- Delay in receiving the digest

- Engineering level of the 9500

- Text entry, CF cards

- Comment

- EC Declarations - they can be wrong!

- Re. The 9300/9500

- Copy Anywhere ADMIN INVISIBLE

- SmtpAuth

- Num Lock off ?

- Who knows about HAM related software?

- Copyright - should the law be changed?, Fashionable Morality,

- Communicator 9300 / 9500

- Psion MC400 for sale.

- 5MX Pro Operating System

Date: Sun, 08 May 2005
From: Digest administrator
Subject: Delay in receiving the digest

Unfortunately one of the operators, Manuel, has not reacted to the handover
email sent to him and we picked up on this only towards the end of last week.
We hope he is well and Manuel, please be in touch with us. It took a little
more time to organise ourselves and to retrieve the handover files from Rolf
who is on holiday, and here is the next digest again. Sorry for the delay.

With best regards
Itamar Engelsman
The Digest Team

Date: 1 May 2005 11:51:51 +0000
From: Thomas F. van der Zijden <address truncated>
Subject: Engineering level of the 9500

Hello everybody,

What was (and still is fortunately) a plus for my netBook is that the Psion
community has produced many *useful* tools for engineers. In this way my
netBook is not only a PDA (Agenda+Contacts) filled with some additional toys,
but also a real device useful for my day-to-day work.

Even when the Nokia Communicators have the ever so powerful Symbian under
their hood it seems that their community does not contain the people that
write such software. It is as if the Communicator is still stuck in the "toy"
phase. I have said this on comp.sys.psion.misc and I received the reply that
this can change in time... but the Communicators have been around for a long
time.

Things I miss are:

- A Periodic System of the Elements, such as ChemTools (a long with a
powerful set of chemical calculation tools)
- A literature reference programme (such as Qcite for the Psion or Reference
Manager for Windows)
- Good convertors of units (not only simple ones like length, but also power,
pressure, flow...)
- A graphical calculator (Psi85 or the emulator of the HP48)
- A program to make mathematical equations (like MathDraw)
- Other advanced, but non-chemical stuff such as a HTML editor (HTLMLEdit or
HTML)

This gives me the idea that the persons who made all that are not present in
the Communicator community and hence the Communicator will be less a tool,
but more a toy.

I'd love to read from current users whether they found such tools or not.

Yours truly,

Thomas van der Zijden

Date: 1 May 2005 13:57:00 +0000
From: Trygve Henriksen <address truncated>
Subject: Text entry, CF cards

Greetings!

Regarding the talk about text entry and monochrome screens. I thought I
should mention a project I'm working on at the moment...

I recently aquired an old Compaq Contura 3/25 laptop (25MHz 386 with 4MB RAM
and a 121MB HDD) I'm in the process of rebuilding it and will be replacing
the HDD with a IDE-CF adapter and a 128MB CF card(Faster and draws less
power), remove the FDD(won't need it because of the CF and really don't need
the power drain) and build a new battery pack with 10 x 1.2V/5000mAH cells
instead of the broken 12V/1700mAH pack. As the new pack won't fit in the old
case... I'll be rebuilding the entire chassis of the machine using plexiglass.
For the first time a Compaq laptop will not only have a decent battery life,
but it will also look good.

Why I'm doing this?
Because I want a simple text entry computer with a full keyboard with
Norwegian keys(My netBook has an English keyboard) and a decent battery life.
And if the screen is readable in sunlight, well, that's just a bonus. (the
netBook screen definitely isn't)

Why I need such a computer?
I write sci-fi stories whenever I find some spare time.
www.planetfurry.com/~anthony/
---
Regarding CF cards and partitions.

How was the two partitions defined?
As I have several IDE-CF adapters, I could do a few tests...

:-)
Trygve

Date: 1 May 2005 14:22:19 +0000
From: Cyril Catt <address truncated>
Subject: Comment

[Rolf Brunsting] "...colour screens create a more pleasant PDA environment
even though they're not strictly necessary for many of the things we do with
them."

Of course, Rolf, colour screens ARE more pleasant than B&W. And they can
convey a bit more information than B&W. I was simply noting that for MY
purposes I could accept a monochrome screen if it gave me back the battery
life of, say, a 3a, and wondering whether I'm Robinson Crusoe on this or
whether a few others might agree with me.

Cyril Catt

Date: 1 May 2005 16:11:22 +0000
From: Phil Aypee <address truncated>
Subject: EC Declarations - they can be wrong!

Hi Folks,

Rolf (Brunsting), when you said "That there are local, national or regional
variations doesn't necessarily mean there are no universal moral values" you
were right - but it *implies* a lack of universality. Sure, you can treat
"the UN Declaration as a yardstick" but others don't. Are they wrong? Is the
UN Declaration the only yardstick that anyone should use?

And it's expressed as morality, not law. Sure, it's used in law but it's
expressed as morality just the same.

