Dell discontinues Axim handheld

Dell has stopped selling its Axim line of handhelds and is not planning a new product in the category, the computer maker said on Monday.

"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 email. 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 pounds. Over time, Dell expanded its line-up, adding features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The company debuted its most recent model, the X51, in the autumn of 2005.

The market for personal organisers, however, 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.