HOLD that THOUGHT
IdeaStorm is in Read Only Mode until 10/27

Click here for details.
The Dell Community has contributed: 10385 ideas | promoted 697808 times | 80735 comments

How IdeaStorm Works:

Post Promote Discuss See
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) Comments | Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) Ideas | New Product Ideas Comments | New Product Ideas Ideas
720

A new handheld PDA line

720 points posted to Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), New Product Ideas by genjinaro 02/25/07

With the recent talks of Dell ending the Axim line of PDAs, it has hit our community hard.
Being that Dell has produced one of the most powerful handhelds ever manufactured and to this day few have come close to the hardware specs of this small but powerful unit. Even to this day it is recognized as the most powerful stand alone PDA in the market, the Axim X51v.

My proposal is that Dell continue to stay in the handheld market, it doesn't have to be a stand alone PDA, since recent models are now PDA phones. I'd love to see Dell make 2 different types of handhelds, 1 being a PDA type, and the othe,r a PDA/UMPC dual-unit with 2 Operationg systems, Windows Mobile & Windows Tablet (Vista).

In my honest opinion I would love to see a Dell handheld keeping both the CF & SD slots (favored but not necessary) with updated hardware and a Windows Mobile 6 or greater OS.
The twist is, is that each would have the same hardware specs but a different form factor, one similar to a traditional handheld and the other as a mini tablet form.

As for the PDA/UMPC dual unit, this would really make up for the current UMPC's downsides, one of them being the fact that you simply cannot effectively use a UMPC with instant on and good battery life and you don't have the same speeds as a mobile OS does. On the oither hand when using the mobile OS isn't enough for your specific tasks you can switch to the desktop OS ala the UMPC side of the unit.
I'd love to see a Windows Mobile 6 Professional OS & a Windows Vista Business combination all in one dual-unit.

I would also reccomend an Optional Dock Disk Drive Stand for CD/DVDRW etc. or similar to those lines for the PDA/UMPC dual unit.

I would also count the PDA/UMPC unit as being the high end unit in comparison to the PDA/ phone type unit.

I would direct the PDA type to college students & the UMPC/PDA type to business users. Also I would recommend bluetooth keyboards and mice with both, as separate purchase accessories or in bundle packs for fair pricing.

If priced competitively well as you have did the Axim I can see a future here.
They would also make for good display items at Dell Kiosks.
Keeping a price range of $400-$980 would be ideal, much bettter than what current competitors offer.

I'm sure the handheld community will agree, Dell shouldn't leave the handheld market, Dell is a powerful name in that community...

Last Edited: 4/25/2007

~Brighthand member~
(Aximsite member)

lushmd
03/01/07		 I would love to see Dell continue to produce PDAs, especially if they maintain the attributes of the succesful axim product line (i.e. advanced features and very competitive pricing).
pawpals
03/01/07		 In the current market, this is NO substitue or replacement in any way comparable with the Axim line, especially the X51V. Any way that could keep the line going is preferred over eliminating it.
cmtomlin
03/04/07		 I fully support the poster's comments. My Axim X51v is a partner product to my laptop when I travel, and a substitute when I am at home. Dell...DO NOT ABANDON ME!!!

Aximsite member. Axim owner.
wd4tw
03/08/07		 Dell needs to stay in this market. There is NO OTHER unit out there that even comes close to Dell's Axim.
genjinaro
03/29/07		 If there are any who are opposed to the article, at least post your thoughts on the matter.
I don't mind adjusting it but the objective of the article here is keeping Dell in the mobile market.

Everyone else, thanks for your input...
pocketdoom
04/11/07		 The Axim was so much better than anything else on the market. It has the speed and capability that far exceeds the new products Dell is offering in its place. It is disgraceful that Dell would sell these inferior products and discontinue their superior products.

