- RE: Serial to USB

- Psion 5, Windows XP, Best Psi-Win Version for Backup?

- USB/Serial Cables Episode

- PiBeam for Series 7

- Re: Psion 5mx Pro

- Palmtop Palmtop User

- Problem printing Contacts from Revo

- 5mx Battery, 9290/9210 as a modem, SE P910i & Bluetooth,

- Two questions

Date: 30 Mar 2006 19:59:10 +0100
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: RE: Serial to USB

Keith Giles <address truncated> wrote:-

||> > I would very much appreciate advice on converting the ||> serial link to USB

||> Some on this digest
||> have found Belkin to work - I couldn't get the Belkin I ||> tried to work.

Belkins are a well know faulty product.  Belkin had either a batch of faulty crystals or a basic design fault.  This has produced a very large number that don't work.  Not just with Psions but also a large number of serial GPS receivers, including two of mine.


||>  I ended up buying one from Clove in the UK -
||> they are (were?) Psion specialists and the cable they sold
||> works for me.

That is what I did and it worked from plugging it in.  Never any problems with Psions 3mx, 5mx, 7 & netBook, nor with a Garmin eMap.

Then Colin & Ali Messer <address truncated> wrote:-

||> Installing was trouble free, but getting PsiWin to see the
||> converter was another thing entirely.  My memory is clearer
||> on this issue.  Uninstall PsiWin and make sure that all
||> traces are removed by using the RegCleaner.
||>  Install the USB to Serial converter then install PsiWin. 
||> PsiWin will now see the new serial port.
||>
||> As I had installed the USB to Serial converter over PsiWin,
||> and not as I describe above it took me an evening of
||> uninstalls, regcleans and installs until PsiWin saw the new
||> serial port.  Since then the connection has worked flawlessly.

Colin I don't remember any problems at all with the Clove converter.

Alan Morris

Date: 31 Mar 2006 00:08:10 +0100
From: Toddrick <address truncated>
Subject: Psion 5, Windows XP, Best Psi-Win Version for Backup?

A friend has a Series 5 and a PC running Windows XP.  Using the latest version of Psi-Win; I'm able to connect, transfer files, and print files from her Series 5.  The only problem I'm having is an error (sorry I don't have it with me) that crops up during the backup.  Something about an open file or the like.

Thanks, Todd

Date: 31 Mar 2006 00:13:56 +0100
From: Keith Giles <address truncated>
Subject: USB/Serial Cables Episode

I had to return my Sony Vaio T350P notebook for repair (under warrenty). It was back to factory conditions after I got it back. Decided to install PsiWin 2.3.3 on it in case something ever happened to my desktop. Since I didn't want to go through the trouble of getting at the back of the desktop (where my USB/Serial cable connects), I bought a Siig brand cable. To my disgust, it wouldn't connect. But, in my haste, I failed to see that there was a CD included with the cable which had the drivers. After installing the drivers, I had to check which port on the CD it was using. Naturally, looking at My Psion's properties, every port box was checked except the port being used on the PC. After checking that port's box in My Psion's properties and unchecking all the other port boxes, I was finally able to connect.

BTW, Trygvy mentioned FTDI - I remember seeing those "words" when I looked at the files on the CD.

Happy Cycling,
Keith
Sunnyvale, CA

http://ohsix827.home.comcast.net

Thought For The Day: Tact is the art of making guests feel at home when that's where you wish they were.

Date: 31 Mar 2006 08:34:53 +0100
From: Austin
Subject: PiBeam for Series 7

Does anyone have a copy of the older version of PiBeam that works with the Series 7?  The current version doesn't work with my 7 and forums suggest that I need the older version.  Many thanks.
Austin
--

Date: 31 Mar 2006 08:36:01 +0100
From: Austin
Subject: Re: Psion 5mx Pro

Axel Moberg said:

>The screen cable on 5mxPro is said to be more reliable. And it has a bit more memory. But more complicated to load the programs. Any other problems with it? Hardly anyone talks about it in the Digest.<

This seems like a good excuse to tell you all about why I think my 5mx Pro is such a useful tool and why I've just bought a new one. But I should start at the beginning and tell you that I started out with just an ordinary 5 mx (if such an extraordinary machine can ever be called "ordinary").  I had that for nearly 3 years and the screen cable went.  I had that one repaired by Psion but after another 18 months or so I began hankering after the extra RAM of an mx Pro.  So I bought one second hand on eBay.  It was great and the extra RAM really did come in useful, especially when running Opera, which seems to consume almost as much memory as you can throw at it.  The time soon came when I was using the mx Pro more (for both business and private use) than the 5mx, even though the latter was company provided.  At about that time I noticed the area around one of the hinges had become cracked and a small piece was missing on the 5mx, which prompted me to ask the firm for a replacement; they readily agreed since my use of and commitment to, the Psion is well understood.  But I was lucky in that the replacement I was able to obtain is a 5mx Pro, re-manufactured from original parts.  So it's just like a new one and I'm well pleased, having had it for a couple of months now.

In relation to your specific questions, Axel, I do not know if the screen cable on this, or any other mx Pro is more robust than that found on the 5mx.  All I can say is that, in the interests of keeping it going as long as possible, I open it very carefully and try to avoid opening it unnecessarily.  Two things that probably contributed the short life of the screen cable on my first 5mx were that I opened it and closed it more or less whenever I used it, which could mean 10 times in a typical meeting - now it stays open for the duration of the meeting.  And the other thing?  I let my children play with it (ouch!  But then I knew no better in those days!

