Dell's entry level Axim X51 may not have all the bells and whistles of high-end PDAs, but it sells for a great price. If you want a functional and versatile PDA but don't have a mint to spend, this may be the one for you.

Powered by a 416MHz Intel XScale processor, the Axim X51 offers good but not stellar performance with most applications. Dell includes 64MB of SDRAM and 128MB of Flash ROM on the X51 (upgradeable to 2GB), so there's a decent amount of working memory with some room left over for file storage.

The X51 offers a lot of connectivity slots, letting you add CompactFlash, Secure Digital or MMC cards for upgrades and memory expansion. The PDA also features built-in Bluetooth wireless connectivity so you can synch up with your PC without cords, and you can easily utilize wireless Bluetooth accessories such as keyboards and GPS receivers.

The largest omission on the Axim X51 is the lack of Wi-Fi. If you want to browse the internet or check e-mail on this PDA, you'll have to add on a wireless access peripheral or purchase a separate wireless card.

One of the X51's best assets is the large and bright 3-1/2-inch TFT display. With a resolution of 320X240 and 16-bit color, images and video look great. The X51 runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, so it's a good PDA for listening to music or watching video clips. There's a headphone jack for listening in stereo, as well as a microphone input port for recording voice memos.

The operating system contains support for viewing Microsoft Office documents on the road, letting you read Word docs, tab through Excel spreadsheets and even view PowerPoint presentations. Maneuvering the menus is easy thanks to the four program buttons and the five-way navigation button at the bottom of the PDA.

Dell includes a slip cover for some protection of the PDA and a docking cradle for recharging the battery and synching up to a PC. The Axim X51 is compact and weighs under 6 ounces, making it easy to tuck into a jacket pocket. If you can live without Wi-Fi and just need a PDA to cover the basics, the Dell Axim X51 entry-level handheld comes otherwise well-equipped, and the price is right.


Pros:  Nice price, built-in Bluetooth
Cons:  No Wi-Fi

Warranty
1 year