Big review of Dell Axim X30 Standard

September 20, 2004 | Pavel Koza | format - Other (ar.) | viewed - 194x
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(138 votes) | category - -

Big review of Dell Axim X30 Standard

It took longer than I would be happy but eventually, a box containing treasure called Dell Axim X30 is lying on my desk. I borrowed it from Dell’s PR agency in the Czech Republic, GCI Praha, which I would like to thank this way. Now, let’s get to work. This series includes three models, as the X3 series. The basic model is Dell Axim X30 Standard. Users who require the comfort of wireless technologies will opt for the middle model called Performance, and the most discriminating customers will choose the top model, Wireless 624, with the fastest processor available to date. Further models derived from these three are to be introduced later. Unfortunately, I could obtain only the weakest model. If I manage to lay my hands on the top model, I will update this review.

In order to avoid sarcastic remarks in the discussion below the article, I confess that I copied and pasted bits and pieces from a recent review of the Axim X3 because the Axim X30 is derived from that device. They have much in common, so I made the job easier. There are many more interesting occupations than talking about what I have talked about before... Likewise, you will find a few other photos in the review of the X3i, just ignore the antenna;)

The box - nothing new

Regular visitors of this server and Dell customers know that the company uses direct marketing and pursues an aggressive price policy and therefore economises on packaging. Its boxes are plain cardboard cubes without print and other costly attractions. The reviewed model being the cheapest one, the contents of the box was not very rich, either.

Dell Axim X30
replaceable battery
one stylus
case
Synchronisation USB cable
AC adapter with detachable cable and adapter for direct charging
user manual
system information guide
quick-start guide
CD-ROM with bonus applications

The synchronisation USB cable is some 5ft / 150 centimetres long. There is nothing noteworthy about it but for the presence of both power connector and data connector. If you want a cradle, you have to buy a higher model or order it extra as an auxiliary accessory.

The AC adapter will please frequent travellers, because it is very small and has a detachable cable with the common 8-shaped plug. It will therefore easily fit in any luggage. You need a special adapter for direct charging or use a cradle or the synchronisation cable.

The device ships with a case, which is a welcome surprise in this category. The only difference from that supplied with the X3 is the use of white thread instead of black;) Otherwise, it is a simple U-shaped strip of leatherette joined by flexible fabric on the sides. It is softly padded to protect the device against scratches and other damage. The case has also a simple, permanently attached belt clip, and an indispensable Dell logo. The overall impression is very good and I should stress again that it is a nice surprise in such a cheap device.

Finally, there is a CD-ROM and some documentation in the box.

Design

If I should tell my first impression of the Axim X30, I must say it was largely positive. The device is conveniently small (3.0 x 4.6 x 0.59in / 77.2 x 116.4 x 14.9mm) and light (4.7oz / 134g). I liked its design combining silver and black colour, too. The front and rear are both made of a sturdy silver plastic, the sides are made of black plastic. The plastic material is obviously less durable than metal but with a metal shell, the device would be far heavier, to say nothing about the price.

I am becoming rather desperate when it comes to finding a different way to talk about the display in my reviews. To put it bluntly – this Axim, too, has a display occupying most of the front panel, as usual. Over the display, in the middle, there is a round switch which functions at the same time as a green and orange indicator notifying of various events, such as charging, appointments etc. To the left, there is a pinhole of the microphone. Under the display, there is an almost traditional combination of a joypad (with a button in the middle for confirming selection) and 4 user-configurable application buttons. Besides that, there is an extra button (also user-definable) on each side. The left takes you to the Today screen (or starts sound recording in higher models), the right one launches Windows Media Player (toggles the Wi-Fi module in higher models). This is an unusual but quite clever solution where to place those buttons. They will also find use in some games, such as Anthelion. But let’s stay with the “standard” buttons. I have come across a problem when I tried playing some action games. No, Axim has no problems with pressing several keys simultaneously but the buttons are so close to each other that I sometimes could not simultaneously press joystick left and the Contacts button for fire simply because I could not squeeze my fingers in. Otherwise I have no serious objections to the controls. One will soon get used to the oval shape of the joypad and passionate gamers will surely quickly master even diagonal directions (such as down and right).

