-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epoc Digest Sat, 07 Sep 2002 Volume 01 : Number 069
Sent to: 583 subscribers
************************************************************************
Website : http://www.psioneering.co.uk/digest.html
************************************************************************
***** Tips for Posting to the Digest *****
1 - Never send the previous Digest with your reply !!!
2 - Remember to write a meaningful Subject Line [and do
not repeat the subject text of the digest].
3 - Avoid sending HTML ("rich email") or MIME encoded,
it's not ASCII text. The HTML attachment will blow up
your email and increase the download time 3 times or
more.
4. Send your messages to the above email address with the
following in the subject field:
- a meaningfull subject description for your messages
- (UN)SUBSCRIBE to join or leave the digest
- ADMIN for all other matters for the digest team
************************************************************************
In today's Epoc Digest 33 messages:
==============================
- Re: EPOC DIGEST V1 # 065 : Data Sending over GPRS
- Re: Nautical (Tide) Software...
- Re: 5mx broken pen catch...
- RE-RELEASED NETBOOK 158 ROM
- Canadian Repair Center
- Sony the One and Only
- Re: Future Parts Availability
- Re: Revo v 5mx? (4 Mike)
- Jornada, Palm etc. (4 Steve)
- nConvert and ??? (4 Itamar)
- "Your Epoc" data format
- Re: Colour 5mx (4 Kevin)
- Re: nConvert & ExtraBars; (4 Kevin)
- Re: faith in Psion (4 Rolf)
- Battery Driven Handhelds (4 Chris)
- Re: Travel Modem and faxing (4 Thomas)
- Psion repairs in Toronto (4 Jim)
- Re: PDF File Size (4 Philip)
- Re: Mako battery
- HTML Viewing
- Re Outliner/ List Maker
- Re: Dream
- Palm and 'weeks'
- Re: slide rules / Cbeam / Osaris servicing
- Any more cheap Makos in the USA?
- Mail server/Glueing feet o
- Fanzine
- netBook OS Download
- Netbook OS 158 Network: It Works! But.....
- Stray email files; Any more cheap Makos;
- Re: Revo Tide program
- Superglue (OT)
- Re: OPL & OPX
*++++++++++&
Date: 6 Sep 2002 20:31:34 +0100
From: "Arent Kits van Heijningen[106016.3614]"
Subject: Re: EPOC DIGEST V1 # 065 : Data Sending over GPRS
on 2 Sep 2002 21:32:41 +0100
Kevin Collins <kpcollins x at x eircom.net> wrote :Data Sending over GPRS
>>You're quite right on this IMHO. As far as my limited experience (only just over a week on GPRS) goes, and comparing mails vs. counters, there *is* quite a bit of "overhead": in fact, one can go online, open one's mailbox, find nothing and send nothing, and the counters can show a couple of Kbs sent and received!<<
Well , to give you an idea , I checked my mailbox using my OsariS and here
are the results :
ati6
3Com USRobotics Courier V.Everything Link Diagnostics...
Chars sent 28517 Chars Received 126541
Chars lost 0
Octets sent 13256 Octets Received 67802
Blocks sent 2944 Blocks Received 1075
Blocks resent 2
Retrains Requested 0 Retrains Granted 0
Line Reversals 0 Blers 0
Link Timeouts 0 Link Naks 0
Data Compression V42BIS 1024/32
Equalisation Long
Fallback Enabled
Protocol LAPM SREJ 128/5
Speed 19200/19200
Last Call 00:11:18
Disconnect Reason is DTR dropped
The mailbox contained 39 messages and no messages were downloaded , as you
see there's a sizeable amount of data being exchanged betweenthe two
systems , just to show what's waiting in the remote mailbox This is an
actual log I pulled up from my USR Courier modem using Datacomms
immediately after closing MessageSuite
This gives a clear insight in the overhead involved when sending and
receiving data over the Internet
k
*++++++++++&
Date: 6 Sep 2002 23:42:47 +0100
From: "Mike Fellhauer"
Subject: Re: Nautical (Tide) Software...
>From: "DL"
>
>Can someone recomend a good (freeware?) program for tides? Thanks. Dave >Limbrick
Take a look at http://p.pellot.free.fr/loggb.htm which has Psion nautical programs including tides.
Mike
*++++++++++&
Date: 6 Sep 2002 23:52:45 +0100
From: "Mike Fellhauer"
Subject: Re: 5mx broken pen catch...
