Dell Axim X51v

I have owned my X51V for about 18 months. Main aims were GPS mapping, to get some limited MS office type functionality and pick up emails.

I have managed to achieve my goals in varying degrees, but the experience whilst getting there has not been good. I have lost track of the number of issues I had with this unit but a few follow.

1. As shipped the WI-FI functionality barely operated.

2. It was shipped with a bug which made the unit run incredibly slowly when a CF card was used (A patch for this was eventually released)

3. The general speed of the device is poor. Switch on from cold takes about 60 seconds. If a large application like TOM TOM is loaded switching between applications is also slow

4. Despite lots of fiddling, connecting to WI-FI sources is very problematic.

5. Battery life with WI-FI and Bluetooth off is about adequate for a day in the office if you do not use it much. WI-FI or Sat Nav is really only practical on external power.

6. The supplied software, especially the browser fails to take advantage of the screen resolution.

To end on a positive note, the included terminal services client is amazingly good.

"What made me buy a PDA???"........I ask myself. With access to computers and the internet everywhere is there any need for a PDA? Also with the smartphones catching up fast why does one need a PDA?

With these questions in mind I have been contemplating over a six months about whether I should buy a PDA or not. I also wanted to buy a personal media player which would play my audio and video 'on the move'.

After a lot of research on the net and wasting a lot of my useful time thinking...I made the following observations:-

1. I needed an 'all - in-one' device which would allow me to tinker around with software as well as serve as my own personal media player.

2. Dedicated music players like iPod & creative Zen are around but they only only do one job of playing music and possibly they do it well. They are not 'all -in-one'3. Smart phones combine the functionality well but I did not like the concept of using the PDA as a phone for the fear of spoiling the screen when it touches the cheek. (you can have a blue tooth handsfree)

Based on the observations I decided that a PDA with a good processor may answer all my needs. So I set out on the search once again to find the best one.

Dell is known in the market for its sturdy and stable products. When I zeroed on their axim handhelds I found that there was a variety in offer depending on your needs. I picked the best of the lot.

I am always thrilled when a new package arrives and I was extremely happy when the packed Dell box arrived. True to their standards the model was excellent especially I was blown away by the VGA screen.

The OS was Windows mobile 5. It wasn't blindingly fast but I realised that when the processor speed is set as 'auto' it usually works at 208Mhz. It is done to save the battery life and that could explain the speed.

The 64 MB RAM is enough to handle PDA tasks as well as my own tasks of using it as a media player. I have to add that I had a difficult time searching for the right software for each of the functions as the windows mediaplayer mobile version is not as good as it PC counterpart.

I have added a 4GB SD card and it is more than enough at the moment for my audio collection. I would later expand by putting a CF card too.

The native audio is not up to the mark and to have its full effect one has to use the 'x50mix' which introduces a dramatic change in the sound quality when listened via headphones.

The record and the wireless buttons at the side are a nuisance as they get switched on unwantedly. One can get around the problem by using the lock button or if you invest in a good leather case like 'sena cases' the problem is solved.

As a PDA which it is supposed to be there is no pitfall. It functions ably and quickly.

It can also be used as GPS system with the accessory from Dell.

The battery life is the only weak point and one full charge of the standard battery would last for 6-8 hrs. But I doubt if one needs it for more without a break for charging. Then there is the high energy battery too ( 2200mAH).

On the whole I am extremely pleased with the PDA and would recommend it highly for those who like to get maximum functionality from their machine!