- Re: Communicator 9500 and Other Psion Wanna-be's

- Re: Recycle Bin Macro (was : no subject)

- Re: WiFi Card for netBook

- Freeware (and shareware)

- Re:WiFi

- Re: Standard size batteries (was Re: The Digest V1 # 724 (13))

- Re: Fujitsu-Siemens LOOX 720

- Re: Clove Technology

- Re: Treo 600 (and oops!!!)

- Nokia 9500

- Nokia6230 and S5mx

Date: 6 Apr 2005 23:10:16 +0700
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Communicator 9500 and Other Psion Wanna-be's

Dear Gary,

<< I guess us Psioneers who had to give up on our Psions for one reason or another now simply have to compromise on our expectations of the replacement device.  There does not seem to be one single device that
is available today that can replace our Psions in all their functionality and convenience and stability >>

You're not going to get your Psion back for the simple reason that the only company that designs and builds Psions is : Psion. The Revo you used is the result of the way Psion read the market, translated
consumer demands into a product specification and designed a device on the basis of this specification using Psion's own design philosophy. Give the Revo's product specification to Sony and what you get won't be a Revo with a Sony badge on it. The resulting device will be a
'typical' Sony in its looks, feel, operation, etc.

Besides, talking about the 9500 Communicator as a "Psion Wanna-be" is rather silly as it's Nokia that created a completely new market segment when it launched the 9000 Communicator in 1996. No company had dared to turn the ideas that were floating around at that time into something more than a design prototype. Nokia did, expecting the 9000 to be a technology leader but a financial loss maker. Guess what - Nokia sold over a million 9000's which made it a profitable product. The 9000 was succeeded by the 9000i and the 9500 is Nokia's seventh Communicator. It even got a 'junior brother' in the form of the 9300. We're nine years from the launch of the 9000 and are still waiting for the very first direct Communicator rival. No company created one, not even Psion. So, who's the "Wanna-be" then?

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 7 Apr 2005 14:30:57 +0700
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Recycle Bin Macro (was : no subject)

Dear Ian,

<< I must admit, I can't see the point of forcing users to register free software to "uncripple" it; it just seems like a lot of work for no real reward >>

A possible explanation is that Ken Emmanuel also developed shareware. The requirement to register his free Recycle Bin macro allowed him to compare the number of people who used his macro compared to the number of people who used his shareware titles.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 8 Apr 2005 18:00:38 +0700
From: ian chapple <address truncated>
Subject: Re: WiFi Card for netBook

Keith,

>> "Don't forget to use WEP and MAC filtering if you set up a router for home use."

Just what does that mean, and how do I do that? I've managed to muddle my way through getting my nB to access the internet through my home router and at several free public access points, but have no idea if I've any of the above things.<<

If you are not aware of how to set up WEP and MAC filtering, your home WiFi network is probably completely insecure. What this means in practise is:

a) anything that you send from any of your computers to your router can be received by someone sitting outside your house. This is extremely risky if you do anything remotely sensitive on your computer, such as home banking.

b) other people can use your Internet connection without your knowledge; all they have to do is sit outside your house and set their laptop up to connect to your router. This could be a problem if you have any kind of data-limit on your Internet account, and could potentially get you into trouble if someone started downloading porn or copyrighted material using your account.

To enable WEP and MAC filtering, you will need to access your router's configuration page via its web interface (usually the IP address is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1); most routers allow a password to be defined, which is also a good idea if you don't want a  nefarious user to lock you out of your own router by changing the password.

WEP is a (basic) encryption mechanism; you need to specify a password, which has to be entered in the router and in all computers which connect to it.

MAC filtering allows you to specify which MAC addresses may connect to your router; all WiFi cards have a unique MAC address, which takes the form of a 12 or 14 character (I forget which) string. Enabling MAC filtering prevents any WiFi cards whose MAC addresses are not on the list from gaining access to your network.

Before you enable WEP, make sure that the WiFi card in your netBook supports WEP. Some don't, which leaves you with a difficult decision; change your WiFi card or continue to use WiFi without protection.

Whatever you do, do not fall into the trap of thinking that just because you use a Psion you are somehow immune from abuse/snooping; anything that is sent from your Psion by WiFi is as open to interception as from any other kind of computer. Yes, there are weaknesses in the WEP encryption mechanism, but it is much better than no protection at all, and will put off all but the most hardened of hackers.

Cheers, Ian.

Date: 8 Apr 2005 19:40:21 +0700
From: Phil Aypee <address truncated>
Subject: Freeware (and shareware)

Hi Folks,

Ian (Chapple), I still disagree.

It is neither moral nor legal (in the UK anyway) to give away goods of any kind that are faulty unless it is made clear that the goods *are* faulty. A free program/macro that won't work but is given as working is de facto faulty - and if it won't work because it can't be registered it is still faulty.

There are good reasons for this but legal action is rarely taken as free stuff given away is usually considered (and by me) a kind and generous gift. The donor is simply told that he should be more careful in future. But the donor is liable (say you give someone a toaster and it electrocutes him - how can you avoid liability?). Free doesn't necessarily mean free of liability.

And fairness *is* implied simply by releasing the software. In fact fairness is then *required*.

To give a more pertinent example, Gavin Lewarne released EpocDos as freeware that required registration. Gavin was subsequently hospitalised for a time. When he was sufficiently recovered he rewrote the program *without* a registration requirement (and it wasn't easy as he had lost the source code).

He realised that his generosity had been undermined by his absence. If someone relied on EpocDos but it subsequently failed because it was unregistered and he couldn't register it then it would be no more his fault than Gavin's. But the responsibility would have been Gavin's - and he would have been legally liable.

Now shareware is a different matter. If you can't register it then you can't buy a licence for it. So if the program stops working after the trial period that's tough. It wasn't free and you have no right to demand that the author accept payment and licence your copy. In fact the author can refuse you a licence but sell me one!

That's why it's usual for any software to include a disclaimer - "this software is not warranted good for any purpose whatsoever" or some such - which has a limited effect. Bought software and shareware are covered by several laws and if it doesn't do "as it says on the tin" the vendor has, at least, to refund payment. Free software, especially where copyright is retained, is similarly covered but with different sanctions, specifically if it causes damage when used reasonably.

For this reason it is usually better to make such software completely free, to merely retain the copyright and grant a free licence for anyone to use and modify the software. It is common to include caveats as above. Responsibility cannot be completely avoided but it can be minimised.

But fairness is still implied, actually required, simply by releasing the software.

And that's the end of tonight's show, folks!

Happy days,
Phil.

"Minimise your therbligs until it becomes automatic;
this doubles your effective lifetime -
and thereby gives time to enjoy
butterflies and kittens and rainbows."

http://www.philaypee.co.uk/index.html

Date: 8 Apr 2005 20:25:24 +0700
From: Matthew Walters <address truncated>
Subject: Re:WiFi

Dear Keith
>>
> Don't forget to use WEP and MAC filtering if you set up a router for >
home use.

Just what does that mean, and how do I do that? I've managed to muddle my
way through getting my nB to access the internet through my home router and
at several free public access points, but have no idea if I've any of the above things.
<<

WEP is Wireless Encryption Protocol, a (mediocre) method of encrypting the data sent between your netBook and router. It's unlikely that your links to the free access points are encrypted unless they have requested an encryption key. Not all cards allow WEP on the netBook, the Buffalo definitely does.

MAC filtering allows you to set which mobile devices can access your router. Each device has a unique reference number shown as MAC: with an alphanumeric code. You should be able to use your router setup to only allow specific MAC addresses to access the router, thereby closing your access point to other potential users.

Regards

Matthew Walters

Date: 8 Apr 2005 20:50:24 +0700
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Standard size batteries (was Re: The Digest V1 # 724 (13))

Dear Bernard,

<< Frankly I prefer standard AA/AAA because I can carry spares >>

Errrmmm ... that you can carry spares isn't linked to battery size, whether standard on non-standard. What you're probably aiming at is that standard rechargeable AA batteries tend to be less expensive than battery packs and will fit a large number of devices. A particular battery pack may fit more than one device of the same manufacturer but tends not to fit devices by other manufacturers.

<< Flatpacks contain such a small amount of charge and AA so large that there's no comparison >>

I have my doubts about using battery capacity as the deciding factor as it's the combination of capacity and power consumption which determines for how many hours you can use a PDA, how many photographs you can make with a digital camera, etc. It's therefore not a given that a device powered by AA batteries will last longer on a full charge than one
which uses battery packs.

<< Try going on holiday with chargers for that lot! >>

Sorry, but you don't mention what type of holiday you mean. Somebody who goes backpacking in Nepal has different requirements than somebody who's going to visit the Chateaux on the Loire by car.

I think that the choice between rechargeable AA/AAA batteries and battery packs isn't a clear cut as you make it out to be. When you have an office job you have ample opportunity to recharge the batteries of your PDA. You can recharge them at home (during the night), at the office or at both locations. Office jobs tend to have a fairly regular work pattern so that you can apply a fixed recharge frequency.
Something like a home recharge every three days. Rechargeable AAs and AAAs don't offer much of an advantage in this situation over rechargeable battery packs. Could be that AAs offer a lower recharge frequency because of their higher capacity, but that's all.

It's advantageous to use rechargeable AAs or AAAs when you travel regularly for your work. As travel means irregular schedules and irregular working hours the extra capacity of AAs can be a plus point. Depending on power consumption, of course. And when power runs out unexpectedly you can pop into a chemist, newsagent or corner store for
a set of alkalyne AAs. You can even travel light by starting the trip with one fully charged set in the device and two fully charged sets as spares. When three sets proves to be insufficient you buy alkalynes for the remainder of the trip. Saves you carrying a battery charger plus power plug adapters (when needed). Which is a plus point when you're country hopping by plane. It's when business travel means going by car that AA's loose their advantage as an in-car charger allows you to recharge while on the road. How many people cram their cars so full
that there's no space for an in-car charger?

It may look that rechargeable AAs still have the edge as they cover the 'business travel' as well as the 'regular commute to work' scenarios. However, there's a price to pay. Battery packs allow designers to
create smaller and lighter devices that are much easier to carry in a shirt, trouser or jacket pocket than equivalent AA powered devices. Meaning that you tend to have the PDA, digital camera, etc. with you, ready to be used. Another advantage is that the charger for battery
pack equipped devices tends to be (much) smaller than a charger for AA batteries. I think that the smallest AA charger I have is three times the size of the charger for my SonyEricsson P800.

To give you a personal example, one of the main reasons why I bought a Canon IXUS 300, which uses small battery packs, is that I can slip it
in a trouser pocket. Practical experience taught me that I didn't make much photographs with my old 35 mm Minolta Hi-Matic because I had to carry it in a bag. And what happened during holidays was that I left
the bag in the car or simply forgot that the camera was in the bag (together with a map, guidebook and some other stuff). The reason why old holiday series show gaps - no pictures of Westminster Cathedral as
I didn't take any. The first holidays with the IXUS 300 (now replaced by an IXUS 500) meant having the first holiday series with pictures of all the places, buildings, etc. I visited.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 8 Apr 2005 23:18:37 +0700
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Fujitsu-Siemens LOOX 720

Roman Frotz <address truncated> wrote:-

> As one of the possible alternatives for the Psion 5mx you
> decribed the Fujitsu-Siemens LOOX 720 in a few of the past
> digests and refered to some shortcomings

Thanks for your comments Roman.  However, I don't concider it an alternative for the Psion 5mx.  It's probably in the top 3 of PPC devices, but it could never replace the 5mx.

> I`m stopping here because this is not the place to discuss the pros
> and cons of a Loox 720

Agreed, I'll reply off list and if any list member wants to receive my comments, then contact me _direct_ and not on list.

Thanks Roman.

Incidentally, yesterday I handled a Nokia 9300.  It's just smaller than a Revo, but the keyboard is very peculiar.  Possibly best described as a printed circuit board with etched gap lines to make square pads.  Rather than the metal being on a rigid base, it's on a flexible base.  For me the squares are just too small.  If they had used a Revo keyboard then it would have been significantly better.  No feel, like a Psion k'brd.

