Dell Axim X3i

Reviewed by: radway

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Price, size, weight, processor speed speed, wi-fi built-in, nice screen, replaceable battery, SD slot, USB 2.0 fast syncing

Weaknesses: No bluetooth, no CF slot, weak built-in speaker, easy to accidentally turn-on, wi-fi good but not that easy to configure, occasional problems syncing

Overall Evaluation: Overall this is a great Pocket PC and a good value, although the newer X30 has built-in bluetooth and either a faster or slower processor (depending on the version you purchase). Quick startup. Fast processor. Bright clean screen. Light and thin (very pocket sized). Very fast USB 2.0 syncing. Decent battery power and unlike some Pocket PCs you can replace the battery yourself (or purchase an extended-life battery). Included software is good, although sometimes it is difficult to figure out what to do to connect to a wi-fi site. The included speaker is very low quality, especially compared to my previous iPAQ, but you do get decent sound with headphones. The only recurring problem I've had with the Axim is that sometimes when I put it in its cradle to sync the connection is not good enough to start the Active Sync software. Sometimes pushing it in and pulling it out is enough to make it sync. Sometimes I have to do a soft reset on the Axim, and a few times I have had to totally reboot my PC (which is anoying). The one other anoyance is that while the power cord and sync cord can be removed from the cradle to sync and recharge the Axim when you travel, they are bulky. I solved this problem by spending $11 on a small, light, retractable cable that both syncs the Axim and recharges its battery by plugging into the USB port of my laptop. In summaru this is a great Pocket PC. Dell has got it right, and the newer X30 models must be even better. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that I know now that they have an even better model available.