Epocdigest V1 # 320

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Epoc Digest Sun, 17 Aug 2003 Volume 01 : Number 320

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Sent to: 804 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 13 messages:

==============================

- RE: ER5 Forever

- Re: Serial Connector

- Re: The use of Ethernet on the Netbook

- What I want

- Psion replacement

- Sony UX-50 vs. Sharp C760

- Opera 5.14 - cancel/open/save option

- Cycling through documents

- Re: Psion replacement?

- 3

- Word

- Re: Remapping silks

- Various Rolf B posts

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

Date: 15 Aug 2003 15:26:41 +0000

From: Gregory N. Latiak

Subject: RE: ER5 Forever

Just wanted to throw my two cents in on my 5mx vs the current crop of PIMs. My 5mx is number three in a series of Psions, starting with the 3, then the 3c. I have seen nothing out there that is a satisfactory replacement. In my life as a management consultant I am in and out of many places -- it is great to have a machine in my pocket that I can do real work on where ever I am.

Calender synchronization dogged me for a while -- untill a google search turned up that synchsvr, a tool underlying PSIWin, had a problem with dates past 2100. Well, some of the automagic reminders in my calendar went to 3000 -- nice that Outlook could handle them, too bad synchsvr exception handling is soooo stupid and uninformative.

One nice feature is being able to pull whole manuals off the web to the Psion. There are about a dozen fairly bulky technical references there now for a current project. Just pull up the PDF viewer and read away.

My 3c is still used for travel -- it is a bit smaller and less fragile. The keyboard is always a challenge.

So, I would certainly hope that someone, somewhere, can build an unpdated ER5 machine when this one gets tired. From my perspective, it is still way ahead for sheer practicality and usability.

Gregory Latiak

Technology Strategists, Inc.

http://www.tekstrat.com/

Tel: (416)540-7384

Images http://members.rogers.com/greglatiak/

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

Date: 15 Aug 2003 15:31:07 +0000

From: Keith Giles

Subject: Re: Serial Connector

Philip Carlisle and Alan Morris wrote about a Belkin USB-Serial cable not working. I discovered, too, that not all USB-Serial cables work for a Psion. I first tried a Belkin and returned it because it didn't work. Then I ordered a cable from Clove because they said they had never had anyone complain about the ones they sold. It works fine. I can't find a Company name on it - it just says USB Converter, model U232 P9. I'm running WindowsXP. So it might be a good idea to check with Clove.

Happy Cycling,

Keith

Sunnyvale, CA

http://ohsix827.home.comcast.net

Thought For The Day: An optimist is the guy who can always see the bright side of other people's problems.

All my outgoing e-mails have been checked by Norton Anti-virus.

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

Date: 15 Aug 2003 16:41:44 +0000

From: koihin

Subject: Re: The use of Ethernet on the Netbook

Dear Rolf,

RB>You're invited to install 802.11 wireless ethernet (I hate the nonsense term WiFi) in my home and improve my connection speed. I'm 100% sure you won't succeed because you live in the city where you have access to a cable connection you can link wirelessly to your netBook. I live in a rural area in which there's no cable TV nor ADSL. The only way I can get a high speed connection is by using a horrendously expensive satellite link.

Sorry to hear you cant get high speed Internet connections where you stay, who knows, your area might get connected eventually, perhaps even within your lifetime. If it does happen, and you find yourself hooked up, drop me a mail, I will be most happy to get an excuse to come to the Netherlands to install WiFi for you and do some sightseeing at the same time. (you are living in the netherlands right?)

I am surprise to hear you use the word "hate", what did the term WiFi ever do to you? Does it for some reason raise your blood temperature and make you see red? :) Currently the nonsence term WiFi is used by the WiFi Alliance composed of close to 200 companies worldwide to describeand/or certify a whole series of products and events based on IEEE 802.11 specification. The term is also trademarked. But not to worry, I am sure most people following this thread know that when you use the term 802.11 wireless ethernet you mean WiFi.

Kind regards,

Koi Hin

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

Date: 15 Aug 2003 20:43:07 +0000

From: Hoffman, Susan

Subject: What I want

I agree generally that I love my 5mx because I use it for the portable and usable keyboard with Word, Sheet, Contacts, and the Agenda that coordinates reasonably well with Outlook (better than my Blackberry does). I would love to somehow merge the Blackberry's e-mail capability with the 5mx-- that's my ideal machine.

Susan Katz Hoffman

Pepper Hamilton LLP--------------

3000 Two Logan Square

18th & Arch Streets

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Tel: 215-981-4990

Fax: 215-827-5909

e-mail: hoffmans

web address: www.pepperlaw.com

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

Date: 15 Aug 2003 21:22:49 +0000

From: Kevin Thorne

Subject: Psion replacement

Reply to Peter Rand:

Subject: Psion replacement?

I too cannot find one single PDA that can give me the functionality of ER5. The closest I've got to replacing that functionality so far is ER6 on the Communicator. I see you've tried the "Commy" as well - I'm very interested to hear in what areas you found it lacking compared with a Psion. I'd take a wild guess that it's primarily to do with the keyboard and lack of RAM!

Regards

Kevin Thorne

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

Date: 15 Aug 2003 21:53:55 +0000

From: Larry De Coste

Subject: Sony UX-50 vs. Sharp C760

Koi Hin,

Referring to what you wrote in Digest V1 #319 (2) on Fri, 15 Aug 2003 22:19:09 +0000:

| ... as a possible replacement for my Revo, the Sony PEG UX-50 and the | Sharp C760, i wont be making any purchase till next year January

| earliest and am trying find out what othes think of them.

My UX-50 should be here by Sept. 20 and I'll be sharing my impressions of it with the Digest. I'm a 5mx user (2 Psion 3's before that).

| my preference is for the Sharp C760 because of the of the higher

| resolution screen, open and flexible OS and a more tried and tested

| processor.

Those are all the things I was interested in. But I believe the time between charges is not so hot and the keyboard isn't as good as the Sony's. The Dynamism Fed-ex to Japan warranty didn't appeal much to me either.

| down side would be the lack of integrated bluetooth and camera.

The camera is only a 0.3 Megapixel and I wasn't even sure what bluetooth was til I paid more attention to some of the folks on this list.

To me the thing is the 802.11b. I just purchased $US 1500 HP Pavillon Pen 4 laptop for my sister-in-law which had it built-in. Seems like a great idea... I may even buy my first Starbucks coffee!

Take care, Larry

Larry De Coste

Riverside RI EE.UU.

Linux User #305687 (Libranet GNU/Linux 2.8)

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 01:12:12 +0000

From: Eric Edwin

Subject: Opera 5.14 - cancel/open/save option

Dear All,

Can anyone help with an opera problem. If I click on a weblink to an unrecognised file type (i.e. rpm file), I get the option to cancel, open or save the file. If I click on a weblink to a recognised file type (i.e PDF file; I have PDF application installed on my Mnetbook), I get the option to cancel or open the file. The problem is I would like to save the file.

Does anybody know of a config setting/workaround to enable me to save recognised files?

Thanks in advance

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 01:28:00 +0000

From: Cyril Catt

Subject: Cycling through documents

Question to Ian Chapple:

Ian, do you and your wife exchange files between your netbook and her iBook?

If so, which files and how?

Cyril Catt

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 04:46:00 +0000

From: Peter Rand

Subject: Re: Psion replacement?

Hi Koi Hin,

Which ER5 device are you referring to in your post? --

Revo & S7

Which PalmOS version are you referring to?

All versions.

When you say feeble, in what

respect do you mean?

It crashes, data gets lost, no embedding in documents (can't add signatures to docs), can't produce standard format docs. A PalmOS machine is only really useful in conjunction with a desktop, unlike a ER5 machine.

In the 2 machines scenario can the C700 replace your Psion?

To a certain degree, but the software is still too rudimentary to handle everything I do with the Revo. The hardware is better than Revo, but the softwhere hasn't caught up yet. But Linux is making good progress, so the Zaurus C7xx series offers hope for the future!

I am looking at 2 machines

right now as a possible replacement for my Revo, the Sony PEG UX-50 and the Sharp C760,

If you only use dates, alarms and jotter on Revo, PalmOS is a good choice. If you do big-time wordprocessing & spreadsheets, the Sharp is a better choice. I'd wait for the multi-tasking PalmOS 6 to come out later this year before making a decision. The best thing would be to thoroughly test both machines before making a purchase decision. You might find you have a

strong preference for one or the other.

The PalmOS is fun & very useful (it's what I'm using at this moment), but it's not quite an "office in the pocket" like a Revo or Zaurus C760.

Best regards,

Peter Rand

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 05:04:07 +0000

From: Mark Deppe

Subject: 3

Hi,

Is anyone here using the new mobile phone network (3)? If so how is it going and does your psion work with the limited selection of handsets they offer? Also I am not clear if they are using GPRS for data, as I got the impression they were using something much faster, anyone able to shed some light on the basics for me it would be appreciated and whether they will work with psions particularly. There are some particularly good new tariffs with them like 500 mins plus extras any network any time for £25 which is amazing deal, though I have not looked into things like thier coverage and whether the SIM cards (if they use them) will work in non 3 phones. Just thought I would ask here first before going in the shop and having someone who knows nothing but is very enthusiastic to sell me a new contract, promise me the world

also any other limitations you know of with the new 3 network, like do the phones work abroad on a standard GSM network etc. I admit to complete ignorance and welcome direction to a good impartial website to read up on this, though I am a bit stretched for time at present and am lacking fast Internet access being between homes so hoped I could save some time by calling here first.

kind regards

Mark

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 06:14:59 +0000

From: ian chapple

Subject: Word

For Rolf,

>> As you say, George, Word hasn't changed much since Series 3 days except for object embedding. <<

One thing that was taken out of Word was the ability to save a Word file as RTF, which was a huge mistake in my opinion.

>> You're invited to install 802.11 wireless ethernet (I hate the nonsense term WiFi) in my home and improve my connection speed. <<

In one Digest you said that, out of respect for manufacturers, you preferred to use full names, but on the other hand, you refer to WiFi as a nonsense term, despite the fact that all manufacturers of IEEE 802.11b wireless ethernet, whose equipment has been tested and found to conform to the standard, use the WiFi logo on their packaging.

Cheers, Ian.

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 07:10:47 +0000

From: U Hornstein

Subject: Re: Remapping silks

Hello Wolfgang Golder,

thank you for the macro draft. I want to use the function desired from Astrid as well. Therefore I tried your macro. I found 2 slight errors.

1) In the lines Thread&= nextThread%:("Data") [appears twice] the word "Data" is language machine dependent. If I use "Daten" on my German MC218 instead, the macro behaves in the expected way.

Maybe you can use the language independent UID 268435590 instead.

2) When calling the macro from another app, say Word or Email, it does not switch to the Data file used last, but to another. One must cycle through all open Data files to come the the one used last.

I hacked your code as below (first Proc only). It works now. Eventually, you can tell us a more elegant way doing it.

PROC CycleData:

rem by Wolfgang Golder 15.08.2003

LOCAL UIDnow&

UIDnow&=TaskUID&:

Thread&= nextThread%:("Daten")

IF Thread&<> 0

IF UIDnow&=268435590 (="Daten")

SetBackgroundByThread&:(Thread&,0)

ELSE

SetForegroundByThread&:(Thread&,0)

ENDIF

ELSE

FgApp%:("Z:\System\Apps\Data\Data.app")

RETURN

ENDIF

Thread&= nextThread%:("Daten")

IF Thread&<> 0

SetForegroundByThread&:(Thread&,0)

ENDIF

ENDP rem CycleData: -----------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Astrid for bringing the topic up, and thanks to all responding on it.

With greetings from Ruegen Island

(any other psioneers here for holiday?)

Ulrich Hornstein

For spam protection: Please NEVER type my mail address into a www page.