Then you said "I'm sorry, but Nazi ideology was based on race . . . " but it
was still entrenched in *law*, just as that UN Declaration is. As far as the
NAZIs were concerned it was *moral*. The fact that you and I don't agree that
it was is irrelevant. We're not NAZIs.

But I rather think Itamar's points, including the one about Iraq, were not
about justifying any decision but about the difficulty many find in accepting
that justification. Equally I think his point of deciding whether or not to
boycott a lecturer whose views some find abhorrent was not addressed to you
personally (or anyone else) but was rhetorical. Your beliefs are not
everybody's.

But none of this was meant to be as specific as you have apparently read it.
It was meant, by me in my post to which Itamar responded, to show how
ridiculous *law* can be and how nebulous *morality* can be. Law is as
absolutely defined as possible but both it and morality evolve. Both are
human ideas and neither can be static. And both can be wrong.

You are, apparently, very clear in your own mind of your opinion about all of
this but that doesn't mean you are right.

Your *opinion* differs from mine and you're quite welcome to try and sway me.
But I don't think you should presume that I must accept that you are right.
Argument is fine, such presumption is wrong.

To reiterate, I think that the rules of copyright will have to be amended in
the case of software - laws will have to be altered and added to. The
morality concerned will have to be considered by those responsible and their
advisors - the moral responsibility of software writers will have to be
addressed.

Happy days,
Phil.

"Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny."

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

Date: 1 May 2005 16:24:53 +0000
From: ian chapple <address truncated>
Subject: Re. The 9300/9500

Kevin,

>>Ian, I do have to agree with what you were saying about the newer
Communicators not being a true Psion replacement.  Having used a 3a, 3c, S5,
5mx and finally a S7 over the years my main machine was formerly a 9210 and
is now a 9500 (which I have now owned for around 3 months).  Out of this lot,
my old 3c was one of my favourite machines with the 5mx coming a close
second!<<

I had a 3a, 3c and 3mx, and only stopped using my 3mx when I bought my 5mx.
The reason for buying a 5mx was Psion announcing that they were stopping
manufacture of handhelds; I wanted to get one before the supply dried up
completely. Mind you, I was extremely disappointed by the screen quality when
I first used my 5mx, but I gradually got used to it.

>>Remember the fuss when the first Series 3s hit the market around 1990?  The
world's first truly programmable pocket computer released at a time when
Casio Databanks ruled!<<

I'm much too young to remember that... :)

>>Going back to my 9500 then, well yes, it's not a true Psion relacement but
I'd say it's at least 90% there.  I'm just glad there is a Symbian version of
EPOC around to be quite honest, with full colour and wonderful connectivity.
I know a lot of people seem to bemoan the lack of a touchscreen but honestly
people, try a Nokia 9500 and you'll soon get used to not having it - just
like on the old Series 3s!<<

True.

Something that I've recently discovered, and which is bugging the hell out of
me, is the way in which my P910 handles local HTML files. It appears to be
impossible to just double-tap an HTML file and have it open in open in a
web-browser; instead, it gets copied somewhere else *before* being opened,
which messes up the links to other HTML files in the original folder. The
9300 handles this in a much better manner, just like a Psion...

Unfortunately, this is typical of the limitations/restrictions of the UIQ
interface, when compared to a Psion or 9300/9500. It's still a great device
though. I must admit I did enjoy reading todays Digest while having my lunch
in the sun in an animal park in central Holland; the wonders of modern
technology...

Cheers, Ian.

Date: 1 May 2005 21:20:31 +0000
From: Alan Tracey <address truncated>
Subject: Copy Anywhere ADMIN INVISIBLE

Dear all,

Apologies if this query has been posted before.  Does anyone know of a "Copy
Anywhere" type application for the psion 3mx.

BTW - Copy Anywhere is a utility that comes with Psiwin and allows text to be
copied on the PC and pasted into an application (such as word) and
visa-versa, this works on the 5mx, netbook etc, but not on the series 3.

Thanks in advance.

Alan Tracey

Date: 2 May 2005 02:29:43 +0000
From: Mark Franklin <address truncated>
Subject: SmtpAuth

Unable to get SmtpAuth set up properly to send email via my 7Book EMail app
using either GMX, Yahoo, or Tiscali.  Regardless of how I have SmtpAuth set,
messages from any of these accounts do not send. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks,
Mark
<address truncated>

Date: 2 May 2005 22:25:48 +0000
From: Studio 70 <address truncated>
Subject: Num Lock off ?

Hi Folks
OK I suppose that this is a dumb question but it has me stumped My cat walked
on the key board of the 7 while it was on and lo and behold
I now have "Num Lock" turned on with no indication in the manual or help file
of how to turn it off. (Well not that I can find any way.)

TIA

Cheers

Bob & Loris Hancock
Beside sunny Currumbin Beach
On the Gold Coast of Queensland  AUS
You are welcome to visit www.lorishancock.com 

Date: 3 May 2005 17:03:38 +0000
From: U Hornstein <address truncated>
Subject: Who knows about HAM related software?