As reported there is no touch screen.  But the old DOS method of a row of function keys below the screen, has been changed to 4 (3?) blank keys (not square pads as on k'brd) to the right of the screen.  A good idea, but not quite right, yet.

It has a small 'up/down/left/right' button on the lower left of the keyboard.  Works like the old pencil rubber on early Windows laptops.  Quite nice, but a touch screen would have been much better.  I can't understand why Nokia have crippled the device by omitting a touch screen, as all PDA screens and many new GPS receivers have touch screens.  And presumably the OS has touch screen support.

If that was all that was available, then it could possibly replace my Revo +, but at £499.99 (I kept being corrected by the salesman when I said £500), it's far too expensive.

Supplied is a cable for connecting to a USB port.  I asked if it could be used with a laptop to use the phone as a data modem to connect to the inet, and I was told yes; but he was rather unsure.

They also mentioned the 9500 and said that the only difference was an added camera.

Too many changes to the built-in apps for my liking.  Why change a good thing that works for something different.

Alan

Date: 8 Apr 2005 23:18:45 +0700
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Clove Technology

Itamar Engelsman <address truncated> wrote:-

> Answer to: Alan Morris

> It could of course be that they produce the 5MX-Pro
> only on demand in blocks of X machines and that
> accordingly the first orderers of such a block production
> will have to wait longer than the last ones ? A while
> back I ordered once or twice from them and received an
> overnight service to London.

I agree Itamar, in fact I have previously suggested that they make to order. But no one here has reported a next day or two delivery, which is normal for this type of business.  However, I've also bought cables and a battery for my LOOX-720 etc.  All these items took a long time to arrive.  Actually 100% of items ordered took a long time.

Then Franco Cozzani <address truncated> wrote:-

> I understand that 5 MX Pro's ordered to Clove take a while
> to arrive, but how well are they built?

Franco, this is not a technically supported report, but I have had 3 new 5mx and before a 5.

It has a better 'feel' about it compared with the others and has the best keyboard 'touch'.  It looks well made, but I have no idea if it has an improved screen cable.

Batteries fit well.

Overall, I find Clove a good company to deal with, but don't like their long deliveries, which for a company of their standing should be better.

Maybe they have found that by holding zero stock of all items, gives a profitable company.  It's a method of keeping overhead costs down, in an industry that is continually changing product.  Selling off discontinued stock is generally not good on profits.

Better to wait a long time and get a 5mxPRO, rather than no new machines.

Alan

Date: 9 Apr 2005 04:37:46 +0700
From: Jim Watson-Gove <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Treo 600 (and oops!!!)

Mike Dyer

<<Documents to Go is
astonishingly more powerful than UIQ Quickoffice and keeps an up to date copy automatically on my pc.>>

I'm having a similar experience with Documents To Go on my new Tungsten C (received it yesterday).   Wordsmith was my favorite word processor until really giving DtoG a good try this time around.

I am loading up Snappermail for my EMail app as I have no need to synchronize email and found Snappermail a powerful app the last time I was doing email on my now defunct Treo and Dana.

Love the Tungsten C.  The high powered processor and 64 megs of memory make all the difference.  The thumb board is even better than the Treo's (which is also excellent), and the portable keyboard is really portable (folds up into a very small package) and will work well for the heavier text jobs.  The screen is great.

There promises to be life after Psion after all.

and oops

Just checked the outbox on my MBook and realize I sent my last message twice over two days time.  Not sure how that happened.  Sorry guys, it wasn't that interesting the first time.

Jim - straddling between Psion and Palm in Washington state.

Date: 9 Apr 2005 07:34:04 +0700
From: Ashley Burrows <address truncated>
Subject: Nokia 9500

Hi All.

Well for a few months now I have had my Nokia 9500 tucked away in my desk
draw, after upgrading to it, from first a Nokia 9210 then a Nokia 9210i I
was initially disappointed, after having Tom-tom city maps, Collins
dictionary, SMS assistant, Spell-check, Cell track, Othello, Backgammon, and
many more, to go to the very basic software was a shock. And I was also very
disappointed with email programme, not the programme itself but its
integration and sync with the PC. With my 9210 you can sync sent, outbox,
inbox, draft, via the convert mail option.  I could have everything I sent
during the day synchronized with my PC at the end of the day, unless I am
missing something. This is not possible on the 9500. 

