The Dell Axim family of personal digital assistants was Dell's line of Windows Mobile-powered Pocket PC Devices. The first model, the Axim X5, was introduced in 2002, while the final model, the Axim X51, was discontinued on April 9, 2007.[1]
- 1Background
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Background[edit]
X5 family[edit]
Dell entered the personal digital assistant (PDA) market in 2002 with the debut of the Axim X5. The base-level Axim X5 had a 300 MHz Intel XScale PXA250 processor, 32 MB RAM, 32 MB flash ROM, a Type II CompactFlash slot, an SD/MMC slot, a 16-bit QVGA (240 × 320 dots) TFT display, a speaker, a microphone, and a base price of US$279. A high-end Axim X5 came with a 400 MHz Intel XScale processor, 64 MB RAM, and 48 MB flash ROM for US$349. Early models shipped with Pocket PC 2002, but an upgrade to Windows Mobile 2003 was offered and came preinstalled on some refurbished units. Despite rumours and speculations, further versions of Windows Mobile are unsupported. However, efforts have been made to port Linux to the system. Although the Axim X5 was regarded as an affordable Windows Mobile device at the time it was released, affordability came with a size penalty: The weight was 195 g (6.9 ounces) and the size was 127 × 81 × 18 mm (5 × 3.2 × 0.7 inches). The Axim X5 came with a rechargeable battery that would last for about 8 hours.
The Dell Axim X5 was superseded by the Dell Axim X3 and subsequently X30, a follow-up to the Dell Axim X5 boasting a more compact design and with lighter weight.
Many Dell Axim x5 units have issues with the touchscreen failing and a realignment failing as well, even after a hard reset. There is a design flaw inside the unit that causes this. The inside portion of the home button will rub against the touchscreen ribbon cable and eventually wear through the protective coating and ground out the touchscreen. The fix is to take the unit apart and put a very small piece of electrical tape over that portion of the ribbon cable. This requires removing both batteries, clearing all data from the device(similar to a hard reset) and delicate work in taking the unit completely apart.
Dell Axim X50v Manual
X3 family[edit]
Dell Axim X3 was launched in October 2003, and came in three models: the Basic, Advanced and X3i which was the same as the Advanced model but added WiFi 802.11b wireless networking. All featured replaceable battery, an SD slot, fast processor and transflective liquid crystal display. Unlike the X5, the X3 didn't have a CF slot.
All three models looked the same with the exception of the X3i which had a WiFi antenna nub on the top right corner. The Basic and Advanced models varied in processor speed and amount of memory. All models had Intel XScale PXA263 processors and Intel StrataFlash ROM.
The Basic had a 300 MHz XScale processor, 31 MB of RAM and 32 MB of ROM. The Basic model came with a USB sync cable (users could purchase a cradle separately). SD slot, WiFi capability and Infrared port included.
The Advanced model had a 400 MHz XScale processor, 64 MB of RAM and 64 MB of ROM. The Axim X3i added WiFi to the Advanced model configuration. The Advanced and X3i came with a chrome finish weighted USB sync cradle that can also charge a spare battery. In all other respects, these units were identical to each other.
X3 came with a user replaceable 950 mAh Lithium Ion battery, which could be replaced by an optional 1800 mA extended battery which doubled run times.[2]
X30 family[edit]
Axim X30
The Dell Axim X30 was the first Dell Pocket PC to include Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition on all models . This was also the first Pocket PC to include the Intel XScale PXA270 Processors.
The High-End X30 includes a 624 MHz processor making it the fastest Personal Digital Assistant or PDA at the time it was made. The mid-level model includes everything the High-End X30 does with the exception of the cradle, and uses a 312 MHz PXA270 Processor instead. Both the high-end and mid-level models had built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi Certification, Bluetooth 1.1 compliance, 64MB of Intel StrataFlash ROM, and 64MB RAM, while the entry-level model had 32MB SDRAM, 32MB of Intel StrataFlash ROM and no wireless capabilities. All X30 models include a standard SD/MMC/SDIO slot, replaceable/rechargeable battery, a 3.5' QVGA TFT 16-Bit color display, and Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.
SDHC Cards will not function. Only SD cards of 4GB or less will work.
X50 family[edit]
The Dell Axim X50 family was available in three models. The X50 low-end model used an Intel XScale processor at 416 MHz, 64 MB flash ROM, and retailed for $299 USD. The mid-range model had 128 MB of flash ROM, a 520 MHz processor, and was listed at $399. The high-end device, the X50v, had a VGA screen, 624 MHz processor, 128 MB flash ROM, and retailed for $499 at the time of release. In 2005 the Dell Axim X50 series received a Red Dot Design Award as a recognition for its design.
X51 family[edit]
The Dell Axim X51, released late September 2005, featured the same sleek design as the original X50, but replaced Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition with Windows Mobile 5. The X51 also came with a larger ROM than the X50.
Like the X50, the X51 family came in three models. The X51 featured:
- 3.7' VGA LCD screen with 16-Bit Color and Portrait/Landscape Support (X51v only)
- 3.7' VGA is around 2.22' x 2.96' = around 216 pixels per inch
- 3.5' Quarter-VGA LCD screen with 16-Bit Color and Portrait/Landscape Support (X51 Low & Mid)
- Intel 2700G 3D multimedia accelerator with 16MB video RAM (X51v only)
- VGA-Out functionality (using an optional adapter cable), enabling the PDA to be connected to a monitor (X51v only)
- Built-In CompactFlash Type II expansion slot
- Built-In Secure Digital expansion slot
- Available Built-In 802.11b Wi-Fi Certification (X51 Mid & X51v only)
- Standard Built-In Bluetooth 1.2 Compliance
- Long-range IrDA interface
- Up to 256MB Intel StrataFlash ROM with 64MB on-board RAM
- Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile (Upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.1 with a downloaded ROM update)
- RS232 port is also included, but even most of Dell's employees don't know this fact and the port only supplies TTL signal level. Dell has a RS232 cable for it though, even if it was never listed in their webshop.
The low-end X51 has an Intel XScale processor running at 416 MHz, 128MB flash ROM, and had a list price of $299 (before being discontinued). The mid-range model also has 128MB flash ROM, a 520 MHz processor, and retailed for $299 (from dell.com or £245.58 on www.dell.co.uk). The high-end X51v has a VGA screen, a 624 MHz processor, 256MB flash ROM, and had a list price of $379.
As of February 17, 2007 the low-end X51 has been discontinued and is not sold by Dell anymore.
There is also an unofficial upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 for the X51v. Despite its unofficial status, it has been tested and had gone through several prerelease versions before being released to the general public. An unofficial upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.0 exists for the X50. Known bugs include the lack of support for CompactFlash cards.
There is or was also an attempt to design a Linux implementation (based on Kernel version 2.6) for the X50 and X51 families of Axims, but it is still in a very early stage with major hardware components and functions (such as the backlight, sound, PCMCIA/Compact Flash, Flash Memory, Wi-fi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity) inoperative.
There is a partially functional port of Google's Android operation system to the Axim x51 under the AxDroid project. The current version of the build supports the Android Froyo release.
