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New Expansion Sleeves add to the Axim Features
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While the large memory capacity, flash memory card slots, and powerful processor enable the Axim X5 to play a number of audio and video files, from mp3 and ogg compressed music to Macromedia Flash animation to mpeg, avi, and RealPlayer video files. One of the great short comings in the Axim and all pda's is the built-in speaker.
Originally, pda speakers just needed to support beeps, clicks, and whistles for basic program notification and alarms. Little more than a piezo-electric buzzer was necessary. To support voice recording features, a small microphone was added to the pda, consequently a better quality speaker was needed for message playback.
With the advent of digital audio and video compression, it became increasingly more difficult to include a speaker capable enough to accurately render the richness of the media files in the rather confined space available to the pda. Since the primary data exchange mechanism is visual, audio support has a much lower profile.
The obvious solution was to include an audio output jack like in the Axim. This allowed the use of common headphones or speakers to deliver better sound quality. But while headphones are great for personal audio enjoyment, it's harder to share with a small group. Small portable speakers are available and some even fold into a convenient little carrying case.
One company's solution is to put together a set of amplified speakers with the power supply to drive them into an expansion sleeve into which the Axim slides.
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Click the images to see the larger versions.
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The speakers are pulled out of either end of the expansion sleeve. (After playing with the prototypes, we suggested that it would be much more dramatic if the speakers were spring-loaded
and popped out when a button is pressed. Very James Bond.) When both speakers are extended, they operate in stereo. When only one speaker, it is mono.
The speakers themselves were quite loud. Loud enough to be heard easily in a noisy room.
Infinitely clearer than the built-in speaker. The lower-frequency response (ie - the Bass) of the speakers was less impressive, but that is somewhat expected
with such thin elements. And there is notable distortion at full volume.
The sleeve has an audio input jack that is connected to the Axim's headphone jack with a small plastic adapter (it is not exactly a cable as the connector is rigid)
The sleeve has a on-off/volume knob and a red led indicator which is actually a bit distracting. If I get one of these, that little sucker will quickly have a piece of electrician's
tape over it.
Six AA batteries power the speaker sleeve, which gives the speakers their kick. But, it makes the pda/sleeve combination quite a brick.
Together with the sleeve, the already largish Axim is definitely not very pocketable, at over twice the weight and thickness.
The massive battery capacity reportedly will give the Axim a battery life of two or three times normal, depending on the speaker usage. The batteries recharge the Axim even when
the speakers are turned off. However, the Axim's power cord cannot be used when the pda is in the sleeve as the socket is not accessible.
While the sleeve can use either regular akaline or rechargable NiCd or NiMH batteries, there is no built-in recharging capability.
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