Dirty tricks to help you work better.
I will also list some "most wanted" tips.
Storage tips:
Hard to remove your microdrive?Add a tab of tape or a post-it flag to your microdrive's back to make it easy to remove from your Axim. Fold the top over your SD slot (X50 series, not sure about others) to add dust protection!
Microdrive drains battery while playing media?Use TCPMP with Microdrive mode selected (options, settings, select page, player) to improve battery life with video and audio, while using a microdrive.
Not enough storage? So you got the 8GB microdrive and the 4GB SD card, and your buddies with ipods still rag on you? Get Asus' WL-HDD and a laptop drive, then install it in your car! You'll have access to 60GB+ of media files within 100 feet (30 metres) or so of your vehicle.
Case tips:
Rhinoskin scratching your Ax?Put a line of electric tape / ducttape on the inside edges of a Rhinoskin to prevent your Axim from becoming scratched when you take it out / put it in. (Submitted by darkdestroyer)
Rubber feet falling off?
Step 1, clean it with rubbing alcohol (I used 91%) and a paper napkin. Ensure proper ventilation and be sure to use very little on the case itself.
Step 2: Use a dab of silicone glue (clear RTV), let the RTV bond cure for up to 24 hours in an "above room-temperature" location. That will help ensure as close to a permanent bond as possible. The feet will still peel off cleanly if the unit ever needs to be dismantled for any reason. (Thanks, Tankman and Chesterton)
Screen Protector tips:
Basic application tips:
- Use a lint-free cloth to clean your screen first.
- Make sure your hands are as clean as possible, and the area is dust-free.
- Apply the protector in the bathroom while the shower is running, hot!
- Use a credit card to smooth-over the protector as you apply it, to reduce bubbles.
- A few small bubbles don't really matter; they will cross the permeable plastic membrane eventually.
- Lint is the enemy.
Use the wrong protector!
I have a set of WriteRight screen protectors originally sized to fit my old Cassiopeia E-105 PDA. You only need to measure and trim to fit, then apply. Look for sales on screen protectors for larger-sized PDA's, if you can't find one to fit your Ax.
Make a Crystal from a Glare-reducing screen protector!
I used the eraser on a wooden pencil (USA Paper Mate American HB 2) to smooth-over the surface of the screen protector. The output no longer looks milky and blurry. It restores the high-contrast, colorful nature that an anti-glare protector can cover up.
Disclaimer: Naturally, if you are not careful, you can damage things. If you damage your PDA, it is your fault and not mine.
Cheap screen protectors!
Get a sheet of 4 gauge or 8 gauge plastic sheeting at a fabric or craft store. Typically, it is used as a cover for tablecloths. Cut out a sheet of paper the size of your Axim's screen to use as a template. Using a razor or craft knife, carefully cut out a piece of that material to fit. Apply like any other screen protector. If your stylus drags too much, apply a tiny bit of furniture polish with a clean cloth.
Thanks, rlarson_mn. I'm sure there are others who have done this, as well.
Mounting tips:
Cheapo vent mount!
I got a $.99 vent clip for a cell phone and mated it to a broken swivel clip (the clip part was broken, the swivel was ok) to make a vent mount for my car that I can use with my case. Should work for any case that can be swivel-mounted. View MyPDA here for pictures and more details. (new) Even more pictures, and in sequence here.
Make a custom "RAM"-style mount. PCG has fashioned his own ball-and-socket mount, using parts from RAM and his Seidio G4500S mount, for optimum placement and flexibility. Nice work.
[b] NEW PPC_Lover made a really nice PDA stand for his Axim out of Plexiglas. Good stuff.
External Battery Pack with Regulator.
Here's a little something I whipped up. Posted a how-to in this thread. It works much better than the 4xAA packs. I did this. I designed it, I built it. Future upgrade may include a switching regulator to increase efficiency.
AC adapter adapted from a $5 USB hub. View MyPDA. It's the disassembled bit, 4th frame from the top, shown with the Axim adapter dongle. More photos are to follow. Soldering required. Voltmeter desirable.
The +5V regulator dongle
"The Scorpion." A little bug to add regulation to some more common power sources. Soldering skills necessary.
New RipBoard Layout!
The RipBoard keyboard has a new Landscape layout, courtesy of yours truly. Check out this post here. It has the number keys and other top-row keys to the right of the standard QWERTY keyboard, so it takes up less space than the standard SIP keyboard! Yippee!! There are a couple more versions of the new ripboard layout.
Surfing Aximsite:
More on a page!
When viewing a listing of New Posts (or any search, for that matter), if you want more than 25 to show on a page, just add "&pp=50" to the end of the URL to show 50 per page, for example. This works for any integer, up to pp=200.
HOLY COW! The ultimate dock!
Aximsiter Afarre has developed this fully-functional dock for the X5x() series that includes interfaces for VGA output, USB hub (requires Ratoc USB host card), serial interface, audio interface (output via RCA or stereo mini), charging interface for auto or the original Dell home charger, USB client connector (for syncing with PC). A product that allows you to dock your Axim and use like a desktop PC. He shows it connected to a monitor, external HDD, keyboard, mouse, and more. Truly a work of genius, and art.
NEWGive that tiny center button some tack.
That tiny center button is hard to get ahold of, and it's smooth, so smooth. Give it a little tack and it's easier to press. Simple, effective.
NEWMapping your BT keyboard Cravaus has given us this great tip on how to map your external keyboard to macros, using PenCommander, nScriptM, or MortScript Macros. This way, your keyboard will behave more like that on a PC (you can map to copy, paste, cut., etc).
Most wanted:
Repainting the power switch? How'd that stuff flake off anyway? Oh yeah... fiddling with the stylus too much.
You can post new tip or Most-wanted ideas or PM me.
(X)
Put a line of electric tape / ducttape on the inside edges of a Rhinoskin to prevent your Axim from becoming scratched when you take it out / put it in.
Darkdestroyer, does it scratch the edge, or the screen if you're not careful?
Pebu: thanks, but looking for a reversible process, hopefully something better than the glue that Dell used.
Thanks for the ideas!
(X)
Put a line of electric tape / ducttape on the inside edges of a Rhinoskin to prevent your Axim from becoming scratched when you take it out / put it in.
Bad for a case. A case is to protect the PDA not damage it!
Bonding rubber to anything is a classic industrial challenge. None of my old HP calculators ever held on to their original feet. The advice to use a dab of silicone glue (clear RTV) is the best. Hint from the chem lab where I worked that helped me re-bond a rubber pad to a metal guitar capo using this method: let the RTV bond cure for up to 24 hours in an "above room-temperature" location. That will help ensure as close to a permanent bond as possible. The feet will still peel off cleanly if the unit ever needs to be dismantled for any reason.
I used some "super glue" Fix-All Adhesive. Not cyanoacrylate. It's rubbery, and seems to be doing a good job. Funny, it contains substances known to the state of California to cause cancer. Why doesn't California tell the other states?
Edit: Not the best adhesive. Gonna use some just-plain silicone rubber cement. Now that I have found a tube.
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NEW PPC_Lover made a really nice 