On the rear, there is nothing but several rubber buttons preventing slipping of the device on smooth surfaces, a soft reset button, battery latch, and the battery compartment. There is no cover - the battery itself is part of the back of the device. And finally, there is the built-in speaker there.

On the left side, there are only two elements: a 3.5-mm stereo headphones jack for which you do not need any reduction and can use any type of headphones, and a 3-way scroll button that makes it possible to control the device with one hand only. I have repeatedly wrote that none of the devices I have owned was equipped with this type of control, so I feel no emotions about it. My subjective view is that it is too low here, I would prefer it a few millimetres closer to the top. There is absolutely nothing on the right side but three little holes through which you can see the silver colour of the stylus.

The top side is quite simple with nothing but an infrared port and an MMC/SD slot. An antenna is to be found only in models with Bluetooth and WiFi. Finally, on the bottom side, there is only a combined data and power connector. If you want to charge Axim directly, you need to use special adapter with the power cable.

And if you do not like my photos, here are some official hi-res ones:)

Parameters or Help yourself

As I have already mentioned, you can choose your processor. The device I tested had an Intel PXA270 processor running at 312 MHz. The clock speed can be reduced to 208 MHz or it is possible to let the system always choose optimum processor performance to save battery power. Changes take place immediately after confirmation. In order to check if the 312 MHz is sufficient, I opened a video in BetaPlayer while listening to an MP3 song. The video was just a little jerky but replayed without any problems. This model offers 32 MB of RAM for data and programmes and 32 MB for the system. It is not much and in reality, the user can access only 25 MB of RAM after hardware reset (screenshot shows 31 MB but the device apparently copies something to the RAM right after the hard reset), and 2.7 MB of FlashROM as a safe storage. It is not much – a memory card will come handy.

The display appears to be quite good. It is very bright, unfortunately with a slight yellow tint. There is a narrow shadow, some 20 pixels wide, on the right. It is almost invisible but did not escape my sharp eye;) Overall, this transflexive TFT display is among the best ones you can get for your money. Theoretically, the higher models may have yet better displays. I found it perfectly readable in bright sunlight. Basically all transflexive displays are readable in direct sunlight if you find the best angle. However, this Dell simply seemed somewhat better to me. The display is touch-sensitive QVGA with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, supporting 65 thousand colours. The backlight can be adjusted at eight levels, separately for battery and mains operation. The display can be rotated by 90 degrees (a feature of Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition), it is also possible to change the size of the system font and toggle the ClearType technology. The touch layer is perfectly responsive, nothing to criticise about it.

Audio features are very basic. The speaker is of average quality – the sound is OK with no noise. The headphones connector is a standard 3.5 mm jack, so I could use my Koss Porta Pro headphones for testing. I was pleased to hear no annoying hiss:) The maximum volume level is sufficient even in quite noisy environments. If you would like to boost the bass for MP3 playback, you will be disappointed – the Axim X30 does not offer any software equalizer. The only adjustable audio parameter bar volume is microphone sensitivity. Unlike in most competing devices, it is only manual, with no automatic adjustment. It poses no problem if you find yourself in homogenous sound conditions, but it may be a problem when recording, say, in the street. In any case, the microphone is highly sensitive and can record a dialogue at a several-metre distance.

Communication capabilities are also only basic. The device can communicate over a USB cable or infrared port. Technical freaks will appreciate the possibility to use the Dell to control home appliances, such as a TV set, VCR, DVD player etc. The CIR output is quite high. I was able to control a DVD from 4 metres (TV from 2 metres maximum – it depends on the appliance). The enclosed CD-ROM contains an IR control utility from Griffin Technology but only as a 30-day trial version.

Even though the Axim X30 has the same battery as the Axim X3 (i.e. Li-Ion 950 mAh), it lasted for 4 hours of normal operation with full backlight – 45 minutes longer than the X3i – due to its “low” clock speed and new CPU type. Dell also offers an optional 1800-mAh battery for extra long operation. There is an integrated backup battery that should be able to preserve the RAM contents for 30 minutes. Accidental activation of the device by pressing a button can be disabled using a control applet.