Specifications[edit]
Model | Launch year | RAM (MiB) | ROM (MiB) | Slots | CPU | MHz | Screen | OS | WiFi | Bluetooth | More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X5 | 2002 | 32 | 32 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA250 | 300 | 240 x 320 | PPC2002/WM2003 | No | No | |
X5 high end | 2002 | 64 | 48 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA255 | 400 | 240 x 320 | PPC2002/WM2003 | No | No | |
X3 Basic | 2003 | 32 | 32 | 1SD | Intel XScale PXA263 | 300 | ? | WM2003 | No | No | USB sync cradle with CF, IR |
X3 Advanced | 2003 | 64 | 64 | 1SD | Intel XScale PXA263 | 400 | ? | WM2003 | No | No | USB sync cradle with CF, IR, spare battery charging |
X3i | 2003 | 64 | 64 | 1SD | Intel XScale PXA263 | 400 | ? | WM2003 | 802.11b | No | USB sync cradle with CF, WiFi, IR, spare battery charging |
X30 low-end | 2004 | 32 | 32 | 1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 312 | 3.5' QVGA TFT 16-Bit | WM2003SE | No | No | |
X30 mid-range | 2004 | 64 | 64 | 1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 312 | 3.5' QVGA TFT 16-Bit | WM2003SE | 802.11b | 1.1 | |
X30 high-end | 2004 | 64 | 64 | 1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 624 | 3.5' QVGA TFT 16-Bit | WM2003SE | 802.11b | 1.1 | Cradle |
X50 Standard | 2004 | 64 | 64 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 416 | QVGA | WM2003SE/WM5/WM6/WM6.1 | No | Yes | |
X50 Advanced | 2004 | 64 | 128 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 520 | QVGA | WM2003SE/WM5/WM6/WM6.1 | 802.11b | Yes | |
X50v | 2004 | 64 | 128 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 624 | VGA | WM2003SE/WM5/WM6/WM6.1 | 802.11b | 1.2 | IrDA, RS232 post, Intel 2700G 3D MMA w/16MB VRAM, VGA Out |
X51 low-end | 2005 | 64 | 128 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 416 | 3.5' QVGA LCD 16-Bit | WM5/WM6/WM6.5 | No | 1.2 | IrDA, RS232 post |
X51 mid-range | 2005 | 64 | 128 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 520 | 3.5' QVGA LCD 16-Bit | WM5/WM6/WM6.5 | 802.11b | 1.2 | IrDA, RS232 post |
X51v | 2005 | 64 | 256 | 1CFII,1SD | Intel XScale PXA270 | 624 | 3.7' VGA LCD 16-Bit | WM5/WM6/WM6.1/WM6.5 | 802.11b | 1.2 | IrDA, RS232 post, Intel 2700G 3D MMA w/16MB VRAM, VGA Out |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Direct2Dell.comArchived July 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^http://www.mobiletechreview.com/Dell_axim_X3.htm
Bibliography[edit]
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dell Axim. |
- Dell Axim PDA on Porter Electronics (Website where they are still available)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dell_Axim&oldid=907307890'
Dell Axim X51 series
Over the past year, Dell has earned a reputation for producing some of the best PDAs on the market--first with the high-performance and the recently discontinuedDell Axim X30 series, then with the versatile Dell Axim X50 series. Now, the company is out with the new Dell Axim X51 series. Although these Pocket PCs keep the same design as the X50 series, they have plenty of new features. They come with a more robust software bundle and are the first stand-alone PDAs to run the Windows Mobile 5 operating system. Unfortunately, the X51v suffered from subpar battery life and sluggish performance in our tests. That said, with everyday, casual use, the Axim X51 series--the high-end Dell Axim X51v ($499), the middle-of-the-road Dell Axim X51 ($399), and the entry-level Dell Axim X51 ($299)--includes very capable PDAs that should fit the needs of consumers and business users alike. When it came to the Dell Axim X51v's design, Dell decided to go with the philosophy of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' The Axim X51v's styling is nearly identical to the X50's, keeping the sexy black and silver color scheme and aesthetically pleasing rounded edges. The X51v is just a hair thicker than its predecessor (4.7 by 2.9 by 0.7 inches and 6.2 ounces), but it won't weigh you down. It's also a solidly built device that's comfortable to hold, and we like the rubberized backside cover for better gripping.
Over the past year, Dell has earned a reputation for producing some of the best PDAs on the market--first with the high-performance and the recently discontinuedDell Axim X30 series, then with the versatile Dell Axim X50 series. Now, the company is out with the new Dell Axim X51 series. Although these Pocket PCs keep the same design as the X50 series, they have plenty of new features. They come with a more robust software bundle and are the first stand-alone PDAs to run the Windows Mobile 5 operating system. Unfortunately, the X51v suffered from subpar battery life and sluggish performance in our tests. That said, with everyday, casual use, the Axim X51 series--the high-end Dell Axim X51v ($499), the middle-of-the-road Dell Axim X51 ($399), and the entry-level Dell Axim X51 ($299)--includes very capable PDAs that should fit the needs of consumers and business users alike. When it came to the Dell Axim X51v's design, Dell decided to go with the philosophy of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' The Axim X51v's styling is nearly identical to the X50's, keeping the sexy black and silver color scheme and aesthetically pleasing rounded edges. The X51v is just a hair thicker than its predecessor (4.7 by 2.9 by 0.7 inches and 6.2 ounces), but it won't weigh you down. It's also a solidly built device that's comfortable to hold, and we like the rubberized backside cover for better gripping.
Seeing double: The Dell Axim X51v keeps the same design as the Axim X50v.
The star attraction on the Dell Axim X51 is undoubtedly its 3.7-inch VGA screen. Thanks to a 640x480-pixel resolution and a 16-bit-color output, you'll enjoy sharp text and images, and there's continued support for landscape and portrait modes. Below the display are your standard shortcut keys to Calendar, Contacts, Inbox, and Home, plus a four-way navigation toggle with a center Select button. Although we criticized the Axim X50 for its diminutive toggle, by now we're used to it, yet we still caution users with bigger fingers. A speaker, a power button, and a status LED line the top edge of the PDA's face.
It's easy to access many of the Dell X51v's features with a click of a button. Aside from the aforementioned shortcut keys on the front, there are two buttons on the left spine that activate the voice recorder and wireless connection. There's also a hold button, which is always appreciated, since it prevents any unnecessary battery drain if the device is accidentally turned on. On the top of the Axim X51v, you'll find a 3.5mm jack that accepts Walkman-style headphones, dual CompactFlash and SD expansion slots, and the stylus. The handheld's battery is user-replaceable, and you can swap out cells by unlocking the sliding battery-release lever on the back.
Dell Axim Pda
Rock the cradle: The Dell Axim X51v's cradle includes a slot for charging an extra battery.
Dell provides all the basics to get you started. Accessories in the box include a soft protective case, a desktop-synchronization cradle, a power adapter, and a companion CD. The cradle has an extra slot for charging a second battery, which is nice. A high-capacity cell is available for $99 and promises to double battery life. Other optional accessories are available, such as a GPS navigation system (Bluetooth or wired), a Bluetooth keyboard ($99.95), and a presentation bundle ($49).
The Dell Axim X51v's biggest makeover is in the features department. Some elements remain the same, though, such as the 624MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor and the Intel 2700G graphics engine. Also, there's still 16MB of dedicated video memory and 64MB of SDRAM, but the really good news is that Dell bumped up the flash ROM from 128MB to 256MB, 192MB of which is user-accessible. This, coupled with the dual expansion slots, amount to ample storage space. Another thing that helps is the addition of the Windows Mobile 5 operating system. The new OS has built-in support for persistent storage, so when the battery drains completely, your data remains intact. With Windows Mobile 5, Microsoft also swapped out Pocket Word and Pocket Excel in favor of a new Office Mobile Suite that includes Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile. Yes--PowerPoint. Although you can't edit slides, you now can view presentations right on your PDA. We gave it a whirl, and we were impressed not only with the ability to watch slide shows but also with the various options. You can skip directly to specific slides, change the orientation, and choose playback options, such as loop, turn off/on animation, and zoom in/out. The last option is particularly handy, since a thumbnail of the slide is presented in the lower-right corner of your screen. What's more, you can choose particular spots on the page to zoom or automatically go back to the full slide. Unfortunately, these tasks seemed to take a lot out of the Axim X51v, as there was a noticeable delay in response time (see Performance). As for the other applications, Word Mobile now supports documents with embedded images and tables, plus Excel Mobile handles charts. We put these applications to test, and while the experience was not ideal, given the size of a PDA's screen, we were able to open and view tables and charts in all our documents.
