searched now I have even more questions

[qoti]

Hi Im new I did check in at the intro forums earlier but havent finished my profile yet. So heres my questions and lots of them. I just ended up with more after I searched

Well I was set on a x5 advanced. Mostly for the cf slot not that i have any cf stuff just that its my impression that its cheaper to purchase add-ons so that means more toys for the buck. Id also be able to use a CF pcmcia adapter to run the gps on the laptop if I wanted.

I want to run movies and found a thread with good info on setting them up so they run well on the x5 but wonder if the x3i would run them better with less trouble.

Though I am not sure how practical it is to get movies for the pda are they expensive or do you just load them to cards from dvds on your pc?

Our house is wireless though we have wired points also. So that would make the x3i a better choice but I also have 3 laptops so probably wont surf at home on the pda much, but can you sync over the network? Is it practical? Our server is in the basement and want to keep a backup there can I do it wireless?

I also wanted to use dialup away from home so that would mean a CF modem. The sd modems are available but seemed more expensive than the cf modems am I wrong?

We use gps on our boat with a standard waterproof unit. Lake Erie is a big scary place to get lost. The garmin is fine on the water but I want more on land ie. maps and directions. Im around Clevend and Akron would I need the extra slot for maps? and if I travel will I hate only having 1 slot on the x3i. A side note I do know cables are available but our garmin model isnt supported.

I have been looking exclusively for a refurb x5 with pc2003 thinking I would be better off with the upgraded os since after messing around with dell for hours I was convinced they were no longer interested in providng an upgrade :realmad: . It also made me near not getting anything with dell on it at all.

Am I wasting my time and $$, there have been some good packages with lots of stuff from people selling their "hardly used" x5 and x3 on ebay I turned my nose up on them cause of the older os. But I have heard there are tbls with the 2003os though Im not sure how much would affect me I have no idea what any are except the alarm problem.

I really plan on playing more on the pda than getting organised though Id like to... I seem to have an aversion to being organized Im more controlled chaos than anything else :hide: . So the more fun for the $$ is better. But I cant afford a x30 or x50 yet

If you got this far...thanks for reading the questions. I am looking forward to some answers. Gotta get some sleep Thanks in advance

[axzilla]

Hello I have an x5 advanced still running ppc2000 that has never been updated. It runs everything without
any compatability issues.The newest isnt always the greatest in my opinion. Take for example ppc2003 it
has loads of programs that it cannot run because of driver issues and it probably has a bunch of new bugs
waiting to be found. As for movies you have to encode them yourself on your pc then load them to your
axim preferably from a storage card. As for wifi and gps there are cf cards you can get for that. My x5 runs
movies fine and you can get an x5 real cheap these days so I think it is a good choice to get one that isnt
running ppc2003.

[Calais225]

Hello,

I have used my X5 Advanced for month now and use a CF gps which works great. I too want to use mine on my boat here on the West coast. I will use a SD card to store maps as some of them can be up to 6 mb in size. I also have MS Streets and Trips loaded and will add maps to a card for that as well.

I think the X5 is a great bargain. I picked up mine on E-Bay for under $200. Have a look at Outdoor Navigator by Maptech for marine use. It has been reduced in price and includes unlimited download of charts. If I was in U.S. waters more often I would use that program instead of the one I am using ( Mapcruiser by Navsim.com). I already have all the charts for my area as well as Washinton State so don't need Outdoor Navigator but would buy it otherwise. Check the Maptech website to see what charts are available for your area.

I will use my PDA as a backup to my laptop and Nobeltec software which I keep below. It will be handy to slip the pda out of my pocket and check progress while hunkered down at the tiller out here among the Gulf Islands and San Juans--gotta be the world's best cruising grounds.

[RobertCF]

More recently you'll find SD and CF prices neck and neck, particularly in the memory arena. There are still a lot more accessories available in the CF format than the SD. And be aware that on the X5 the SD slot is NOT I/O, meaning it's not much good for anything else besides memory cards. You'll have to rely on the CF slot for other devices. On new machines the SD slot is I/O.

BTW, I wasn't aware that ANY X5's were PPC2000---I thought they at least came out as PPC2k2 and newer ones came with WM2k3.

If you'll be relying on WiFi a lot, you might find it better to get an Axim model that has it built-in rather than be popping a card in and out. I have the X5 Advanced (and loving it) and I have a Linksys Wireless B card for it, which works perfectly. I have a Linksys Wireless G router, so now that they finally came out with the G card I'll probably get that. Because of the upgrading standards, I'm not necessarily a big fan of built-in wifi, since right now devices are only including Bluetooth and WiFi B. G is faster, and A is more secure with a longer range. Although you can certainly connect to a G router with a B card, it seems silly to have B built-in and STILL be popping a G card in to take advantage of that. Maybe it's just me. But it's true you really can't beat the convenience of having a device with WiFi B built-in and not having to pop a card in when you suddenly need to connect. These are considerations to take.

You can probably get the X5 pretty cheap on eBay, etc. But then how much money will you spend on accessories that aren't standard on the X5? Personally, I've played with the X3 and I don't care for it at all--only an SD slot, it's too small and fragile, etc. If I were to jump now, it would be for an v50. But it has been reviewed to actually perform SLOWER, and for the price, it's just not worth it to me. Maybe if they knock $100 or so off the price in coming months it will be a more attractive device, but not right now.