Pocket PCs

Certain Pocket PCs are heavier and bulkier than handheld computers, such as the Palm series.  Now, advances in technology have made it possible to expect slimmer versions of the PDAs. When one thinks of a PDA, the Dell Axim and the iPAQ come into mind. Acer is a relatively unknown entrant in the Pocket PC segment. It has recently launched the N30 and the N35, the latter comes along with integrated GPRS.

The company’s latest offering, the n30, is a Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC device, which suggests a level of commitment to Microsoft’s handheld OS.

Design:

Sleek and Stylus Navigation:
The N30 Pocket PC has a compact lightweight design which measures (H x W x D) 7.1 x 11.8 x 1.3 cm and weighs a measly 130g.The dimension is much sleeker than the Dell Axim X3i. The casing- a mix of silver and black seems solid and robust. The most noticeable design feature is the absence of a navigation button but the device has a stylus. This new idea seems to be effective as navigation buttons are usually fiddly and small. The stylus is poor- a problem that almost every handheld has.

Buttons and Ports:
Acer has used a minimalist approach in buttons and connectors. There are the application shortcut buttons that lie under the screen in bays, so that they protrude from the base. The scroll wheel is on the left hand side is recessed as far as it can be functionally viable.  Certainly not a gaming phone! The front panel is surrounded by a dark grey frame which makes the large screen look a lot larger. There are 2 LED indicators at the top. One indicates state of charging etc. and the other indicates the Bluetooth activity.

On the top of the Acer N30 Bluetooth Pocket PC is a SD Card Slot and on the bottom side there are the soft and hard reset tools, at the left and right of the docking connector. The speaker on the device delivers surprisingly loud sound.

Features:

Connectivity:
The Acer site has referred to the N30 as the “Wireless wonder”.  It neither has 802.11b nor the GPRS and hence the above term is perhaps an over-statement. Bluetooth is available on the phone, which allows you to connect to a suitable equipped mobile phone to be used as a modem.

Processor:
For the N30, Acer has preferred the Samsung’s S3C2410 processor at 266MHz over the Intel series. The same processor is used by HP in its iPAQ H1940. The processor works well, without a hitch.

Software Bundle:
The N30 Handheld PDA comes with a pre-installed Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Premium Edition Operating System, which means it offers all applications from Microsoft, but only for your phone tools. Sadly, unlike the second edition, it does not offer enhanced features like easy screen upgrade. Beside the standard applications and a few applets, Acer provides only the Back Up Restore Utility. That enables you to prevent the loss of date by making it possible to back up everything or just the PIM data to a memory medium. It can also perform a backup when power levels fall below 30 % of total charge and restore data back.

The CD includes basic applications, such as Microsoft Outlook 2002 and ActiveSync 3.7.1, as well as a few bonus applications. Nevertheless, only one of these software (video viewer MpegTV Pocket TV Pro) can be considered as a true bonus because it is a commercial software free of charge.

Memory:
Out of the 64MB available, only 55MB is available for applications and data, whereas most pocket PCs manage to retain all the 64MB for the date and apps. This loss of about 10 MB could be an issue. The SD card lets you add extra memory, but on board memory matters a lot.

Expandability:
The N30 PDA Pocket PC has a USB host, which offers greater expansion possibilities than the SD/MMC Slot. When you connect a USB drive, a new folder called Hard Disk opens up in the Explorer. You can work with this folder like all other folder.  If you want to try using a keyboard and a mouse with your Pocket PC, you will have to search for its drivers and download them. The SD/MMC slot allows you to connect an SDIO camera to the model. The card tends to stick out like in its predecessor the N10 and hence, prone to accidental ejection. The Bluetooth module makes it easier to connect to either GPS or any other BT enabled device.

Performance:

Acer N30 is slower than PocketPCs with a 400MHz processor but if you are downgrading from a more powerful device, the difference goes un-noticeable. The MPEG video playback is seamless and the excellent display makes it even more exciting. The Windows Media with 250 bitrate is smooth and the 500 kbps video is slightly jerky, however, it is still watchable. The memory card reading speed of the phone is on the slower side. The lack of a conventional keypad makes it impossible to play action games on the N30. Bluetooth worked well and was able to connect to other devices with ease.

Battery Life:

The battery life of the N30, as claimed by Acer, should be around 8 hours. But in reality, when looping music with the screen always on and at half its brightness level delivered a total of 4 hours only. Though most phones do not reach the 4 hour mark, there are handhelds which perform much better. However, the most irksome thing is the lack of a removable battery, which usually enhances its life away from mains power.

Accessories:

The Package contents of Acer N30 includes the device itself, Suede material cover, a brief user manual, CD-ROM, Synchronisation cable and a Charger.

Warranty:

The Acer N30 is provided with a warranty of 2 years from the day of purchase.

Verdict:

The Acer N30 Pocket PC is a slim designed phone with heaps of features. It improves efficiency for professionals and provides very handy applications. With a great LCD screen and clear images, it is good for someone looking for a cheap multi usage PDA. It is powerful enough with 64MB for a range of purposes. There is scope for expanding its memory using the SD/MMC slot. The Bluetooth support of the device is pretty good. It can synchronise wirelessly to a Bluetooth enabled device and allows you to access the Internet through your phone. Its lack of Wi-Fi and a scroll key will certainly affect its sales. But if you want something unique and at a cheap rate, the Acer N30 is a good choice.

