Epocdigest V1 # 297

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Epoc Digest Tue, 08 Jul 2003 Volume 01 : Number 297

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Sent to: 797 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 24 messages:

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- Re: Geofox (4 Timothy)

- Re: Email msgserve 23 error (4 Victor)

- Re: It is good to be back (4 Crawford)

- Re: netbook upgrade RAM (4 Christoph)

- Re: Korbinian's Contacts (4 Philip)

- Re: Keyboard mapping (4 Chris)

- Re: Travel modem software (4 Alistair M.)

- Re: Spell in Jotter (Salix)

- Re: PsiLoc+ (4 Philip)

- Re: Psi Loc + (4 Manuel)

- Re: New netbook (4 Michael)

- Traveling with a Netbook in UK

- Batteries from Germany

- Psion vs Wince

- Back up problems

- netBook batteries, Lemmings, wikipedia

- Re: Nokia 6310i et.al.

- Re Re: eMail crashes (4 David)

- Re: eMail crashes (Index file) (4 Owen)

- Re: Psion / S-E T610

- Connecting my 5mx to my new laptop

- Ad-hoc mode networking (peer-to-peer)

- In memoriam modem

- "budget" machine, USAadaptor, BatGauge7,

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:11:48 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Geofox (4 Timothy)

"I read recently that 10,000 Geofox machines were produced but less than a thousand ever sold.

What happened to those nine thousand machines? Were they ever sold off? Is it possible to still find a Geofox, new or secondhand? And has the machine stood the test of time?"

I'm not sure how many GeoFox's(sp?) were built or sold, but Elisabeth Liddell over at FoxPop (which you can probably tell by its name started as a GeoFox site!) had arranged to have a final number of machines built from parts and sold through to FoxPop readers. AFAIK, neither Elisabeth, nor FoxPop made any money from these transactions either. It was all done as an act of communal service, IMO.

The GeoFox was a nice machine, BTW. It would have been nice to have seen it be much more successful and to have then developed into an entire line of progressively improved EPOC clamshells. Certainly with Psion out of the picture GeoFox may have been able to sell a decent number of ER5 based machines today, if they had survived.

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

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Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:11:50 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Email msgserve 23 error (4 Victor)

"I have this happening too. I use the IMAP extension with PSio<s email. I get

this error as soon as I try to receive an email with ´too many´ addressees.

Somehow email runs out of memory while trying to retrieve such a message.

I´m not sure yet how many recipients are needed to cause this error. The

only solution I have is to get online with another email client (a PC) and

remove the one email from the server...."

Have you considered using XJMail to remove the problem mail from the server or to even *download* it to your Psion?

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

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Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:12:04 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: It is good to be back (4 Crawford)

"I deserted the Epoc world about 10 months ago. My Psion 7 was working OK but my 5mx screen cable had "bitten the dust"."

Welcome back!

"I thought Epoc PDA were history and I moved to a Sony Clie 675c. Although this is a great little PDA with good software and MP3 etc, it just does not match the practicality of Psions (with keyboards)"

I agree - wholeheartedly.

"I have dusted down my Psion 7 and found the crack on the 5mx screen cable (just need to get some of that conductive paint to see if a home repair is possible)"

If a home repair is not possible or just doesn't last - make sure that whomever you have repair it professionally for you uses the new (hopefully) improved screen-cable. I know the folks in Germany are using the new cable and so is Shiva of Palmtop Support Services, here in Toronto.

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:12:20 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: netbook upgrade RAM (4 Christoph)

"I am working on a english version of the Psion shop Pulster.de

Menawhile feel free to bother me with emails :)"

That's good news. If you can manage to add credit card ordering (WorldPay?) to your shop as well - it will be even better news for us overseas Psioneers. BTW, your customer service is already tops! :)

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:12:21 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Korbinian's Contacts (4 Philip)

"But I use iContacts which uses it's own file to *enhance* the ER5 Contacts file and has immense flexibility. There can be as many categories as you are likely to want, and there are many. perhaps too many, other options including photos! It completely replaces the built-in Contacts application. One advantage is that the Contacts.cdb file still has the same structure and so if you don't like the program you will only lose it's enhancements, not any added contacts."

and

"I found iContacts early in my search and bought it as soon ass I realised it would suit me both then and in the future. So far I've been right. I've not heard of any better Contacts program for ER5 by my standards. iContacts was shareware from Xetta (really nice people - no connection) but when I tried to find them on the 'Net they seemed to have vanished."

Another option is DreamConnect which also uses the regular contacts file to store the contacts. I purchased DreamConnect instead of iContacts - which I was going to buy just before DC popped up on my radar screen. DC has no photos option though. AFAIK, DC is still available from: www.dreamspring.com .

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

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Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:12:24 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Keyboard mapping (4 Chris)

">> Kay Mapper from www.zavorine.com is the best keyboard remapper in > my opinon.

>I see no reference to Key Mapper on that link, nor is there any e-mail contact.

Go to the EPOC link and select Font Utilities, and it is in there (Keyboard Mapper, I think. I found it with some digging."

I tried this - the link was surely dead. Anywhere else to get Key Mapper from? BTW, I'd be happy to see it as an attachment in my Inbox. :)

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:13:41 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Travel modem software (4 Alistair M.)

"Does anyone know of the software to use with my recently acquired Travel Modem?"

The only software I'm aware of is EasySwitch which configures the modem to work in a number of countries around the world. I'm pretty sure you can download it from Psion's site but if you can't locate it I can send it to you. Let me know.

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

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Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:13:43 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Spell in Jotter (Salix)

"at the moment I am doing a lot of studying and using the jotter format to write my notes, however I cannot find a way to use spell in Jotter. Any suggestions?"

I use the macro SpellOK which I run from a Jotter specific Merlin toolbar to check spelling in my Jotter notes. Macro5, etc. could be used to run the macro instead.

If you can't find SpellOK let me know and I can email it to you.

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:13:44 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: PsiLoc+ (4 Philip)

"David, I haven't had your problems with PsiLoc+ but my 5mx is almost certainly different. PsiLoc+ does indeed do a *lot* and all in one system utility. My other 5mx has a RAM upgrade (from D & G) which PsiLoc+ appears not to like but the alternatives don't use anything like 8MB RAM!

But a long time ago (30 odd years) I learnt that it was impossible to build even 2 machines the same and things ain't changed. So when I buy a 7/nB I'll probably need a different set of utilities."

PsiLoc+ has proven itself crash-prone on both my 5mx and my MnB. I'm not sure why it has not been a problem on your machine. Perhaps another shell program is conflicting with PsiLoc+ on my machines. I was sure to uninstall ETM before installing PL+ on my MnB, but PL+ still crashed. Perhaps AlarmPlus or something else is conflicting with it? Then again, perhaps PL+ is just a bit too buggy still. Anyway, I had already ruled it out as an option for me well before the first crash occurred. I'll probably check it out again if and when the bugs are worked out and some of the functionality that I missed from other apps is added. I'm not sure if PsiLoc+ is still under development though.

"Ah well, these things are sent to try us."

G-d willing, that's the worst trial we'll ever face! :)

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:13:46 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: Psi Loc + (4 Manuel)

">David & Peter,

>I also have PsiLoc+ on my 5mx which does a lot for me. I tried it on my >netbook and in my experience it was unstable so I decided to uninstall it >(maybe the netbook didn't like the software)"

The version of PsiLoc+ I tried on my 5mx was quite old, so I can't say if the current version would be much more stable on my 5mx as well. I'd be willing to try it out, but with the latest version's propensity to crash my MnB it wouldn't be a suitable app for me (never mind the 'missing' functionality that I would, cough, miss.) I prefer to use the same major upgrades or utilities on both my machines.

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 17:13:48 +0000

From: David Lir

Subject: Re: New netbook (4 Michael)

"From: Michael Degn

Subject: RE: New netbook

Answer to Philip Carlisle

> However, it suggests that the internal (C) disk will have to be formatted after switching on and letting machine boot itself. Is this action essential? <

Dear Philip,

Yes it is essential. The memory is organised in a FAT table. When a DIMM module is added the FAT table needs to be reorganised and you can only do that by formatting the C drive. The OS is stored in a protected area of RAM (thus acting like a ROM - only faster) so that will be lost too. But with the CF card it only takes a few minutes to load the OS again."

I know I'm really late on this - but it is decidedly not necessary to *manually* reformat (Shift-Ctrl-R) the C: drive after installing the DIMM upgrade. I'm guessing that C is reformatted when the OS and applications are reinstalled as part of the upgrade process.

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David Lir - \\:>{o>

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 19:50:50 +0000

From: Terry Gordon

Subject: Traveling with a Netbook in UK

Just got back from a meeting in Oxford. I just wanted to say I carried my new Malaybook with me everywhere and I couldn't have been more pleased with it - it was great. No more heavy Powerbooks for me - even if M$ invades the Netbook, I'd still be a happy camper. Way better experience than a heavy laptop and easier typing than my 5MX. Just paid for nConvert to make it easier to go from Macintosh to Psion with formatting intact - as you all know, it's a critical program for Psioneers. Now if I can just get the Ethernet card and the wireless cards to work.... TG

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 20:34:39 +0000

From: Timothy H.D. Williams

Subject: Batteries from Germany

On Saturday, July 5, 2003, at 09:16 PM, Epoc Digest wrote:

> The Firma http://www.srsgmbh.de/ in Germany is a very good address.

> I had already try it.

I second this. My only complaint is they don't answer emails written in

English.

I have just received back from them my Revo with 24mb and new battery.

I paid €120 plus postage.

Seems to be working fine.

Isn't the Revo fabulous? What a shame backing up is a nightmare (and

with a Mac, your worst nightmare)!

---

If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER br from diarrhoea... does that mean that

one enjoys it? [Thanks, I was a sufferer today and did NOT like it <BG>, Itamar]

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 20:39:15 +0000

From: Timothy H.D. Williams

Subject: Psion vs Wince

On Saturday, July 5, 2003, at 09:16 PM, Epoc Digest wrote:

> For me personally a keyboard is absolutel essential and in due course > when I will have to make the choice, a new nB running WindowsCE might > be preferable above a small notebook. It would mean a lot of

> adjustments, different programs, etc., but we have to move on with the > time.

The great difference I notice between the platforms is that with Psion, you can do the essentials with freeware.

Interfacing Wince with the Mac is a non-starter.

My Jornada regularly freezes - and I use it for just one programme, Halliwell.

Grim.

---

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow

that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys

deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

*++++++++++&

Date: 7 Jul 2003 22:50:14 +0000

From: Anthony Napier

Subject: Back up problems

My not very expert reply:-

Can you copy or ir beam important files to another disc or machine to save them? If all else fails a hard reset may be necessary. You could restore from an older backup and replace the newest files. You did not say how you were attempting the backup, was it to a PC via psiwin and what psion machine was it?

Tony Napier

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 01:07:44 +0000

From: Trygve Henriksen

Subject: netBook batteries, Lemmings, wikipedia

Greetings!

Alan Morris wrote:

> I've had a Psion 7 for some time and recently bought a nB with a spare

> battery pack.

> I've thought about charging them from a motorhome's 12 volt system or

> solar panels. You don't say, but it's safe to assume that you require

> mains voltage charging.

> External has advantages as it's only 10.8v rather than 15v or a range

> of 13.5v to 16.5v.

> I've decided on making an adapter to plug in to the S7/nB (using the

> cable cut from the nB PSU) as it does not require making a special

> socket to fit the battery pack.

NO!

The S7/netBook Li-ion battery is 12.6V when fully charged.

In addition to that the recharge-circuitry has some 'overhead' so it will NOT work unless it gets at least 13V, possibly more. (That's a big reason why the input voltage is 15V on the netBook)

The Lead-acid batteries in your motorhome is about 12.7V when charged, so will not be able to deliver a high enough voltage by themselves.

Yes, you may be able to get 14.4V when the engine is running, but then you also get a lot of noise and voltage spikes. (Not a good idea in other words)

I won't even mention what may happen if the machine is connected when you start the engine...

Get a decent 12 - 15V converter. They're not that expensive...

---

David Lir wrote:

> Subject: EPOC Lemmings (4 Trygve)

> "Now going back to playing Lemmings on my CD-i player..."

> Boy, does that bring up old memories! Just to bring this back on topic:

> Lemmings for EPOC anyone? In colour, of course!

I'd buy it....

I've played it on the PC, the CD-i, a friend's Amiga, my Z88...

(The Z88 version is based on the Atari ST port, incidentally)

David Lir also wrote:

> Has anyone else heard this bit from wikipedia.com?

> EPOC is the general name of a family of operating systems for personal

> digital assistants (PDAs), produced first by Psion and now developed

> by a spin-off, Symbian. The name EPOC, claimed to stand for Electronic

> Piece Of Cheese,

I wonder what other errors there are in that encyclopaedia...

EPOC is rumoured to stand for 'Excellent Piece Of Cheese'...

and is supposed to be internal slang at Psion, meaning something GOOD!

Psion and Symbian's official line is that it's a short form of 'epoch', but we all know that's nonsense.

I have a strong suspicion that EPOC really have another meaning, but that it has been lost in the dark ages... (about the time after the MC was introduced and before the S3 )

According to my SIBO OPL developer kit (bl**dy expensive) from 1995, the OS on the MC/HC/S3 type computers were also called EPOC.

Later, as the S5 came it was referred to as EPOC16, then finally just SIBO for those machines.

In the manuals it's the hardware architecture that's known as SIBO

(They needed the distinction since the MC600 and the HC-DOS that ran DOS were also based on the same hardware)

:-)

Trygve

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 02:39:00 +0000

From: Tim Schweikert

Subject: Re: Nokia 6310i et.al.

Hi All,

Thanks for the responses on the high recommendations for the Nokia 6310i.

Based on input from this forum, I now own a Nokia 6310i with T-Mobile service. So far it works well. Now that I have a GSM phone, I'm ready for Europe too, even if I just came back (again). When I first lived a few years in Germany (late '70s), cell phones were only for the rich, if at all. Now every time I cross the pond, I find cell phones replacing land lines, and for good reason. The US still doesn't have the competitive environment in the US to allow cell phones to completely replace any landline connections. One could replace the normal voice-grade landline, but the higher speed access, at least to the 30K-40K level, is still not widely available yet. GPRS holds the promise, but service is very spotty.

Hi Kits, Yes I remember you and many others from the old Compuserve days, and even farther back beyond the EduCalc days. We certainly enjoyed the minimalist thinking that was required. I still have my HP41CX, HP42, HP48sx, gx, HP49, etc. Once in a while I turn them on too, but I'm way to busy to indulge in the serious amounts of time that I spent on them before.

Thanks to All!

Tim

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 08:23:12 +0000

From: Jack

Subject: Re Re: eMail crashes (4 David)

To : David Lir Subject: Re: eMail crashes (Index file) (4 Owen)

David wrote >:

>>>>>>.... successful is to simply delete any files in the 00001001_S folder and any attachments (from whatever folders they're in) *with a file date older than the oldest message currently in Email* along with the associated folders (for the attachments) themselves - if nothing else is in them.

........... Email itself sometimes leaves messages (and associated attachments) behind after they are deleted - by mistake and that they are not in the index (before being rebuilt) because they were, after all, supposed to have been deleted!....<<<<

That's why I suggested (after archiving msgs and backup) to delete the entire /Mail/ folder, leaving to Epoc the rebuillding of /Mail/ folder all together with its Index file.

This is a way to get the slimmest folder and thus to regain a quick and crashproof mailings experience.

You will have to re-enter your mailboxes parameters but you are actually free from the strange resurgence of old "archived msgs" still present in /Mail/Subfolders/.

David (is that you?) asked :

>>>>..."PS. Thanks Chris for the tip about MailArch. Could you please supply an URL?"<<<<

The recently indicated Url was :

http://www.kudata.freeserve.co.uk/

and David :

>>>... thoroughly tested MailArc and found SaveMail to be the better of the two - I can't remember why though....<<<

MailArch completly tidies your mailboxes, in 2 swift goes all your received and/or send messages are moved to relatively light text file(s).

It is then possible to import the(se) txt archive(s) in a MailArc pre-formatted database(s) much heavier than their text equivalent.

I still use and prefer the much slower Savemail when it comes to save (in text or data form) some consecutive specific messages, among others that I don't want to keep in the relatively heavy savemail databases.

Jack

Impossibilium nulla obligatio est. Celsus (Digesten L. 17, 185)

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 09:13:41 +0000

From: Rolf Vonau

Subject: Re: eMail crashes (Index file) (4 Owen)

Reference is made to the mail in the EPOC DIGEST V1 # 296 :

David Lir wrote at 07.07 2003 (> ):

> thoroughly tested MailArc and found SaveMail to be

> the better of the two - I can't remember why

> though.

I tested MailArc, too, and I found the same. MailArc stores _all_ sent or received mails in 1 word or datafile without possibility to select, which mails should be stored in which files.

Best Regards

Rolf

Munich

http://home.arcor.de/rhvonau/index.htm

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 11:27:47 +0000

From: koihin

Subject: Re: Psion / S-E T610

Reply to Jan R Gustafsson

Dear Jan,

I own a Sony Ericsson T610 as well and I am able to do the following from my MnetBook to T610 :

Calendar entries: sucessfully beamed over, no mising title or text, date all correct and present

To-Dos/Tasks: sucessfully beamed over, Due date. Status, priority all correct

In regards to the screen, you were correct in pointing out it is next-to impossible on a bright-day, (I live almost exactly on top the equator so we get a lot of strong sunshine), but I found it no worse than my netBook screen, and it has rarely bothered me, being adverse to the Sun (here in the tropics we get way too much sunlight and people [sensible ones] avoid it as much as possible) and rarely stay in direct Sunlight for long.

My phone's firmware version is: R1A081 PRGCXC125-581_ASIAN_LATIN_3

I am not trying to promote SE T610 here, I personally wouldn't recommend it; there are comparable phones out there with better features and better GUIs. I bought it mainly because of aesthetic reasons and the fact that most of my fellow countrymen are hung-up on Nokias.

Thanks and regards,

Koi Hin

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 11:38:28 +0000

From: Herold Pettiau

Subject: Connecting my 5mx to my new laptop

Hello everybody,

This is my first intervention in this forum, so I take the occasion to thank the contributors for very interesting comments and discussions. My question is very basic as is my use of my psion. I have recently bought a new laptop (Toshiba Satellite 2430-402) which has not the usual port used to synchronise my 5mx. Is there a possibility to buy somewhere a cable linking the psion to a USB port, enabling me to synchronise my word files with the computer ? Any other ways of doing it? The laptop has also a SD slot, as well as a firewire port, and the usual cards slots. Thank you in advance for any advice - and apologies if the question has been discussed in an earlier issue.

Very best regards,

Herold Pettiau

E-mail: herold.pettiau

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 12:02:49 +0000

From: koihin

Subject: Ad-hoc mode networking (peer-to-peer)

Hello,

Has anyone got ad-hoc or peer-to-peer networking working on their Wi-Fi enabled netBooks? I would like to hear about your successes and experience.

Thank you and regards,

Koi Hin

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 12:29:36 +0000

From: Keith Clarke

Subject: In memoriam modem

My Psion infrared travel modem has died, despite some emergency superglue surgery on a loose port. What are the current options for replacing it? It’s not needed that often, just when visiting countries where the mobile won’t function, so I don’t want to spend more than I have to.

Thanks,

Keith Clarke

*++++++++++&

Date: 8 Jul 2003 17:00:00 +0000

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: "budget" machine, USAadaptor, BatGauge7,

Answer to: Arent Kits van Heijningen

Re.: "budget" machine - But is it realistic ? I don't think any Company will introduce EPOCmachines anymore, whether budget or not.

Message to All:

Re. USAadaptor - Thanks for all the answers. Someone from the digest sent me an adaptor which I can use for both my S7 and my mobile phone, so I am "in business".

Answer to: David Lir

Re. BatGauge7 - I know the 2 weeks are gone, but just don't have the time at the moment. It will have to wait until after my holiday the coming 2 weeks.