A Dell Axim review shows the power of Dell handhelds

It is not easy to do a Dell Axim review. The company, ever since it launched its first Dell Axim in 2002, has flooded the market with one great model after another. Each Dell Axim as been accompanied by a great market blitz and huge consumer interest.

The first of the famous Dell Axims was Axim X5. It was basically a Pocket PC that ran on the Windows platform. Over the next few years Dell launched a variety of models ranging from the entry level Axim X5 to the compact Axim X3 and Axim X30 and the extremely sleek and cool Axim X50 and Axim X51 series.

Axim X5 was launched in two models, one for the basic users and another for the high end customers. The basic model had a 300MHz Intel XScale processor with 32MB RAM and 16-bit TFT screen. The higher end model ran at 400 MHz (Intel XScale processor again) with 64MB RAM. The models weighed about 6.9 ounces and had a form factor of 5 x 3.2 x 0.7 inches.

The Axim X3 was the next model to be introduced in the market. It had a smaller form factor. Its clinching feature was that it supported Wi-Fi. This Wi-Fi supporting model sold for about $400.

The Axim X30 had a 624MHz Intel XScale processor and ran the Windows Mobile 2003 SE. Its 3.5” QVGA TFT screen had 16-bit display and was a real eye-catcher.
Its bright display coupled with excellent speed made it a good buy. Add to this Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support and you had a real winner in your hands.

Cashing in on the success of the Axim X30 Dell launched the X50. Three different models were launched. The high-end one had a huge 3.7” VGA LCD screen supporting 16-bit color and was called X50v while the other two had a 3.5” QVGA TFT screen. The X50v also had 16MB video RAM and a 3D accelerator. All the models ran the Windows Mobile 2003 SE. Also all had Bluetooth support. The X50 mid and X50v had Wi-Fi as well.

The most recent model in this series is Axim X51. It was launched in 2005, and is considered the best handheld ever. Using the Windows Mobile 5.0 it packs in a whole lot of features. It has most features of the X50v such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, 3.7” VGA LCD and a 3D accelerator. Along with this it has 64MB SDRAM and Intel 256MB StrataFlash ROM. It also has USB cradle and VGA-out support. The model is retailed at a slightly high price of $449, which might be out of reach of certain customers.

There is little doubt that the Axim series has made Dell a major player in the handheld market.

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Dell Axim X3 is a good pocket PC

The Dell Axim X3 Pocket PC, which is the slim replacement of the relatively bulky Axim X5, comes in two models: the basic model and the advanced model. The advanced model also comes with WiFi 802.11b wireless networking and is named the X3i.

All three models have the Intel XScale PXA263 processors and Intel StrataFlash ROM, which are both faster and cost more than the NAND Flash ROM that is used in cheaper Pocket PCs. The basic model has a 300 MHz XScale processor, 32 megs of RAM and 32 megs of ROM. It sells for $ 229. The advanced model has a 400 MHz XScale processor, 64 megs of RAM and 64 megs of ROM. It costs $ 329 while the X3i with WiFi connectivity costs $379.

The Axim X3 comes with the Windows Mobile 2003 suite of programs, which include Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, Outlook, and Windows Media Player 9. It weighs 6 ounces, has rounded edges and fits comfortably into the palm of the hand. The plastic casing has a silver finish on the front and back, while the sides are black. The PDA has a central directional pad surrounded by four application buttons.

The basic X3 is reasonably fast and the advanced version has a control panel applet, which allows the user to set the clock speed manually or in the automatic mode. The X3 comes equipped with a 950 mAh Lithium Ion battery. However, the X3i works better with an optional 1800 mAh extended battery.

The X3 offers good sound volume and quality, which improves when headphones are used. It has a 3.5” transflective LCD screen, with 6 levels of brightness and a microphone with an applet to set gain for recordings.

The X3i model has a button to activate and de-activate the WiFi radio, and a black translucent antenna, which flashes in blue when WiFi is activated. The X3 models do not have Bluetooth. When WiFi is turned on, a user can use Windows Mobile 2003 Connection Manager to connect to WiFi access points. A system tray icon displays the signal strength while a pop up menu, which displays the WLAN status, allows users to edit profiles or turn the radio on or off.

In mid-2003, Dell introduced Axim X30 to replace the X3.

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Use a Dell Axim coupon to get a bargain price

Dell promotes its products by offering discount coupons that can be redeemed at the Dell online store by entering the coupon code. For instance, if you want to buy a Dell Axim then all you need to do is to visit the Dell online store, select your product and enter the Dell Axim coupon code in the right field. The shopping program will automatically reduce the price of the Dell Axim by that amount. Depending on your luck, this can turn out to be a big saving.

The users need not redeem the Axim ns immediately. Instead, they have the option to store them in their online Dell Account until they are ready to redeem them. This is a great facility, and is made use of by users who receive these codes as part of Dell promotions or with their Dell Small Business e-mail updates.

The demand for Dell coupons is so high that a small online cottage industry has cropped up to meet the needs of coupon seekers. Several websites like BargainPDA.com and CouponMountain.com provide Dell coupon codes to members. These sites also encourage visitors to host Dell coupon codes that they may have received as part of routine Dell promotions but which they don’t want to use.

However, a danger with these coupon codes is that some of them may have expired without the user knowing about this. When the user, in good faith, puts up the code on the Dell.com website he is greeted by a message that the code does not work.

When this happens, the coupon code user suffers a double blow. First, the user does not get the benefit of the code that he has acquired with such great difficulty. Second, and even more disheartening, is the Dell reaction. The Dell shopping program withdraws the discount that is available on the direct purchase of the product.

The user is therefore advised to check the deals being offered by Dell before entering the code. It is quite possible that Dell may be offering a huge discount on the Axim product you want to buy. In this case it makes more sense to avail the discount and make a substantial saving then take the risk of entering a code that may have expired.

Dell has one more rule. According to this, a user can avail only one discount – either the discount being offered on the Del store or the discount that is hidden in the coupon code.
These coupons are called non-stackable. Del, however, gives you the option to remove these coupons from you Check out field by clicking the Remove button.

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The Dell Axim accessory range

The Dell Axim accessory range includes the lithium-ion battery, back-up battery, styluses, USB cradle, AC adapter, memory card fillers and the case. The following are the details of these accessories:

Battery: The X3, X3i and X30 models of the Axim use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery as their main power source while the Axim X5 series uses non-rechargeable CR2032 lithium battery. The Axims consume power all the time even when they are switched off. This is because the device goes into a suspend mode to retain the memory. This depletes the main battery, if it is not recharged properly, forcing the device to switch to the back-up battery.

The Axim X5 uses a back-up lithium battery similar to those used in watches. The users can sometimes notice fluctuations when the back-up battery takes over. This may be caused by a flaw in the battery meter, temperature changes, loose contacts, or due to the number of programs running at any time. Updating to the latest ROM or doing a soft reset may solve this problem.

Stylus: The Axims use metal styluses that can be replaced easily. The users also have the option to buy specially-designed styluses which work as pens, pencils and highlighters. This is not all. Users can replace the original Axim stylus with a fingertip stylus, a pen cap stylus or a massaging stylus. All these styluses are designed to fit into the slot of the original stylus.

USB cradle: The USB cradle has a single LED indicator. It has a compact and elegant design and it does not slide on the table. It has a 2-meter cable and a slot for charging a spare battery. The power cable with a USB connector is fixed to the cradle.

AC adapter: The Axim comes with a small AC adapter, which does not take up much space. It has a detachable mains cord, a connector and a fixed cable, which connects to the cradle, or device.

Filler: The Axim comes with plastic filler that is inserted into the memory slot. It is meant to protect it from getting clogged with dust and other material. The plastic fillers are inserted whenever there is no card in the slot.

Case: A very basic case made of nylon or other synthetic material, with padding on the inside, is included in the package. It does not have any belt clip but provides the device with some protection. Most buyers change the case soon after buying an Axim.