Check 2010 Latest Pocket PCs and Fujitsu Siemens Pocket PC Models in this website.

Acer N30 Pocket PC - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Acer
Model Name	Acer N30 Pocket PC
Display type	TFT
Display size	3.5 inch
Native resolution	240 x 320 pixels
Colour depth	16 bits (64k colours)
Dimensions (WxHxD)	7.1 x 1.2 x 11.8 cm
Weight	130 g
Touch screen	Yes
Stylus	Yes
Operating system	Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC
Synchronisation software	Active sync
Desktop software	Outlook
Host PC system requirements	PC with Windows 98/ 98SE/ME/2000/XP
Processor	Samsung S3C2410
Clock speed	266 MHz
Software included	Pocket Outlook, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player 9.0, Calculator, Pocket Internet Explorer, Games, File Explorer, Microsoft Reader 2.0 for Pocket PC, Pictures, Backup/restore utility, Backlight Control, Power Control, Audio Control, Transcriber, Letter Recognizer, Block Recognizer, Destinator 3
Memory	RAM: 64 MB ROM: 32 MB
Memory expansion	SD/MMC (+SDIO)
Audio input	Microphone
Audio output	Speaker, headphone jack
Wired connections	USB
Battery type	Lithium ion
Claimed battery life	8hrs
Wireless Connectivity	IrDA, Bluetooth
Warranty	2 years

With the advancement in the business sector, the need for PDAs, which are also known as the miniaturised computers, has increased. The advent of PDAs turned out to be successful and hence, many companies tried their luck in producing Pocket PCs. One such company is the Fujitsu-Siemens.

Fujitsu-Siemens has hit the PDA market with its first product, The Pocket Loox 600, realising the needs of business professionals. The company is tagged as one of the very few to use Intel’s latest and the fastest processor for mobile PCs, the X Scale mobile processor. The Loox 600 is especially for the people who are awaiting a very good, stylish and an easily affordable pocket PC.

Design:

The Fujitsu Siemens Loox 600 Pocket PC PDA is sleek and chic, with smooth and rounded corners that give a professional look. It has sleek dimensions of (H x W x D) 3.2″ x 5.2″ x 0.7″ and its 3.5 inch screen is reasonably big with a two-toned colour scheme. Its TFT touch screen is another feature that is not uncommon these days. The 240 x 320 pixel, 16 bit coloured screen is very bright and has good contrast. Added to these, the built-in light sensor adjusts the brightness according to the conditions outside. The display sensitivity to the pen is very good and just a soft touch is enough to finish the job. Its sides are protected with rubber strips to prevent severe damage in case of an accident. Its silver finish, unlike the metallic, does not retain any fingerprints. So, it always looks neat.

The metallic stylus is placed on the right and is engrafted with a spring mechanism that is not fine-tuned and hence its durability is doubted. But that is not a big concern, as it does not happen that often. But if at all the spring comes off, then you must get another one from the Fujitsu stores, and more often than not, they are unavailable. There is a jog dial on the left, for browsing purposes. The most important one is the five-way directional pad, which has a push and hold function and hence, making multitasking very easy.

Features:

Like most others, the Pocket Loox 600 has integrated Bluetooth software that avails you wireless connectivity in the office or within a public –access hotspot. It has a Bluetooth switch that makes sure that the Bluetooth is switched off when not used, which prevents many problems, including draining off of the battery. The Loox is one of the very few models to have a switch mechanism for the Bluetooth software. With this, the Loox can be connected to any other device supported by Bluetooth software. When there is no Bluetooth device, then the conventional methods, such as the USB cable connection method, can be used. The CompactFlash slot allows you to enhance the built-in 64MB RAM. IBM micro drives, which are currently available with a maximum capacity of 1 GB, can be used for CompactFlash. The Loox 600 also features a wireless IrDA, which is slow, but very effective and is especially very useful in the absence of Bluetooth. The wireless feature works better if the connection is with another Loox 600 pocket PC.

Software:

The kit provides you with 3 CDs to install some basic software. The most important one is the Nyditot Virtual Display 3.0, which helps you create a virtual display and thereby enhance the resolution of the Loox 600 up to 2040 x 2080 pixels. The Message Master Mobile Client software from Derdack can manage your contacts, send and receive messages and do a lot more. Westtek ClearVue can help you a lot in displaying the power point presentations and other MS-Office documents like Word, Excel etc. If you feel that your security is at stake, then the F-Secure FileCrypto can cipher your files so there is no problem of leakage of private or confidential data even if the PDA is lost. The Space2go Organiser software is very unique that, it stores data on a web server and then can recover the data again from anywhere.