So I next tried using a Sony Ericsson P910i  A superb machine, but typing is
so slow either by using the hitting it with a stick, writing method, the
thumb board, or even slowest the on the screen keyboard. Carrying a
Bluetooth foldaway keyboard bigger in size than the P910 seems totally
bizarre; reading email on small width screen is also painful. The mail
programme like the 9500 does not sync sent email as the 9210 or 5mx. The
total inability to send or receive faxes, I do not understand being a
symbian device.
Games wise the P910 is great.  I found the camera to be very disappointing.
PC suite very limited in file transfer needing additional software to even
look at files on it.
Memory card size very poor and for a reasonable size card very expensive.

So I was a little bemused as to where to turn, for my everyday use of a
handheld machine, as a Field Engineer I need a unit that I can use for phone
calls, send & receive email, send faxes, receive a fax occasionally, Dairy,
Contacts, Database, and recently with the 9500 and 910 have found how useful
a camera is to photograph situations and mail them instantly to my office.

So recently I have been back to my trusty 9210i and spending £15 a month on
magazines to research other items. 

A friend has just upgraded from a P900 to a Blackberry 7300v for the push l,
fantastic for mails but not a lot else, the XDA looks like a nice machine
nice but could not find one to try.

Unfortunately I have to have 2 SIM cards as I have a company SIM card on
Voda but this is locked, so I can not phone or use abroad and HO get a bit
tetchy about too many text messages. So I also have my own private SIM card
on O2, for use abroad and text messaging, I found a wonderful dual sim
adaptor on Ebay £4.99 that really works well, and saves the hassle of having
to keep swapping SIMs 4 or 5 times a day. And remembering where you have put
the other SIM card, the little things get lost easily. Simply turn the phone
off, and back on, and the card/network is switched. It is a little tricky
cutting the SIM cards to fit the adaptor but I found a steady hand and
brandy near by was all that was needed.

But as luck would have it, I found myself in Helsinki over the Easter
holiday.
Nokia should change their slogan from "Connecting People" to "Communicating
with People"
I have never seen so many communicators in one place.
During the course of the 5 days I was there, I really saw what the NOKIA
9500 was capable of doing, and that, that my P910 could not do.

So since my return to England the 9500 is out of the draw and dusted off
recharged, and the P910 is tucked away in it.


It is so nice to be able to type properly again, about 40 words per min as
oppose to 10 if lucky, on the P910 I can read emails 10 lines full width.
I have a huge memory card MMC 1 Gig for only £40 and have over 600megs of
MP3's on it 20 CD's worth.
Really need to get round the email problems, perhaps someone here can
provide me with the instructions I need.
A really simple flat database like the 5mx would be wonderful, Powerdata is
OK but a little too complex for my simple needs,

I must add with the recent discussion on batteries here, the 9500 is
stunning. 
Bluetooth on 8am till 6pm. (sometimes 24 hours)
60 mins of phone calls a day. 
5 or so emails a day. 
2 faxes. 
40 mins of MP3 playback. 
2 hours of Dairy, Data, Games, a day (Vexed & Bounce)
The unit is never switched off.  
And I still get 48 hours plus per charge.
Tom-tom city maps works, but it crashes if I try to zoom. Not a great
problem as I now have a Tom-tom Go unit in the Car.


What do I miss about the P910? Still thinking


Sorry for the long post

Does anybody know the current coordinates of our much loved Norwegian
friend?


Kind Regards

Ashley

Tip of the Day
"Never chop wood in a rubber dingy"

Date: 9 Apr 2005 10:10:32 +0700
From: Rolf Vonau <address truncated>
Subject: Nokia6230 and S5mx

Hi there,
I want to use my Nokia 6230 as GPRS-Modem for the S5mx.
Could someone give my hints, which settings are necessary for both the mobile phone and the Psion machine.

Thanks in advance

--
BR
Rolf