Using Your Axim

General・ Included Programs (File Explorer ・ Data Backup ・ Calendar ・ Memo) ・ Settings (Personal ・ System ・ Connections) ・ Japanese OS ・ English OS ・ Mac ・ Connecting to a Bluetooth Device ・Connecting to the Net by Wi-Fi ・ Connecting from anywhere!

       The Super Dictionary is available with either an English or a Japanese OS. I prefer and recommend the Japanese OS: it's quite easy to learn your way around (you really don't need to know more than katakana to use it--the nine to ten Japanese words that come up you'll learn soon enough), and, because it's to factory spec, it runs beautifully. I've been running it for a year, so I know it's stable and reliable. However, some people might find the English system easier to use. While it's reliable and works well (the main Japanese entry systems are actually taken from the Japanese version of the OS), it's not factory spec and thus it has a few eccentricities--nothing too annoying or that gets in the way of using it, but imperfections none the less. I've been running it and testing it in every circumstance and I'm confident it's reliable.

       The guide below is for both versions of the OS. For the most part, the illustrations show the Japanese interface, but simply roll over an illustration with your mouse and the English version will appear. Other than the language, the two versions of the OS are identical. The next section is a brief note on using the native Japanese OS; the modified English OS requires a bit more explanation, so I've written a special introduction to it.

       I think most people will be able to use the Axim at least for dictionary stuff without reading any of the instructions. Ten seconds of poking around and you'll see how to start up EBPocket; a minute of poking around EBPocket and you'll see how to use it. However, there are probably a few features and tricks you'll miss, so it's a good idea to read this guide. For anyone who wants to stop reading after this paragraph, though, I'd like to give one vital piece of advice. Keep your Axim charged. It doesn't take much effort to get it going again if the battery dies completely and the instructions are below and in the special intro to the modified English OS, but the easiest thing is to get in the habit of storing your Axim in the cradle or on the charge cable (so you don't have to take it out of the case to fit in the cradle) overnight (it's not enough to just swap in a fresh battery--you need to charge the Axim once in a while to keep the internal back-up battery charged). If you're going to be storing your Axim for a while, store it on the charger--it won't overcharge.

A Note on Using the Japanese OS

       Using Windows Mobile in Japanese is pretty simple. First of all, WM is the operating system, and day-to-day you really don't need to interact with the OS. What you deal with are the programs, and EBPocket, the key one used in my dictionary system, has an entirely English interface. Presumably, programs you add will also be in a language you're comfortable with. WM does have some useful built-in programs, which we'll discuss below, but even those are easy to use--and if you really want to avoid learning any Japanese, you can replace those with English versions, too.

Within a few days, you'll recognize what these mean by position and context, even if you haven't bothered to memorize the words (I still haven't). For more esoteric or once-in-a-lifetime stuff, with your PDA you'll have (or can download) the English version of the instruction book. The English and Japanese OSs are identical and the instruction book is full of screenshots, so all you have to do is look up what you want to do in the book, then tap where it says to on your PDAs screen.

Windows Mobile in General

      When you start up your PDA, you'll see the Today screen, which gives you some basic information (next appointments, owner name, etc.), which you can specify in the settings. The starting place for anything you want to do is, appropriately enough, the Start Menu, always accessible at the top of the screen. At the top of the screen, next to the Windows logo, is the name of the program you're currently using (if you're back at the Today screen, not in a program, it will say スタート or Start）. Tap the program name or スタート and the Start Menu drops down. The top few spots are important programs and functions--they're always right there. You can change what's shown here in the settings. The next section is programs and functions you've used recently--the list changes depending, obviously, on what you've been doing. The final section, at the bottom, is for プログラム (Programs), 設定 (Settings), and ヘルプ　(Help; I took Help off the menu on mine, which is why it's missing from the Japanese screenshot). If the program you want to use isn't shown on the Start Menu, tap Programs to see all the installed programs. Note that the the actual PDA display is sharper than the images below, which have been shrunk to fit on the page (see below for details).

Today Screen		Start Menu

Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn Bluetooth on or off;
tap the Wireless LAN icon to establish a Wi-Fi connection or turn it off.