Hello List,

I am having some mail conversation with Owen Morgan. I am happy to transfer
his regards into this list, as well as his question for HAM reated SW:

"BTW, could you ask for me about HAM radio related software (apart from
MorseIt) on the digest and give my regards to everyone. Amongst other things
I think there is a LAT/LON to grid locator converter out there somewhere. I
would also be very interested in something for keeping a QSO log. I've been
using an EPOC Data file, but it isn't ideal. Direct links to the download
would be good to save time."

I did some googling myself, all that came up was
http://www.cix.co.uk/~hzk/downloads.html , showing
Pocket Log 1.0
Locations 1.2
Locators for 3x
PocketPacket 5.04

Many other places were abandoned, zip files missing etc. eventually some
reader(s) of the digest can help out.

Please send the download adresses directly to me, to keep the bandwidth in
the digest low. I'll transfer them to Owen.

The other day someone was asking for Owen's whereabouts. At present he is
"2005/04/30 03:36 016° 53' 00" N 024° 59' 00" W WINLINK Still in Mindelo, All
OK"
--
With greetings from Germany
Ulrich Hornstein
http://psion.uh-lab.de
For spam protection: Please NEVER type my mail address into a www page ("send
to a friend" or similar).
Sent by MC218 (EPOC palmtop)

Date: 3 May 2005 17:12:25 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Copyright - should the law be changed?, Fashionable Morality,

Answer to: Phil Aypee

Re.: Copyright - should the law be changed? - "Laws are not always to be
obeyed" is in itself again a morality question. I don't think anyone can
defend speeding on the roads with morality, while the actions of Saddam
Hussein, although probably within the laws of the country at that time, were
clearly immorale. I suppose such disobeying of the law can only be accepted
with morality on it's side (Ghandi). Today we all see Ghandi as a hero, but
the English at the time thought quite differently ...

Answer to: Rolf Brunsting

Re.: Fashionable Morality - While the Charter of the UN is for me certainly
an example of morality, how many of it's own Members violate this charter on
a daily basis ?      As to Irak, personally I tend to agree with you, but I
sometimes wonder where the limit is for such intervention. Mugabe is not
murdering his people directly in masses, but is killing them through
starvation. Is that enough a reason to intervene ? Is anyone demanding
intervention against the Palestinian terrorists who kill innocent people
(have done so all over the world for well over 30 years now) ?  Do we have to
intervene in North Korea ? And when it happened on our doorsteps (Bosnia
etc.) what did we do, could we stop the murders and killing ? I am a sceptic
and I think there is not much morality in this world and trying to live by it
is a rather dangerous occupation. Having said that, clearly on a lower level
like laws concerning software, trade etc. there is a much stronger case for
keeping these Laws and uphold them, also because when caught out by others
the result is not life threatening.
You wrote "It's perfectly all right for academics to protest against, and
boycott, the lectures by academics from countries that violate academic
freedom". That was clearly not the case. It concerned here universities that
were said to support the government policies and taking Palestinian land for
their buildings, while it is well known that for example Haifa University has
a very high percentage of Arab students and lecturers. Furthermore, how valid
is this morality if such academics pick out just one such case while one can
think of many other universities in the world without academic freedom that
are not being boycotted ? Is that called "morality" ? Or is it political
activity that should have no place in the academic world ?
Than you finish with "While the principles of society are based on moral and
ethical values" which sounds right but again, this is subjective for
different people and different parts of the world and we have as yet not
reached the stage where the whole world agrees on these values
(unfortunately). Back to Mugabe, are his actions and ruling of his country
within these values ? You and I think not, but he clearly thinks it is.

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 3 May 2005 21:55:22 +0000
From: Ratherchilly <address truncated>
Subject: Communicator 9300 / 9500

Could anyone hazard a guess as to how long the current Communicators 9300 /
9500 will be around before the next upgrade? When / if an upgrade comes, what
kinds of things are we likely to see?
Best regards,

Jim Bewick
Glasgow

Date: 4 May 2005 11:40:58 +0000
From: Trygve Henriksen <address truncated>
Subject: Psion MC400 for sale.

Greetings!

I got a tip from someone in Austria that he's selling his Psion MC400

As this is a relatively rare machine and deserves to come to a loving
home, I figured that I could plug it here...


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5191673151

:-)
Trygve

Date: 6 May 2005 10:28:00 +0000
From: Patrick Warner <address truncated>
Subject: 5MX Pro Operating System

Hi all,

I purchased a 5MX Pro from Clove as a backup, which finally arrived after a
10 week wait.

Included with it is an operating system disk, which I never got with any of
my previous 5MX purchases, but there is no instructions on how or when I
might need to use this - it just says keep this disk in a safe place.

Under what circumstances might I need to use this OS disk, and how would I go
about it?

Thanks
Patrick.