For the past few issues we have been quite enthusiastic about Windows Mobile 5.0, based on prerelease information we received from Microsoft and from testing prototypes.
Dell recently sent me the final production version of their new Axim X51v. Its state of the art hardware is quite similar to last year's X50v. The X51v sports a VGA screen, slots for both SD and CF cards, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and about 200 MB of useable built-in storage. So, how does my real world experience compare with my glowing assessment of Windows Mobile 5.0 in my September 2005 Pocket View column?
"Persistent storage" a plus!
In that article I identified a number of Windows Mobile 5.0 features that "will really make a difference." The first was "persistent storage," which mandates that all Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC data and software applications are stored in hard disk-like, non-volatile flash ROM. Previously, Pocket PCs stored information in volatile RAM, which was maintained by a battery-draining trickle charge.
Now as a Windows Mobile user, my data is as safe as it would be on a laptop PC. If the battery loses its charge, the device is not useable, but all data remains safe. Furthermore, you no longer drain the battery slowly by maintaining data in RAM. You can leave the Dell unplugged for weeks without charging and then begin using it again. (Since RAM is no longer used for data storage, I was surprised to learn that Pocket PC Techs (http://www.pocketpctechs.com) is offering a 128MB RAM upgrade for the X51. I didn't see why the extra RAM is needed and asked CEO Leonard Wesson about it. He told me that he had gotten a number of complaints from customers that their applications were running low on memory even with 64MB of RAM, so they decided to offer the upgrade.)
Persistent storage is a definite plus for Windows Mobile 5.0. However, the rest of my experience is not so positive. First of all, battery life on the X51v running WM 5.0 (version A01) was disappointing, when compared with my HP iPAQ 2750 (a Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition device). I upgraded the X51v to version A04, which is supposed to improve things, but I haven't used A04 long enough to test this. Second, although my Dell X51v has a fastest processor, it seems to run noticeably slower on ordinary tasks than my iPAQ 2750. It's possible that it takes more time to access files from flash ROM than from RAM. If that's the case, a RAM upgrade might actually speed things up a little by providing more RAM to store temp files. However, my theory does not explain why it takes longer to access the Settings and Program folders from the Start Menu.
Voice Command and Push E-mail left to OEM's!
A major disappointment was that despite the prerelease information I received, Voice Command is not necessarily built-in to Windows Mobile 50 devices. (Voice Command lets you "tell" your device to look up a contact, play music, or start an application.) According to Microsoft, the option is there but it is "up to the OEM" to supply it. In other words, the OEM must choose to include it with the device and pay an additional licensing fee to Microsoft to do so. This can lead to addition costs to the user. For example, Voice Command is available as an option with the Sprint PPC-6700 reviewed in this issue, but Sprint charges users a per month fee to be able to use it.
I was also fooled by Microsoft's hype about push e-mail. Recently, Microsoft released Exchange 2003 SP2 which is necessary for Windows Mobile 5.0 push e-mail to work. Unfortunately, SP2 isn't sufficient. Windows Mobile 5.0 users must get upgraded software for their device, which as of early December 2005 hadn't been released. Worse, the distribution of this upgrade will be handled by the OEMs and carriers. That means some will release it in a few months, some will delay it for many months, and some will never release it.
Software that doesn't work yet
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