Dell has waited several years to release its own PDA,  and now committed to Pocket PC,  Dell's main weapon is aggressive pricing that's on the verge of insane.

Dell isn't yet certain what the Axim's Australian price will be when it's released here later this year (April to June), but with US models shipping at $199 and $299 (after a $50 rebate), we expect similarly bullish pricing. While we pushed to get an estimated price, Dell was reluctant to even suggest a ballpark figure. If it does follow the US pricing we doubt it could be readily matched.

Dell hasn't compromised on the specs either. The more expensive version includes a 400MHz processor, 64MB of RAM and 48MB of ROM. That's a match for PDAs costing twice as much. And the closest rival to its 300MHz version – which drops down to 32MB of RAM and 32MB of ROM – is the Toshiba e330.

Otherwise, there's no physical difference between the two versions of the Axim. Both boast a Type II CompactFlash slot and SD slot for superb expandability, while a jog dial, four shortcut keys and five-way navigator button make it extremely usable.

Out of the box, there's no wireless connectivity other than infrared. Thankfully, a Dell-branded Type II CompactFlash card for 802.11b WLAN and Bluetooth are available. The drawback is that you can't use both cards simultaneously – this is one area where HP's more sophisticated iPAQ H5450 (see page 42) holds the aces.

One property shared by the iPAQ and the Axim is a superb screen. Although Dell's TFT isn't as large as the iPAQ's, it uses the same trans-reflective technology and the colours look great. True, the iPAQ's colours are more accurate, but this isn't enough to sway a buying decision. Both screens are nice and bright, but we needed to have the backlight on all the time, although not at its brightest setting. The end result was a battery life of more than four hours from the Axim, among the best for a Pocket PC.

There are two main reasons for the Axim's longevity: its processor's ability to change speed automatically depending on demand; and its capacious 1,440mAH battery. Even better, the battery is removable – Dell also includes a removable backup battery to ensure no data is lost. Our one criticism is that this battery isn't rechargeable, which means that once it goes below a certain point an irritating ‘Replace your backup battery' message will pop up every time you switch the Axim on. At least Dell provides an accurate display to show remaining battery life in the main and backup batteries, so you can replace either before its charge drops too low.

Dell's most thoughtful inclusion is a second slot in the docking cradle for charging your replacement batteries – just be aware the 300MHz Axim is only supplied with a USB synching cable. The cradle has room for the PDA with the extra large, extended capacity battery. 
The one thing the Axim isn't, however, is stylish: its design is stricly functional. The rubberised finish either side may not match the all-silver look of an iPAQ or Toshiba e330, but it makes the Axim easy to hold. However, when you slip the X5 into its protective jacket its 18mm depth doubles to almost 40mm. In fact, the only slim thing about it is the stylus – we'd prefer it more rounded, but it proved accurate.

If Dell hasn't listened to those potential buyers who want a sexy device, it has certainly noted their software desires. The all-important data backup app is present and, thankfully, it can save data to both storage cards and ROM - this is the advantage of 48MB of ROM as opposed to 32MB in the lesser Axim. Another nice touch is the Switcher Bar, which lists open apps and allows you to easily switch and properly close them.

Dell also caters for the accessory-hungry buyer by providing options like a foldable external keyboard or a snap-on keyboard. While the fast processor means handwriting recognition worked quickly and flawlessly, we far prefer using a keyboard to enter large amounts of text into a PDA.

The 400MHz version of the Axim we tested was very much in line with all the 400MHz Pocket PC devices we've seen.

We suspect the 300MHz version won't be too far behind in performance, but the 400MHz Axim is worth the additional money due to the extra memory, the bundled docking station and the additional ROM. Once you add the good battery life, superb flexibility and all-round quality, we suspect the Axim will have precisely the dramatic effect Dell is hoping for on its release.