Applications:

One of the best applications the Loox 600 has is the FSC SpeedMenu that can launch many applications at a time and can switch between them. The scroll button makes it easier to handle and operate the Loox 600 with one hand. Another important application is the LX-Backup which can backup your files and data securely into a memory card. Few other applets are the plug-on module status that shows you the modules you are using at present and their current status, the processor clock adjustment, which permits you to adjust yourself, the speed of the processor, backlight control that allows you set the percentage of backlight depending on the outside light conditions, and the extra skin for the screen, that features on the “Today’s” screen. The KSE-TrueFax is a very important tool for sending and receiving fax messages, which is the key factor in the repertoire of any businessman. They are very utile anywhere and at anytime. It serves as a quick tool when you are on the job.

Performance:

With the built-in 400MHz version of the X Scale chip, which is the latest, and with the Intel PXA250 processor, the Loox 600 works very fast. Also with 32MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM it is easy to store data and run programs at a good pace. A Compact Flash slot of Type II is provided for faster running and an SD card is rendered for the storage of data but it does not support SDIO. The Loox 600 can be expanded by plug-on modules, which are add-ons that enhance its performance to a greater extent. The virtual memory, which can be obtained by these add-ons, helps the Loox 600 increase its performance and reduces the extra pressure on the RAM itself.

Accessories:

A USB cable connector and a Cradle are included in the set. The cable is detachable and it can easily be connected to any personal computer for data transfer, and the cradle is strong and mobile. The set also features a two-part power cable with plugs for both Europe and the UK. It also has a safety bag that can prevent scratches and small damages. The bag also prevents accidental opening. A Headphone jack and the Headphones are also featured in the kit. A triad of CDs is also in the kit that helps you install some software. Sadly, there is no such facility as microphone recording in the Loox 600. It can play music files, but only mp3, but not wma files, which is another software gimmick.

Battery:

The Fujitsu Siemens Pockt Loox 600 PDA Pocket PC claims theoretically, a maximum of 12 hours of battery usage, which, as a matter of fact, is neither amazingly great nor that competitive when compared to the battery lives of the other brands in the market. But when tested by using different methods, the 1520mAh Lithium polymer battery gave a life of about three and a half hours, which is just on par with its counterparts. When in the standby mode, the battery of the Loox 600 lasted a bit longer. If you are not satisfied with the battery performance, then you can always add another battery, which is of the same kind, to increase the battery life or the performance.

Warranty:

Fujitsu Siemens offers its Loox 600 a limited warranty of just 6 months.

Verdict:

The Fujitsu Pocket Loox 600 is very affordable and modish. Not only it looks pretty in your hand, but also it works smart. It has an array of unprecedented applications and software that ease your work. It may not be regarded as a High end pocket PC in its ilk, but it has maintained a great balance between its features and serviceability. It may be a tad low on the battery life and yes, it does not support SDIO, but the wireless connectivity and the processor speed are satisfactory. It scores over its similitude when it comes to the cost. The expandable memory and the display, both normal and virtual, are very distinctive features. The processor is really good and the add-ons and the expandability only add to the quality of the Loox 600. It is a great boon for businessmen and a good pocket PC to help you when you are on the move. The warranty period is only 6 months while many others are offering a warranty period of 1 year. This is certainly going to cost Fujitsu a substantial amount of customers.

Fujitsu Pocket LOOX 600 Pocket PC - Technical Specification Details

Manufacturer	Fujitsu-Siemens
Model Name	Pocket Loox 600
Product Type	Personal Digital Assistant (Pocket PC)
Form factor	Slide
Dimensions (W x H x D) mm	132 x 82 x 17
Colour	16 bit
Display Type	TFT
Display Size	3.5 inch
Resolution	240 x 320 pixel
LCD brightness	Automatic
Processor	Intel PXA250 (400 MHz)
Memory	32 MB Flash ROM, 64 MB SDRAM
Operating System	Windows Mobile Pocket PC 2002
Navigation	Jog Dial
Expansion Slots	CompactFlash type I/II
Infrared	Yes
Synchronization connector	Yes
Audio	Yes
Supported Digital Audio Formats	Mp3 (“wma” not supported)
Audio controller	Yes
Stereo conversion	Yes
Record	Yes
Wireless Connectivity	Yes
Games included	Yes
Applications	Fujitsu Siemens SpeedMenu; Plugfree (Bluetooth software); Pocket Outlook; Pocket Word; Pocket Excel; Calculator; Terminal Services Client; MSN Messenger; Windows Media Player; Transcriber; Pocket Internet Explorer; Microsoft Reader 2.0; Voice Recorder
Battery Type	Lithium Polymer
Battery life	12 Hours
Warranty	6 Months

Dell Axim X50v Pocket PC with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Overview:

Pros:

• Large VGA Display
• Great graphics
• Windows Media Player 10.0 Mobile
• Fast processor and ample memory
• Gaming Bundle included
• Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Sleek design
• User-replaceable battery.