>From: Sinisa Hristov >Subject: Broken pen lock
>
>Please look at the picture at http://www.geocities.com/va3ttn This is a >broken pen lock part, taken out of my S5MX. What kind of plastic is the >part made of? What is the best glue for it? Is it possible to obtain a >spare part? Sinisa Hristov Kitchener, ON Canada
Since you're just in Kitchener, I suggest you contact Shiva Naipaul at Palmtop Support Services (he repairs Psions in Toronto). He's not available until the 23rd of this month, but send him an email describing your problem.
His full contact info is:
http://www.410palm.com/
E-Mail: info
Palmtop Support Services
1235 Bay Street
10th Floor
Toronto, Ontario Canada
M5R 3K4
Phone: 416-410-Palm(7256)
Mike Fellhauer
Secretary of the Psion Enthusiasts Association of Toronto
http://www.phaedrav.com/peat/
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 00:09:56 +0100
From: Peter Keene
Subject: RE-RELEASED NETBOOK 158 ROM
Hi Guys,
For Tony Cabot re re-released netBook 158 ROM:
Log in on the Teklogix site as per normal. Click on netBook PDK. Click on Downloads on the top toolbar. You'll find various versions of Build 158 as well as the support documentation for the new features including the ethernet drivers and support for ISDN and GPRS.
This time (Halleluja!) they've included change information in the Read Me file. I include the relevant paragraphs below for your info:
Quote:
5. New Features
Ethernet.
Support is now included for LAN, rLAN, IrLan and 802.11
(Lucent and Cisco) PC cards.
Ethernet settings are available in the System Control Panel.
Enabled Ethernet settings can be used to access the internet
in a similar manner to other internet connections.
Opera Version 5.
Opera (www.opera.com) replaces the previous Symbian web
browsing application and Opera 3.16.
nFTP
(Either supplied with the OS or as a separate SIS file.
See Installation of Optional Components above.)
nFTP (www.neuon.com) is a fully featured FTP client.
NetStatRF
(Either supplied with the OS or as a separate SIS file.
See Installation of Optional Components above.)
NetStatRF is used to measure the signal strength of a wireless
LAN card.
6. Improvements from Previous Releases
* InfraRed sending of contacts is now fully supported.
* File copying issues are now resolved.
* Agenda Preferences issues are now resolved.
* Contacts labels issues are now resolved.
7. Known Issues
If you have problems using Ethernet or any internet application, and
you have restored a previous backup since updating the OS, please checkthe procedure under "Restoration from Backup" above.
It is possible that your netBook may occasionally appear to be unresponsive
when using certain Modem PC Cards. Should this happen please eject
and replace your Modem PC Card, and repeat the connection process.
nFTP may very occasionally abort (with an eSock error) while initially
connecting to an FTP server. This will not lose any data in the NetBook,
and nFTP may be safely restarted.
Unquote.
Regards,
Peter
Cape Town
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 00:17:37 +0100
From: Jim Watson-Gove
Subject: Canadian Repair Center
Mike,
<<They do exist, and I even talked to them today (although the person is going to be out of the country until the week of the 23rd). Someone I know just had his Mako fixed there. Sorry about your disbelief.>>
No disbelief. Tried the URL. It failed. Found it in Google and tried forwarding out of Google. It failed. Tried it a day or so later. Contacted the site with no problem. Their server must gave been down when I tried the first time. My resource folder runneth over.
I checked out Circuit City with my wife yesterday and the only thing that pleases in the new units is the Nokia. My wife fell in love with the Nokia (beautiful screen, usable Psion-like keyboard), but we will stick with our current Psion arsenal.
jim - oakland
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:29:40 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Sony the One and Only
Rolf wrote:
"Don't forget that Sony has been designing small form factor devices for years and has a vast body of knowledge and construction techniques readily available."
No kidding! I just picked up Sony's tiny SW Radio - the SW07 at a bargain clearance price ($200cdn down from $700) and it's my fave radio so far and it's so very small - it's a clamshell unit with the best ergonomics and most convenient design of any radio I've ever seen! Not to mention Sony's folding travel speakers which I use with my Discman, and their wonderful line of microcassette recorders. I generally prefer Panasonic for build quality and reliability but for small and tiny, superbly designed electronics - Sony might just be "the one and only".
