Newbie Axim x30H questions

siskiou · 10-19-09, 03:16 PM

A friend is passing on his Dell Axim x30H to me in a couple of weeks.

This is the first PDA/Pocket pc for me and I'm looking forward to playing with a new toy, even though it's outdated.

I mainly plan to use it for surfing/email on the go (can I check gmail with it?), watching video files (avi files) and reading (pdf, doc, txt, html files).

I've dipped into the excellent "What can I do with my Axim", but many of the links to apps are no longer valid, and I'm not sure what a good substitute would be.

Mainly, I'm trying to figure out what (free) video player would be good to use, and what converter would be easiest to get the avi files down to the right size. I'm not terrible tech savvy, but I can read and follow instructions very well! ;)
Do I understand correctly, when there are codecs involved for the conversion/compression, the same codecs also need to be on the Axim?
And can I watch videos in landscape mode on it?

Then there is the question where to find SD cards that are not SDHC at an affordable price.

Also, what would be a good app for reading the types of documents mentioned above? Is there something included in the WM 2003 OS that would fit the bill already, or are there better apps out there.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice!

johnhu_2005 · 10-19-09, 04:26 PM

Hi,
Good luck with your x30H.

With web surfing, you have to set up the network with your encryption (WEP only). Ikehiker has made an awesome guide that you can use to set everything up correctly. With Gmail, just type in www.gmail.com into Pocket IE. It will automatically use the mobile version of the wbesite.

The included Windows Media Player Mobile works great for .avi and .wmv videos. Just sync your Axim with Activesync (XP) or Windows Mobile Device Center (Vista). Then use the sync tab on the desktop WMP to sync the video onto the Axim.

For other video files, try using TCPMP. It is equivalent to the Videolan Player (VLC) for desktops.

Yes, WM2003SE can only read SD (Non-SDHC). If you live in the United States/Canada, Newegg has 2GB SD cards for around 7 or 8 dollars.

siskiou · 10-19-09, 04:34 PM

Thanks!

I could have sworn I read that the included WM2003 media player *doesn't* play avi files, but if it does, excellent! :)

Most of my avi files are around 400MB, though, so I assume if I want to watch them on the x30, I'd have to convert them to a smaller size. What's a good file size for the x30, that's small, but still acceptable quality? I was envisioning putting a bunch of shows on a 2 or 4GB SD card.

And I forgot to ask if I should look for a different browser, or if the included IE browser does a good job.

spunker88 · 10-19-09, 05:34 PM

For media you want TCPMP. It will play avis, and a lot more. WMP on WM is a joke compared to TCPMP. It only plays wmv videos, and does a terrible job even at that. TCPMP will play large files with no problems.
I use SUPER to convert my avis to the preset (avi for pocket pc).

For PDFs use Foxit Reader.
For txt files, get Tillanosoft PocketNotepad.
For docs the basic included pocket word does okay, but you can get Softmaker office if u want to do some serious editing.

For the internet, the best browser for 2003se is Opera 8.65 by far. The last version of netfront was slow and pocket ie is pretty basic for browsing, unless you plan to stick to mobile sites.

Newegg is one of the few site i know that offers 4GB SD cards that arent HC.

siskiou · 10-19-09, 06:29 PM

Thanks!
I'll hunt down the Opera Browser and other apps!

Super does not agree with my computer. I get a runtime error each time I open it, and even though the interface then shows up, parts of it don't respond, and the output file is unusable. Doing a search shows other people have this problem with it, but there are no solutions, so I'll have to search for a different converter.

johnhu_2005 · 10-19-09, 09:10 PM

SUPER is a good software for people who actually understand what it displays.

And I also have problems with SUPER on Vista and Windows 7 RTM. If I ever get back to using it, I would have to run it in XP Mode.

WMP does downsize the video file and make it "mobile friendly" (Meaning worse quality but smaller file size). I guess you don't have to use Pocket WMP to play that downsized WMV file. As Spunker said, you can use TCPMP, which does have better buffer management.

siskiou · 10-19-09, 10:49 PM

I'll give Pocket WMP a try!

BTW, is Opera mobile 8.65 free, or do I need to buy a license?
It's really hard to find any clear information on that.

spunker88 · 10-19-09, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by siskiou

I'll give Pocket WMP a try!

BTW, is Opera mobile 8.65 free, or do I need to buy a license?
It's really hard to find any clear information on that.

Opera 8.65 is actually not free, which i always found weird since their desktop browser is. But 8.65 is not the newest version, its just the last version to support 2003se. Youll find that many softwares have moved on to supporting wm5+. It really is a great browser with tab support, etc. And it has a pretty low memory foot compared to its features. Its too bad they stopped supporting 2003se.

Here is a trial download:
Opera Mobile - Download

siskiou · 11-09-09, 04:22 PM

I finally have the axim in my hands, and have set up wifi sync, wifi internet connection and have attempted to view files from my pc on it, also via wifi.

While I can go to the shared folders and see the list of files, they can't be opened.
Do I have to copy them over to the axim before they can be viewed?

And is there one program that can open most files (mainly txt, doc, rtf, html, pdf) or does activesynch convert them, so the inbuilt file viewer is all I need?

I'll probably be back with more questions soon! :)

This is really a pretty nice little gadget!
The internet surfing is faster than I expected!
I'm going to try out another browser to see the differences, though.

siskiou · 11-09-09, 06:08 PM

Okay, I've been trying to install Opera 8.65, the trial version, and have downloaded the .rar file.
After extracting, I expected to find one cab file, but instead there are a whole bunch of files, with number extensions, that look like they should be somehow combined, plus one setup.xml file, but not matter what I try, I don't get a cab file.

It's totally possible that I'm overlooking the obvious, or totally misunderstanding a concept, but if someone could enlighten me with a step-by-step tutorial, I'd be very grateful! :)

johnhu_2005 · 11-09-09, 06:17 PM

Use Spunker's link for download.

Choose between the .cab or the .msi. I recommend the .cab.

Sync your Axim with Activesync (XP) or Windows Mobile Device Center (Vista/Win7).

Once synced, you should see your Axim's name in "My Computer" (XP) or "Computer" (Vista/Win7). If you are using the .cab, just copy and paste the .cab to somewhere accessible, such as "My Documents" on your Axim. Then go to Start (On your Axim, of course)-->Programs-->File Explorer. Navigate to the .cab and tap it once. It should initiate the setup automatically and follow directions to get it installed.

If you are going the .msi route. Sync your Axim, and double-click the .msi on your computer. It should initiate the setup from your computer and it should install from there. Follow directions as prompted.

siskiou · 11-10-09, 11:35 AM

Thanks!

Got it installed now!

BTW, is it possible to somehow use Google talk or something similar on the Axim x30?