Cons:

• Heavy
• Small navigation toggle
• Lacklustre software bundle
• Performance needs to be improved

Review:

As we all know, Dell is a multinational company that is world renowned for its high end computers and notebooks. In 2002, Dell entered the personal digital assistant (PDA) world with the release of Windows Mobile powered pocket PC devices. The first model was called Dell Axim X5. Over the years Dell has come up with smart PDA devices such as X5, X3, X30, X50 and X51.
Dell hit a grand slam in the world of PDAs with its X30 series, offering professionals a well-connected and powerful device at a very affordable price. With the release of the X50 series, the Texas-based company has proved itself to deserve a high ranking in the electronic world. The Axim X50 sports a 520MHz processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the very latest Windows Media Player 10.0 Mobile. The Axim X50 series of Pocket PCs offer design, expandability, value, performance, functionality, and a new factor: elegance. In this review, we will be talking about the design aspects of the product and compare it with its competitors. Towards the end of the review, you will know for sure, as to whether this product is worth your hard earned money.

The Axim X50 series comes in three flavours: Axim X50 entry level, Axim X50 mid level and Axim X50 v, each with its own advantages and obviously differences in specifications.

Axim X50 entry level:

Axim X50 entry level model comes with a 416 MHz Intel PX A 270 processor, the graphics solution that is included is Intel PX A 270 processor with WMMX extensions. It has a 3.5 inch QVGA display and 64 MB Strata Flash ROM memory or a 64 MB SDRAM chip as a memory module. For the sake of connectivity, it has Bluetooth and Wireless. Unfortunately, there are no games included in the PDA.

Axim X50 mid level:

Axim X50 mid level model comes with a 520 MHz Intel PX A 270 processor. The graphics solution that is included is Intel PX A 270 processor with WMMX extensions. It has a 3.5 inch QVGA display and 128 MB Strata Flash ROM memory (double that of Axim X50 entry level PDA) or a 64 MB SDRAM chip as a memory module. Its wireless technology is based on 802.11b Wi Fi and Bluetooth 1.2 wireless technology protocols. Just like the Axim X50 entry level PDA, there are no games included in the package.

Axim X50v:

Axim X50v comes with a 624 MHz Intel PX A 270 processor, the graphics solution that is included is a 16 MB Intel 2700 G multimedia accelerator processor. It has a 3.7 inch VGA display and 128 MB Strata Flash ROM memory or a 64 MB SDRAM chip as a memory module. Its wireless technology is based on 802.11b Wi Fi and Bluetooth 1.2 wireless technology protocols. The games that are included in the bundle are Enigmo and Stuntcar Extreme. We will discuss about each of its specific features in detail in the following review.

Design:

With the latest X50v Pocket PC, Dell has chosen a different form of design; it is now softer and gentler. We were not big fans of the squarish designs of the Axim X30, making it look like a drab and utilitarian model. So, the design change adopted by Dell is most welcome, especially its smoother, rounded edges and attractive silver and black casing. The device has a very solid built and the rubberised sides make the device more comfortable to hold on to.

The 3.7″ VGA screen:
The large 3.7″ VGA screen has a resolution of 480 x 640 with vibrant colours and pitch perfect brightness. The VGA screen allows greater details to be displayed in a very effective manner and hence can reduce the font size on screen. To compensate this, the font size settings can be altered accordingly. Depending on ambient lighting, the intensity of brightness can also be adjusted for optimal viewing.

Dimensions:
Dell has managed to create not much difference in the three variants of the Dell Axim X50, the dimensions of all the three X50s are about the same Length 119 mm, Width 73 mm and Height 16.9 mm. The weight of this magnificent device is 175 grams, a bit too heavy for a PDA. Even though the weight of the PDA is a bit too much compared to its competitors , considering the fact that X50v has a bigger and wider display , the concern about the weight can be put aside. The Dell Axim X50v Pocket PC PDA is also comfortable to hold because of its rounded edges. Using the touch screen and the reset stylus you can enter information into your device.

Stylus:
The stylus is long and slender, and may take some time to get used to. Though, it appears to be so fragile and breakable with its slender silver body and black plastic tips, once you start using it you soon realise that the stylus is far stronger than it looks because the body of the body is made with metal.

Buttons, slots and additional features:
As mentioned before in this review, the Axim X50v has built-in 802.11b wireless to keep you connected on the go. It is a known fact that these wireless capabilities can drain your PDA’s battery even when not in use. Dell has a solution for this issue as well; it makes it very easy to turn ON and OFF the wireless functionality using a shortcut button on the side of the device. To increase the battery savings of the Axim X50V, Dell has also included a display lock button on the side of the device. This is useful when you are carrying the PDA to prevent accidentally powering ON the device during transit. It is also useful if you are watching a movie on the handheld and do not want the screen to be accidentally powered off.

Apart from these buttons, Dell Axim X50V Pocket PC GPS comes with a wide range of other buttons and slots, some of them are mentioned here.

• Infrared sensor: This sensor lets you transfer files from your device to another infrared-compatible device without using cable connections.
• Microphone: Allows you to record audio.
• Memory Card Slots: Compact flash card and secure digital memory card slots- for expand your memory requirements.
• Power button: Press the power button to turn the device on or off. Press and hold the power button to dim the display. Repeat to light the display.

1. When the device is connected to external power and the main battery is fully charged, the power button light is solid green.
2. When the main battery charge is low, the power button light flashes amber.
3. When the battery is being charged, the power button light is solid amber.
4. When the device relays a notification, the power button light rapidly flashes green.