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:29:47 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Future Parts Availability
Jim wrote:
"When Psion stops supporting the PDAs (December 31st, 2004) I wonder if these outside repair centers like Pinnock etc will be able to obtain parts to continue servicing Psions."
Good question Jim. I've often found myself wondering the exact same thing. I've got to stop obsessing on our hobby and get back to my poems!
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:29:50 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Revo v 5mx? (4 Mike)
Mike wrote:
>I checked today and saw the S5 batteries were low, so replaced them. I was >pleased to see that I had gotten 20h 12m of battery use. Run *that* up your >Revo/Mako. :-)
>
"If it was the case of wanting a machine for longer battery life I'd still be using my Siena...I got on average 35hours of battery use with that with
AAAs; sure beats your "20h 12m" with AAs."
Not really seeing that AAAs cost at least double what AAs cost!
"The thing is though, it was time for a more powerful Psion and the 5/5mx was too heavy, big and bulky for me."
Hey, fair enough :)
I typically get over 20 hours from cheap alkalines (50¢ CDN each pair). so it's not just the old 5c which gives a good runtime. I can't disagree with you on the rest though - if the 5mx is too big for you then you're right not to use one -simple as that.
For me the difference of a reliable battery system (my Mako was not reliable) and a CF slot for expansion (over 100 megs used so far) and backup and a handy (surprisingly useful) voice recorder and a substantially better keyboard and a decent backlight make the 5mx easily worth the difference in size and weight. With the Revo I'd still have to boot my laptop just to backup my 5mx. It was the CF (along with the Travel modem) which finally freed me from my laptop. I only boot my laptop about once a week now.
Anyway, if the Revo had a different battery and a card slot and a light - I would have considered it over the larger 5mx, but a handheld without onboard backup causes far too much reliance on a PC for my psychological comfort. In Keith's case I would bet that the ability to swap to a fresh set of AA cells at any time and to backup his data anywhere are also more important to him than a relatively slight size diminution - particularly because he's on the move so much.
Without a card I wouldn't have room for both Opera and Web (both good - but for different things) and the full WordNet lexicon, Webster's Dictionary, etc., etc. and etc.
At the end of the day I think that a Revo user has to give up a whole lot just to get the smaller size.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:29:59 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Jornada, Palm etc. (4 Steve)
Steve wrote:
"My suspicion is that the Jornada line will not be around much longer. The whole Windows CE scene seems to be moving away from clamshell designs which is a real shame.""
Hmmmm...HP/Compaq will be keeping the clamshell line of Jornada HPCs alongside the Ipaq line of Pocket PCs - at least for now. The last I heard there should be at least one more generation of clamshells from HP/Ipaq. Only time will tell if that's true though.
"The OS for such machines has been superseded by PocketPC 2002 and does not contain the sort of functionality that we are used to."
Microsoft is taking a leapfrog approach, concentrating development in an alternating fashion on the two flavours of WinCE. Anyway, that was supposed to be the plan - the question is: will the relative popularity of Pocket PC kill off MS's interest in continuing the development of the HPC? - has it already? Even if so (and that's far from certain - MS certainly has the wherewithal to develop both!) I think that HP/Compaq will continue their HPC line, with the current OS if need be - for at least one more generation. As far as functionality goes - I'm really not sure what you're referring to. There are some very good and useful apps available for the HPC (TextMaker, HPC Notes, ListPro etc.) which would seem to fill most of the gaps left by MS and the underlying OS is at least as advanced as EPOC - *not as efficient or as as stable* maybe - but capable of supporting technologies not directly supported in ER5. Also some of the HPC 3rd party applications are more capable than any EPOC counterparts. TextMaker is much more capable than Word, and HPCNotes is much more functional than EPOC's simple Jotter. There are many other examples, though this cuts both ways.
"I think these days, I would be tempted to go for a Palm format machine with an add-on Stowaway keyboard for those keyboard occasions"
Certainly an HPC is a more capable machine than a Palm! Also, I just left this combo behind - I'd most definitely take a Jornada 72X over a Palm or Pocket PC and folding keyboard, though I'd take a 5mx over any of these - as a matter of fact that's just what I did quite recently :) That's not to denigrate the Palm or Pocket PC, btw; I really enjoyed my Palm - but my needs have changed of late - and I find I really need a handheld with a wide screen and a substantial keyboard that still fits in my pocket. The 5mx and the 72X are the only two (with a reliable battery and decent runtime) to offer me this. I chose the Psion over the Jornada because of the smaller size/lower weight, the outdoors-readable screen, the thumb-typable keyboard (great when lying on the couch), the excellent agenda, AA cells, and because a number of the third party apps were much better fits to my needs than anything available for WinCE. FWIW, the only things I'd change on a 5mx would be an upgrade to a higher contrast screen and more RAM (I hope to get the D&G upgrade).
