Monday 13 August 2007

Dell Axim x51v and Windows Mobile 6

With the release of Windows Mobile 6, various PDA manufacturers have taken the plunge to make sure their already released Pocket PC devices can be upgraded to the new operating system. Well, Dell is certainly not one of those manufacturers... While it is understandable to an extent (the Axim line seems to be one that will be discontinued) it nonetheless is very frustrating to a user of the device (such as myself, it's been with me since it was released and has proved to be an extremely robust, reliable and very powerful graphics-wise PDA).


The video above (showing a Dell Axim x51v running Windows Mobile 6!) is the proof that user communities can sometimes overcome little issues such as devices getting obsolete by their manufacturer. It seems that a ROM is out there that allows the new version of the operating system to be loaded on the device. While I'd rather not post any links as to where one can find this ROM, it does reportedly provide Axim users with the capability of upgrade denied by Dell (albeit as a slighty more risque proposition, ROMs like this often tend to be incredibly buggy and are not really recommended). Moreover, it applies further pressure to the manufacturer to step up to the challenges of a still-existing customer base. Have I attemped the upgrade? No way, and I certainly won't as I am not convinced WM5 and WM6 differ greatly but also because I value my device way too much and will always wait for an official update from Dell...

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