• On/off button for WLAN/Bluetooth: Discussed in the earlier section of this review.
• Home button: Press to launch home or to turn on the device.
• Navigator button: Press the right, left, top, or bottom of the navigator button to move the cursor on the screen. Press the centre to enter a selection.
• Contacts button: Press to launch contacts or to turn on the device.
• Calendar button: Press to launch calendar or to turn on the device.
• Record button: To record a message or an audio clip.
• Lock button: Allows you to lock the device so that the device does not respond to inadvertent pressing of keys.

Features:

Horsepower:
The Dell X50v Handheld PDA is definitely a front runner when it comes to horsepower, thanks to its 624 MHz Intel X Scale PX A270 processor. Currently, the only other PDAs that run on the same processor are the Dell Axim X30 model (QVGA) and HPs iPAQ hx4700. Undoubtedly, the device is fast, but the response time for opening menus and windows is not that great since the device is running at VGA resolution.

RAM:
The Axim X50v unit has 64 MB of RAM, out of which 61.76 MB is user allocatable memory. Apart from that, it has 128 MB of flash ROM, 91.43 MB of which is available as Built-in Storage. Dell always uses Intel Strata Flash memory for flash ROM, which is proven to be much faster than NAND.

Expansion:
For expansion, the Dell offers standard Infra Red (IR), Bluetooth, a CF slot that is compatible with type I and type II cards. Apart from that, the X50V sports an SD slot supporting SDIO and SDIO. All these expansion options make the Axim X50v a versatile and expandable device that will work with GPS, CF cellular cards, presentation, modem and networking cards.

Graphics and Sound:
The Axim X50v Wireless Pocket PC uses the much talked about Intel 2700G graphics processor with 16 MB of RAM. 16 MB of RAM is an impressive amount of video memory for a PDA, and beats out all other PDA models in the market. The graphics processor used in X50v offers 3D acceleration and rendering, while all other PDAs except the gaming oriented “Palm OS Tapwave Zodiac” provides only 2D acceleration. Another notable graphics feature is that it has a fast pipeline between the CPU and graphics processor, meaning lesser delays in graphics processing.

Games:
The X50v comes with two Open GL games that show off the devices 3D performance:  Stuntcar Extreme and the 3D puzzle game Enigmo, both gorgeous looking games.

Built-in Speaker, Microphone and Headphone:
The Dell has great sound and its built-in speaker is good enough to be heard in all environments except for extremely noisy ones. Music and movies sound great through stereo headphones that can be easily plugged into the 3.5 mm headphone jack, and volume is quite good and easily adjustable.  Like most of the other Pocket PCs, the X50v has a microphone and can record voice notes and encourage the wannabe singer in you by letting you record your own music. Dell also includes a control panel for the microphone which lets you use automatic gain control and even set mic gain manually. The mic is located on the top left corner and the speaker is right below the d-pad. Another very useful feature of the X50vWireless PDA is that it uses a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which works with almost every standard stereo headset and headset mic combo.

Video Playback:
The feature rich X50v did not leave Video playback behind, it is excellent on the device. Videos can be viewed in full screen mode, which is a unique feature of the X50v. It has a codec for the 2700G graphics processor to optimize video performance in WM10, and it shows because the playback feature, even when in full screen mode is impressive.

Software Bundle:

Besides the fact that the Axim X50v is reasonably priced for the hardware you get, Dell has also managed to include an impressive software bundle. The software bundle includes: WLAN (a full-featured WiFi manager), Funk Odyssey VPN client and Resco Picture Viewer. It also provides software for Data Backup which backs up your PDA to a storage card. Besides the very obvious and required software tools, the device also provides us with very cool VGA 3D games Enigmo by Aspyr and Fathammer’s Stuntcar Extreme. Both games look amazing on the Dell PDA and exploit its VGA and 3D capabilities to the very best.

Axim X50v Battery:

The X50v comes with an 1100 mAh Lithium Ion battery which is user replaceable. This 110 mAh battery is just an average capacity battery for a Pocket PC, and proves to be a little low for a 3.7″ display VGA model running at 624 MHz with dual wireless (large displays, wireless networking and fast processors consume lots of power). Battery life is average for the X50V, giving about 3 hours of actual use in average conditions. However, if you need more power, Dell sells an optional 2200 mAh battery, which will obviously increase the battery life of the device and also increase the thickness of the PDA. For people who use wireless to a great extend might want to consider this extended battery or a second standard battery

Efficient battery usage modes in X50v:

We do not require 624 MHz of processor all the time, but we may need longer runtimes while travelling. To help us solve this problem, Dell allows the user to set the CPU speed to Power-Saving (208 MHz), Normal (520MHz), Maximum Performance (624 MHz) or Auto which sets processor speed relative to demand. Auto mode can set the CPU from 104 MHz up to 624 MHz depending on load and gives great performance overall. The Power-Saving mode is way too slow even for PIM lookups and working with Pocket Word documents, but Normal mode is just fine and may get you 15 minutes more out of your battery compared to Maximum performance mode.Like the previous versions of the Dell PDAs, you can charge the unit in its cradle or use the included dongle adapter to plug the charger directly into the PDA.

