ROUND ROCK, TX: Dell's desire to enter the PDA market with a roar at Comdex was somewhat muted by an overeager and anxious media.

The company acknowledged months ago that it would jump into the handheld market, pitting the top computer company against PDA stalwarts Palm, Sony, and Handspring.

But Dell kept a tight lid on the details, determined to wait until Comdex, the huge hi-tech trade show in Las Vegas in late November, to unveil the Axim.

But apparently the lid wasn't ...