Dell Axim X50 416 MHz review

Despite its low price, the X50 doesn't look or feel cheap.

It's well designed, with shortcut buttons on the left-hand side to activate the Bluetooth wireless connection, take a voice memo or lock the controls. These prevent you having to dig through menus to find functions, although the lock button is rather stiff.

The X50 runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. It's not quite as user-friendly as the competing Palm system, but it's a decent organiser, and can share information with Outlook (the 2002 version is bundled with it). It also reads Office files (provided the formatting's not too complex). There's a huge range of extra programs available for Pocket PCs, and the 412MHz processor will run almost all of them smoothly.

The 3.5in screen is excellent. With slots for the most popular memory card types (SD/MMC and CompactFlash), plus viewer programs included, the X50 is a good way to view digital photos or videos.

But the 412MHz version of the X50 lacks the ability to connect to a WiFi wireless network. If you have WiFi at home or work, you'll miss out on the convenience of wirelessly checking your e-mail or using MSN chat. You can add an SDIO WiFi card in the SD slot, but that'll cost you about £50. The Bluetooth will allow you to connect to a mobile phone and use it as a modem anywhere you have a signal, but your phone company will charge for this.

The battery lasts a decent eight hours if you use the Axim as a basic organiser. If you want to use Bluetooth or play MP3s, however, it only lasts about four to five hours. An optional high-capacity battery is available for another £50.

Although the low price of this model is tempting, it's a false economy. For £100 more, you can get a far more capable Pocket PC. If you just want a cheap organiser, consider one from the PalmOne Zire range instead.

Author: Ben Henley