs. The HP lacks a few things though. It’s screen is only QVGA, it only has an SD slot, so there’s no CF use. Today, Dell introduced the new Axim x50 and I think it’s one of the best PDAs on the market at the moment. Why? First, it has a blistering fast Intel processor running at 624mhz as well as a graphics accelerator. You’ll need that horsepower as since this machine runs Windows Mobile 2003 SE, it also has a VGA screen (that can do landscape) as well as the first PocketPC that has Windows Media 10 Mobile so you can sync up all your content. The software is smart so when you sync, all your video gets encoded to a nice 640x480 which makes for a nice experience (that’s much better than the QVGA res of the portable media centers). Games play well thanks to the acceleration and Dell includes a couple of VGA titles that make this not only an amazing PDA but a great game device. What’s best about it is that even with the VGA display, and the fact that has SD and CF cards, the unit is tiny. Smaller than the original iPaq (which it actually bears some resemnblance to) and only a bit larger than the HP 4100. The quality seems excellent so far as well as rock solid in terms of stability and performance. The price is small as well, the x50 is $499 for the highest end processor but that’s a lot less than you’d pay for competitive VGA devices. I have used it with the Smartphone, connected it to Bluetooth keyboards and GPS devices all worked well. The screen is amazing for viewing content at VGA resolution. If you’re looking for a PDA, Dell should be on your short list with this device.

Update, Since you can’t get WM10 Mobile as a separate install, it needs to be part of the OS, Dell is making an upgrade available users of the current X30 so they can get the new Media Player. That’s excellent customer support and Dell should be commended for it.