Axim -- Just a Dumb toy!

[frebitz]

I'm going to take heat for this one, but I've concluded that the PocketPC is just a toy for gadget freaks. It is a immature concept that's problems totally overwhelm its usefulness. I regret wasting the money I spent on mine and wish that I had bought a small laptop instead!

[DarkGenesis]

Frebtiz well let me be the first to say I disagree but also agree. PDA's are Toy's, however; the caveat is that only if you don’t use them as they were intended or only in limited capacity.

Look at the history of them. They were originally designed to be a replacement for paper organizers in a light weight electronic package. PALM, took that idea and made it more useful and efficient. Soon other companies added more and more into the software, and features. Sony did a lot to make the Palm platform into what it is today.

Eventually Microsoft developed their Pocket PC platform. And it is where it is today.

All of these devices were designed to provide some or limited functionality compared to their larger brethren. And they continue to grow and evolve.

No look at computers how they continue to grow smaller and faster over the years. Eventually they will be come something they are not today. We could go the route of Cybernetics, and “Johnny Mnemonic”, or super computers with projectors and laser keyboards and never run out of power in the package the size of a pack of cigarettes.

Everything made today follows the basis of “forms and functions”. Meaning you can buy a Volkswagen bug, add every possible upgrade to it, and you still won’t have a Ferrari.

Basically, if you bought a PDA thinking it was going to do everything you needed a laptop or a full size workstation to you made a bad purchase. You can either make sour-puss faces at it or add some sugar and turn it into lemonade.

Hopefully, this is not the flame your expecting, and some other person can learn from yours / our mistakes, after all we are human and we can learn from experience.

[Mahstah]

1. If you wanted a laptop, you should have bought a laptop.

2. If you knew what a PDA was and still bought one even though you wanted a laptop, shame on you.

3. If you bought a PDA not knowing what it was, shame on you.

The Axim is a very useful, stable, and powerful device. You can't run every program written for Windows XP on the Axim because they are two completely different platforms. You can use available software to perform many tasks frequently performed on a desktop. A little research will reveal whether the PDA is a good platform upon which you can execute your required tasks.

I have noticed the 'dump the Axim' 'buy a laptop' postings you have been proliferating as of late, frebitz. You obviously should have bought a laptop.

[Drifter]

Try travelling and reading emails.. With a laptop you have to carry a bulky bag with essentials .... You can do the same using a PDA and reduce carry weight considerably

[Ronald_R]

over the last few years this is my fifth pda. from differents types of Handspring Visors I changed a few years ago to Dell's Axim.
When I'm at work on location I use it for juist about everything... my calender(which is Agneda Fushion) which is in sync with outlook, my speadsheets and of coruse the e-mail.
When making notes it's only natural that I write them in Word.... Sync and I ca use the file .
It is indeed less than a notebook but then again it is a lot smaller.
So I think a PDA along with a notebook of pc is great !

[frebitz]

I switched from a Toshiba E740. It did everything it was supposed to do when it was supposed to do it. The Axim is so problem prone that I am terribly frustrated. Everytime I want to do something with my Axim, I have to research a fix. And half the time the fixes are only temporary. The reason I'm disatisfied is not the functionality -- its the performance. Activesync stinks, Bluetooth stinks, wi-fi stinks, etc. I've concluded that the Axim is not a very good pocketPC or a very good PDA either. It's only selling point is when small size outweights everything else.

Sorry guys, buts that's my opinion.

[Gofer]

I guess I must be the lucky one!

Axim is my first PDA; and I would not want to be without it. I often have to travel with very little room for kit - and nowhere enough room for a laptop. A lot of the places where I have to work, a laptop would be impracticle, whereas the Axim fits nicely into a pocket and allows me to prepare documents and presentations 'on the hoof'.

One day I will get around to using the wifi functionality, but even without it the device has been one of the best technology investments I ever made. The price was good too (Dell had a 35% sale on the day I bought it).

As for the bugs, I have only had one problem since I got the PDA (see, I said I was the lucky one) and the folks on this forum helped me out very quickly with that one.

Bottom line - if you want a laptop, buy a laptop; for some jobs that is not an option and the portability and functionality of my Axim would be sorely missed.

[Mahstah]

Originally Posted by frebitz

...Activesync stinks, Bluetooth stinks, wi-fi stinks, etc. I've concluded that the Axim is not a very good pocketPC or a very good PDA either. It's only selling point is when small size outweights everything else.

Sorry guys, buts that's my opinion.

It's OK frebitz, your opinion is not unique nor unanimous but it's valid. Personally I've had an excellent experience with my X51v, along with my X30 and X5, but this is not true with everyone.

My suggestion is to off the Axim on ebay and purchase a laptop with the funds.

Sorry to see you go...

Mahstah

[frebitz]

BTW, I promise, no more bitching!

[Rheya's Assassin]

Well I feel as though I have to chime in on this one.

I tend to agree a little bit with what everyone said...lmao. In that for me, I use it as a planner (reminders are nice while traveling), a GPS (a stand alone GPS unit, while perhaps better graphically, cost MORE than the Axim did with little or no other functions and a basic game player if I'm bored somewhere.

I have used it to view an excel file here and there for cusomter lists I've forgotten at home or a PDF to a customer from time to time. But I haven't created any documents on it and I don't really use the internet as the speeds are typically slow, from time to time I will use the net while in a hotel, but like I said it's a tad slow...which is perfectly acceptable to me.

I also have a lap top for work...I hate taking it out of the house unless I'm going to be overnight some where. I'm always fearful of it being stolen from the car. It's hard to read in the sun and I just don't need that big of a machine with me most of the time. While it, of course, is eaiser to use for many applications and document creation, it is not fair to compare the two products. They were never designed to do the same thing...

I LOVE the Axim because I did my research before I bought it and I bought it to do tasks well within it's limits. I simply wanted an electronic planner and GPS. I figured anything else it did was icing on the cake. Perhaps that makes me a simple user, but a satisfied one. I only had to do one quick server fix and everything else runs as well or better than expected. I use Outlook for my calander as that's as elaborate as I feel I need now...although one that actually showed your appointments typed out in monthly veiw would be better (perhaps limited by screen size there) I have no grips even about that as I use Outlook for my calandar on my work lap top and it's easily sync'd over.

If before buying ANY pda you're asking yourself should I get this or a lap top...you've answered your own question...get a lap top as you NEED more power and function.

That's just my two cents....