A Comparison with competitors HP iPAQ and ASUS A730:

Pocket friendliness:
If size is a major concern to you, the ASUS is the smallest VGA Pocket PC money can buy. Dell based Pocket PCs are a hair taller and the HP Pocket PCs are the largest. The HP based iPAQ is the only Pocket PC in this trio that has a magnesium alloy metal casing, while the other two have plastic casings. HP being the largest PDA in the group needs more space to accommodate its 4″ display. It is an accepted fact that Microsoft’s version of VGA does not make things terribly tiny. Hence the screen dimensions may not really matter to you unless you have tired eyes or want to view lots of photos and watch videos very frequently.

Performance Factors:
When it comes to performance, the iPAQ wins without doubt. The Dell Axim is just behind with very close benchmarks. Even though Dell has an amazing amount of video memory for a Pocket PC, the HP iPAQ beats it on graphics benchmarks. All the three PDAs look great for playing games and videos encoded at fairly high bit rates. When it comes to battery life, the iPAQ is a real winner with its standard 1800 mA battery. If you are the kind of person who does a lot of video calls on the move, the ASUS certainly wins since it is the only VGA model with an integrated digi-cam.

Gamers Choice:
Gamers will most probably favour the Dell and ASUS over the iPAQ since its touchpad is not the most responsive or usable for action gaming. When it comes to cost, the ASUS A730 and Dell X50v are less expensive than the iPAQ.

Warranty:

The Dell Axim X50v Pocket PC comes with a limited one year replacement warranty.

Verdict:

The Axim X50v is an excellent offering from Dell at a nice price, considering all the features. What we feel is that the unit should suit power users and those who crave for the VGA experience. The display is amazing; it looks great and provides the user with two awesome games. The design is attractive and ergonomic. Though the battery life is not very impressive for such a powerful device, the Axim X50v can be configured in three power modes to help save battery power. Solid performance and advanced multimedia capabilities make the Dell Axim X50v a suitable PDA for both serious and casual users. All these points put together, we feel that the feature rich Dell Axim X50v it is definitely worth a buy.

Check Compaq Pocket PCs, i-mate Pocket PC Reviews in this website.

Dell Axim X50v Wireless Pocket PC - Specification Details

Manufacturer	Dell
Model Name	Dell Axim X50v
Product Type	Pocket PC
Form factor	Compact
Dimensions (W x H x D) mm	73 x 119 x 16.9
Colour	Black
Display Type	QVGA, VGA TFT Color 16-bit, touch-sensitive, transflective display
Display Size	QVGA: 3.5 inches VGA: 3.7 inches
Resolution	QVGA: 240 x 320 at 65,536 colours VGA: 480 x 640 at 65,536 colours
LCD brightness	QVGA:100 nits VGA: 80 nits
Processor	Intel XScale PXA270 processor at up to 624 MHz
Memory	RAM: 64-MB SDRAM ROM: 64-MB or 128-MB Intel StrataFlash
Operating System	Microsoft® Windows Mobile™ 2003 Second Edition
Navigation	5-way navigation button
Expansion Slots	one Secure Digital memory card slot supports 1-bit and 4-bit SDIO card one CompactFlash Type II card slot
Infrared	standard v1.2
synchronization connector	36-pin connector
Audio	stereo headphone connector and mono microphone connector
Supported Digital Audio Formats	MP3 , WMA
Audio controller	WM8750L sound chip
Stereo conversion	16-bit stereo; 8.0-, 11.025-, 22.05-, and 44.1-KHz sample rate
Record	full duplex record and playback
Wireless Connectivity	WLAN (802.11b) CF Host interface IEEE 802.11b Network standard Bluetooth wireless technology Wi-Fi certified Software support
Games included	StuntCar extreme , Enigmo
Battery Type	1100-mAh lithium-ion removable, rechargeable battery
Warranty	1 year Limited warranty Replacement

Going back to eighties, if you were prosperous enough to possess a mobile phone, you yourself have to provide with personifying as a target for a joke or deuce. The mobiles twenty years back mostly looked like bits of hardware used by military instead of being omnipresent user product as it is today. But in-spite of unavoidable shrinkage the mobile phones have changed over the last twenty years and so, the small phones are ever not fuller, and also there is good deal of reasons to own a big sized phone. To skid in to the pocket big mobile may be very hard, but you will be provided with an adorable big screen. Whilst a brick sized phone may not give a stylish look when you hold it over your ear, an opportunity is given to the manufacturer to add on a liberally sized key board. That is the reason many of the users love to give their time to see a phone like Toshiba Portege G910.

Design

Dimensions of the Large Toshiba G910:
Even though the size has many rewards, others may turn down its giant dimensions- whilst it is measuring (H x W x D) 117 x 64 x 19.8 mm and also weighs about a sizeable 183 grams.  The bulky device features a QWERTY keyboard and large screen display. You first encounter it possessing a very beneficial keyboard. Although like its forerunner Toshiba G900, the new model would not skid very easily into your taut jeans pocket without a danger of hurting yourself, you will be capable of sending emails and texts very quickly compared to any other mobiles out in the market. You can also go through the editing of odd document without much of vexation.