Expandability

The device lacking Bluetooth, its expandability is quite limited. Besides accessories that connect to the system connector, such as a foldable keyboard, it is only possible to use an SDIO card to add functionality like Bluetooth or WiFi.

Software

Bonus applications are scarce in this device. The operating system is Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, the applications suite is also complete (Premium Edition). There are a few utilities preloaded in the ROM. If you have read a review of Axim X3i, you are familiar with them.

The first one is assigned to one of the soft buttons and is called Home. It is a kind of a simple application launcher – quite frankly, I have never developed a special affection for this type of applications.

Another bonus application is more useful, in my opinion. You will not find it under Programs, though, but among the Control Panels. It is called Switcher Bar and as the name suggests, it is a simple yet powerful task manager whose icon will sit next to the Start button and when tapped, will make it possible to close applications or to quickly launch the power management and backlight applet.

The third utility – and perhaps the most useful one – is Data Backup, which makes it possible to easily back up data to a memory card or the ROM disc. You can choose what to back up, whether everything or just the PIM data. Tap on Start and there you go. Restoring the data is equally simple, just choose the backup file and tap Start again.

The CD-ROM contains the usual combination of Microsoft Outlook 2002 and ActiveSync 3.7.1. On top of that, there are numerous files and links to various games and applications. However, I found only one full version – a handy utility called Resco Picture Viewer. It is an excellent solution for those who need a powerful image viewer and manager. It supports many popular image formats, offers basic editing, adding comments to photos and many other features. It is highly likely you will not look for another image management and manipulation utility. The software package includes a desktop version and an easy-to-use utility for transferring photos from the PDA to the desktop computer.

Pricing

The cheapest model in this series will cost you $199 USD, which makes it one of the cheapest Pocket PCs on the market. There is nothing to add to that. Considered the price, the device’s weaknesses are quite acceptable. The only way to buy the Dell is by contacting the manufacturer directly. Dell offers On Site Replacement in the warranty period free of charge (3 years for extra charge). If your Axim breaks down, you do not need to go to the service but a serviceman will visit you and either fix the problem or replace the faulty device within three days.

[POLL]

Benchmarks & Tests

I have expanded my list of testing applications. My test SD card now contains standard games (Anthelion, Snails and Z-Raid [affiliate]), films (a Shrek 2 trailer in MPEG format 650-kbps bitrate), the same short movie in Windows Media format (250 and 500-kbps bitrates), newly added DivX video (500 and 1000-kbps bitrates), a few MP3 files of various genres, and some documents and images. I have discovered a great DivX player called BetaPlayer which, when combined with extremely user-friendly PocketDivXEncoder utility, will make you forget about all other players. I deleted a 1-Mbps Windows Media file and created a 1-Mbps DivX file because Windows Media Player is embarrassingly sluggish in comparison with BetaPlayer. And finally, please be advised that whereas I stick to the fact in the other chapters, here I share my impressions:)

Let’s start with video again. Do not worry about the performance - BetaPlayer replays films seamlessly even at 208 MHz. Windows Media Player performs well, too. Only Resco Picture Viewer had problems with playing MPEG files. If you install PocketTV, you will learn why. There is some functionality missing, so MPEG playback is limited. If anyone thinks the playback is jerky, it is possible to switch to 312 MHz to solve the problem.

Playing games is a pleasure – all the games I tested (Z-Raid, Anthelion, Flux and some others) were smooth and stable. I have mentioned the problem with the buttons before. I should add that I had difficulties getting used to the oval joypad, which I wouldn’t call a comfortable control. On the other hand, I welcomed the device’s low weight – you can hardly feel it in your hand.

I have talked about the other features above, so it’s time for benchmarks. I use Spb Benchmark for a complete performance test. It offers comparison with several devices of the same category. If you are interested in the detailed results, the complete .XML file is available for download here:: Dell Axim X30 (2003 SE, 312MHz) [1KB]. To compare with other devices, copy the contents of the file to this page and click on Add device.

ROM version of the tested device :: A02

I tested the graphics performance also with the GXmark utility. It is far less sophisticated than Spb Benchmark and offers comparison only with iPAQ h3600, but at least you can find out how many objects can move on the display simultaneously:)