Dell's X50v is right ...at the top of the list of all-time-best Pocket PCs. This is the 2nd one I've bought (I have one, and I got one for my wife) and it works great. Good for the person needing a PDA to keep track of contacts and appointments, but plenty of horsepower for the power-user like me who uses remote desktop to control PC's from anywhere, watch full-length movies, plan trips and routes places, and occasionally take notes. CF and SD slots makes it capable of reading most major device memory cards (so you can look at those pictures from your digital camera without having to upload them to your computer). Since you can run both at the same time, you can easily copy from one to the other, bridging the gap between not having the right card reader for your friend's camera or mp3 player, etc. The SD slot will take up to the 2Gb standard memory cards (High capacity SD not supported), and so far, I have not found a limit to the size that the CF slot will take - I use a 4Gb currently, but I tested it with a friend's 8Gb and it worked with no trouble. Thinking about a 4 or 8Gb Ipod Nano? Forget that Itunes-only, one-file-format-only, unupgradeable piece of junk and get an X50v instead. There is no limit to the types of media files you can read - there are so many free media player programs, and codecs available, that no matter your file type (mp3, wma, mp4, mov, avi, mpg, etc...), this unit will play them. With the 640x480 screen, videos are much sharper, and the dedicated 16Mb graphics accelerator certainly helps with that too. Any 3.7-inch screens on these Ipods? I don't think so. 640x480 is 4 times the resolution of the standard 320x240 on most pocket PCs and smartphones. This means everything is clearer and sharper, and when running remote desktop or trying ot view web pages, you have a bunch more space to render things. Built in WIFI and BlueTooth? Awesome!!! My BlueTooth cell phone talks to this unit for dail-up internet access when I'm not near WIFI, and talks to my bluetooth keyboard when I'm typing some seriously long documents. There are also so many accessories and add-ons you can get too. The vga cable is an absolute must if you're putting video on here. Just plug into a regular monitor or newer TV with VGA in, and you're watching movies on a full screen! How about being able to swap the battery when it gets low instead of having to plug it in? The cradle for this will charge the unit AND AN EXTRA BATTERY TOO!!! Batteries? How about an extended battery instead of the standard one? Sure, they're less than $20 shipped from many sellers on EBay. Imagine this: Little Johnny just did something hilariously funny in the back yard, and you managed to catch it on video with your digital camera. Since the family's over, and you want them all to see, what do you do? You probably used to get them to all gather around the tiny screen on the camera and watch the video, while someone's saying, "What happened? I missed it... go back." How about you pop your memory card out, stick it in here, plug in your vga cable to the big screen, and let everyone see it all at once? No squinting at tiny screens anymore, period! Look, this unit is incredible. The X51v only has a bigger ROM, and a much higher price tag. Trust me: THIS IS THE PDA YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!! The X50v is the best for the price. You want to waste money - go buy something else. You want a great deal - GET ONE OF THESE!
As an owner of a Ipaq 3835 for the past 4 years, I knew the a new P...ocket PC would be used. I carry my Ipaq 3835 with me daily, using the free service Avantgo to gather news, weather and entertainment, and outlook to organize my contacts, my calendar, (and I use the reminder function often), Excel for spreadsheets I use at least weekly, MS Pocket streets and a cheap GPS to let me know where I am, and where I'm going. I depend on the Pocket PC to manage my life, and entertain it also. My wife took a job in management, so I suggested we get her started with a similar device to mine. I found a great deal on a Dell Axim x50v, so I picked it up for her. The axim has a fast processor (624 mHz), built in bluetooth and wifi, as well as slots for SD and Compact Flash. I was able to hook up easily to my home intranet, added music to one card to give her a MP3 player, Loaded tons of pictures, and provided her with the tools she'd need to be an effective manager. She uses the device, and seems happy with what it provide her. I was so impressed with the Dell Axim, I purchased a second unit for myself. I bought an inexpensive BT GPS, added some Pocket PC Topo software, and when I go hiking, I now know the terrain before me, as well as where my car is. I sold the Ipaq to a friend, and am now getting him hooked also. I am an avid Pocket Pc user and would recomend one to anyone.