Anyway, got to hit the hay - I have to see the Geneticist first thing tomorrow morning.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:06 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: nConvert and ??? (4 Itamar)
Itamar wrote:
"Answer to: David Lir
Re. Launching nConvert - I just tried with Macro5 and no problem. Maybe you can assign a shortcut to it ?"
Thanks, I changed the shortcut in EB to point to a 'Document' (nConvert.app) instead of to an 'Application' and this has effectively solved the problem.
"Re. Colour 5MX - The difference would be that while the REVO after 5 to 6 hours needs an electricity outlet, the 5MX just needs a fresh set of AA's. Just keep 2 or 3 sets loaded at all times and within reach."
Was this one for me? Perhaps I've lost track, but what was this in response to?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:08 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: "Your Epoc" data format
Mike wrote:
"There's also Ewan Spence's "Your Epoc" data format"
Out of curiosity, what sort of format is this? Does it require a special reader app?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:12 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Colour 5mx (4 Kevin)
Kevin Thorne wrote:
"undoubtedly battery life would be measured in terms of a Windoze laptop!"
Not every Windows laptop gives a poor battery runtime. I'm not saying there's a laptop out there with the 20+ hours of a 5mx, but (for example) my laptop (pretty old now) gives an honest 5 hours runtime - with the TFT display at FULL brightness and the CD and HD kept busy almost the entire time (I've actually tested this).
"I'm sure that had Psion further developed the 5mx they would have had to move away from disposable AA cells and would have done so."
Probably. Here's a question though: should Psion have come out with a 5mx+ with 32mb RAM, a Revo quality screen and maybe a few minor software improvements (such as Word RTF import/export, delete an attachment in Email, etc.)? Would *this* have been a profitable move for them? Would it still be?
"I think they show there WAS a market for a colour 5mx and we SHOULD have had one."
Of course there was and *is* such a market. The question though is how big is that market and more importantly is it as big as the market(s) Psion is now pursuing.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:17 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: nConvert & ExtraBars; (4 Kevin)
Kevin Collins wrote:
To David Lir (> ):
"I'm a registered user of both, just tried, and found no problem in launching nConvert via Extrabars... maybe remove and reinstall the shortcut? Did you leave it "visible"? Other than that can't help, sorry, except to confirm that the combination *does* work..."
Thanks for that Kevin. That reminded me of something I had forgotten: In EB some shortcuts must be setup as shortcuts to a 'Document' as opposed to an 'Application'. This is the first time in a while I had to do that. Thanks for prompting my memory! It's working properly now :)
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:20 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: faith in Psion (4 Rolf)
Rolf wrote:
"It's withdrawing gracefully by closing production in stages. People who still wanted to buy a Revo, 5mx or 7 have been given the opportunity to do so.
The company's also honouring the obligations it has towards the users of its consumer products. Support and repair services are guaranteed to remain available till the end of 2004."
Yup, and, honestly, I'm sooooo glad that Psion did give *me* that opportunity! I'm very happy that I was able to see the writing on the wall and pick up 2 5mx's at a liquidation price from Exportech (*great* service, BTW). Psion, has even gone so far as to produce a last batch of 5mx's - which no doubt made quite a few (who thought that they had missed the last boat to 5mxVille) very happy. This combined with their continued repair service means that despite all complaints to the contrary Psion *is* honouring their obligations towards the consumer. This is all the more notable considering Psion's recent difficulties.
"Though it's understandable that many a long term Psion user feels (s)he's going through a kind of divorce, the company is doing the best it can to make it an 'amicable divorce'. The way Psion is handling its withdrawal is truly professional and honourable compared to the way other companies have behaved in similar circumstances. Think of Philips' withdrawal from the PDA market."
Philips is indeed a perfect example of how best to alienate the affections of a whole lot of technology consumers - fast. I think only Newton fans may feel (justifiably) more bitter than former Velo users. I guess that Newton fans weren't angry that Apple decided to kill a line which had caused them (Apple) huge losses, but that after having spunout Newton Inc., Apple soon after reeled it back in and then killed it - just when it looked like Newton Inc. would be able to turn a profit on its own. Newton owners, in particular, probably went through a greater or much worse withdrawal than even Psion users might - at least we Psion users do have a comparable unit to move onto in the Jornada HPC line, which is still alive, but there really was no direct replacement for the technology or blend of technologies that was Newton.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:25 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Battery Driven Handhelds (4 Chris)
Chris wrote:
"Rationally thought- only a battery driven device is fine."
While I, like you, prefer a handheld that uses disposable cells, I must disagree with you and say that, IMHO, there are benefits to a rechargeable system as well - provided the runtime is decent and the technology used is reliable. I know of many PDA users who greatly prefer a good rechargeable battery (whether built-in, or swappable) over disposables.
"Why are there no more such PDAs in the market?"
Because of strong consumer demand for colour screens and for handhelds of the smallest possible size and the lowest possible weight.
"Thank you for being ya!"
No, thank *you* for being *ya*!
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:28 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Travel Modem and faxing (4 Thomas)
Thomas wrote:
"Not only does the TM _send_ faxes, if you switch it on and you set your Psion to 'wait for a fax' it actually _receives_ faxes as well... and very readable as well! Very nice! Somehow I did not expect that."
Yup, I *think* it's mentioned in the modem's manual. I haven't tried receiving a fax yet though. Here's a question for you: if the incoming fax is not received within a few minutes does the modem fall asleep? or does the 5mx communicate to the modem to keep it on while in 'wait for fax' mode? That info may be in the manual too, but I'm too tired to dig around for it :)
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:43 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Psion repairs in Toronto (4 Jim)
"Couldn't find hide or hair of that Canadian outfit that supposedly repairs Psions."
There's no supposedly about it! Here's the info you were looking for:
Shiva Naipaul (proprietor)
Palmtop Support Services
www.410palm.com
Mailing Address:
Palmtop Support Services
1235 Bay Street, 10th Floor
Toronto, Ontario,
M5R 3K4
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:49 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: PDF File Size (4 Philip)
Philip wrote:
"In reply to David:
No - there should be no problem at all. I was was simply pointing out that recipients of the magazine would need an Acrobat Reader installed for the benefit of anyone that is unfamiliar with the pdf format."
Sorry I misunderstood you :)
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:52 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Mako battery
Jaan wrote:
"I use my machine a lot during a day and can have alot saved on my Mako"
Surely this is relative though! When I had my Mako I too was pleased by how much data it could hold, but once I moved to the 5mx with a 128mb CF I was amazed by how much my Mako could *not* hold! Having a large CF available as storage adds greatly to what I can do with my little Psion.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:30:55 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: HTML Viewing
Joseph wrote:
"For what it is worth, may I comment that in my experience EPOC machines are not quite suited for viewing html or pdf files."
Really? Both Web and Opera can handle most html files just fine. Mobipocket (freeware) even allows an html file to be read much like an ebook, with screen-wrap, font zooming and font choice and easy space-bar page turning.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:31:02 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re Outliner/ List Maker
"To David Lir
Have you tried two rather new programs called MyNotes and TasMan ?
(I don't mean to sabotage any attempts for a myList app but maybe it's already invented???)"
Thank you, Astrid, but these 2 apps (I've tried both) are so greatly inferior to the high quality outliners available on the Palm that it's not even funny - in fact it's enough to make a grown man cry. myList however looks very much in the same league as the Palm's great outliners. If it ever comes out for ER5, not only will I buy it - I'll probably fall unconscious from joy :)
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:31:05 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Dream
Trygve wrote:
"You obviously haven't met Owen...
I'm pretty certain that he would be happy as long as the boat's afloat, whether it be on the ocean, a small lake, a channel, or pond...
He doesn't sound like he's looking for solitude, either, when he tells Psioneers nearly to pop by..."
I don't have to have met Owen to know that a man who has chosen to live on a boat for some years, and to sail the seas regularly is a man who is looking for and hopefully enjoying some sense of freedom, natural wonder and solitude. And, it's hardly surprising that a man enjoying such a lifestyle might enjoy a bit of camaraderie from time-to-time. Anyway, when I mentioned his 'dream' I was referring to his lifestyle - not his boat.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 06:31:08 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Palm and 'weeks'
Trygve wrote:
"The Psion S3 series gave 60 - 80 Hours on 2 x AA cells,
The MC400(laptop size) gave 60 - 80 Hours on 8 x AA or up to 20hours on a 7.2V/1000mA rechargeable paclk.
