Dell Axim X51v 624MHz review

Dell's Axim X51v is an update to the Axim X50v, previously the fastest handheld you could buy.

It's similar in design and specification, but it runs the latest Windows Mobile 5 operating system and has some important changes to its method of system management and memory storage.

The PDA's glossy black and silver finish looks smart and the bottom of the PDA has Windows PDA short cut buttons for calendar, contacts and messages. The standard X51 has a 240x320 resolution screen; the X51v has a high-resolution 480x640 pixel display. The screen is bright at its maximum setting and the higher resolution means there is more room to display web pages properly.

The Axim has no problems connecting to the internet, thanks to built-in Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless networking. Windows Mobile 5 supports the latest WPA encryption, so the X51v should have no trouble connecting to most wireless networks. Setting up a wireless network is easy, as the preinstalled Dell WLAN utility groups all the connection and encryption settings in one place.

The X51v shares the X50's 624MHz Intel XScale processor and Intel 3D graphics accelerator, making it the most powerful PDA available, with capacity for 3D games. The biggest difference is the way the X51v manages memory with Windows Mobile 5. PDAs based on previous Windows Mobile operating systems used volatile RAM to store running programs as well as saved programs and documents. You lost all your data if the PDA ran out of battery power, and you had to manually adjust the amount of RAM that was allocated to running programs or saving data.

The X51v uses its 64MB of RAM exclusively for storing running programs, but has a further 256MB of non-volatile flash memory for installed programs and saved data. So you don't have to manually adjust the PDA's memory allocation and your data is safe if the X51v runs out of battery power. The main disadvantage of the new system is speed. As flash memory is slower than RAM, programs are slower to start and documents slower to open, as the data has to be transferred from one type of memory to another.

The X51v has plenty of internal storage, so it can be used to store media files without having to buy an SD or CF memory expansion card. Getting video files on the player is easier than with previous Windows Mobile PDAs, as Windows Mobile 5 can synchronise with Windows Media Player 10. Media Player converts the file to a type compatible with the PDA, but some of our video test files had distorted aspect ratios and jerky frame rates.

This powerful PDA has all the advantages of the Windows Mobile 5 operating system. You won't find a PDA with more features or a better screen.

Author: Chris Finnamore