Sent by MC218 (EPOC palmtop)

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

Date: 16 Aug 2003 10:10:49 +0000

From: Chris S Handley

Subject: Various Rolf B posts

Hello Rolf,

> From: Rolf Brunsting

> Subject: Re: Netbook Pro

<snip>

>> Sad though it is to envisage the demise of EPOC, we should

>> really consider whether the new NetbookPro will satisfy the

>> needs of users

> I'm sorry to say that this is the biggest question mark I

> have in my mind. I trust the main aim is to keep the general

> platform alive. By which I mean a device that's first and

> foremost a handheld computer in miniature laptop format,

> running one of EPOC's Symbian OS successors.

<snip>

> Having a good look at what's happening outside our own Psion

> sphere, at what other people are buying will give us a much

> better idea of what's needed to keep the platform alive. I'm

> afraid the conclusion will be that a Symbian OS based netBook

> Pro isn't the solution at all.

I assume this is why you did not sign the Netbook Pro petition?

It's a pity you are trying to do the job of Psion (assessing the potential market size & associated problems), rather than simply doing what the petition asks you to do - say whether YOU personally wish to use EPOC/SymbianOS on the Netbook Pro.

The petition is intended to show Psion *one* potential market, and we then hope that on the balance of all potential markets they decide it to go for it.

> From: Rolf Brunsting

> Subject: Re: Revo Battery Solution

> Dear Itamar,

>> You wrote "I normally let the Revo discharge to about 15%

>> or so before I recharge it". That is great for someone who

>> has the mains at hand whenever he gets to 15%. However, for

>> people traveling this might be a big problem, needing to

>> recharge it while still at 65% full before leaving for the

>> airport for a flight of 7 hours to the USA for example. I

<snip>

> has a rechargeable battery. When your Series 7's battery is

> down to the equivalent of a 15% charge you'll need to have

> the charger with you and a mains socket nearby. Otherwise

> it's quickly a case of 'over and out'. You also need to have

> your Series 7 fully charged when you want to use it on a

I think you rather missed his point! He can NOT recharge his Revo at 65 percent, whereas he can with his Series 7.

If he has to wait until his Revo reaches 15 percent, which is potentially sometime during the flight, he is rather stuck since the flight has no mains available for charging.

> From: Rolf Brunsting

> Subject: Re: Revo Form-Factor Successor...

>> The current Dana as you pointed out only has 8meg ram my

>> Psion 7 has 32meg

> Note that PalmOS 3.xx applications (as used on the Dana) as

> well as their data files are quite small.

It would be quite impressive if the Dana could store (say) many megabytes of 8-bit ascii text in far smaller size than a Psion7 (or any other computer for that matter)!

By which I mean: It is all very well saying the programs are quite small, but it is rather silly to think Palm apps can store raw data in any less space than a Psion. Yes, if you start adding complex formatting the file size may balloon, but generally you can't do complex formatting on a Palm (unless you are using a large 3rd-party application...).

However, if you were talking about Microsoft Word files...

>> I can't stand Palm os because it is more like PIM software

>> than a full fledge os

> PalmOS is as much a fully fledged operating system as EPOC or

> Symbian OS. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's mainly used

> in PDAs as there are very powerful third-party applications

> available for it.

Sorry, but the Palm OS was originally designed as an ultra-basic ultra-low-memory PIM, and unfortunately it seems to carry much of that legacy today. There is only so much 3rd-party apps can manage within the restrictions of the OS.

OTOH, EPOC (and even WinCE) were designed with a much more modern design, and therefore can handle "Desktop PC"-like tasks far easier.

BTW, I feel EPOC is midway between the basic slim-line design of Palm OS and the huge desktop-copycat Microsoft PDA OSes, and thus it is only EPOC that is really suitable for small form-factor devices that you need to use for more than just PIM.

I therefore see no real alternative to EPOC, and thus for me the best solution seems to be to use the Epoc Emulator on a Clamshell Tablet PC to replace my Netbook, and replace my Revo with a Palm. (Note that I have not done this yet)