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Truth to say, on test i didn't notice the processor doing anything very marvellous and i still got the Pocket PC wait symbol from time to time. Nor did i note a great deal of battery life improvement. With the power manager set to 'auto', which limits the processor to 208MHz, rather than either 'maximum performance' or 'power save',i achieved four hours and 56 minutes of MP3 music playback, and the battery died at the same time music stopped. It's good, but not ground-breaking. i have always liked the way Dell implements wireless. The dedicated button on the right edge of the casing which starts and stops wireless, coupled with very good Wi-Fi setup controls and separate flashing lights for this and Bluetooth on the slightly protruding antenna, are all strong features. Surfing the Web via in my Wi-Fi network and connecting to Bluetooth hardware were both unproblematic. As for Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, its star turn as far as immediate payback is concerned is probably the landscape display support. But then you can get this from various third party tools anyway. In the end, i have to say that while the Axim X30 is a nice Pocket PC, neatly specified and representing good value for money, we'd have liked longer battery life and some on board Flash memory to make us really shout. In short, don't bother to upgrade, but do consider if you are looking for a new Pocket PC.Read full review
I absolutely LOVE my Axim X30! I got the 64mb unit with WiFi. My primary purpose was to use it as an ebook reader. I got mine used - and it did not include the CD - so I can't sync it to my computer - so I am limited to programs I can download onto it. Thankfully I was able to download Mobipocket reader directly onto the unit via the WiFi (that I have in our home) I can now purchase ebooks and download them directly to my Dell over our wifi just like if I had a Kindle! Our library has ebooks now so I can also download those right to my Dell. Love the touch screen, the controls, the fact that I can program the buttons to do whatever I want them to. Love the user replaceable battery. My cradle has a spot to recharge a spare battery. The SD cards (optional) are easy to find and reasonable in cost. Although I use it mostly for reading ebooks (and I'm reading a LOT now - I can make the font larger than standard paper back font size!) I also use the calendar program, note pad program, voice recorder. I downloaded a free photo album program that I liked better than the one included with the Axim. I love that I can carry my photos around with me.. a LOT of them! I do check my email with it too. I use Yahoo as my home page and have my favorites created on that web page. I read that if you have a lot of favorites marked in Mobile IE, that the program slows down. I tried it and yep, it did slow down. I deleted most of the IE favorites and just moved them over to my mobile Yahoo home page - no problem! One cool feature I found recently, it has letter recognition. I can "type" an email out on my Axim X30 by writing it with the stylus on the touch screen, and the letter recognition will change it into type. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that yes, it uses the older Windows Mobile 3 operating system. Most of the programs you can find now are for the WM 5 or newer. I'll be getting 2 more soon... one for my daughter and one for my mom!Read full review
I went looking for a good Windows based PDA, and found it in the Dell Axim X30. When you get one, make sure of a few key, but optional features. One, check the CPU and RAM the particular model you're looking at has. The high end model is the one with a 624mhz ARM processor (scalable in the software for battery life savings... I always run mine at the full 624mhz, but that's me) and 64mb of RAM. Most of the cheaper models have a 312mhz CPU and only 32mb of RAM. Another feature to watch out for is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. My particular model has all of the above features, and is quite competent as a replacement for a laptop in a small package. It comes with Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, and with some checking around, you can get the older (2.0) version of Adobe Reader which will install nicely to read PDFs. Batteries run between a base 950mw battery, up to (yes, I have two of these) 1700mw batteries. On my 1700mw, I can get 3-4 hours of constant use, either reading, going online with the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, depending on your setup, etc. Cases are a bit more of a pain with the larger battery, as they are physically larger than the stock battery, which fits flush with the back. The screen is bright, and fairly readable in full daylight, which is more than I can say about a lot of PDAs I've had and seen. Controls are good, with the ability of reassigning each to other functions. With the proper software, you can change the look, like a theme, of the screen, and with a little practice, Pocket PC works a lot like most Windows desktop operating systems. All in all, a well performing PDA.Read full review
I recently purchased one of these units and have been using it throughout the beginning of the semester. Let's just skip to the nitty gritty: The good: The screen is bright. The wireless works fairly well. It also has an expansion slot for SD Cards. The bad: The wireless itself can be fairly finicky about switching between networks. However, turning off the wireless then turning it back on usually fixes this. The other problem I have is that clicking the 'X' on programs does not seem to close them. Programs continue to run in the background unless ended under the 'Memory' menu in the System settings. The battery life itself is seems to be rather short, however, I'm taking into account that this unit is not new; it is used, and that having the wireless on drains the battery. Overall, I'm very pleased with the Axim X30. It's a great PDA and the bad aspects are really fairly minor. Load your Axim with TCPMP and you can watch video encoded in just about every codec. Couple this with a 2gig SD Card and you have a very nice portable movie player.Read full review
I was a devout HP IPAQ user. My latest IPAQ was a 2215. So, most of my comparisons in this review are based on my knowledge of the 2215. I did some research on the AXIM and zeroed in on the X30 High. The High version includes the cradle, Bluetooth and WiFi. I felt that this model would best suit my needs. After my online order was placed, it was received about 3-4 day later (kudos to Dell for fast shipping). Upon first viewing of the X30 in person, I must say I was somewhat shocked. The unit is much thinner than my 2215 and this was a major plus. However, I didn’t care for the squared off edges. I was very comfortable with the rounded feeling of the 2215. But I quickly got past that when I powered up the unit and starting playing. The 64mb and 624MHz is probably more than I need, but who cares! This makes life so much better. The clarity of the screen is great. In fact I think it may be a bit cleaner/sharper than my 2215. The stylus, at first glance, didn’t seem practical. This flat stylus appeared as though it would be difficult to use. Nope, I was wrong. Although flat, it is quite easy to hold and stores neatly in the side slot. The quick access buttons are a bit on the small side for my fat fingers. But, none the less, are useful and serve a purpose. You are able to program the buttons to do what you’d like. I was able to program one of the buttons to change the screen between landscape and portrait mode. In addition to the standard buttons there are two additional buttons. One is for the voice recorder. The IPAQ 2215 did away with this. You had to program one of the other buttons for that purpose. Having a dedicated record button is so useful. The other button is to turn on/off the WiFi and Bluetooth. On the left side of the unit, there is a scroll button (similar to the Sony units). I don’t have too much use for this. The WiFi was easy to setup. I have WiFi in my house. When I turned on the WiFi it recognized the connection and I entered my WEP and off I was, surfing away. I thought this may have just been easy because it was my own WiFi. So, while at a hotel in Manhattan, I connected to their system and it was just as easy. The X30 has a slot for a SD card. Although my IPAQ 2215 had both the CF and SD, I don’t miss the CF slot. I purchased a 1GB SD card and I’m all set. I can download songs onto this card and use the built in phones jack. Just don't use the built in speaker. It’s terrible. The case is a nice leather (leatherette) slip case. The IPAQ slip case was too tight and cause scuff marks on the side grips. This case is tight but does not damage the unit at all. As far as the battery life, I haven’t really noticed the time on it. Perhaps it’s because I place it in the cradle every day. As with any Pocket PC, there are a ton of accessories for the Dell. From cases and screen protectors to additional stylus, it’s limitless. I love this unit. I would recommend it to anyone.Read full review
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