      One important thing to remember is that your programs and settings are stored in volatile RAM memory. If the battery dies, everything in main memory vanishes. As scary as this sounds, it's not a big deal in practice. First, before the battery runs out, it gives you a warning, and if you don't shut down after that, the PDA will shut itself down before the battery is completely dead. There'll be enough juice left in the battery to preserve the memory (with the PDA off) for a few days. So the PDA itself makes it nearly impossible to completely drain the battery (I haven't done it in more than a year of use). If you have a spare battery with you when the main one runs low, you can turn the power off and insert the spare (there's a tiny built-in battery that will preserve the memory for a few minutes while you change the main battery). Second, even if the battery completely dies and the main memory is wiped out, you don't really lose everything. When you've got the PDA set up the way you like, use the Data Backup utility included with your PDA to save a backup of the current state of the PDA--programs, settings, etc.--to the internal storage (which is NOT volatile) or the memory card. And every time you use ActiveSync or one of the Mac sync programs, it automatically backs up all your appointments, contact list entries, memos, etc to your computer. So if you do crash, first use Data Backup to restore your set-up, then when you ActiveSync, all the calendar entries, etc., made after you saved the backup will be restored. So it's not a disaster if the battery dies (it takes all of five minutes to completely restore your system), but you should get in the habit of charging it every night. (When I'm just using the dictionaries and playing the occasional game of solitaire, the battery lasts 2-3 days, but I still charge every night just to be safe--it only takes a second to plug it in.) You can charge it in the charging cradle or by using the adapter that comes with your Axim to connect it directly to the power supply (which normally plugs into the cradle)--the latter is useful if you don't want to remove your Axim from its case. Newer Axims come with a version of that adapter that also plugs into your computer's USB port, also allowing it to sync without taking it out of the case. You can also buy a separate USB sync/charge cable to charge your Axim from the USB port (and, obviously, to sync), and car chargers are also available (the charger for my GPS unit is able to charge the GPS and Axim at the same time).

      Your PDA will come with a CD for installing ActiveSync to your Windows computer (if you buy from me, you'll get the English software, even if your PDA OS is Japanese--there's no problem using the English software with the Japanese PDA). Mac users, you can do everything Windows users can do; see here. The CD also includes a version of Microsoft Outlook (calendar, phonebook, and email software) you can install on your computer. ActiveSync connects your PDA to your computer. It makes sure calendar and phonebook entries are the same, and you can also set it up to sync your email (useful if you check the same account both at home with your computer and on the go with your PDA)--all of these require Outlook to be installed on your computer. It backs up the information on your PDA to your computer. It installs software to your PDA. And, finally, if you click "Explore" in ActiveSync, it opens up your PDA like a folder on your desktop, allowing you to Explore and drag and drop files (if you bought a card from me; if you bought a card elsewhere, be sure to properly format the card using something like Flash Format on your PDA--NOT your regular computer--or things that you transfer to the card might disappear in your PDA). If you want to add software to your PDA, most software includes its own installer. Simply connect your PDA to your computer and double click the software's installer icon and it'll install the software automatically. Some very simple programs consist of just the program file. In that case, copy the program file into the Program Files folder in your main memory. One of those tiny utilities included with Axims from Japanese Language Tools is called Powerstatus; only 4 KB, it's responsible for the orange and green bars you'll see at the very top of my screenshots--green is battery power and orange is memory in use. A word of warning, though. Some WM software, especially free software and shareware, can be buggy. Always back up your data before installing new programs (WM includes the self-explanatory データバックアップ /Data Backup program to do this), and be alert that any problems that come up afterwards are probably caused by the new software.

Tap the down triangle in the upper left to go up one or more folder levels	Press and hold the stylus on an item to bring up the Edit Action Menu	Press and hold in open space to bring up this Action Menu. Select すべてのファイルを表示 (Show All Files) or some files will be hidden.

If you're a technically more ambitious user, you may want to invest in Resco File Explorer, a more full-featured and convenient file manager, to replace the built-in ファイルエクスプローラ.

      The Calendar (予定表) is just what it sounds like, a calendar and appointment book. Note that if the localization setting is set to English, things like the date format and days of the week will change to English, even in the Japanese OS.

If you leave the defaults (top box selected, 15 minutes [JLT Axims come with this deselected]), you'll get an annoying alarm 15 minutes before each appointment--if an event is set for a day, instead of a particular time of that day, that means you'll get the alarm at 11:45 pm the night before.

      Notes (メモ). Of course, you can write or copy and paste to a memo at any time. In addition to the usual IME methods, if you tap the chalk icon you can then just write on the screen to make a handwritten memo.

Obviously, if you tap the cassette tape logo, you can take an audio memo.

      There is also a program called TRE. This is a registry editor and I've included it because it can be useful in one particular but unlikely instance, described in the troubleshooting section. Do NOT play with this program because you CAN make a mess of your system if you don't know what you're doing.

      Congratulations. You know know everything you need to know about Windows Mobile to use your PDA. Everything that follows is for those once-in-a-lifetime moments when you need to adjust the settings--you don't need to remember anything that follows. Just refer to this or to your instruction manual from Dell when you need to make any adjustments.

Settings

      Many users will never even open the Settings. Everyone else may open them once or twice when the need arises--and when that happens, they can consult their instruction manuals. I'm including a guide below, but, again, this isn't stuff you need to be able to do in order to use the PDA, and if you do decide to adjust some settings, it'll be something you do once. Unfortuantely, I can't rewrite the entire instruction book--I'll just give some pointers and the basic screens, to help you poke around a bit. Roll over a screen to see the English version (sometimes the position of a settings item will be different, but the icons will be the same, so it's easy to see what's what).

個人用 Personal Settings:

      Again, consult your instruction manual to explore this in depth, but the most useful parts may be Today, where you can change the Today screen (the screen that greets you when you turn on your PDA); owner information (if you put your address here and lose the PDA in Japan, there really is a good chance you'll get it back); and Menu, where you can customize the Start Menu and the items that'll appear in the New menu in some programs. The most important is the Sounds menu, so you can turn off the annoying beep every time you touch the screen. Deselect the top item to stop the PDA from beeping every time you even think about touching it (if you bought from me, this is already deselected).

Settings\Personal

Settings\Personal\Today\Appearance

Settings\Personal\Today\Items

Settings\Personal\Menu\Start Customize the Start Menu

Settings\Personal\Menu\New Customize the New Menu (Eng, Jap)

Settings\Personal\Owner Information\ID Set your information

Settings\Personal\Buttons\Program Customize Functions of PDA's Buttons

Settings\Personal\Buttons\Up/Down

See the IME page (no English version)

Settings\Personal\Sounds\Sounds Deselect top item to stop the PDA beeping every time you touch it

Settings\Personal\Input\Options

システム System

Important items are:

プログラムを削除 - Uninstall programs: use this to uninstall programs in order to get rid of all the little pieces installed all over your PDA. Simply erase a few programs or folders from the Program Files folder and you'll end up with a frustrating mess.

時計とアラーム - Clock and Alarm.

Power (battery icon): shows battery status, set auto power off after a certain interval, suspend mode, and processor speed. The last feature is the most interesting, but most PDAs don't have it--it's one of the strengths of the Axim line. The faster your processor runs, the more juice it burns and the sooner your battery dies. So you can set the speed. Powersave and Automatic (自動) both automatically control the processor so it runs fast enough to do whatever you need it to do, but not faster. They both work well--the processor instantly goes to full speed when you need it, and battery life is dramatically longer (most of the reviews of the X50V say the battery life isn't great, but they set the processor to high to be fair in comparing it to PDAs that don't allow variable speeds--the result is that the battery life they measure is much shorter than in real life; it's like running your car with the engine at the redline every minute of the day and then complaining that your gas mileage is terrible). PowerSave is probably the best setting. (I don't have Japanese screenshots of all of these yet.)

Brightness (Okay, I never bothered to learn the Japanese for this--it's the lightbulb icon): Set brightness, whether or not the backlight dims after a period of inactivity and how long the period should be (don't have J screenshots for these).

