I
t took 80 years for Star Trek’s
engineers to go from building
tricorders that were shoulder-
slung boxes the size of old cassette
recorders to the slim flip-style that
Dr. Crusher whips out on mis-
sions. It’s taken PDAs, however, less
than a decade to go from Apple’s
monstrous Newton to the petite
4.7 ounce beauty that is the Axim
X30. There are smaller and lighter
handhelds, but none packs as many
cutting-edge features at such a low
price. Last month we augured the
end of the handheld era, but Dell
seems determined to keep PDAs
useful, relevant, and—dare we
say—irresistible.
The Axim includes a few firsts
for Pocket PCs. It’s the first Pocket
PC to use Intel’s 624MHz PXA270
processor, and the first to include
Windows Mobile 2003 Second
Edition, which includes Wi-Fi
WPA encryption and the ability to
switch from portrait to landscape
orientations. Dell also tricks out
the X30 with 64MB of RAM, a
sharp 320x240 screen, an SD slot
for the additional storage memory
we know you’ll need, and both
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios that
can be switched on and off with a
reprogrammable button at the right
edge of the unit.
Our hunch that the X30
would be fast proved accurate.
Applications launch in the blink
of an eye, and performance lurches
are rare. This is no doubt a result of
the PXA270’s automatic processor
throttling, which grants more pro-
cessing power when you need it
(when you are running game con-
sole emulators, for example) and
slows the proc down when you
don’t, to extend battery life.
If battery life is an issue, the
PXA270’s removable lithium-ion
pack will make you as delighted as
a Klingon over a roc-egg breakfast.
The standard 905mAh battery can
be swapped out with an optional
1800mAh pack, which adds bulk
but nearly doubles the useful life
of the unit between charges. We
used it for approximately three anda half hours before the X30’s Wi-Fi
capabilities turned off automatical-
ly; after that, we were still able to
use the PDA intermittently for six
additional hours with maximum
screen brightness. Even better, the
included dock has an extra slot
for simultaneously charging the
handheld and either type of spare
battery. Dell even throws in a hand-
some, if somewhat bulky, leather
carrying case that has a built-in
belt clip—an accessory that’s cer-
tain to draw double-takes at the
Geek Pride Parade.
The X30’s Wi-Fi range is stellar,
clinging to our connection even
further away from our wireless
source than the bulkier iPaq 5555.
You’ll appreciate this range all the
more because of a novel “column”
mode in Pocket IE that divides web
pages into separate columns you
can scroll through using a rocker
on the left side of the unit. It’s a
comfortable way to read web pages
that eliminates tedious left-right
scrolling.
Although the software bundle is
fairly standard (and includes Pocket
Word and Outlook 2002 ), Dell also
includes a tiny software app called
Switcher Bar that addresses a major
fault of the Windows Mobile OS:
Even in this “Second Edition,”
closing applications simply mini-
mizes them, whereby they hang
out in the background holding
precious system resources hostage.
Switcher Bar not only allows you to
switch between applications, but
also gives you the option of clos-
ing everything but the active
application, or all apps at once
(something that requires a mind-
boggling six taps in other hand-
helds). Microsoft should take note:
When manufacturers have to take
it upon themselves to correct OS
deficiencies, there’s a problem.
Frustratingly, while Windows
Mobile Second Edition now offi-
cially supports 640x480 resolu-
tion, the X30 remains stuck at
320x240. It’s disappointing and a
little puzzling that the otherwise
cutting-edge Axim doesn’t boastthe higher resolution. If it had, it
would probably have walked away
with a perfect 10 and a promotion
to First Officer.
—LOGAN DECKERDell Axim X30
A PDA that even Starfleet could learn from
Slim, sexy, and almost sinful, the Axim X30
offers nearly everything you could ask for in
a PDA, including a novel feature that allows
you to browse the web more easily.PDAs through the ages (to scale): Apple’s
Newton, Dell’s X30, and Starfleet’s Tricorder.MA XIMUMPCVERDICT 9
UHURA’S SKIRT
It’s got the features, it’s got the speed, and it’s got
a low price.The screen is just 320x240, taking a bit of shine
out of an otherwise outstanding PDA.LAFORGE’S VISOR$350, http://www.dell.comReviews
76 MA XIMUMPC SEPTEMBER 2004
4.6“3 “