Keep making the Axim!
texican
04/17/07		 I want an Axim X51V that can make phone calls! Why not be able to have your cake and eat it too? I think Dell could market the PDA phone like they did the Axim line (and iMate is) by having different form factors and performances to chose from. The phone I desire, that is not made YET, would have the following essential specs listed in no particular order:
1. 3.5" VGA screen for viewing excel, word and pdf documents with tv out functionality
2. Fast processor, 520 mhz or better
3. GPU
4. Dual memory slots, preferably one of them being CF (for my 12g card), so I can watch movies, listen to music, iGuidance maps etc. and ability to recognize a SD, Mini SD, or Micro SD card larger than 2gs.
5. No QWERTY keyboard, I'd rather slim it down
6. WM 6
7. Quad band phone, triband is useless in the US
8. Obligatory bluetooth and wifi with the latest specs
9. A 3.5mm audio jack, not the mini usb jacks coming out now, for my Shure E2C headphones
10. 2gs of ROM
Desired features:
1. On board GPS receiver
2. FM radio
These specs are basically an improvement of the O2 XDA Flame or an Axim X51V that can make phone calls along with a couple of other features that were speculated to have been incorporated in future Axims. I'd shell out big money for this device but given Dell's past record of being able to control costs I'd bet that they would be a major player in this market.
gmichal
04/20/07		 I still use my Axim X5 every day and thought it would just be a matter of time before Dell came out with a PDA/Phone version. Well, I guess I waited too long to upgrade my PDA as Dell has discontinued the product line. Dell, please reconsider and combine the two similar technologies and blow away the competition!
jonathan7007
04/27/07		 I -- too -- want the Axim line to stay alive. No other design suggestion except a request for instant-on note taking. I could accept the addition of a camera and a good phone but keep the larger screen and WM6. I carry a tablet so don't see myself going with a UMPC.

Jonathan7007
ecuatoriano
05/28/07		 My feelings where a mix of "shocking" and "orphanity" when they just simply draw the axims from their website without giving some kind of compensation or explanation.... What do you think what was the feelings of the people who bough their Axims the month or even the week before of its dissapearing???

I´m not sure where I read (maybe on aximsite) to someone arguing that we should not expect any kind of explanation from Dell...... Hey!, if i´m not wrong, I remember to have read that surveys/marketing experts says that something like more than 80% percent of the purchases (any kind of goods) are made on a base on emotions and feelings and all the marketing strategies are based on these facts and Dell marketing strategies aren`t the exception.

Without having an "official position" from Dell, users sense a lack of continuity and purpose of the company in general and a lack of inventive to give to the market a BETTER and IMPROVED product (name it convergence smartphone, UMPC or whatever). If Dell found PDA market was exhausted because of the "convergence" trend, well, I would expected that a LEADER company like DELL launches its new PROPOSAL to the consumers who believes in them.
pdadigest
06/07/07		 I too was dismayed that the Axim line was dropped. It is a great product that has fostered much loyalty among its users, who would very likely embrace an improved, more powerful, enhanced Axim line. Dell runs the risk of alienating many customers by dropping the Axim products. I would like to see Dell announce, at a minimum, Windows Mobile 6 support for the existing Axim X50/X51 products, so that the investment their customers have made in Dell products will be continued forward for a couple of years. Thank you.
vilasman
06/16/07		 I would buy this pda UMPC combination and I hope they build it before I start buying HTC stuff later on in the summer.
rjh
06/16/07		 As a minimum. I would think an Axim X51v that had a phone and a slightly better OS than WM5 would easily be a top seller and high end smartphone just like the X51v was a top of the line PDA. I love my Axim X51v and wish the OS was a little better and that it had a phone. I would buy one today if it was available. I almost bought a Samsung I730 or I830 until I saw the reviews that said it was not very good as a phone. "texican's" April 17th comments sounds like a great product to me.
scooper
06/23/07		 As a long time user of a fully tricked-out Axim x50v, I was shocked to find that Dell was dropping this line, rather than modernizing it. Fortunately, the company that manufactures the Axim for Dell has forged ahead. HTC has just introduced the Advantage x7501, which I just pre-ordered at Amazon.com for the BARGAIN PRICE of $850 unlocked. It is everything the Axim x60v could have been - 8GB internal HD, internal GPS, 3megapixel camera, bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, GSM voice, UMTS/HSDPA broadband, etc...

95% of the people that travel with laptops basically use them to surf the web, edit documents, answer email, and watch video. I do all of that on my Axim. I use a bluetooth mouse and keyboard when I need to do extended input. I use my slingbox pro to amuse myself. I listen to my Sirius satelite internet account thanks to a piece of freeware. I also have 7 Gigs of MP3s on my micro HD. Thanks to my Axim, I have all the functionality I need in a mobile computer with the exception of voice and wireless data in non WiFi environments. Thanks to bluetooth GPS, I never get lost.

Mobile computing IS the future. Apple realizes this. The Apple iPhone is really just a BSD Unix powered PDA that can make phone calls. Google is rumoured to be developing an uber device that some industry watchers have dubbed the gPhone. A sea change is occurring. Dell could have been a major player. I'm reminded of the story of Xerox. They invented the mouse, GUI, laser printer, and ethernet networking. But they lacked vision and gave away the farm. History is full of these stories. I suspect Dell will add there name to the list.
 
Atom feed track comments for this idea
Please log in to post a comment
recently promoted by: