Technology 101

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Technology 101

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As a proud owner of the Axim X5 I was a little disappointed to see that Dell is about to roll out the new X3....but I guess everything is out of date the day you take it out of the box!

The new X3 from Dell

Consumer level IR
SDIO
Intel PXA263 CPU
64 MB RAM, 64 MB NOR Flash ROM
3.5" transflective screen
300 Mhz speed for the entry-level model, and 400 Mhz for the advanced model
Built in Bluetooth and WiFi
117mm x 76mm x 14.8mm, 150 grams
950 mAH battery
The entry level model will have less RAM and a USB cable

Dell's Axim x3 PDA, announced last week and due to be released next month, will feature integrated Wi-Fi, according to Federal Communications Commission filings that detail the product's spec.

The FCC documents reveal the x3 is based on Intel's XScale CPU running at 300MHz or 400MHz, depending on which version of the x3 you buy. The 400MHz version ships with 64MB of SDRAM and 48MB of Flash memory. The 300MHz x3 has 32MB each of SDRAM and Flash. These specs. match those of the current x5 models.

Both models sport a 3.5in 240 x 320 16-bit colour LCD. In addition to the regular navigation and application buttons, the x3 features a voice record button to the left of the program buttons and a control to switch the wireless adaptor on and off to the right. All the buttons are arranged in a line along the front of the device, with the oblong navigation control in the middle of the row.

On the left-hand side of the x3 is a jog-wheel. The stylus fits into a slot on the right-hand side which opens out on top of the handheld, alongside the wireless antenna - which will not be featured on all models - infra-red port and the SD card slot.

Dell's documentation suggests the SD Card slot only supports memory devices. However, pictures of the machine's internals include a Bluetooth SD IO card, though this may be for form factor reference only.

On the back of the device you'll the speaker grille, the reset button and the removable rechargeable battery.

With the battery in place, the x3 weighs 138g (0.3lb). It measures 11.7 x 7.6 x 1.5cm (3 x 3.2 x 0.6in), so the x3 is lighter, shorter and thinner than the current Axim x5. ®

	Review: Dell Axim X5
	A Pocket PC PDA for the masses.
	By James Kim

Dell Axim X5 A new chapter in the life of the Microsoft Windows Pocket PC 2002 operating system has begun at Comdex Fall 2002 with the introduction of Dell's Axim X5 Pocket PC PDA. The Axim X5, available in 300-MHz and 400-MHz Intel XScale processor configurations, is priced at a rock bottom $200 and $325, respectively.

Designed from the ground up by Dell, both models feature dual-slot expansion capability for SD/MMC and Type II CompactFlash. This flexibility will allow you to add memory or wireless networking hardware, simultaneously.

The $325 Axim X5 offers 64MB of SDRAM along with 48MB of Intel StrataFlash ROM, as well as a USB cradle.

The $200 version comes equipped with 48MB of SDRAM, 32MB of Flash ROM and a USB synch cable instead of a cradle.

Both models offer more than enough power and memory for most users. If you're looking to enter the Pocket PC fray, the $200 version is a good place to start.

Sleek looks and low price

Featuring a sleek, plastic case (coated in a strengthening magnesium finish) with rubber grips on either side, the X5's body and design don't reflect the low price point. It measures 5 by 3.2 by .7 inches and weighs 6.9 ounces, featuring a beautiful and bright 3.5-inch transflective TFT color display with a 240x320 resolution. It also features a left-sided jog dial and an IrDA port.

While the Axim X5 is larger and thicker than its low-cost Pocket PC competitors (the Viewsonic V35 and the HP iPaq h1910), it's the only one of the three with a jog wheel and dual memory slot capability.

In its push past its core PC business, Dell says the Axim "is a great start" in helping the PC giant become "the single source for the digital lifestyle." Each Axim includes a one-year next-business-day replacement policy and is available today in the United States and Canada.

