Dell has stopped selling its Axim line of handhelds and is not planning a new product in the category, the computer maker said on Monday. “The Axim X51 family is no longer being offered, and we have no plans for a follow-on product at this time,” Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden said in an email. Camden noted that the company does sell handhelds from other makers on its website, including GPS devices and smartphones.
Dell should have launched a PocketPC phone and give some few years more to Axim line. I can understand that mobile devices is not their core business, but is a growing market (see facts about smartphone sales) ignored. They throw the towel before beginning of fight.
What a bummer! I have had an Axim X51v for about 18 months, and I love it! I never thought I’d use a PDA until my wife bought it for me for Christmas. Now I don’t know what I’d do without it. Works just fine with my new Gateway MT6456 laptop running Vista Home Premium.
Looks like I might need to visit the Dell Outlet store online and get me another Axim just in case….
That’s too bad. When I was PDA shopping a couple of years ago, the Dell models had the best specs and lowest prices (especially compared to the HP models). It’s been a good PDA, without a single problem.
-Bob
PDA is one of those products that can either be perfect or a total failure. The OS and UI usability just isn’t there at the moment. Dell does not make and OS and UI and therefore cannot produce anything useful other than a shiny case. So, the headline should be “Dell gives up on trying to make a useful hand held computer.” It will take some other company to make the PDA hot again; maybe Nintendo or Apple. It’s time to quit milking the Palm Pilot. Remember, Apple did not milk the Walkman; they reinvented it.
PDA is dead, smartphones are here to prove it. Dell just missed a big opportunity.
<PDA is dead, smartphones are here to prove it.>
You could be right. But when I was shopping a couple of years ago, it didn’t make economic sense to buy the combo products – you could get higher specs for less $$ by buying seperate appliances. It was true with both PDA/phones and GPS/PDAs.
-Bob
You could be right. But when I was shopping a couple of years ago, it didn’t make economic sense to buy the combo products – you could get higher specs for less $$ by buying seperate appliances. It was true with both PDA/phones and GPS/PDAs.
That’s fine if you have enough pockets (and I mean to put them in, not to fork money out of).
I’ve had my axim for two years and love it as a media player and web apliance.. Smartphones suck compared to ppc, the axim has a vga screen.
posted from Axim!
Browser: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; PPC; 480×640) Opera 8.65 [en]
I strongly agree, I love my Axim, that’s why I think Dell could extend the life of Axim with a PocketPC phone, much better than general smartphones. PocketPC’s alone won’t sell anymore.
what PDA is good these days? i’ve been a bit out of touch with these thing. something that is quick, fast, and has good wireless and browsers and apps/tools. don’t care so much about OS …
Either a PPC or sorts or a Linux base handheld. Like the Zaurus… Those are really the only ones left.
I think Sharp have canned the Zaurus now
even if they haven’t the last few models have been only available in Japan and have been expensive to import 
I did love my 5500 but the battery is now shot and it is a little on the large size but the thumbpad was a wonderful.
They make great additions to any tech company’s “Tech Museum”.
I never used an Axim, but read that they were decent. I lost interest in stand-alone PDAs when PDA-based phones became reasonably affordable and haven’t looked at PDAs since. I was a big fan of them six years ago, I had a Casio E-100, a Palm IIIxe, and a Handspring Visor at different times.
Edited 2007-04-11 12:20
From what I heard (Computerra.ru magazine says that), HTC was the OEM manufacturer for Dell (Axim), HP (4700) and other successful models. Now that HTC is on the market with its own brand, perhaps they’re not prolonging old contracts, which makes Dell impossible to continue Axim line.
Sorry, but these things are a dieing breed. I had an Axim when they first came out, prior to the BlackBerry boom and SmartPhones. It was great at the time, but since using an BB8700 I’ve never gone back. The BB or SP has all the PDA features, plus a phone, and it’s all real-time.
The Dell Axim x50v and x51v seem to be contract manufactured by the same companies that make the Asus MyPal machines. They’re very customized but they aren’t made by Dell themselves.
Edited 2007-04-12 17:30