PDA Reviews

Dell Axim X51v PDA Phone / Pocket PC

Dell is the front runner to introduce a Pocket PC with the latest windows 5.0 version. Dell Axim X51v Pocket PC is identical in appearance to X51 that it is said to be replacing. This model has double the flash memory than that of X51. With a robust software bundle, satellite navigation and versatile features, Dell has proved once again its reputation in producing quality handheld organizers in the current market.

Windows mobile5.0 OS:

The windows mobile5.0 has a persistent memory. Since all the data and applications are stored in flash memory, there is no loss of any data even though there is a complete shutdown. But still, the device will contain a RAM. Windows mobile’s updated features and interface makes certain tasks quicker. You can get a mobile version of power point in which you can open and read but can not create or edit the presentations. Windows Mobile5.0 gives two soft keys at the bottom of each screen that act as shortcuts to the frequently used applications and commands. The system caches the OS files in order to improve performance using a significant portion of the available ROM.

All the applications in Dell Axim X51v PDA are easily accessible from the start menu. It can also be customized to provide shortcuts if required. Its 3.7” LCD screen glows with brightness and sharpness without and dead space. You can witness clear texts even when the text sizes are petite. The 2700G supports video mirroring which shows X51v unique from other Pocket PCs.

Design:

Dell Axim X51v is a mid-sized pocket PC. This product has a sleek contemporary look. It has a large VGA display and a CF slot. Dell Axim X51v is using a plastic casing and a matte black coating that curves in order to cover the phones sides and the front has a silver surrounding. Dell Axim X51v PDA Phone has a five-way navigational pad. There are four round and small application buttons that includes calendar, contacts, e-mails and Dell’s home launcher. You can also assign different applications to these buttons. The power button is placed at the top centre. The wireless radios “on/off” buttons are found at the left side. Above these two buttons is the hold slider switch that prevents all the buttons from accidentally turning the unit on. The CF and SD slots are present at the top edge along with the IR window and the stereo headphone jack. There is a single LED on the top right corner which flashes blue when the wireless radio is switched on. The power button lights amber when the product is charging and is green when charging has been fully done.

Memory and expansion slots:

X51v leads the race in the pocket PCs. Its 624MHz Bulverde Intel XScale PXA270 processor makes the unit work at a rapid pace. But there might be a little delay while accessing the menus and the windows as the device is running in the VGA resolution. Dell X51v uses ROM rather than RAM for application and file storage. 256megs of flash memory is available out of which 195megs can be used for internal storage. The rest 59megs is used for the permanent storage of OS and its related files. The IntelStrataFlash memory is being used for flash ROM which is comparatively faster than NAND. X51v is a versatile expandable device as it provides you with lot of options for expansions such as, Bluetooth, IR, CF slot which is compatible with types I and II and a SD slot that supports SDIO and SDIO now.

Audio, Video and games:

Dell Axim X51v smartphone has the same audio hardware as that of the X51, such as the WM8750 audio processor. The video playback is very impressive. X51v comes with a lot of interesting games. Some of them are, Bejeweled2, Arvale, Tennis Addict, Ancient Evil, Street duel, etc. This device uses the Intel 2700G graphics processor. With this note you must have realized that X51v undertakes all the other models in the market with such a good amount of video memory.

Satellite navigator:

The inclusion of Dell Navigator sat nav was a major attraction to this device. UK and Europe were completely covered and the countries can be selected according to your necessity, as the maps are really very large and hence consume a considerable amount of memory. Setting up the route can be done quickly and easily.

The impressive software package:

Dell’s X51v Pocket PC comes with a very useful bundle of S/W. The software package includes VGA 3D games Enigmo by Aspyr, WLAN, Funk Odyssey VPN client, Data Backup, Resco Picture Viewer & file explorer and Battery Pack Lite. WLAN is a complete Wi-Fi manager. The battery lite software installs a toolbar across the top of your device which indicates the battery life, memory status and screen brightness. The office applications do a fair job. MS Word functionalities can be effectively used and hence fully formatted documents can be created. The PowerPoint and Excel are also equally good but the limitation in screen size does not allow you to enjoy its features to its fullness.

Battery life:

X51v uses a user replaceable lithium ion battery. For charging, you can either use the usual cradle or the dongle adaptor which plugs the charger directly into the PDA. The battery life can be said as disappointing. Depending on the type of applications you are using, the device may be down in a few hours. In case you are a heavy user, you may get frustrated with its battery life. When you press and hold the button, you can assign any of the following three states using the power settings applet. The first one is dim or turn-on backlight, which is the standard one of the previous versions. The second option available is, turn the unit completely off, which completely shuts down the system consuming zero battery. And the final option available is unassigned which does nothing.

Dell X51v PDA Phone is a good device at a reasonable price. Its design, speed, expandability, abundant memory for usage and good connectivity are the main features by which its consumers would be attracted.

Dell Axim X51v Pocket PC – Technical Specification Details

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