Dell Axim X5 review

When Dell introduced the Axim to the world in November 2002, it wasn't the hardware that caught the eye but its pricing. At that time, if you wanted to buy a 400MHz Pocket PC, you had to pay at least £350; the 400MHz Axim cost £229. This aggression has served the company well, as it's gone from 0 to 8 per cent share of the UK's PDA market (source: IDC) and is now second place behind HP when it comes to sales of Pocket PCs.

Dell is showing no sign of switching its tactics either. It has stuck with the same hardware, with the only changes being upgraded software (Pocket PC 2003 rather than 2002) and the introduction of a wireless model. Before anyone gets excited, we should point out that this is just the 400MHz model with an 802.11b Type II CompactFlash card thrown in for the price.

The problem for Dell is that everyone apart from Toshiba and Fujitsu Siemens has upgraded their hardware (and both these companies are on the verge of releasing new machines), which has left the Axim looking distinctly outdated. It's big, it's chunky and - compared to devices such as the Tungsten T3, CLI PEG-SJ33 and iPAQ H2210 - ugly too.

The most obvious casualty is the screen. While the Axim's matched the best around on its launch, its viewing angles are poor compared to the latest PDAs' TFTs and it also appears a little washed out. But we shouldn't be too harsh - photos still look good and most people will be perfectly happy with it.

One problem that emphasises the screen's problems, though, is the huge bezel. This makes it look smaller than it is and also means the Axim is 81.5mm wide against the 70mm of HP's iPAQ H1940. This bulk extends to the rest of the machine too, with a height of 128mm and depth of 18mm - again, notably bigger than the iPAQ. This, coupled with the inevitable additional weight, also means the Axim is more likely to find a home in your bag than your pocket, which isn't a problem you'll face with the more compact devices.

But it's difficult to criticise the Axims when it comes to flexibility. Dell has seized upon the Type II CompactFlash slot with fervour and offers the option to buy the Margi Presenter for £113. This provides all the hardware and software you need to connect to a projector at 1,024 x 768, more than the Toshiba e750 with its Expansion Pack, and it's much quicker at refreshing too.

Then there's an 802.11b WLAN card, which you can buy separately or as a bundle with the Axim X5 Wireless. We found it works well, with a strong signal that equalled the iPAQ H5550 and Toshiba e750 Wi-Fi in our tests. However, it isn't as neat a solution due to the card sticking out, while the battery life is dramatically hit: under light use, it lasted for almost nine hours, compared to six hours, 23 minutes with WLAN activated.

Still, for an extra £40 the X5 Wireless undercuts its Wi-Fi rivals by a huge margin, and the other Axims are similarly price aggressive. After all, £199 for a 400MHz PDA - complete with docking cradle and huge expandability - simply can't be matched. And neither can the 300MHz version's price of £149, although note that this comes with just a USB cable rather than a cradle.

The trouble for Dell is that a PDA's form is almost as important as its function, and unless you know you'll take advantage of the CompactFlash slot you should consider alternatives like the iPAQ H1940. Yes, it's slower and costs more, but it includes Bluetooth and will fit in your pocket.