The field is growing with "cheap" Pocket PC PDAs, but the Dell is most notable for its industry-leading price point. Regardless of the brand, consumer and businesses looking for a Windows-powered PDA can get one for the price of a color Palm OS PDA and hundreds of dollars less than a high-end Pocket PC PDA. So far, the Axim looks to provide the most bang for the buck.

Summary: Dell's first foray into the handheld market looks to create some serious competition. What makes the Axim stand out is its dual-media slot and low price point.

Company: Dell
Price: $325 for the 400-MHz version, $200 for the 300-MHz version
Available: Now
Category: PDA and handhelds

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Dell Axim X5 Basic and Advanced Pocket PCs

Suddenly the Pocket PC marketplace is all about choice! This is great for consumers: we have several brands, price ranges and feature-sets to choose from. Computer giant Dell has jumped in with the reasonably priced Axim X5 line. These units offer features that we used to see only in pricier PDAs. We'll take a look at the Basic and Advanced models, which you can now order from Dell's web site at a discount with introductory $50 rebates. We received the Advanced model for review.

Horsepower: Basic and Advanced Models

These two models look alike and are the same except for the horsepower. The Basic model has a 300MHz XScale processor, 32 megs of RAM and 32 megs of flash ROM (where the OS is installed). This puts it in competition with the Toshiba e330 and ViewSonic V35. The Advanced has a 400MHz XScale processor, 64 megs of RAM and 48 megs of ROM (same as the iPAQ 3900 series). This competes with the Toshiba e740 and iPAQ 3900 series. Even the 300MHz unit is speedy enough, but if you have the cash, you may want to consider the Advanced model since it has double the RAM and a larger flash ROM area which gives you more versatility in accommodating future OS upgrades. The Advanced model comes with a chrome cradle (that's right!) which has a second slot to charge an additional battery. The Basic model comes with a sync cable rather than a cradle.

Display

Transflective screens, currently the best you can get on a PDA, have so far only appeared on high-end units such as the iPAQ 3970, Sony Clié NX70V and just recently on the budget-priced ViewSonic V35. These screens are evenly lit, bright, color-saturated and not milky or foggy looking as are some side-lit displays. The Axim X5 models have a transflective display, despite their budget prices: way to go Dell! The screen is very nice, but not as bright at middle to 3/4 brightness settings compared to the iPAQ 3900 series, and the viewing angle is somewhat more limited compared to the iPAQ and Sony Clié models with transflective displays.

Battery, Software and Controls

The Axim X5 ships with a 1440 mAh battery, which is quite a lot of juice for a PDA battery. Run times have been good. The batteries are user-replaceable, which means you can swap in a new battery when on the go, and you won't have to send it back to the factory when the battery gets tired after 2 years of use. An optional 3400 mAh battery will be available, which should at least double run times.

The X5 Advanced has an addition to the standard Pocket PC power control panel applet. You'll see a tab labeled "Processor", and it allows you to specify processor speed to improve battery run times. The settings are Normal (400 MHz), Auto (the default setting, which determines whether the unit needs to run at 400 MHz or can fall back to a slower speed) and PowerSave which forces the unit to ran at 200 MHz at all times (I don't recommend this setting for daily use, because the unit will seem sluggish at times).

Don't expect a software bundle at this price. You'll get the standard Pocket PC 2002 OS and applications: Microsoft Pocket Office (Word, Excel and Pocket Outlook for Pocket PC), Microsoft Outlook for your desktop, Pocket Internet Explorer, Terminal Services, MS Reader and Microsoft MSN Messenger. You do get a full version of IA Presenter, which allows you to run PowerPoint presentations on the X5, and a custom Dell application launcher. There are several demo versions of popular Pocket PC programs on the included CD, but you'll have to buy full versions if you wish to continue using them. In terms of hardware, the Advanced model comes with a USB cradle, while the Basic model comes with a USB cable.


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