Your other question about being more complicated to load programs?  Not at all.  Once the operating System is loaded and the machine started for the first time (which takes no more than a minute or so) it's just like any other 5mx but with 6MB more memory to play around with.  The OS only ever has to be reloaded if the machine is hard reset and that only occurs if you let both main and backup battery go flat, or you intentionally hard reset it.  Just as a precaution, I keep a copy of the OS .img file on my inserted compact flash card at all times but I've never had to use it.  I haven't found a single program that would run on the 5mx and not the mx Pro (and I've got approximately 74 programs and utilities installed and tried many more) and the install process is identical, whether using PsiWin or from the .sis file on the mx Pro itself.

Needless to say that, given the limitations of all the ER5 devices in general (limited connectivity by today's standards) and those specific to the ER5 PDAs (no colour screen) with which we are all too familiar, I still think that this is the best pocket computer/ communications device ever invented by a very long way and I shall be using it until I can do so no longer (either because it dies or it becomes impossible to interface with my "other" computers and phone etc.  My original 5mx is now safely stashed in a drawer as backup and the mx Pro I bought off eBay is once again for sale on eBay, having served its purpose!

I suppose the reason why so few people talk about the mx Pro in The Digest is that, compared with an ordinary 5mx, they are quite rare (except in Germany where they were the rule, rather than the exception).  And I see that many contributors to The Digest have either moved on to ER6 or other devices or, being Psion devotees have moved up to the Series 7 or, more likely, netBook.  I suspect with the passage of time leading to more stalwarts leaving the fold to go Symbian smartphone or (gasp!) move to one of the dark sides and the simple inevitability of more broken screen cables, there will be fewer and fewer 5mx and mx Pro (and similar) users left.  I also suppose that those still using them are probably mostly familiar with their device by now and know its limitations and have a routine of use - this scenario leads to fewer questions being raised but, as others have often suggested, there's no good reason to stop singing its praises yet!

I'm planning a follow up story for a future Digest summarising just how useful my mx Pro was on a recent trip - including details of how many of the programs I've got installed that I actually used.  Coming real soon now...!

Austin
--

Date: 31 Mar 2006 18:55:25 +0100
From: Ashley Burrows <address truncated>
Subject: Palmtop Palmtop User

Hello Everyone

I have started a spring clear out and have come accross  Palmtop magazine issues 1 to 37  & Palmtop User 1 to 12 they are available if anyone who wants them. say 40p  (each)to post them or send me a PPE and I will send.

They do make very interesting reading for those of you  who have progressed like me with Psion, Symbian,  Sony~ Eicsson devices
3a 512k 
5
5a
MC218 
Series 7 
Netbook 
Nokia 9210 
9210i 
9500

Tried a XDA Exec its Ok, the backlite keyboard is about the only thing I can plus it over my 9500.  It's now in the draw awaiting and Ebay sale.

Best to you all

Ashley

Date: 1 Apr 2006 11:01:24 +0100
From: Gareth J M Saunders <address truncated>
Subject: Problem printing Contacts from Revo

I wonder if anyone can help.  I got an email from a friend of a friend, Bill, about the problems he's having trying to print (via PsiWin) all his contacts from his Psion Revo Plus.

Here's what Bill wrote:

=== quote ===
The problem is one of printing. I am a salesman and have a fairly large 'Contacts' database, over 700 at present, and I'd like to print them out so that I have a hard copy in case I lose my Revo, or drive over this replacement one again!

By linking the Revo to my PC, I can print out individual records or entries without problem. However, when I attempt to send the whole file to print out, it complies the file and sends it to the printer, (eventually) and then after ruminating about things and life in general for a while, the PC gives me a notification box headed, 'WPRNTSP' and the text: "Printing terminated: unrecognised data sent from the Psion."
=== /quote ===

Bill is using PsiWin 2.3.3, an Epson inkjet printer and does backup regularly.

He also wrote: "Looking to see if there's any way I can export the Contacts file and print from that but no joy so far. As far as I can see I can't even get the program to print out pages 1 - 20 for example or even Contacts 1 - 100 so I'm a bit stumped at present."

Any helpful suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks

Gareth J M Saunders
Edinburgh, UK

Date: 2 Apr 2006 11:00:10 +0100
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: 5mx Battery, 9290/9210 as a modem, SE P910i & Bluetooth,

Answer to: Keith Giles & K81010

Re.: 5mx Battery - Another solution is to use a program like Merlin to show the state of the battery continuously on the toolbar you create. Then there are programs like Chadis7 that will keep track of the state of your  battery which you can keep in memory and consult every so often. In some programs like that you can also change the voltage at which you want to keep a reminder that your batteries are running out. [By the way, who is K81010 ?  It would be nice if you can use your real name like all of us on the Digest. Thank you]

Answer to: Bob

Re.: 9290/9210 as a modem - Yes, you should be able to do that. You should use the IR setting on your phone and you need a GPRS connection. Let us know which provider you use and we can guide you with the required settings on your phone. You shoulc ask your provider for the POP3 and SMTP server details and you need to know your username and password to get into your email account too.

Answer to: Ian Chapple & Steve Convery

Re.: SE P910i & Bluetooth - There is of course another way. Buy a small USB connector for your smartcard. Copy your internal disk to the smartcard and than connect it to the laptop and copy it to the laptop. This way you will always have it with you when you travel too.
Last week I bought a laptop for work in order to use Remote Access while traveling to work on my office computer. It is really inconceivable (for me at least) stopping at a petrol station in Belgium with a hotspot, sitting down in the cafetaria and connecting to the office to work as if I am in the office in the UK. I bought an HP Easynote, a small laptop under 2 kg that was not expensive and very usable. This could be another way to back-up your phone, Ian.


Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 2 Apr 2006 11:02:08 +0100
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Two questions

1/ Quite often when I connect to the email my outgoing emails are not sent. Than I try again and they are immediately sent. Does anyone have the same and can one do anything about it ?

2/ What was the email address of Pulver, the Psion repairer in Germany ?

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK