Dell resumes handheld shipments

Users of Dell Inc.'s Axim handhelds with Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows Mobile 2003 operating system will be able to download on Wednesday new firmware to correct performance problems, and shipments of the handhelds have resumed after they were halted two weeks ago, a Dell spokeswoman said Monday.

Dell did not release a new version of the Axim with the launch of Windows Mobile 2003 on June 23, but began selling the PDA (personal digital assistant) with the new operating system that day. Several users reported performance problems, such as poor load times for documents and the operating system, which were traced to firmware developed by Dell to run with the new operating system.

A 28M-byte file to fix the problem will be available at http://support.dell.com by Wednesday, said Anne Camden, a Dell spokeswoman. Customers who are unable to download a file of that size can get the update via a CD-ROM that will ship in two to three weeks, she said.

Users of Axim handhelds with the older Pocket PC 2002 operating system will also be able to upgrade their PDAs in about two weeks, Camden said. Dell had briefly sold an upgrade CD through its Web site, but pulled the offer before any CDs were shipped after an internal accounting error was discovered, she said.

That upgrade CD was later discovered to contain the same flawed firmware code, and needed to be replaced by the Round Rock, Texas, company, Camden said.