On the Org II, a 9V PP3 battery lasts for months...
If you can get hold of an old Palm that uses AAA cells, you'll find that they can last for weeks."
It's always best to compare apples to apples. A Palm 3x can run around 20 hours on 2 AAA's - it cannot run for weeks! Of course if you meant by weeks that it can go weeks between battery replacements - you're right - but the same can be said about most any handheld if you only use it a few minutes a day. When Palm claims a weeks long battery runtime for their handhelds they are being a bit disingenuous - read their statements more closely and you'll see that they mean that if a Palm is used for only x *minutes* a day its charge or its disposable cells will then not need to be recharged or replaced for x weeks. Seeing that the 5mx runs for at least as many *hours* as a Palm 3 series on a single pair of cells and that AA cells are half the cost (or less) of AAA cells why should a 5mx owner (let alone a 3mx owner!) be impressed by a Palm which gives the same or less runtime at more than double the cost?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 08:22:59 +0100
From: "Thomas F. van der Zijden"
Subject: Re: slide rules / Cbeam / Osaris servicing
Hi group, hi Cyril,
On 7 Sep 02, at 0:13, Cyril Catt wrote:
> Colin Barnes, at Ely, edits ‘SkidStick’, the
> newsletter of the UK Slide Rule Circle, which will be hosting the 8th
> International Slide Rule Collectors Meeting at Leamington Spa, 25 & 26
> October, 2002. There are similar groups in Holland and Germany.
>
Holland? Guess where I am a member? ;-)
www.rekenlinialen.org is its site and it will host the 9th meeting
IM2003 in Amsterdam in September 2003.
A fellow student noted the fact that 'apparently Thomas likes to be
member of clubs which talk about defunct equipment' ;-)
The strange thing is that I 'meet' Cyril both on the EPOC Digest
and on the SR forum (long, long time ago...) so it seems to be a
logical combination...<G>
Anyway, back to topic. Does anybody know if CBeam (or perhaps
even PiBeam) works on devices with versions lower than ER5? I
think not, because it needs ER5 for the 'truncated' IRObex protocol
and it adds the rest, but I would like to have a confirmation on
CBeam. I am specifically thinking about an Osaris with ER4. This
might also have the IRObex standard on-board?
I received a message from someone who received his brand new
Osaris broken. I advised him to send it back, but as a matter of
interest: does anybody know where you can let repair an Osaris? I
don't think Psion would be an option? POS, perhaps?
Yours truly,
Thomas van der Zijden
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 09:26:45 +0100
From: "Nicole Carbonara"
Subject: Any more cheap Makos in the USA?
Reply to: "John Morris" Subject: Any more cheap Makos in the USA?
I just bought a brand new one from sparco.com for $144. They also have refurbished ones for $90.
Nicole
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 10:18:57 +0100
From: MartinYirrell
Subject: Mail server/Glueing feet o
Mail server?
-----------------
John Wetton asked
>Does anyone have any suggestions to allow a small office network to store and access email folders<
If you need a proxy server as well you might like to look at ProxyPlus (www.proxyplus.net). It is free for up to three users and quite easy to setup. I've used it at home and work for some time.
Gluing feet on
-------------------
Jaan
I've always found the normal UHU/Bostick type of contact adhesive works well. Tho' thinking back we used to use paper glue to stick the keys on teleprinters!
Martin Yirrell
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 11:41:42 +0100
From: Philip S. Adkins Potter
Subject: Fanzine
Hi,
I don't know that I (personally) would ordinarily subscribe to an EPOC fanzine but I do know that any electronic fanzine should be fairly portable.
There are readers of this Digest who have no Psion (perhaps it's gone phut or been stolen or something equally distressing) and can't replace it for some reason. These people won't be able to read a fanzine if it is only available in EPOC format. After all the emulator only runs under certain OSs. Others may no be able to connect their Psion to the 'Net.
Text seems favorite but PDF offers far more and is fairly portable. There are free PDF readers for most platforms so most people can read it and it's formatting features are good. Large graphic images should be avoided whenever possible to keep the file size down but not altogether.
