Preparing my new X50 for long overseas trip

[BigBit]

Actually depending on where you go in China you don't need a converter. I spent several weeks in Quingdao and was able to plug directly into the outlets there. They do have a very FUNKY looking outlet that allows for a variety of "plugs" to be inserted. Same with my laptop. I was able to plug in directly. I am not sure about all parts of China but I know my German friends had problems getting their converters to work correctly.
Spare battery or a power conection that can plug into the Plane power supply is a must for that long flight to China. Take a SD card with plenty of e-books. It gets old not having anything to read and English language magazines and books get scarce once you get away from the airports.

I just returned for an around-the-world trip with my X50V. I would comment that there is no need for a converter that drops down or steps up voltage. The standard X50 adapter that comes with the X50 handles 100 - 240V, 50 - 60 Hz. What you need is an adapter, and I recommend the Kensington unit http://www.kensington.com/html/5519.html. For $20 it will plug to and from any standard prong configuration, and is a one-piece, compact and rugged unit.

As for an on-the-plane charger, check with your airline. Most airlines only support in-seat charging in upper / first / business class. There seems to be two standards: 120/240 standard power plugs, or the low voltage Empower system. I bought a cable that converts Empower to a cigarette lighter female (do a Google search), and then purchased a standard 12V dell X50 automobile adapter. That comes with the round plug on the Dell end, and you have to use the adapter that comes with your X50 to convert round to the USB connector on the bottom of your X50. This gives the added bonus that you can remove the Empower adapter and use a car cigarette lighter to recharge your Axim if you have access when on the ground. I have tried this configuration on United Empower sockets and it works great. But do check with the airlines, particularly if you are flying Economy. If you don't have the ability to charge on the airplane and want to use the X50 for the bulk of your flight, I would recommend your investing in TWO 2200 mah batteries (Mugen from Aximcases.com work great and you can get a 15% discount from Aximsite). I get about 5 - 6 hours out of each battery (I'm hoping that the A03 ROM upgrade will make this better - just installed over the weekend). Another tip is to set your brightness to the next to lowest setting while on the plane, as this provides plenty of screen light in a dark aircraft cabin, while saving the battery.

Have a great trip!!

[BigBit]

I would also comment that you should seriously consider doing the A03 upgrade. My wireless / web browsing experience has improved dramatically with this upgrade. Also, if you get MemMaid, use it to switch your IE file cache over to BIS or Flash. This will free RAM, critical if you plan to do much web browsing with the device.

[msa6]

To all who have responded:

All the advice is fantastic, and much appreciated. This will save me tons of time, and should make the X50 much more useful and dependable.

A couple of comments: we are reconsidering India due to monsoons and heat, but thinking about Tibet, Nepal, and perhaps Thailand and Japan. And we are definitely not flying business or first class! I've done both on international trips when the company paid, and it was great (my wife still kids that when I got back to JFK on British Airways first class from Jakarta I asked the pilot if we could go around the world one more time...those sleeper seats are awesome). But my kids are going steerage when we're picking up the tab!

No responses on the X50 vs the X50v. I am just now figuring out that I could get a new X50v with a second battery for only about $60-70 more than I paid for the refurbished X50 I bought. Thinking I made the wrong decision, and should send the X50 back (I don't believe there are restocking fees on returns of refurbished units...does that sound right?).

Thanks again.

No responses on the X50 vs the X50v. I am just now figuring out that I could get a new X50v with a second battery for only about $60-70 more than I paid for the refurbished X50 I bought. Thinking I made the wrong decision, and should send the X50 back (I don't believe there are restocking fees on returns of refurbished units...does that sound right?).

Not sure your current situation is but here's what you can do:

1) If system has not Shipped then call and cancel. And tell them you dont want it.
2) If system has shipped call BUT not delivered yet then call and cancel and refuse package. You can explain your situation to them and see what they can help you do here since you havent actually received the system yet.
3) If its already delivered then you might have alittle problem. Dell can either charge restocking fee or make you pay for shipping back to them. If its paying for shipping then I think that's fine since you did change your mind and not Dell's fault. Restocking fee occurs when there's no defects in the product but you just want to return it. SO...if there's no defect then you might actually end up paying. If there's a restocking fee they want to charge you then you have to be more admant and explain that you want to spend more money by getting a new system from them. If they still want to charge you then its up to you to decide what to do.

btw....
Japan and Thailand are both very good places to go. :)