Dell axes Axim
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
Dell has stopped selling its Axim line of handhelds and is not planning a new product in the category.
"The Axim X51 family is no longer being offered, and we have no plans for a follow-on product at this time," Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden said in an e-mail. Camden noted that the company does sell handhelds from other makers on its Web site, including GPS devices and smart phones.
Dell introduced its first Axim Pocket PC in 2002, helping to bring lower prices to a market in which customers had grown used to spending several hundred dollars. Over time, Dell expanded its lineup, adding features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless technologies. The company debuted its most recent model, the X51, in the fall of 2005.
However, the market for personal organizers has stagnated as many users have opted for smart phones that combine such calendar and contact functions with telephony.
The demise of the Axim was earlier noted by handheld enthusiast Web site MobilitySite.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
