x51 versus x51v

[maltby]

From the Brighthand review of the x51v...

"As it stands, the vast majority of the time, devices like the X51v can't show any more on their screens that QVGA Pocket PCs can...
And, as if to add insult to injury, big chunks of the display are often taken up with bars that can't be hidden. This includes the top bar and the two softkeys at the bottom of the screen that I'm so un-fond of...

Nevertheless, unless you look at a lot of images on your handheld or watch a lot of video, you might consider the QVGA version of the Axim X51 instead. "

I had been leaning towards the x51v because of the VGA but this has me thinking plain x51 instead. This would be my first pda/pocket pc, have no idea what all I would use it for...initially I was just going to buy an electronic chess game.

[Brian]

Malt, welcome to the forums, even though you quoted another review

There are several games and other applications that can take advantage of the large VGA display, but most programs don't. The other advantage the V has is the dedicated graphics card. But if you don't need that or the display, I'd say you should go with the plain X51, especially if budget is an issue.

[maltby]

Thanks Brian, I only mentioned the other review because it specifically addresses the x51 versus x51v question.

I can "afford" either, less expensive makes the purchase seems less frivolous. The graphics card comes into play mostly with games I assume. How much video would someone watch on one of these things?

[Brian]

Video use is completely personal. Some do it not at all, others hours per day. And yes, the GPU is for gaming.

[0gopogo]

maltby,

Actually I'd say the benefits from a VGA screen are experienced everyday, even without games or videos. Everything on a VGA screen is crisper and clearer. Because of that you can choose smaller font sizes - i.e. get more space - and text is still much easier on the eyes. This has nothing to do with image or video viewing or even the graphics accelerator, it is evident in Contacts, Calendar, etc. i.e. daily PDA use, and particularly eBooks. I find a VGA screen more readable, and a QVGA screen unacceptable. A good compromise between readability and speed might be Palm's HVGA 320x480 resolution, unless you have already decided on a Pocket PC. In that case my choice would be between the x50v and the x51v.

[maltby]

Actually, I had mulled over the new TX, but was kind of turned off by cradle being extra. Adding the price of the cradle to the TX puts in range with a discounted x51v. Is the TX display going to be noticeably better than the qvga display of the x51?

Another issue I came across in a user review is that limited battery life negates the value of higher processor speeds because users choose slower speeds on the faster models anyway, to make the battery last longer. Is this really the case?

[fermi337]

and if you continued to read the review on Brighthand, you would have noticed that it said that there are third-party application work-arounds for full VGA mode. One of the best is http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=14679
but currently it is only available for windows mob 2003 and must be resetted after every change.

[0gopogo]

The perceived difference in screen quality is larger between QVGA and HVGA than between HVGA and VGA.

When a QVGA iPaq using friend first held my HVGA iQue 3600 in his hand his immediate question was what kind of screen it had because the higher resolution made it look so much better than his iPaq's. And the iQue's screen is not very bright nor vivid so I'd expect the TX's screen to be better.

Unless the TX's screen is really dull it should be better than the x51's QVGA screen.

Reduced battery life due to faster processor speeds maybe a Palm problem mostly. My iQue runs OS 5.2.something and has not power management, neither automatic nor manual. Power management may have been added in OS 5.4 but I think I've read a post here that says it was not. The x50/x51 OTOH has both automatic and manual power management i.e. the OS adjusts the clock speed according to CPU load. For instance, the automatic function will underclock the Axim's 624MHz CPU to 104MHz while reading an ebook.

The TX has a non-replaceable battery. Unacceptable, IMO. $20 buys an extra battery for the x51. After about two years the LiIon batteries used in both the TX and the x51 will require replacement. The life time of LiIon batteries is limited. Buy a new battery for the x51 and pop it it. RMA the TX and pay dearly for the battery replacement - and see how you can survive without your PDA during the weeks it will take Palm to replace the battery and ship the PDA back to you.

[Adama D. Brown]

Actually, I had mulled over the new TX, but was kind of turned off by cradle being extra. Adding the price of the cradle to the TX puts in range with a discounted x51v. Is the TX display going to be noticeably better than the qvga display of the x51?

Better than QVGA, yes. Better than VGA, no. The X51 has quarter VGA, 240 pixels wide by 320 tall. The TX has half-VGA, 320 x 480, twice as sharp as the X51. The X51v has VGA, 480 x 640, twice as sharp as the TX and four times as sharp as the X51.

Another issue I came across in a user review is that limited battery life negates the value of higher processor speeds because users choose slower speeds on the faster models anyway, to make the battery last longer. Is this really the case?

Sometimes, but not always. Devices with faster processors come equipped to increase and decrease their processor speed according to demand. Therefore they're usually pretty efficient. Some people will force them to run at a lower speed, to save more battery life, but that's mostly unneccessary.

[maltby]

I came to a decision. I chose the x51v. The current 20% off coupon and the $35 off coupon (thanks 350) puts it with a couple of bucks of the Palm TX. I liked the VGA. Better battery life is huge for me-I have a nice older Minolta digital camera that I rarely used because of the atrocious battery life. The removable battery issue also swayed me. I may have purchased more hardware than I need, but the reasonable price makes that a nonissue.


Thanks for all the input.