New Gadget - Dell Axim PDA
Sun, 23 July, 2006 – 9:36 pm
I'd recently decided I wanted to buy a small accessory or laptop for more mobile computing than my current heavyweight, hot laptop offers me. All I needed was something that I could use on the couch or when I go to bed at night, to allow me to read RSS feeds, check my mail and let me browse the web and perhaps blog with. So nothing seriously technical or too expensive, but something light, small and compact.
First I figured a PDA would do the job. Last Wednesday when we went to Liverpool I was intent on having a look at a couple to see what they were like. Then we wandered into an Apple shop and found a nice 13.3" screen laptop for £749. Not too bad for the price but after a think I figured that I could do what I needed to on a handheld, plus it would be a lot more compact for carrying with me or taking away, and cost £500 less. Considering I want to buy another car at the end of the year plus save for my tax bill, well that's around £10k I need to find! So £500 is a lot to pay out for something that at present wouldn't be used to its full capacity.
So I decided on a PDA. Then after a chat with Martin, who owns both a Mac and a PDA, I learnt enough to give me more ideas of what I needed. Bluetooth, Wireless connectivity, Microsoft Windows Mobile. He also recommended a HP iPaq which at first I looked at but the HP website and Amazon didn't really offer much choice. I was intending to pop to Currys Digital (the new name for Dixons!) where I'd seen a HP for £217 but then my Mum told me about Dell's offer on their Axims. So I took a look today and figured that I'd always been happy with Dell (we all use them here and in my business) so I'd get a mid range Axim.
And so it's ordered, which you can see the model on This Link and perhaps the front image too! Can't wait 'til it arrives (yes I'm just like a kid at christmas!).
8 Responses to “New Gadget - Dell Axim PDA”
Interestingly Im jsut about too order two HP handhelds for the new deputy HTs at work, nobody else uses them, but it will be interesting to see what exactly they can and do, and if it would be useful for me and my boss to grab one.
By Matt on Jul 24, 2006
It's always useful when you're not paying
The HP ones I saw in the same price range had a lower processor, not that it put me off at the time but the only one I could find with wireless and bluetooth was around £275 on their site. Amazon seems to sell very few and with the loss of places like Dixons from the high street (Currys Digital seems to have replaced the Dixons shops but had the choice of 3 PDAs) there's no where to go to physically try them.
Still for my needs it should do the job fine. I'm not looking to start Word Processing or writing code on it now!
By Sarah on Jul 24, 2006
The Dell PDA is really lovely. I hadn't even realised Dell made handhelds!! Would have been a good thing to check out before I bought my Palm TX. Enjoy your new toy
By Sam on Jul 24, 2006
Hi Sarah, wish you had done a bit more research. If could've just brought yourself to read some reviews on the net like ' how to buy a laptop ' at [spam link removed] you would have known that Dell itself has some periodic low priced offers attractive to home users. But I just saw the one that you are buying. And I think it is real cool !
By techgeek on Aug 5, 2006
Hi techgeek. I'm confused by your post but then of course it was spam. Glad to see you manually took the time however to try and spam comment. But in answer to your remark, I spent a couple of hours chatting to PDA owners, not sure how the laptop link comes into it as I had decided on a PDA, however after enough research in my mind I'd made the right choice.
And for the record I have as yes… it's cool.
By Sarah on Aug 5, 2006
I have a Dell Axim X51v too. It's a very nice gadget. Unfortunately Dell has stopped the PDA fabrication. It's a pity…
By PocketChris on Aug 8, 2006