"A picture paints a thousand words" is a truism.
Perhaps the website that hosts this digest could (separately) also host such a fanzine - it wouldn't need much and the benefit of having both together would be enormous. EPOC has many years left yet and a fanzine would be a great thing for many people, including most of the subscribers to this digest.
Good luck,
Phil.
"Minimise your therbligs until it becomes automatic;
this doubles your effective lifetime -
and thereby gives time to enjoy
butterflies and kittens and rainbows.".
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 12:01:19 +0100
From: "Steve Hodgson"
Subject: netBook OS Download
> Now the question is; where is the new operating system. I went
> to the Teklogic website where I used to find earlier > operating
systems under "operating systems" but that page has disappeared and I
couldn't find any reference to operating > systems. Anybody have any
ideas?
> Tony Cabot
You need to head off to the Psion Teklogix partner login first (http://
partners.psionteklogix.com/pm/AuthFiles/login.asp)
After that it can get a bit complicated...
Assuming you can login successfully, select 'partners' from the top
toolbar, netBook development kit from the sidebar, downloads from the
top bar. This should take you to the OS download.
Regards,
Steve Hodgson
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 13:21:01 +0100
From: Dan Siegel
Subject: Netbook OS 158 Network: It Works! But.....
Dear All -
Upgraded to Netbook OS 158, plugged in my 56k +Fax /10 Mb Ethernet, plugged in my cable and I was cnnected. Wonderful.
Then tried (an unsupported)SMC 2632W Wireles Card based on intersil prism 2 chipset. I got rebooted out of Opera and it would not reopen from it's Icon, though opening an HTML file opened the browser. Soft reset did not fix and had to reinstall the system. If anyone has a prism driver, let me know.
Dan Siegel
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 15:42:05 +0100
From: Mike McConnell
Subject: Stray email files; Any more cheap Makos;
To: Jason Garbutt
<<I was doing some spring cleaning on my S5c and noticed loads of files in
the System/Messages/local and remote folders. Most of them are 0k. I have
completely cleaned out all my Inbox and Sent message folders etc. so I was
surprised to find them there. Can I safely delete them?>>
Only if you REALLY know what you are doing. If you delete a wrong but empty
folder, you may be unable to open the Email application at all and will
have to delete the 'Messages' folder and let the application create a new
file structure, with the loss of all existing messages.
=======================================================
To: John Morris
<<I recall someone mentioning that they were being sold for $69 at one
time, but I cannot remember where from.>>
The Mako was being sold off cheaply in the US as a discontinued product
line, to the delight (not!) of Psion in the UK, and I would think that
source has almost certainly now dried up. The $69 you are thinking of may
actually have been the £69 that BT Shops in the UK were selling the basic
Revo bundled with Route Planner Millennium for. I bought one of these
because of the 'silly' price, having previously decided to avoid the Revo
because of its "built-in battery problem" feature.
--
Regards,
Mike [Dundee, Scotland]
__________________________________________
Mobile Phone & SMS: +44 (0)7947 655778
Mobile Fax: +44 (0)7941 679797
Web: http://www.mikemcc.net
__________________________________________
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 16:33:56 +0100
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: Revo Tide program
Howdy!
Dave Limbrick wrote (> ):
> I have just been given a Revo for Fathers Day
You lucky SOD! :o)
> Can someone recomend a good (freeware?) program
> for tides?
It's not freeware, but Ocean by Pierre Pellot is very good. In fact, it's one of the best I've seen on any platform, and certainly the best one for EPOC.
The only niggle I have is that when you register, you're sent a file with data for some 1600 ports. You then have the unenviable task of sorting out which are relevant to you and export to a new data file to use with the program. Not a problem if you're only interested in one or two ports locally, but if you cruise over a large area, this can be rather a daunting task.
A friend of mine registered Ocean a while ago and asked Pierre for a file with only UK ports. However, Pierre must have simply used a word search to create this file, so it included numerous ports in New England etc. Otherwise, I have nothing but praise for the program.
(PS. I have just spent many hours separating the European ports from the rest of the data, so if any REGISTERED Ocean users are interested, send me an e-mail, and you can have a file which has only European ports in it. I found the easiest way to accomplish this was to search for the ports that were in time zone 0 and 1, export them as text and import in a new file and then manually delete all those that were in Africa. I assume a similar approach can be used for New Zealand.
