merliin

Unfortunately it`s just happened what I expected would happen...

I`ve just read that first applications compatibile with WM5.0 only (due to Direct Mobile) begin to appear on the market. In this case it is cfWorldWind - an application that I would not probably use anyway, however the fact of it`s incompatibility with fairy new and powerful model like Axim X30 is pretty disturbing.

Therefore I propose to list here all the upcoming applications compatibile with WM5.0 only. One day a link to this thread may become a tool for showing Dell that un upgrade to Axim X30 is highly expected by it`s users.

I wonder what`s your opinion on that...

Cheers!

__________________
- Axim X30 High
- PielFrama black leather case
- Brando CrystalClear screen protector
- SanDisk Ultra 512MB SD card
- Lexar Media 512MB SD card

Switched from: Palm m125 (2004)

Howard2k

Good idea. But I think it would be better served in the WM 5 forum, since it's not an X30 specific issue.

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bcries

Merliin,

I see from your sig that you switched from Palm in 2004 (last year). Good move. I'm an X30-high owner too, and I had two PocketPCs previous to that (Casio e125, Axim X5). As someone who has seen numerous PocketPC OS upgrades, let me school you a bit:

Dell won't listen to you. You sound exactly like the hundreds of angry X5 users last year who wanted an upgrade to WM2003 SE and didn't get it (including myself).

Petitions, polls, angry posts, letters, phone calls... but from experience I'd say that they aren't so dumb as to be like "oh, wow, I guess there really IS interest in an upgrade among X30 owners!" Of course there's interest. They already knew that. There will always be interest in upgrades.

Dell is in the business of selling new hardware. If they had a way to stop their laptops and desktops from being OS-upgraded from one version of Windows to the next, they probably would do it. New software pushes new hardware.

Think of it this way: OEMs are building these devices to some pretty rigid specs. For all intensive purposes, the device is the OS is the appliance. If Microsoft wants you to have new functionality for free, they'll provide it in the form of a download from www.pocketpc.com (much like Windows Update for desktop machines). When they want you to buy a new device, they'll stick the functionality in a new OS.

Yes this sucks. Yes they are corporate jerks. Yes, the phrase "Pocket PC" is seductive because one of the main benefits of a PC is hardware-software separation, and the ability to upgrade each selectively. I just thought you should know that this is an old, old problem.

merliin

Originally Posted by Howard2k

Good idea. But I think it would be better served in the WM 5 forum, since it's not an X30 specific issue.

Might also be, however IMHO it is a very much X30 related issue.

__________________
- Axim X30 High
- PielFrama black leather case
- Brando CrystalClear screen protector
- SanDisk Ultra 512MB SD card
- Lexar Media 512MB SD card

Switched from: Palm m125 (2004)

merliin

Originally Posted by bcries

Merliin, I see from your sig that you switched from Palm in 2004 (last year). Good move. I'm an X30-high owner too, and I had two PocketPCs previous to that (Casio e125, Axim X5). As someone who has seen numerous PocketPC OS upgrades, let me school you a bit: Dell won't listen to you. (...)

Maybe they will not, however in that case my next device is definitely not going to be DELL branded. As I`ve already mentioned in one of the other threads concerning the issue - as a customer I hate being... ehem... U know... ehem... let`s say: "pushed to some undesired purchases".

Cheers!

__________________
- Axim X30 High
- PielFrama black leather case
- Brando CrystalClear screen protector
- SanDisk Ultra 512MB SD card
- Lexar Media 512MB SD card

Switched from: Palm m125 (2004)

CdSlc

Originally Posted by merliin

Maybe they will not, however in that case my next device is definitely not going to be DELL branded. As I`ve already mentioned in one of the other threads concerning the issue - as a customer I hate being... ehem... U know... ehem... let`s say: "pushed to some undesired purchases". Cheers!

I understand your frustration, but then this non-upgrade policy is not specific to Dell. Every other manufacturer does it...HP did it for their iPaq series. So you will be really hard pressed to find a manufacturer that will keep on providing software upgrades to their "old" hardware.

At the end of it, it's all about profit margin and cost-benefit analysis. There is much more profit in providing new software in new hardware and at the most provide an upgrade in the most recent hardware. Cost-benefit wise (aside from the technical aspect), it makes more sense for the number-crunchers to provide upgrade only till X50 series.

Now whenever we will have WM2006 (pure speculation, please), do you think Dell will provide upgrade to X50? I don't think so. Dell will most probably provide WM2006 in their latest 2006 series PPC and at the most 2005 series. That's the way business works and not much you can do about it.

I work in a product development company and we stop providing any more patches to a product that we released more than 18 months back. It makes more sense for the management to invest the time and money of developers, designers, documentation, testers, QA support, customer support, managers, etc in coming out with new products/features rather than providing endless support to old product lines.

