Dell Announces New Axim X5 Handhelds

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Dell announced its entry into the handheld PDA market, lifting the wraps off a pair of Axim X5 devices running on Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 software.
Dell's PDA plans, leaked in the press in recent weeks, puts the PC maker right in the Pocket PC thick of things, forcing market leader HP to release two new iPAQ models.

Even as the two PC makers get set to duke it out in the PDA space, analysts aren't expecting a price war between Dell and HP. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP released two new Pocket PC devices - the low end ($299) IPAQ h1910 and the iPAQ h5450, a high-end device that integrates biometrics security, WLAN network access (802.11b) and Bluetooth wireless capabilities, all in response to Dell's actions.

Still, Dell's aggressive pricing ($50 rebates through the Christmas shopping season) sets pricing high-end Axim X5 at radical levels, much lower than comparable devices from competitors like Toshiba, Casio and newcomer Viewsonic.

In an industry where the same components and manufacturers are used to produce comparable PDAs, pricing usually sets apart the players and analysts expect Dell to make quick headway

While Dell's move certainly boosts the Pocket PC market, Gartenberg believes the rapid commoditization of the Pocket PC platform will make it difficult for vendors to differentiate their products and still keep price points low.
HP's low-end iPAQ h1910 touts 64 MB RAM, a secure digital (SD) expansion slot for additional storage, a removable slim battery and a synchronization cable.

HP said the high-end iPAQ h5450 handheld, targeting enterprise customers, it the first PDA to integrate biometrics security, wireless LAN and Bluetooth.

The iPAQ h5450 also offers VoIP software, wireless email and calendar access software, ad-hoc wireless file sharing and messaging and real-time setup and management of conference calls.

Post your Dell PDA reviews here.

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