Larry Garfield examines the Dell Axim X30 Standard, and finds Dell's entry-level model good, but with some rough edges.
Dell came late to the Windows Mobile party, but fashionably so. Its Axim line has had a respectable showing for its low price, Dell's standard modus operandi, and with its latest three-model X30 series pushes high-end specifications at reasonable prices. This review deals with the low-end X30, the Axim X30 Standard.
 | The X30 Standard is a decent handheld, but its case flaws are more of a issue without wireless
|
Design
At first glance, the X30 is almost identical to the Axim X3i, with silver plastic front and back faces and black sides in a somewhat box-shaped design. Measuring 116 x 14.9 x 77.2 mm weighing 135 grams, the size is fine but the edges of the case have slight lips that are uncomfortably sharp. The screen is a bright, 16-bit TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels that is crisp and clear except for an over-aggressive ClearType that created bit of fuzziness. We got used to it after a while, but a ClearType tuning tool would be welcome.
Buttons on the X30 abound. The 5-way D-pad is a bit small and has limited travel, but the other four round application buttons were fine. Flanking those on the left and right are two small buttons that are only labeled with etchings on the sides of the device for the voice recorder and media, respectively. The left side of the handheld includes a headphone jack and jog wheel, while the power button sits dead center above the screen. The top of the device includes an IR port and SDIO capable SD Card expansion slot, while the bottom of the handheld includes the usual serial port.
The X30 Standard's primary indicator lights are built into the power button, which glows orange when on AC power and green when fully charged, or flashes orange when the battery is low. Kudos to Dell for making a visually-useful but not visually-annoying device, something many companies need to learn.
The stylus is of Dell's usual flat aluminum variety. The X30 Standard does not include a cradle, only a charging/sync cable, although it is easy to leave the sync part home when traveling. Audio quality through the unit's headphone jack was fine, however the loudspeaker as expected provided signature tinny audio.
Connectivity
As mentioned the X30 sports the usual IR port, SDIO card slot, and serial port, all standard on even entry-level handhelds today. This Standard edition of the X30 does not include any wireless capabilities, however.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archive