Dell x51v (x51) PDA Bluetooth Problems

UPDATE: Members of Aximsite have hacked together a Widcomm Bluetooth stack that has all the missing profiles. Instructions and links to downloads are available in this thread.

I posted this message on the Dell Support Forums about two weeks ago:

I am a current Dell Axim x51v owner that is very angry that Dell rushed out this PDA with an incomplete Bluetooth Stack implementation. I can’t connect to my cellular phone nor can I can’t connect to my headset so it’s like having a Bluetooth Dongle without drivers (i.e. useless). Technical support has been of no use because they were shrugging their shoulders at first. Finally, after a lot of research on various forums, I learned that Dell, unlike its Windows Mobile 5.0 competitors from HP and Asus, refused to use a third party Bluetooth Stack. What’s even more troubling is that Dell’s previous x50 has more Bluetooth functionality than the current release because it also uses a third party Bluetooth Stack. I wish I had known these facts before I gave Dell my money. Don’t get me wrong, for other things, the Dell Axim x51v is great but it is sorely lacking in its advertised Bluetooth capabilities—I would go as far as to say misadvertised capabilities. If Bluetooth functionality is important to you, then please do not buy Dell’s x51 series PDAs until Dell fixes these problems. My question to Dell remains: when are you planning on restoring functionality available in your previous flagship PDA (x50v) to your current x51v flagship model? I have hope but the technical staff’s empty promises coupled with silence from Dell on these issues is bothering me. I await a response.

I am thoroughly disappointed with Dell’s response so far. They have released a ROM Update to version A06 which was said to clear up many of the issues but it hasn’t. The key is Dell making a move towards releasing Microsoft’s Adoption kit Update 2.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0. This update includes several Bluetooth profiles that we need, such as:

Generic Access Profile (GAP)
Generic Object Exchange Profile (GEOP)
Serial Port Profile (SPP)
Dial-up Networking (DUN) Profile
Hands-Free Profile (HFP)
Headset Profile (HSP)
Human Interface Device (HID) Profile
Object Push Profile (OPP)
ActiveSync-Over-Bluetooth
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)

Until then, I’m going to recommend that no one waste their money on either the Dell x51v or the lesser x51 handhelds from Dell.

January 8, 2006 | Filed Under Tech/Gadgets 

Comments

Comments are closed.