Cigarette Lighting Case Shaped Design:
The foremost matter you will notice about the G910 Handheld Pocket PC is its peculiar design matching cigarette lighting case and its fake leather finish will find a place in your local golf club. Covered under it are a lot of rich characteristics. Because of its clamshell design the G910 appears to be very large.

Fake Leather Decorated Over Grey Exterior Finish:
The Toshiba G910 Pocket PC PDA is decorated with false leather to compliment its grey polished finish, which is also provided to protect and firm the device when it is kept on a desk. Under the screen of the device rests the QWERTY keyboard, which is mostly used in business applications and is also tendering a very good review. Although it is a little slippery, one can use it with two hands when it is placed on a table sort of thing.

Two Separate Keys for Full Stop and Space:
Apiece of the keys is big, shapely, and holds a beneficial and confirming click, so that you will be perfectly sure when you try to type a letter on it. You will be very happy when you notice that there is a separate key for full stop instead of going through functionalities to access it and also a well sized space key, these are two unique things which you may not notice in other rival phones.

Three Inch Wide Screen Display:
Secondly, it possesses an outstanding large screen. Along with the other Windows Mobile Professional devices it also holds a touch screen and because of the big size of the device, it looks liberally large. As a matter of fact, Toshiba Portege G910’s diagonally 3 inch screen and is of high resolution 800 x 480 is one amongst the smartest smartphones you must have noticed ameliorating the superb screen on Eten Glofiish M800 and X800 phones. This also means that you are capable of gibing an amazing lot of Internet browser, emails and word documents at a time on the screen.

A Small Mono Chromic Display Screen:
The most occupying fact about G910 Pocket PC Mobile is not something like its keyboard or its giant screen as one may expect but its strange design. Flip over the lid of the phone close, it folds down with a fulfilling smack and it also delivers you with an outstanding thin exterior. You are provided with a little, black and white display which indicates the status of missed calls, time and messages, alternatively to its regular numeric keypad for calling to any numbers or a touch screen. It is also attached along with a small direction pad which is arranged with up, down, right and left buttons, in addition to keys for replying and terminating the phone calls.

Unique Innovation in the Exterior Design:
Toshiba G910 surely appears good and also, thumbs up for Toshiba for its unique invention. But a phone like this should first of all be a hard-nosed work tool, unlike the screen and keypad, the typical external design does not work good at the least. In fact if you want to go further and want to know something about it, it made Toshiba G910 a consummate incubus to utilise it as a standard phone, as there is no reasonable way of speedily dialling any phone numbers.

Absence of Numeric Keypad and Addition of Directional Pad:
Because of its lack of numeric keypad, one should utilise the directional pad to pick numbers from a system on the miniature screen, which is merely dotty. It was discovered that it is very easy to flick the device open and stir up the Phone Application and dial employing the numerals arranges in to the QWERTY keyboard. But however, it is not idealistic, in order that to speak to anybody, you should shut the device close ahead you clasp the new model on to the ear. You cannot utilise this phone single handed.

Connections offered in Toshiba G910:
The specification of the phone elsewhere is upward along with the most effective Windows Mobile devices. You are capable of receiving HSDPA mobile data for high speed browsing and data downloads, a tri-band GSM, a Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth 2.0, a GPS receiver, and together with both a two mega pixel camera with flash and also a front facing VGS camera towards video calls. It is also provided with a finger print reader on the right edge of the device, but you please do not get too aroused as it is not used to provide security to the phone. It is a catch to put it down gently, as you can easily allot a finger print for each application and then can utilise it to establish those applications.

Features:

Every Box Ticked In Terms Of Features:
In terms of features or connectivities every box can be ticked. The device is packed in with 128 MB RAM ( in which 48 MB is free), 256 MB ROM( in which 127MB is free) in addition to duple Wi-Fi with VOIP support, a HSDPA Bluetooth, a biometric finger print reader, and also an internal GPS receiver. For the GPA receiver tests were conducted on them by downloading Google Earth and discovered that it could lock up to your position out of doors in around one and a half minutes from the cold beginning. To assist us in speeding it up a GPRS data utility is also provided.

Pre-Installed Opera Mobile Application:
A full complement for the software, as it is also reasonably good. A full Office mobile which also includes OneNote mobile, a pre-installed Opera Mobile in addition to an application programme for reading business cards captivated with aboard camera and save them to your database of contacts are provided, even though the G910 does not receive any major sweeteners on the crinkles of HTC’s touch phones.

Two Arrays of Touch Sensitive Keys on Either Side of the Screen:
You need not go very far to detect farther botheration in the G910 Handheld PDA. The new device harks back to that unusual design: is not only inducing troubles in making calls but also the way it links the screen on the backside of the key board also entails that functioning the touch screen is fiddle. Moving in the path farther you will detect two layouts of touch sensitive short-cut presses aligned on both sides of the screens. These buttons promptly whips you off in to the applications like Media Player, Outlook, Messaging and Contacts, but it also looks like the attentive touch rapidly turns into a major annoyance. If one seek to use finger to poke the screen, it is all very easy to sweep one of the short-cut buttons while trying to tip something else.

A New Picsel Viewer for PDF Documents:
You will also detect a Picsel viewer for PDF documents, an extra web browser, image text software which is used to read back text from photos, business card or newspapers, aside from the Windows standard applications.

