Kickaround x50v, what to do with it?! A simple use.

[travelpc]

Hi everyone.

I'm actually quite done with the ppc thing, it was ok for its use in the past, but I plan to get a netbook and some sort of cell like the top ones out there.

I made use of the x50v when it first came out and in ways, it was helpful, but in other ways, just too much of a pain. The very limited onboard memory was annoying.

Also had it loaded up with all sorts of apps. Pdf reading was sort of cool. That popular vid app was good (forget the name), and had that install to make the screen so you could see more in landscape like for net browsing, pdfs and videos.
There was gps stuff, even dictionaries and language talk items.

It's all still installed, but soon to be all deleted.
The thing is, I really have no more use for this device, but checking ebay, and because of the typical time-tech thing of values going down fast, it's just not worth me selling it.

I figured I might as well just keep it for?....

This is where I'd like to hear any suggestions!

I have an 8GB memory for the CF and some SD cards.

The HUGE pain is that when I don't use the device for over 2 weeks or so, it loses all memory and I have to go through that annoying routine each time to get it back to life at startup.

I was restoring from Sprite, but that's tiresome. Won't be doing that now because I plan to clean everything off.

So if I use it just as an mp3 player, could I just pick it up every now and then, like every couple months and somehow avoid that annoying reset and routine at startup.
IIRC correctly, near the charging port is a slot for a coin cell, maybe I need to change that out. But still. Annoying that reset routine.

Ok, say I replace the coin cell and it buys me time of not having to do the routine due to low battery, what basic apps would you suggest for things such as mp3 playing, or just for ebooks or video or whatever else might make this device useful as a kickaround something?

Depending on what I decide, I would have to install the app to the onboard memory so if even I had to go through the stupid restore at startup, I could still run the app? Wait! No, because the internal memory gets erased when that happens!! Rrrrr.
See?! That's what I mean.
Well, let's see. Ok, maybe install a simple app, like a simple media player, to the SD card. That doesn't really actually install. So if I had to do the restore routine by the OS, I can still easily just launch the app that will be on the SD.

Ok sorry the post is getting long.
But that's the dilema.

Please, would like to hear any suggestions as to what to do with this now, kickaround device.

What would you guys do with it if you weren't to sell.

Thanks! :)

[johnhu_2005]

I keep it as a navigation device. Works pretty well actually.

Just to note, if your main memory gets erased, most programs installed on a SD/CF card will not work. That is due to a missing registry...

[spunker88]

Your battery is probably draining. You could always just leave it plugged in on the charger when you are not using it. Thats what i did with my x50. It wont overcharge it, just keep it trickle charged, and since liion batteries have no memory it wont affect that either.

For media you can use TCPMP. You can watch movies, play mp3s, etc. Its a great player and its free.

If you want to get your axim back into modern day, you could upgrade it to wm6. Not an official dell release, but it will give you a modern os, which will let u use a newer browser and browse the web much better than anything on 03se. You can also get newer games, and persistent memory, meaning you wont lose your programs when your battery dies since programs are now stored in the rom.

[travelpc]

Great! Thanks guys for the suggestions. Fast replies too.

If you want to get your axim back into modern day, you could upgrade it to wm6. Not an official dell release, but it will give you a modern os, which will let u use a newer browser and browse the web much better than anything on 03se. You can also get newer games, and persistent memory, meaning you wont lose your programs when your battery dies since programs are now stored in the rom.

Actually, this looks like something I was hoping for. I never thought the hardware itself was indeed capable of holding info in the onboard memory if both the LiOn and coin cell batteries completely drained. That's great that wm6 can do that.
But after all, those thumbdrive mp3 players can do that, so it makes sense.

See, the thing is, considering that I won't be using the device for probably weeks at a time, I really don't want to leave it plugged in. I was doing that before and it just sat and sat and sat while the adapter was draining some from the wall and the device was in the way. Assuming wm6 will at least hold TCPMP (the player I used so much and love) in memory even if both drained batteries, then I can put away the device until I would like to use it, come back to it and not have to go through the reset steps.

Forgot to mention, I sold the bluetooth GPS as I planned to eventually sell the whole setup and get either a dedicate unit or some other modern device.

So considering I want to keep this device simple, as it felt like I was crammed navigating through it with all the stuff I had installed (having also that screen mod where you could put tons of small icons like a desktop in landscape mode, it would get cluttered) so just a main feature or two and that's it.
Most likely media player and ebook reader and that's it.

Or strictly a language translator, talking and all, as those dedicated units are quite expensive and not nearly as good as some of the software for ppc.

Cool. So I'll check in on the wm6 upgrade.

Feel free to share any other ideas if they pop up.

Thanks! :)

[travelpc]

Just spent a couple hours and now I'm updated to WM6 by way of Maglite Edition and that thread. :approve:

It's much better. Sort of makes me wanting to get back into using this thing. Sort of.

Had one hiccup after the first file loading at the bootloader because the device would not turn on afterwards.
I had to just run the 3 button routine again (took two pressings) and the bootloader loaded with the first large MB image and from there everything was easy.
Oh, except on part 2 I had to shut my firewall off as Active Sync was hanging on "Retrieving Settings". But after that, everything was fine.

So now I'm looking for a new version of TCPMP.

There's so much x50v and WM6 on the net and can be hard searching through.
Does anyone happen to know off hand a site with many apps for WM6 and x50v listed?

One more thing: I have of course a fully charged battery, so until some time down the road, I won't know what will happen when the device completely drains and I go to start it up.

I noticed I had to go through the annoying routine of screen tapping calibration and cut/paste and time settings when I started for the first time WM6.
I was really hoping to avoid all that with WM6 as I had to do it everytime with WM2003 when the battery was down.

Ok but even still, if I have to continue to do that, I can get handle it, but, say I have TCPMP installed to onboard memory and the battery does drain to nothing, even the coin cell (like I described before) after non-use for a while, will TCPMP (or other internally installed apps) still be available, or would I have to re-install/run from backup?

As spunker88 mentions, I shouldn't have to and will be ok.
I'll find out eventually, but just thought I'd ask now so that I don't get too involved installing apps.

Thanks. :)

[Barrow]

So now I'm looking for a new version of TCPMP, travelpc asked.

will recommend this tcmp from this site to you.:approve:

link below is Unit Zero's :hide: TCMP.

ALL Known Codecs for TCPMP!

hope this helps.

[travelpc]

Yeah, right after I posted, did a quick net search and found that awesome all-in-one tcpmp installer.
I'm now loving my ppc again as I loaded a nice flac album and also fired up some xvid shows and they run flawlessly!

It's great.
So if anything, this resurrected ppc will make a nice media device!

Oh, by the way, I was just trying to figure out how to change the coin cell in this. Checked the manual. Nothing. Brief search on line, nothing (except this post!) so you know, I don't think there is even one in this thing.

I could have sworn I used to get a sort of red error message pop up in the past when the battery or batteries were dead indicated at desktop that some sort of other battery is dangerously low. So I'm not sure. I can't recall.

I was looking at the LiOn battery and it's bloated! There's a bulge to it! Yikes! Something must have went wrong with it. I just need to get another one.

With tcpmp, I saw on youtube someone rotate their x50v and the video automatically did so to landscape. I have to figure that one out.

Having the ppc now not so cluttered with stuff and making it a 1 to 4 task ppc really makes you want to use it again. :approve:
Although something like an iphone in the future might just kill that. :(

[travelpc]

Re: backup battery -

Ok, I just found this, it's referencing a phone, but I think it applies as well to the x50v:

youhave an internal capacitor that replaced the old conventional coin battery. you must fully charge the device for several hours in order for the internal battery to retain memory when you lose mains or if you switch the mains.
if you are away from your charger and your external mains runs out do not take it off the phone.. there is residual charge to reatin memory....

[bigbop]

The X50v had a NiCad button to hold the RAm while the main battery was out. The newer X51 series had the super cap to hold the charge.
If you battery is bulging, replace it as that is a sign of a bad Li cell.
there is no accelleration sensor in the Axim. If TCPMP is playing and you touch the screen, it will stop but a subsequent touch will restart it in landscape mode. Maybe that is what you saw.

If you're looking for a use for the Axim, remember that is is a full fledged computer. By using a bluetooth mouse and keyboard and the wifi connection and connecting the unit to an external display it is capable of becoming quite the portable computer with a max resolution of 1280x1024 on the external display (using 3rd party s/w).

Enjoy it!

[spunker88]

Just spent a couple hours and now I'm updated to WM6 by way of Maglite Edition and that thread. :approve:

It's much better. Sort of makes me wanting to get back into using this thing. Sort of.

Had one hiccup after the first file loading at the bootloader because the device would not turn on afterwards.
I had to just run the 3 button routine again (took two pressings) and the bootloader loaded with the first large MB image and from there everything was easy.
Oh, except on part 2 I had to shut my firewall off as Active Sync was hanging on "Retrieving Settings". But after that, everything was fine.

So now I'm looking for a new version of TCPMP.

There's so much x50v and WM6 on the net and can be hard searching through.
Does anyone happen to know off hand a site with many apps for WM6 and x50v listed?

One more thing: I have of course a fully charged battery, so until some time down the road, I won't know what will happen when the device completely drains and I go to start it up.

I noticed I had to go through the annoying routine of screen tapping calibration and cut/paste and time settings when I started for the first time WM6.
I was really hoping to avoid all that with WM6 as I had to do it everytime with WM2003 when the battery was down.

Ok but even still, if I have to continue to do that, I can get handle it, but, say I have TCPMP installed to onboard memory and the battery does drain to nothing, even the coin cell (like I described before) after non-use for a while, will TCPMP (or other internally installed apps) still be available, or would I have to re-install/run from backup?

As spunker88 mentions, I shouldn't have to and will be ok.
I'll find out eventually, but just thought I'd ask now so that I don't get too involved installing apps.

Thanks. :)

I believe your time will just reset and everything else will load as it did before since it now loads from the rom.