Let me first say that I've owned many PocketPCs before this one.... Most recently, a Dell Axim x30 (high-end 624mhz) -- the x50v's immediate predecessor -- and before that various Casio and Compaq models. That said, I believed for a long time that the x30 was the perfect PocketPC. However, I revised my opinion upon coming to own an x50v. If you mean to ~really~ use a PocketPC -- I mean load it full of third-party/custom tools, apps, games, media players, emulators, etc -- the Axim x50v is unlikely to disappoint you. The 642mhz processor and VGA 480x640 resolution really shine through in "power user" applications compared to previous PocketPCs, or others without these characteristics. Unfortunately, I must admit that the "basic" or "stock" device applications -- PocketWord, PocketIE, the "Today" screen, etc -- are less responsive, less snappy if you will, on the x50v compared to the x30, or any previous "power" PocketPC. I believe this is due to the DPI-scaling done to inflate text and graphics to a degree that match non-VGA PocketPC looks, if not the sheer overhead in memory and processing required to manage the higher-res VGA screen itself. But again, if you are the type to replace PocketWord with TextMaker, MediaPlayer with GSPlayer, Today with -- whatever -- you'll find that many third-party applications are natively designed to maximize the experience through the x50v's screen. Is the average "business" or "casual" user bound to fully realize the difference between the x50v and an x30, or any other lesser PocketPC? Honestly, I don't believe so. But "power users" will readily appreciate what the x50v offers over it's "competition", albeit with some awareness of the "quirks" present in the "stock" apps brought on by the high-res screen. Overall, I call this PocketPC a "geek deluxe". One final note: I am aware of the Dell Axim X51v, a device that is essentially an x50v with the new Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. The x50v has Windows Mobile 2003 SE (second edition), which is FAR more stable and performant than the newer WM5.0! It should therefore go without saying -- DO NOT UPGRADE THE X50V TO WM5.0! You'd be needlessly hindering a perfectly good device.
When I originally received this product, I thoug...ht that I received a lemon. The contacts button did not work and it would not power up. Without the contacts button, you cannot hard reset and put the PDA back in its default condition. There were also bugs with the WiFi and Bluetooth features, which was the reason I purchased in the first place. I had a lot of difficulty with the unit and it did not sync well with Vista. After reading some blogs online, I found that it would be best to downgrade from WM5 to WM2003 and there was a install program on the Dell website to do this. Unfortunately, it did not work with my PC operating Vista. I loaded the sync software on my laptop that had XP and the downgrade worked. After the downgrade, the PDA went to its original condition and worked GREAT!!!!! I was able to load all my software and personal information OK. The bluetooth and WiFi worked excellent. Since the contacts button still didn't work after the downgrade, I would not consider the PDA "PERFECT", but at least it functions much better and I can use it for day-to-day needs. After the downgrade, I'm very pleased with this product. For anyone who purchases a Dell Axim x50 or x51, I would highly recommend downgrading the operating system from WM5 to WM2003 like it was originally design. The older OS works much better on these PDA's!!!!! The Dell link I used is below: http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&&SystemID=PDA_AXIM_X50&os=PPM&osl=en&servicetag=&catid=&impid=&deviceid=11729&libid=0&releaseid=R115117&formatcnt=1&vercnt=2
I bought my Dell Axim x50v 624Mh...z used on ebay 6 months ago. I was able to save at least $150 dollars because of the amount of extras I received. I have been absolutely delighted with my purchase, and I cannot think of any problems I have had after using the PDA for at least 6 months. I have many friends who decided to go with the brand new x51v, and the funny thing was....mine was actually faster. We all have a program called Epocrates (medical program), and although their x51v was supposed to have more memory, mine loaded the program consistently faster. The reason is because they had Windows 5.0 which actually runs slower even with more memory. I almost chose to upgrade to Windows 5.0, but I am glad I did not. Other than having more memory, the x51v and the x50v are exactly alike. I also have a few classmates who went with a Palm or HP. Although their PDAs worked okay, Windows Mobile is so much more intuitive than the Palm OS. Almost everyone uses Windows everyday, and Windows Mobile is setup the same. Easy to use, compatible with everything, and dependable. The wireless internet is usually pretty easy to setup, and the only time I have had trouble is when trying to connect to a private network. Connecting to open networks is as easy as pressing the "wireless" button on the side of the PDA twice. The only gripe I have is that because of the screen size, some internet pages do not load correctly in Internet Explorer. However, I doubt there is much we can do about that right now. I cannot say whether you should buy the new Dell x51v or the x50v, but I can honestly say that I have been pleased with my x50v and have had no problems with it. The Dell Axim x50v is top of the line as far as processing speed, screen size, and user friendliness. If you do not mind a used PDA, you can find great deals on the Dell x50v here on eBay. Six months ago there were even new x50v's still around, but I bet there are all snatched up by now. If you get a chance at a good used one, I would highly recommend getting it if you are in the market for a PDA. They are easy to use, fast, dependable, and have many great add-ons available. I even have a GPS system and wireless keyboard with mine. Overall: Great buy for someone in the market for a top of the line PDA made by a dependable company with great features and fast processing.