On hand to sync your PDA with your PC is the updated ActiveSync 4. It allows for easier and faster synchronization, but be sure to pay attention during the installation process. You first must install ActiveSync 4 from the companion CD before ever connecting the Dell Axim X51v to your PC; otherwise, the wrong driver will load, and your computer will not detect the PDA. Also, there have been a number of reported problems with ActiveSync 4, such as partial synchronization and dropped data transfers--Microsoft will issue an update in late November to resolve the problems. In the meantime, you can find troubleshooting tips and more information on Microsoft's Web site.
If you're wondering about the Dell Axim X51v's multimedia capabilities, here's the dish. The Pocket PC still features Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, so you can listen to your favorite WMA, MP3, and WMV music files and view album art. Plus, Windows Media Rights Management 10 gives you access to audio and video content from subscription services, such as MSN Music, Musicmatch, Napster, and Wal-Mart Music Downloads.
Wireless on, wireless off: The Dell Axim X51 features one-touch access to the wireless radio.
The Dell Axim X51v comes with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which can run simultaneously. As mentioned before, you turn on the wireless radio with the shortcut key on the left spine, but you are now required to press the button twice--once to turn it on and once to confirm your selection. The status LED will blink blue and green to let you know wireless is on, as will two icons--signal bars and the Bluetooth logo--that appear in the lower-right corner. The Axim X51v comes with the Bluetooth 1.2 stack, so now there's support for more multimedia accessories, such as stereo Bluetooth headphones. You can check your Wi-Fi configuration, network strength, and more via Dell's WLAN Utility.
Dell Axim X51v Drivers Windows 7
While the Dell Axim X50v didn't impress with its lackluster software bundle, the X51v is a completely different story. The companion CD comes with a plethora of useful and fun applications, including Battery Pack Lite, Calligrapher, Resco File Explorer and Picture Viewer, and eWallet. We particularly liked Battery Pack Lite, which installs a handy toolbar across the top of your PDA's screen and displays your battery life, memory status (internal and expansion card), and screen brightness. It's nice to have all this information immediately accessible, rather than having to go through various menus. The X51v also continues the tradition of being packaged with a gaming bundle; titles include Geo Rally EX and Toy Golf.
Dell Axim X51v Drivers Download
Overall, we were disappointed by the Dell Axim X51v's performance. It scored below our expectations in CNET Labs' tests, but that said, we're finding this to be a common problem with all the new Windows Mobile 5 PDAs. This may be in due part to the more demanding operating system and unchanged processor speeds from previous models. The PDA responded sluggishly to taps of the stylus and lagged when multiple applications were running in the background.Also, while the new and improved battery-management feature of Windows Mobile 5 supposedly lengthens the battery life, this wasn't the case for the Dell X51v. Playing a looped video clip with all wireless off and the backlight set to high, the X51v lasted only a little more than 4 hours, which isn't bad but is definitely not spectacular either. By comparison, the Dell Axim X50 and the HP iPaq hx4700 lasted an hour longer. However, since our tests are designed to drain the battery in the most intensive way, this score translates to about 7 or 8 hours of real-life usage.
The news isn't all bad. The Dell Axim X51v offers a great 3D look with beautiful icons, menus, and buttons. Plus, it offers great wireless performance. Its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth worked flawlessly in our tests, and we were able to connect access points and Bluetooth-enabled devices with ease.
Performance analysis written by CNET Labs project leader Dong Van Ngo.