The File Formats Supported by the G910:
The Toshiba G910 3″ Widescreen Pocket PC is capable of music playback and the files formats supported by the device are listed as follows: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WMA, AMRNB, SMAF, MIDI, SP-MIDI and WAV.

Performance:

Manufacturer Quoted Battery Life:
Even though the mobile phone’s ringer is not sufficiently aloud, the call quality is relatively all right. During the tests conducted on it, many phones were missed even though it was carried in a pocket of the jacket in spite of increasing its volume to utmost. As the manufacturer quoted the battery life to be 330 minutes talk time and 460 hours stand by, there is nothing altered in it and it is proven to be correct. It was discovered that dismount use for two days is the most the phone can be subjected to, and to be on secured side, it is better if you charge the mobile overnight to prevent bolting out at untimely moments. However the battery also adds a lot to skinny side of the characteristics offered in the device.

Lot of time consumed to open a Word Document:
In the synthetic bench mark tests performed, the Toshiba G910 PDA Smartphone did not display any spectacular outcomes. Though the common Windows operation seemed to be quick enough, it was also found that it took around 10 seconds to open a new word document and the playback of the video is also not very smooth. Yet on upper limit, the volume of the inner speaker is very down.

Drawbacks of the Device:

Blooming Down Resolution of the Device:
The Toshiba G910’s 800 x 480 pixel resolution blooms the case but at the same time it is letting it down by making the stylus inputs reactive to a very less extent. On the other hand the resolution is not ideal to all the other third party plans. The size of the text should be increased for making the viewing easier and also pressing the touch sensitive buttons on both sides of the screen is also not very easy.

Fiddle Front Control System:
The strange design of the device is less virtual when you try to use it in car navigation, to take snaps or to make a call through its fiddle front control system.

Very Low Camera Quality:
The camera quality is also not good with its provided photo LED light. To take photos one should open the device press on the icon present on screen or utilise a separate press to autofocus which is indeed very slow.

Other Applications Included Within The Device:

To make the device very powerful and competitive in the market, the manufacturer Toshiba has also included following features - Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Picsel Viewer, Mobile IE, Windows Mobile, Windows Live Services, Opera Web browser, Games (Standard Windows Mobile ones), and Fingerprint reader utility.

Package Particulars:

The Toshiba Portege G910’s package includes G910 Mobile Phone, USB Cable, Stereo Head set (with microphone), AC Charger, User guide and CD-ROM.

Warranty:

Toshiba Portege G910 Pocket PC phone comes with a standard one year warranty.

Verdict:

The Toshiba G910 PDA Phone may attract all the users as it is a comparatively big device. The major issue with Toshiba G910 is that this type of phones should perform extremely well, in particular for the price paid for it. Even though it carries few advantages, its legion weaknesses pulled it and made it earthy with a firm thud. We can forgive it size and heavy weight, for its adorable screen and keyboard, a complete layout of high end features and also few considerable extras of software. But it becomes a nightmare to make phone calls using the device because of its forward looking design, and this also pairs to few other idiosyncrasies and also increased the discomfort of buying the device. Taking snaps, making calls through the front control system is made very hard, and its internal speaker volume is very low toned.
However, since it is accompanied with some modern features and also some performance issues, still because of its QWERTY keyboard, and wide screen display it may attract lots of business people for fulfilling their needs and applications.

Check Latest Pocket PCs, HP Pocket PC Reviews in our website.

Toshiba Portege G910 Handheld Computer - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Toshiba
Model Name	Portege G910
Product Type	Smartphone
Form factor	Clamshell
Dimensions (W x D x H) mm	64 x 117 x 20mm
Weight	183 g
Colour	Black
Frequencies of GSM	900, 1800 and 1900
GPRS	Yes
3G	Yes
HDSPA	Yes
Accessories Included	USB Cable, Stereo Head set (with microphone), AC Charger, User guide and CD-ROM.
Ringtones available	Polyphonic, Real music
Vibrating alert	Yes
Calendar	Yes
Alarm Clock	Yes
Speaker Phone	Yes
Voice Recording	Yes
Resolution	800 x 480 pixels
Camera Resolution	2 mega pixel
Zoom	4x
LED Photolight	Yes
Video Recording	Yes
Music Playback	Yes
Supported Formats	AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WMA, AMRNB, SMAF, MIDI, SP-MIDI,WAV
FM Radio	No
Head phone socket	Proprietary
Memory Card Type	microSD
Memory Expansion	Yes
Infrared	No
Bluetooth	Yes
USB	Yes
GPS Receiver	Yes
OS	Windows Mobile 6 Professional
Synchronisation Software	Active Sync 4.5
Desktop Software	Active Sync 4.5
System Requirements	Windows OS and optional MS office (for sync)
Handwriting recognition	Windows Mobile Default
Other applications included	Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Picsel Viewer, Mobile IE, Windows Mobile, Windows Live Services, Opera Web browser, Games (Standard Windows Mobile ones), Fingerprint reader utility
Battery Type	Li-ion
Talk time (mfr)	265 min
Stand by (mfr)	330 hours
Warranty	One year