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iPaq Pocket PC hx4700 is my choice for best Pocket PC

It is very difficult to say which is the best Pocket PC. The leading contenders for this title are: HP iPaq Pocket PC hx4700, Dell Axim X51v, HP iPaq hx2790 and Garmin iQue M5. All these Pocket PCs bring great value to the user, and can easily be recommended for the Best PC title. However, my choice would be HP iPaq Pocket PC hx4700.

The reason for this is not far to seek. This Pocket PC comes equipped with very powerful features and is a great buy for professionals who are always on the move. Some of the pluses of this Pocket PC are: it has the latest Windows operating system, Intel's high-speed 624MHz processor, an innovative navigational touchpad and a sharp VGA screen.

A great thing about this Pocket PC is its memory base. The 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, with a total of 135MB of user-accessible memory, makes it possible to store a large amount of data. This is what any user who is constantly on the move would like.

Even the wireless connectivity is special. You can have both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. receivers turned on at the same time. The iPaq Wireless utility makes your life even easier because it allows you to turn on your wireless connections with one click.

The user also gets all the advantages that come with the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. These include Pocket Outlook, Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer. Besides this, the Pocket PC also has HP utilities like Image Zone for viewing images and creating slide shows and Task Switcher.

The 4-inch VGA TFT screen, which supports 65,000 colors and has a resolution of 640x480 pixels, ensures sharp and crisp images. You can use the four programmable shortcut keys that form the trapezoid-shaped touchpad or use the Settings menu to launch the cursor mode, which works like the mouse cursor found on PCs.

The Pocket PC comes with the standard LED buttons: orange for charging, blue for wireless, and green for alarms. The other features include a stylus holder, the power button, the headphone jack, and an expansion slot that accepts SDIO, MMC, and CompactFlash cards. The IR port and the reset button can be found at the base of the device.

Even its design is innovative. It does not come in the traditional silver casing that is the trademark HP color. Instead it has a charcoal-gray body with black accents. The only disadvantage is its size. At 5.2 by 3.0 by 0.6 inches it is slightly bulky for handhelds

There are many who would also consider its price a disadvantage. At $649 it certainly does burn a hole in your pocket. But it is surely money well spent.

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Who's Using Your Network?

Wireless networks are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. Especially if you have broadband Internet access, a wireless router can give you instant communication with the world that is worthy of the science fiction I grew up reading!

The idea of reading email while lounging by the pool, text or instant messaging while doing the laundry, or lounging in the Jacuzzi listening to your MP3 collection is appealing to us all.

Unfortunately, many, or even most, wireless units don't come with security features already functioning. This may not seem like a big issue to someone who is simply setting up a home network, but there are a number of potential problems you should consider.

The most serious problem is the increase in identity theft. If your network is unsecured, the personal data on your wireless electronic equipment is also unsecured. The order you just placed for a book at Amazon may have given your contact and payment information to an unscrupulous hacker!

Nearly every town in which "WiFi" is common will have "War Drivers" and "War Chalkers" at work. These are people who walk or drive around town with wireless equipment, searching for unsecured networks. The "Chalkers" then live up their name, marking curbs and other public items with chalk so that others can more easily find and exploit your network.

Not all "War Drivers" are hackers, of course. Many just want to use your network for free, but the risk is high if you don't learn how to protect yourself. You can usually find quite a bit of free information as to how to secure your network at the website of your router's manufacturer, or by doing a search in a search engine for a phrase like "secure home wireless."

Beyond the truly malicious, there are also your neighbors who may find your network by accident and enjoy nosing into your activities and using your Internet access at will, slowing down your network speed in the process.

Even many businesses use cheap, home-use quality equipment for their company networks. With the poor security often found on small business networks, anyone with a basic knowledge of wireless can access sensitive company and customer data.

If you are unable to secure your network yourself, there are many service companies who will do it for you. A search of your local yellow pages or an inquiry at your neighborhood computer store should yield professional help and get your private data private again.

