Dell has done a very good job on its latest Pocket PC-based PDA, the Dell Axim X30. Its numerous and impressive features include the newest Intel processor, the PXA270, designed for cellular phones and PDAs; Bluetooth, a first for a Dell PDA; 802.11b wireless; and the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC operating system. The best part? It all comes at a bargain price of $349 (direct).

In terms of design, Dell didn't break any new ground: The X30 looks exactly like the Axim 3i. The flat stylus is reasonably comfortable to use (though we prefer weightier round ones), and the there's a handy SD IO slot for expansion. At 4.6 by 3.0 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and 4.9 ounces, the X30 is just a bit larger than the 4.6-ounce HP iPAQ 4150 (4.5 by 2.8 by 0.5 inches. But the X30 costs about $100 less. We are very pleased to see Bluetooth support, a first for Dell's Axim line and an increasingly important feature for mobile devices. The X30 also has 802.11b wireless connectivity and includes the Dell WLAN utility, which lets you set up your 802.11b connection, find access points, enter WEP keys, and test the signal strength. In 802.11b testing, the X30 was impressive, maintaining a signal as far as 180 feet from the access point. By way of comparison, the iPAQ 4150 topped out at 100 feet.

The device has a button located in the front that lets you toggle both Bluetooth and 802.11b on and off. Although this is a great idea, the feature could be better implemented, since getting the combination of wireless that you want can be confusing. For example, pressing the button when no wireless is active turns on both 802.11b and Bluetooth; pressing it again turns them both off. If you want just Bluetooth enabled, you activate it in software. But you can't turn on just 802.11b through software; instead, you have to use the hardware button, which turns both on. Not exactly user-friendly. The X30 uses the new 624-MHz Intel PXA270 processor, which is designed for better handling of multimedia applications and wireless connectivity. While the palmOne Zire 72 was the first PDA to use the new processor, the X30 is the first Pocket PC handheld to have it. The X30 is also the first Pocket PC PDA to run Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Pocket PC. The new version of the OS offers several improvements, such as the ability to view in landscape mode and support for higher-resolution screens (up to 480-by-640). The X30 doesn't take advantage of the latter feature. The screen is bright but delivers only 240-by-320 resolution.

The top-of-the-line X30 (which we tested) has 64MB of RAM, 64MB of ROM, and comes with a cradle. The midrange version ($249) makes do with a slower processor (312 MHz) and does not have a cradle. The low-end model ($199) is bare-bones, with a 312-MHz processor, 32MB of RAM, and 32MB of ROM, no cradle, and no wireless. All told, the high-end Axim X30 is rich on features. It's a little larger than the competition, but considering all you get, it's a steal.