Owen
Thought for the day:
After all is said and done, usually more is said than done.
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-58°26.4'N 3°05'W
Wick, Scotland
(Waiting for a fair wind for Inverness)
http://home.no.net/naomij
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 16:34:07 +0100
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Superglue (OT)
Howdy!
Keith Giles got off his bike and wrote (> ):
> The only things I've ever found super glue to effectively
> glue together were my thumb and index finger.
Well, there's superglue and superglue. The glue normally referred to as superglue is cyanocrylate glue. Unfortunately, the tiny tubes that cost a fortune at hardware stores and gas stations are usually out of date by the time you get them and the glue is crap anyway.
It's also important to remember that cyano glue is not gap filling, so your bits have to fit closely, or it won't work. (Like for instance fingers pressed together. :o) Cyano glue has limited shelf life, typically 6 months for a low quality product, maybe 12 - 18 months for a good quality adhesive.
If you want superglue that REALLY works, go to your local modelling store (the guys who sell kits for radio control model aeroplanes etc.) and ask for a bottle of Zap, Flash or similar.
For general purpose use, I find a slightly viscous glue with some gap filling properties works best. It's also a bit safer to handle than the very watery stuff. Both Zap and Flash supply their medium formula in bottles with green labels. You typically get a 1 Oz (28.4 g) bottle for the same price as the tiny tube of crap glue from the gas station.
Seven or eight years ago when trying to berth my boat in a gale, I rammed a pier with the bowsprit. I smashed one sidelight and broke off a large part of the upper flange of the aluminium roller furling drum. As luck would have it, the part that broke off the flange landed on the bowsprit rather than falling in the drink. I glued it back on with green Zap and it's still there and so are the drops of glue I spilled on the outside of the flange! It's been out in all weathers year round ever since and has been driven through countless waves in heavy weather and kicked by crew and visitors boarding over the bowsprit. It's a long time since I stopped worrying about it. I also managed to smash the tricolor and anchor lantern at the masthead when stepping the mast a couple of years ago. That was also glued with Zap and in holding up well. I never sail without a bottle of green Zap!
There is also a product known as "kicker" or accelerator available in spray bottles. Assemble your bits with cyano glue, give it a squirt of kicker, and POP it's set! Amazing!
To keep this slightly on topic, superglue should be used sparingly. A drop literally goes a long way, particularly when gluing small things like rubber feet on Psions. It's important not to get glue on the outside of the rubber as the surface of rubber will get saturated and become glass hard and slippery, rather that rubbery. That would rather defeat the object.
BTW, there is one thing not even Zap will glue. It's the plastic the bottle is made of! I guess it's either polyethylene or polypropylene, and I don't know of anything that'll glue those fatty plastics. They can only be welded.
(Apologies for such a long OT post, but this stuff is just so darn useful.)
Health warning:
Be careful with this stuff. You could easily glue fingers together or permanently damage your eyesight! Keep out of reach of children and animals.
Flash also have a product called Flashback debonder which will dissolve cured cyanocrylate adhesive in case you end up gluing something you shouldn't have.
Owen
Thought for the day:
Duct tape is like the Force. There's a light side and a dark side and it holds the universe together.
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-58°26.4'N 3°05'W
Wick, Scotland
http://home.no.net/naomij
*++++++++++&
Date: 7 Sep 2002 20:15:23 +0100
From: "Marcus von Cube"
Subject: Re: OPL & OPX
Phil,
>I'm trying to write a program in OPL ... but I can't seem to find the instructions for the various database OPXs. ...
Database handling is built into OPL without any need for an OPX (a module written in C++ to
access functionality not avalable in OPL). If yuo can't find the right chapters in the manual, I can send you my copy as a zipped file. It's to be view with Web or Opera or even on a PC. I once
found a OPL reference in Data format as well.
>I think I will also need to know about graphics OPXs later.
Graphics can be handled in OPL directly as well (see the manual).
Marcus
http://www.mvcsys.de
*++++++++++&
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Unsubscribe/Subscribe from the Epoc Digest:
Send a message with in the subject line the word SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE and no text in the message. Only messages (un)subscribing the email message in the "From" line will be accepted (you cannot unsubscribe someone else).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You've Been Reading the Epoc Digest
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2
To reply or to send your own messages,
subscribe by sending an email to
with SUBSCRIBE in the subject.