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Dell Axim software powers a variety of tasks

The Del Axim software allows you to retrieve e-mail, keep track of your schedule and your contacts, browse the Internet, send and receive text messages. The software also allows you to read and compose Microsoft Word Mobile files, make Microsoft Excel Mobile charts, and view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

All these capabilities are provided to Dell Axims by the Windows Mobile software. The software also allows owners of Dell Axims to download third-party software to customize their devices. Among other things, the Axim owners can download e-books, games, maps, and business software. This is not all. The dell Axim software enables users to track sales, check inventory, place orders, and accomplish several other business-related tasks.

It is interesting to note that ever since their launch in 2002 the Dell Axims have been using different versions of Windows Mobile software. The Axim X5 used Windows Mobile 2002, so did the Axim X3 family. A high-end version of the Axim X3, branded as Axim X3i, had a built-in WiFi. It was also the first Windows mobile-based device with WiFi to retail for less than $ 400.

Next came the powerful Axim X30 family. This was the first Pocket PC to use the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. The middle and high end models of the Axim X30 family included built-in 802.11b WiFi Certification and Bluetooth 1.1 compliance. However, the sale of the mid and low-level Axim X30 was discontinued by Dell in July 2005.

The Dell Axim series was continued with the launch of X50 models. This series also used the built-in 802.11b WiFi certification (X50 mid and X50v only), standard built-in Bluetooth 1.2 compliance and Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.

For users of Dell Axims, the Windows Mobile 2003 software has been particularly exciting. One feature that won great appreciation was the Pocket Internet Explorer’s ability to display the full Web page by scrolling up and down only. There is no need for users of Dell Axims to scroll the page from side to side.

Another addition is the full VGA resolution (640x480 pixels), a feature that has enabled Dell to introduce high resolution screens. The other enhancements that the software has brought about are: WiFi Protected Access for tighter wireless security, a shorthand Transcriber function, and access to recently used programs via the Start menu.

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Adware, Should I be Afraid?

Developers offering downloads are paying the price for the malformed truths that have been put forth regarding downloads. While not a political campaign the smears are ever present in the adware arena.

Years ago developers saw they could monetize freeware that was becoming expensive to host. Developers began working with Ad Networks such as the former Aureate and Conducent, who imbedded advertisements in the software. The software in many cases phoned home retrieving ads. In other cases adverts were imbedded directly into the download only being removed when the software was registered. Many well known software companies, including Netscape distributed ad supported versions, which allowed users to use the software for free. Developers were compensated either by install or the number of ads served. Advertisers welcomed new revenue streams to reach potential customers.

Adware or advertising-supported software is any software application in which advertisements are displayed while the program is running. These applications include additional code that displays the ads in pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. Adware helps recover program development costs, and helps to hold down the price of making the application for the user, often making it free of charge. As a result of the AdWare revenue programmers were motivated to write maintain, and upgrade valuable ad-enabled software. Adware was a great consumer trade off, so were did it all go wrong? Unbeknownst to the developers a handful of ad serving companies were logging and profiling the surfing habits of those who had downloaded the ad-enabled software. After downloading free software, the new adware companies delivered pop-up and pop-under ads based on the consumers surfing interests. Adware has been criticized for including code that tracks a user's surfing habits, email address and personal information, which are passed to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This was the downfall of the ad serving technology and ad-enabled software.

In many cases consumers rightfully believe they have been and are being spied on, which prompted an outcry from privacy advocates. Adware is not a virus and may not be detected by anti-virus scanning programs. It does not spread the same way as most viruses spread. Many users do not know they are downloading a free program along with adware onto their computer. The lack of disclosure tarnished reputations of many well known, but misfortunate developers and software companies. The collapse of a number of venture backed ad-serving companies including Aureate and Conducent.

Fast forward to today. Few applications are now ad enabled. Those that are generally follow strict disclosure guidelines. Some developers opt to insert static (not changing) ads for other applications in their product line, into free versions, but these ads do not change and there is no record of what ads are clicked. Freeware can therefore be used free of charge and there is no evaluation time period as with shareware. Freeware is also often a basic or stripped down version of the shareware version. Developers make money off ads or those who want to upgrade from the free version. There are also developers who provide freeware out of principle, occasionally asking for a donation. The majority of freeware that employs the use of imbedded advertisements are provided in the true spirit of adware without the intent to track users, but just to be safe consumers should read the fine print.

