The end of the Axim line?

[SENATOR]

I've aaid it before and I'll say it again... If they can (and they will) make an ultra-thin (think RAZR) phone like the Treo, make it VGA and add an inch to the screen - I'd dump my PDA in a heartbeat.

I love my Axim to death, but I think it's a dead-end for mainstream consumers. My thoughts are that the only places that will use PDAs in the future will be places like hospitals and other places that need a portable diagnostic tool.

My fiancee has a HP Pocket PC currently and we were looking at upgrading it to a Dell Axim. I had even heard they planned a multimedia version with 4 gigs of storage. I don't have a PocketPC but was planning to get a PocketPC/Phone combo. This is perfect for me since I mostly plan to use it for contacts, some internet browsing, etc.plus she carries her PocketPC in her purse, I'd want somethign I can strap to my belt.
We have a laptop as well but she only uses it when we go on major trips and it's too big to carry around on a daily basis.
Then we read about this device:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/02/m...lifestyle-pcs/
This seems to be a decent middle between the pocketpc and laptop. Already we decided for me a PocketPC/Phone is best but when she upgrades she wants to go to this instead of another PocketPC. This may be too big for some people but the way we use it this will be a much better device than a PocketPC.

[systemghost]

forget phones...look at how popular the psp is...what's it got the at the x51v can't do??

[celtictigger06]

I agree with picopir8. I used to have a sony-ericsson cellphone that had a bluetooth Human Interface device built in (ie I could control my laptop using a wireless mouse on the phone). This was very useful in presentations.

Except that I had to remember to divert all my calls for the duration of the presentation and then remember to divert them back when I was finished. I forgot to do it one day and had to explain

a) to my boss why my phone was turned on during the meeting
b) to my wife (aka the real boss) why I had hung up on her without even saying hello.

Since then I've used a seperate wireless controller for presentations. It's safer.

Sometimes tools are meant to be kept seperate.

[rsx]

As a diehard PDA user for many years, I took the plunge to a convergence device, a T-Mobile MDA. Basically I'm pleased, but there are good and bad points you should be aware of.
Bad - This particular device is rather thick, but still very usable in a belt holder. The screen is smaller than you are used to, and certainly not VGA. It is fairly snappy, but sometimes lags a bit - I'm not sure if this is WM5 at work or the device.
Good - The price was right - $100 after rebates from an online T-Mobile vendor. It has WiFi and cellular internet so I can get internet anywhere I have cell service. It also connects flawlessly with my Dell Bluetooth GPS and Mapopolis runs just fine, so I have my mobile GPS always with me. Although the screen is small and not VGA, it is surprisingly readable and I have no trouble using it with GPS maps or with my eReader software. It has expansion capabilities via a 1 Gb miniSD card. And, of course, I have only a single device to carry around - that is a real convenience. If I don't want to be bothered with the phone I can turn the phone off but still use the PDA functions. Battery life is very good, comparable to my Axim and there are swappable batteries that were cheap to buy directly from T-Mobile.
It has a slide out keyboard that has been very helpful for text messaging and emails.
All in all you should consider a convergence device. Hopefully they will get smaller, thinner and acquire VGA screens over time, but they are definitely ready for prime time if you give them a chance.

[lostjak]

I use mine mostly for word processing and to stay occupied when I am in boring surroundings without being too obvious. I don't want to pay an extra $40 a month for the data plan. And it's too big to lug around on a night out.

[Solitare]

Sorry wrong thread

[MerryB]

Am I the only person who curses cell phones because they are too small to hold between the ear and the shoulder (ie without hands) while doing other tasks?

Am I the only person who would love a cell phone with a screen at least as big as that of an Axim X30, so I could load load large fonts onto it so its fonts and icons would be readable? Yes, I won my bifocals early due to too many years of reading 120 characters per line on an 80 character per line crt. Yes, I make a concerted effort to use larger than necessary font these days as an allergic reaction. Yes, my favorite use for a pda is as an ebook reader and PIM organizer.

Trying to figure what I might do should my axim ever bite the big one.