      The Switcher (切り替え) is a way to manage running programs. An oddity of Windows Mobile is that when you click the "X" in the corner of a window, WM minimizes the program to the background, but doesn't shut it down. The theory is that, by keeping several programs running, those programs can be restarted much more quickly. Instead of the user shutting down programs, the operating system, when memory is running out, decides which program you haven't used in a while and shuts that one down. Surprisingly, it usually seems to work pretty well. The Switcher allows you to switch between running programs almost instantly, as well as shut down any programs you're not using if you need to free up some memory. You can also access the backlight and power options from the Switcher. To activate it, tap the Switcher icon 　in Settings\System to turn it on, then tap its icon at the top of the screen 　to use it.

接続 - Connections

      Set up wireless and network connections. Most software does this automatically, so you may never need to use these settings, but just in case, here they are. Again, any screenshots in your PDA, accessory, or software instruction manual will exactly match your Japanese screen, so it's easy to figure out how to set up anything you need here.

Connecting Wirelessly

   To connect to a Bluetooth device, turn Bluetooth on by tapping the Bluetooth icon on the Today screen or through the Bluetooth control panel in the Settings/System/Connections screen shown above. Many software programs handle the connection themselves once Bluetooth is on; otherwise, use the Bluetooth Manager to establish the connection. If it's your first time to connect to the device, tap "New" to find the device and set up a shortcut to it. See the Dell Users' Manual for more detail.

   To connect to a Wi-Fi network, just tap the Wi-Fi icon, then tap the button to turn Wi-Fi on. After a few seconds, a menu will pop up listing all available networks; tap the one you want to connect to (if nothing pops up then there's no network available). If it's a secure network, you'll then be asked to enter your password. You're now online! Note that you should start Wi-Fi and connect to the network BEFORE trying to use your browser to go on the Net or your email software to connect to your email (if, e.g., you open Internet Exporer and try to access a page on the web before establishing a connection, IE will start looking for a modem connection rather than a Wi-Fi connection). Pocket versions of Internet Explorer and Outlook are built into the Axim, but you're free to install and use other internet browser and email programs if you prefer.

   If you want to connect to the net from anywhere, not just places with Wi-Fi networks, the best bet is to get a wireless data card that fits in the CF slot. Ask your mobile communications service provider about a card and data plan--you'll need to turn to them for any help or support you need with this (you'll likely have better luck at a freestanding store for your company than at the mobile phone counter in a larger store). In Japan, all the mobile phone companies offer such cards; check out the FOMA N2502 from Docomo, the W05K from KDDI au, and the Connect Card from Softbank (current models as of March 2008). The situation in other countries is probably the same.

Troubleshooting

      If your Axim should suddenly start behaving oddly, it's most likely due to some software you've recently installed. Assuming you've followed my advice above (in discussing the Data Backup program), all you need to do is Restore from the backup you made before installing the new program. If not, restore from the most recent backup you've made (anything else installed since then will be lost). If a problem persists, then do a hard reset before again restoring from the backup (to hard reset, push the reset button on the back while holding the power button). In an extreme situation, you can do a hard reset and then restore from the backup called "Original.dbk" in your internal storage to restore your Axim to the condition it was in when you got it from me.

      If you install Voice Command software, you may find that some of the settings items are missing from Settings/System (including Microphone, which you need to access in setting up Voice Command). For whatever perverse reason, installing Voice Command, at least on the modified English OS, moves those items to a subfolder in the Windows folder. Not a big problem, as long as you know that those settings items are still there and you know where to look.

      For whatever reason, setting the localization to Japanese changes the name of the CF card to "CF カード." A reset will also sometimes cause this to happen. When it does, some programs that expect to find data on "CF Card" won't be able to find what they're looking for. To change the name back, take the card out, start the program TRE and use it to import the file "CF_Card.reg" from the Backups folder on the SD Card that came with your Axim (if you bought it from me). Close TRE. Reinsert the card. Now it should show up as "CF Card" again, and any program that needs to stuff on it should be able to.

Note that I've sized the images above to appear about the same physical size as the Axim X50V's screen (depending on your monitor, of course); however the actual Axim screen squeezes a full 480x640 pixels into that space, so it's much sharper and easier to read (more pixels in the same size=higher resolution). Of course you can change the text size to be larger or smaller, too, which will also affect legibility.

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