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Tolerance and patience is required

If you work in the field of computers, these “new” words must be learned. However, P.C.’s are designed for use by ordinary people, and the gritty details regarding their construction, can be largely ignored. A journalist, typist, builder or bookkeeper doesn’t need to know what an EIDE or SCSI is, or indeed isn’t.

Hard drive description is not relevant to the majority, as long as the devise is functional.

A “BUS”, though, could be guessed by some, as it carries something, not unlike a conventional bus. In this case, it carries current/electrons/data, and is simply a conductor. A bus conductor, if you like. For now, buses are made of copper with experiments underway to utilise other materials. I read recently that “prions”, which are a type of protein, are been considered as conductors. Will some of our computers’ components be organic? We shall have to see!

Fibre optics, which are, basically speaking, glass pipes around four thousands of an inch (0.1 mms.), in diameter, employ the speed of light, for signal/data transfer. A light (diode), is on or off, at one end, and a photo-resistor at the other end registers its state. Now, wasn’t that simply put! These glass pipes are coated to reflect the light inwards, meaning that light can be “bent” around corners, while within its container/pipe. Heat generation is minimal and electrical resistance is redundant.

Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These are relatively new words or hybrids of words, already in existence. Someone with a degree in English, for example, could not necessarily guess, the function of a particular devise, by its name. This is because such a devise never existed in history or in the history of the English language.

It is heat generation and resistance that brings your “fan” into play, keeping everything cool, and electron transfer at a controlled level.

Low resistance= high current. Your starter motor for your car has really thick cables allowing electrons from the twelve volt power source (battery) to do their job in turning over you engine, which is a considerably difficult task. A smaller cable would have a higher electrical resistance, causing it to overheat, and eventually, melt. Keep listening for that “fan”.

It is your computers first line of defence.

In fact, it is the principle of electrical resistance that is employed by electrical heaters.

CACHE is not legal tender in most countries, but a type of memory that your CPU (central processing unit ) first looks for. It does this, not to be awkward, but more because it is the fastest route, from a users point of view.

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Types C++ Function Templates

There are two types of templates in C++, viz., function templates and class templates. This article deals with only the function templates.

There are lot of occasions, where we might need to write the same functions for different data types. A favorite example can be addition of two variables. The variable can be integer, float or double. The requirement will be to return the corresponding return type based on the input type. If we start writing one function for each of the data type, then we will end up with 4 to 5 different functions, which can be a night mare for maintenance.

C++ templates come to our rescue in such situations. When we use C++ function templates, only one function signature needs to be created. The C++ compiler will automatically generate the required functions for handling the individual data types. This is how a programmer's life is made a lot easier.C++ Function templates are those functions which can handle different data types without separate code for each of them. For a similar operation on several kinds of data types, a programmer need not write different versions by overloading a function. It is enough if he writes a C++ template based function. This will take care of all the data types.

C++ Template functions - Details:

Let us assume a small example for Add function. If the requirement is to use this Add function for both integer and float, then two functions are to be created for each of the data type (overloading).

int Add(int a,int b) { return a+b;} // function Without C++ template

float Add(float a, float b) { return a+b;} // function Without C++ template

If there are some more data types to be handled, more functions should be added.

But if we use a c++ function template, the whole process is reduced to a single c++ function template. The following will be the code fragment for Add function.

template

T Add(T a, T b) //C++ function template sample

{

return a+b;

}

This c++ function template definition will be enough. Now when the integer version of the function, the compiler generates an Add function compatible for integer data type and if float is called it generates float type and so on.

Here T is the typename. This is dynamically determined by the compiler according to the parameter passed. The keyword class means, the parameter can be of any type. It can even be a class.

C++ Template functions - Applicability:

C++ function templates can be used wherever the same functionality has to be performed with a number of data types. Though very useful, lots of care should be taken to test the C++ template functions during development. A well written c++ template will go a long way in saving time for programmers.

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