You would be very happy if you were a Dell stockholder knowing that you are not putting your money into "old and outdated" hardware.

Howard2k

Not only that, but with 64MB maximum ROM the X30 range is hardly a "prime candidate" for the update.

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Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

merliin

Originally Posted by CdSlc

I understand your frustration, but then this non-upgrade policy is not specific to Dell. Every other manufacturer does it...HP did it for their iPaq series. So you will be really hard pressed to find a manufacturer that will keep on providing software upgrades to their "old" hardware. At the end of it, it's all about profit margin and cost-benefit analysis.(...)

Please, you don`t have to give me lectures on some basic cost-oriented economics here. BTW, I have a masters degree in that field so I do perfectly know the rules...

You`re missing the point. I am talking about the long term customer oriented strategy which is the only proper foundation for long term succesful companies (except monopolists). The experience shows clearly, that it is very, very hard to win a customer - while it is very easy to loose one at the same time.

To put it short: let`s make it 24 months instead of 18 months mentioned in the above post and 99% of customers will be happy.

I purchased my Axim X30 High hardly a year ago (as a world wide novelty at that time) and hate to watch it become outdated so quickly. And if we`re talking about hypothetical WM6.0 OS upgrade - well, at the time it arrives I`ll surely be ready to make a hardware switch, as IMHO most of the current X30 users.

Cheers!

__________________
- Axim X30 High
- PielFrama black leather case
- Brando CrystalClear screen protector
- SanDisk Ultra 512MB SD card
- Lexar Media 512MB SD card

Switched from: Palm m125 (2004)

merliin

Originally Posted by Howard2k

Not only that, but with 64MB maximum ROM the X30 range is hardly a "prime candidate" for the update.

Right, and what about the X50 "Low" which - according to my knowledge - also has got only 64MB of ROM and will have the upgrade available...? As far as performance is concerned, the X30 High is still capable of winning some performance related comparisons - as my experience clearly shows.

__________________
- Axim X30 High
- PielFrama black leather case
- Brando CrystalClear screen protector
- SanDisk Ultra 512MB SD card
- Lexar Media 512MB SD card

Switched from: Palm m125 (2004)

tancerman

Originally Posted by merliin

Maybe they will not, however in that case my next device is definitely not going to be DELL branded. As I`ve already mentioned in one of the other threads concerning the issue - as a customer I hate being... ehem... U know... ehem... let`s say: "pushed to some undesired purchases". Cheers!

Most of the onther companies only offered upgrades for their newest high end devices

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quack

You guys forget the power users who come to these sites, who might be tempted to complain to Dell and others are in the minority

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Howard2k

Originally Posted by merliin

Right, and what about the X50 "Low" which - according to my knowledge - also has got only 64MB of ROM and will have the upgrade available...? As far as performance is concerned, the X30 High is still capable of winning some performance related comparisons - as my experience clearly shows.

You're right, it does have only 64MB of ROM. But designing the OS for the x50v and then offering a version for the X50 low (which shares a significant amount of the architecture) makes sense, even if the X50 low is not an ideal candidate. Building the OS for the X30 (which by the same logic (admittedly it's my logic)) is also not a good candidate makes less sense.

Anyway - I don't mean to derail your thread. If you're up to it, I would like to see a list of WM 5 specific applications. If you want to commit to doing that then I think that would be great.

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merliin

Originally Posted by Howard2k

You're right, it does have only 64MB of ROM. But designing the OS for the x50v and then offering a version for the X50 low (which shares a significant amount of the architecture) makes sense, even if the X50 low is not an ideal candidate. Building the OS for the X30 (which by the same logic (admittedly it's my logic)) is also not a good candidate makes less sense. Anyway - I don't mean to derail your thread. If you're up to it, I would like to see a list of WM 5 specific applications. If you want to commit to doing that then I think that would be great.

Hey, no offence here

I just think (which is justified by other threads in the X30`s section) that there are many enough users who would like to see the newest apps running on their X30s (especially the High version) to make it worth trying.

Besides, the technical difference between the X30H and X50L is (according to my knowledge) small enough to make adjusting the new OS a low cost operation. I mean it`s not the m125 vs X30H kind of difference. IMO it`s just the lousy "accountancy oriented approach" that creates a "problem" here.

If everything is going to develop that way, we`re going to have to switch our gear every six months in few years time just because corporations want to make more money in shorter period of time - and I don`t like that vision at all...

Once again - it`s not socialism, it`s customer-oriented approach here

__________________
- Axim X30 High
- PielFrama black leather case
- Brando CrystalClear screen protector
- SanDisk Ultra 512MB SD card
- Lexar Media 512MB SD card

Switched from: Palm m125 (2004)