axim

Yesterday, Colin Quon, founder of EQO and big cheese, suggested that I give Skype for Pocket PC a try, just to check it out.  Well, check it out I did and I was pretty impressed with the app. 

The devices in my test set were a Dell Axim X50v, an iPaq HX2400 series, and a Motorola MPx.  I put Skype on all three devices by first downloading to my laptop then using Microsoft ActiveSync to upload via USB, no problems there.  Each device was connected via 802.11b to our office network with the router about three meters away, or for those of you still subscribing to the Imperial System, a bit more than three times the distance between the nose and thumb of King Henry I.

The Dell was the most satisfying to use, but I will say that the Motorola MPx is the coolest flip phone I’ve had the luxury of playing with; it flips two ways!  After flipping the MPx for a good ten minutes, giggling all the while, I gave Skype for Pocket PC a go first on this crazy fun Motorola.  Because the MPx processor speed is only 200MHz, I had to download Skype for slow Pocket PC’s; note that Skype recommends at least 312MHz.  Much to no one’s surprise, calls didn’t go so well on this sexy beast of a Smartphone.  There were problems with calls not being connected at all and voice was typically one way, garbled, and with noticeable echo.

I next tried the iPaq HX2400 series, which had a 520MHz processor.  I gave Skype Chat a go on this one and it worked seamlessly, as it did on all three PDA’s, not irritating to use at all.  My trial did not last very long as the iPaq kept dropping its wifi connection despite being only three King Henry I nose-thumb lengths away from the access point, very annoying.  I gave up pretty quick and was not able to put Skype through its paces. 

Last up, I gave Skype a whirl on the Dell Axim X50v, 620MHz processor, and was suitably impressed.  I was able to make Skype to Skype and Skype to SkypeOut calls with impeccable voice quality.  When I set the Axim’s processor to Power-Saving mode, voice quality suffered drastically, but all was well when set to Normal or Maximum Performance modes.  The only drawback I found when using Skype for Pocket PC on this handy Dell was that power consumption was rather drastic.  The online specs for the X50v dictate a maximum battery life of 8 hours, normal battery life of 4 hours, and battery life under heavy usage of just over 2 hours.  Well, with the backlight on, wifi pumping, and processor crunching audio input/output I was seeing the battery go down 1% per minute, thirsty.

All in all, Skype for Pocket PC was cool to use on the Dell Axim, pretty much like regular Skype.  I can see others with widespread wifi access who don’t mind only an hour or two of battery life feeling the same way.