joedawg321

A little background on what I do before I get to my question. My company installs computer point-of-sale equipment in restaurants, bars, etc. We have started using the Dell Axim with wireless cards. The main issue we have ran into is the length of the battery life on the Axim. We were using a external battery that was made by a company called Beacon and distributed by a company called SCR (http://www.scrpos.net/battery_pack.htm). These batteries have multiple issues and we are currently looking for a replacement. We have also tried using the larger battery packs from Dell, but the people that we are selling this equipment to are 18-25 year old women with little or no computer knowledge. If anyone has any suggestions or if anyone knows of a product, please let me know. Thank you.

ecagadoc

http://evizzo.com

This thing rocks and is soooo easy to use. No brainer. Install 4AA batteries and it will recharge your Axim to 100%. Even with Backlight on full and playing movies.

lindsj

Come on, that is a little obvious.... but at least you waited 24 hours to post a reply to your origional post...............

ikehiker

Which WiFi card are you using? I imagine this is the biggest drain on the batteries so switching to a more efficient CF card might help solve your problem (Socket low power appears to be the most efficient of the currently available cards. Of course, it’s also the most expensive but the difference between the cards you currently use is probably less than the battery packs).

Also, I’m not sure why lack of computer knowledge by the users would prevent you using the larger battery pack from Dell. Once it is installed (which you can do before you give it to the users), it seems less complicated than plugging in the battery extender.

__________________
-Ike-

ikehiker

Quote:

Originally posted by lindsj Come on, that is a little obvious.... but at least you waited 24 hours to post a reply to your origional post...............

I'm not sure what you are referring to. The first two posts were by different people.

peterbright

The post implies that they are NOT being posted by two separate (independent) people but rather by the same or closely related individuals.

lindsj

Yup, that is what I meant,

'joedawg321' has one whole post to his name, and it just so happens his post describes a perfect need for a product that is being pumped on other boards by ecagadoc

ikehiker

OK, I can see that. I wouldn’t put it past ecagadoc based on the other posts he’s made and his failure (thus far, anyway) to deny any financial association with PortaCharge. On this thread, I have suspicions that sfplaya247 and ecagadoc may be the same or related individuals but if that’s the case here, he came up with a poor hypothetical situation on this thread. As I pointed out above, the simplest solution would be to use NO battery extender. Either reduce your power usage with a different WiFi card or get the bigger power pack from Dell. I mean, why would you want your waitresses walking around with a second piece of hardware attached by a wire?

BTW, at least joedawg321 listed a website for his company in his profile and it seems to have no direct link to PortaCharge, so I think his question was legit.

lindsj

actually, that website he refers to is for a 'product' he is 'supposedly' using now that he would like to 'replace' with something 'better'. I don't read his post as saying that Beacon or SRC companies are his.

The bottom line is that if he has a good product, let it sell itself, rather than look like a nit wit with poorly contrived make-believe examples. If the product is good, these boards will push it faithfully.

I also agree with your assertion that the best solution would be to reduce consumption and purchase an extended battery. I can imagine a whole fleet of waitresses, each with an Ax, taking my order and WiFi'ing it to the kitchen. I would have to think a standard dell extended battery would be more than adequate.

just my thoughts.

lindsj

btw,

are there no women out there that take offense to the implied remark that women would have trouble with technology? (from the origional post)

ecagadoc

I really don't see what the big deal is about this charger. Everyone says that everyone is affiliated in selling this thing. But yet everyone says that they can make the same thing? What does that tell everyone. The thing works! Everyone agrees that the darn thing works. I'm just letting you know i wasted my money...and as good as some chargers appear to be..they obviously don't work.

ikehiker

Quote:

Originally posted by lindsj actually, that website he refers to is for a 'product' he is 'supposedly' using now that he would like to 'replace' with something 'better'. ...

No, I meant on his profile he lists his company's website and it does the kinds of things he describes in his first post (nothing to do with battery extenders).
(It may be 18-25 yr olds he's questioning as much as women )

lindsj

ahh, now I see what you mean ikehiker

I agree too that the problem would more likely be with the 18-25 year olds, but I still figured he would get flamed for a remark that 'could' be read as sexist.... hehe

ikehiker

Quote:

Originally posted by ecagadoc I really don't see what the big deal is about this charger. ...

The 'big deal' isn't about the charger, it the way you've gone about promoting it. If you have nothing to do with the company, then it's all a misunderstanding, but the first message I saw from you (I think it indicated you'd made 4 or 5 posts at that time), you were touting how wonderful this apparatus is. Then I checked a couple more threads and there you were again, still talking about the charger. I think most users on this forum have come to appreciate how helpful a community this is. Having a new person come in and say how great something is that most of us have never heard of just makes us suspicious.

On the other hand, if you are associated with the charger, you could have created a lot of potential good will by coming onto the site, saying your company has this great new thing that the Axim community may find useful. Then, to promote it, you could offer a 10 or 20% off introductory offer. Anyway, that's how I see this situation.

Quote:

Originally posted by lindsj ...problem would more likely be with the 18-25 year olds, but I still figured he would get flamed for a remark that 'could' be read as sexist.... hehe

I, of course, was joking about the 18-25 year olds, too. Most of them know a heck of a lot more about computers than old guys like me . I suspect what joedawg321 was trying to indicate was that their business depends on making these systems pretty foolproof.

Joedawg321, I'm sorry we've kind of taken over your thread to discuss a forum social issue. I hope the suggestions I made above are helpful.

ecagadoc

Hey. If someone made a mistake on buying the WRONG product. Wouldn't you want to do the right thing and respond to anyone in question about the right charger?