For the past 3 years, i've used a Dell Axim X50v as my take-everywhere computer. It has served me well (i typed some of this article on it), but is on its last legs now, and i'm a bit unsure about where to go next. Mobile computing has changed a lot in the last 3 years, and i'm not sure whether the same type of device is still viable. Also, the problems of mobile computing whilst using Linux on the desktop are still troublesome.

The main things i used my PDA for are (in rough order of priority):

• MP3 player
• calendar
• notes (search is a critical feature)
• Bible (Pocket e-Sword)
• web browsing (wifi)
• contacts
• email (Intellisync)
• tasks

The main things i like about my X50v are:

• Great power to weight ratio. I can do a lot of things in a small unit, and this encourages me to take it with me more places.
• Great VGA resolution (640x480) rotatable screen - mostly i use it in portrait mode.
• Once wifi is working, it mostly works (IE crashes notwithstanding) and is incredibly useful to have when i'm in a class or a meeting.
• No moving parts, so less to go wrong - although i did manage to break 8 out of the 9 buttons on the front, and got the whole unit replaced under warranty (and now the headphone jack is going).
• Intellisync (for the email account i use it with) works reasonably reliably and integrates with the WM apps well.

(Interestingly, there is still gimick value in the foldable bluetooth keyboard - even though it's broken (see below), i still get comments about how cute it is!)

The main problems i've had with my X50v are:

• Temperamental wifi support.
• Battery life is poor.
• The battery compartment is not secure, and even small bumps sometimes cause the unit to switch off.
• The bluetooth keyboard, while offering excellent tactile feedback and surprisingly large keys, is woefully fragile. I'm on my second one (thankfully replaced under warranty), and the stand split in half while sitting, folded up, in its case!
• IMAP support in the email client doesn't work at all (at least against both of the servers i use - Courier IMAP and Hula).
• Skype's poor voice quality makes it unusable.

Things i don't like about the Windows Mobile platform in general:

• Regular reboots.
• No Java VM.
• No Ogg Vorbis support in Windows Media Player.
• No last.fm client for Windows Media Player.
• Notepad uses a proprietary file format rather than plain text, XHTML, or OpenDocument (a.k.a. OASIS/ODT/OOo).
• I have to keep Windows hanging around for USB sync, since i've never managed to get Linux-based sync (either via local USB, or via Wifi) working adequately, and its feature coverage is limited anyway (to just tasks, calendar, and contacts? - it's been a while since i've played with multisync).

The options i'm considering are:

• Replace with a newer Windows Mobile platform (probably with an integrated phone, due to the fact that my current one is very limited and somewhat poor for reception). Unfortunately Dell have stopped selling their PDAs (in Australia only?), and all the problems with using Windows Mobile would be the same, or worse, since the WM2005 devices weren't supported via USB on Linux last i checked.
• Replace my desktop and PDA with a laptop. This is likely to result in me taking the computer fewer places, due to the size & weight increase, and i would also have to find a way to convert all of my data to a desktop format.
• A Linux-based subnotebook like the Asus Eee PC: while it is Linux-based, it has a new interface that i would probably get frustrated with fairly quickly, and is not likely to be as flexible as a desktop Linux distro. Similar data conversion issues would likely result.
• A Nokia N8x0 Internet Pad or similar device. This would likely have similar limitations and migration considerations to a laptop solution, although the weight issues would be less significant. (The N810 is still twice the weight of my current PDA, though.)
• A friend just showed me his new Blackberry phone, and it certainly looks like a well integrated solution. My concerns about the platform:
  • The legal action surrounding the company earlier this year might have longer-term implications for its viability.
  • Linux sync sounds positively painful and very early days.
  • In fact, syncing only seems to be possible with the external servers, in which case i'd be trusting all my data to them instead of to my own dedicated server.
• Google's vapourware Linux-based mobile solution sounds like it will have some potential, but the fact that it doesn't exist yet is a problem. :-)

Note that an iPhone is not listed as an option. I am firmly commited to the principles of Free Software, and Apple is just as weak in supporting them as Microsoft is, and less open about their security issues. I can't wait to see the fallout when the first truly invasive iPhone virus rears its ugly head.

I'm still developing my thoughts on this, but in the meantime if you have any comments (or suggestions on other platforms to try), please feed them to me!