- GPS on a Psion

- Use of Psions

- Usage of Psions

- Re: Psion usage

- Ref: Usage of Psions

- Re: Usage of Psions

- Using Psions

- Usage of Psions

- Partitioning CF Cards

- Uses of Psion 5MX

- The Usage of Psions

Date: 22 Nov 2008 19:22:37 +0000
From: Peter McCafferty <address truncated>
Subject: GPS on a Psion

Hello All,

Long time, no post.

Have been reading a lot recently about GPS on Psion. Have found a supplier who has some Palmtop GPS receiver units available for Ģ80.
(I have En Route on my Netbook).

Q. Am I right in assuming that the GPS output from the Palmtop is read directly by the Psion (NB & 5mx) through a straight cabled connection into the RS232 port and thus with EnRoute? (With no awkward messing about).

Q. If I wanted to save a few quid, could I but one of the many GPS units on Ebay that have a cabled output for PDA/Laptops etc, and then splice the data cable into a rewired RS232 cable? (I found a couple of very useful websites that have wiring diagrams etc).

I have just bought an 1971 Series IIa Land Rover and want to equip with SatNav. So any advice on cabling the GPS & Netbook onto this would also be warmly received. Any relevant kit someone might want to offload/sell to a Psion devotee also welcome.

Thanks for advice.

cheers

Peter  
     

Date: 22 Nov 2008 20:25:56 +0000
From: Paul Bishop <address truncated>
Subject: Use of Psions

Hi Itamar
Wow - what a lot of responses.
I have migrated to Asus Eee, though the Linux OS is not very user friendly 
like EPOC.  I still use a 5mx for the wonderful DATA application, and I  have many files there that I still use.  Although the Eee boots up quite  quickly, it's no substitute for the Psion instant-on.

Just realised that I bought my first Ser.5 in 1997, the same year this 
Digest started.

Glad to hear that Jim Watson and Keith Giles are still Psion users - some 
years ago when I was living near San Francisco we all met for a Psioneers 
meeting, and it was good to put faces to the names.  Hope you're both doing  well.

Regards,
Paul Bishop

Date: 22 Nov 2008 21:16:57 +0000
From: Jean Guillonneau <address truncated>
Subject: Usage of Psions

To Itamar

I'm still using my 5mx for almost everything (it is my main computer, but I must say I'm dealing essentially with text) !
* size, keyboard, touchscreen, AA batteries : the 5mx is always by hand, ready to work, fast and reliable (I work much faster on a 5mx than on a PC) ;
* Macro5 : I'm still writing macros to automate everything that can be automated, to create new ways of entering datas or exchanging them between apps... (so I work faster and faster !);
* no paper : schedules, to-does, notes, contacts, all sorts of texts, mails, data files for storing everything, bank app... (almost) everything is on my 5 mx and a 2 Gb CF-card  (and I rarely use USB-keys) ;
* syncing with Outlook at the office still works fine ; converting text files is good enough for standard use ; anyhow it's always possible to create or read pdf files ; I connect directly to the net with my old Nokia, with Compex IRE201 or DsLink (for emalling when not in the office) ;
* of course : the screen contrast is awful, it could be at least as good as the Revo screen ! ; browsing on the internet is fast impossible (possible though on some simple sites) ; some Pdf or html files can't be read or too slowly ; no images and no music  ; no Powerpoint and no Excel files (converting from and to Excel files is very limited) - but it's quite easy to have them with you and read them on the Psion when they are converted to pdf files (send the file as attachment to "PDFOnline iPhone Service" <address truncated> and it comes back as a pdf file) .

With the years limitations of the Psion are becoming more and more obvious. But I can still wait a while.

Cheers
Jean Guillonneau

Date: 22 Nov 2008 22:05:28 +0000
From: Alan Jones <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Psion usage

Still dependent on my Netbook for everything on a daily basis! Diary, Contacts, abp, Smallbase for my teaching lesson plans, pupil records and notes, a disk full of reference books and TomeRaider to solve those awkward crossword clues, and other classic useful apps such as ConvertPro and Procyon. The only thing I no longer use it for is e-mail.

Long may it survive...

Alan Jones

Date: 22 Nov 2008 22:24:49 +0000
From: K.I. van der Straten <address truncated>
Subject: Ref: Usage of Psions

Hello Itamar,

Nice subject "Usage of Psions".
A long time I used my nB in corporation with a Revo, but the Revo = Over.
And I replace the Revo with a Nokia 9300i.

The Psion netBook, is still my main computer,  it has 64MB internal, a 1GB D-drive memory and a netBook Pro battery. I do about 97% of my mail with the nB and I do the reply mail with REM. I make newsletter mails with Groups. I use abp5 for the banking business, sheet for a lot of things, work and private. The same for Word and Data. So I need nConvert to communicate with the Windows world out there in corporation with PDF-printer. MeetMan for the meetings and the superb bike registration program Biklog5 for my bike rides. I think that I install about 175 programs on my Psion, but do I need all these programs? No. Which programs do I use:

Color Macig, Fonts, Atomic Time, Resart, AlarmPlus, V+, Macro5, BackUp, Locker, SpellX, CodeSafe, SDict, K2, MagicKeys, Solun, Procyon, Polaris (yes it works on a nB and I coloured the program), I coloured all my icons with IconPatcher, Sketch, ClipSwap just new by OSG, MBMView, Matience, Montana, MBornes, plOpen, plBeam, Gen5, nFTP, HotKeyVGA, Postit, Toggle and RMRUtils.

So my nB Psion is still in normal Psion use.
I have a spare nB and two 5MX. The two Revo's 8 and 16MB died and I bought a few year ago my third 3MX. The other two 3MX died, this one lies next to my bed :-)  I don't use it anymore but there are still warm memories on the days I use my 3x Psions.

Regards,

Kees.

Date: 22 Nov 2008 22:58:40 +0000
From: K. Skalicky
Subject: Re: Usage of Psions

Hi,
My 5mx - still in the everyday use (since 1999, second 5mx in the drawer for times of the broken cable).
Macro5, Backup, StartUp, PsiLight, AlarmPlus - quick&comfortable use of 5mx. Agenda - I havenīt seen anything better yet + BusyView - for daily planning&tasks;
Powerbase, Psidat, Sheet, Data, - for my bussines agenda, contacts, records and calculations, Oracle-data daily imports from my mother company included; KmBuch5 - car track evidence, Abp5 - finance; Crypto - sensitives; S5Dict - Czech/English, CZ/German dictionary (aprox 200 000 entries for each of them in their both directions); TestMe - learning words in foreign languages; Converti - unit conversions, Route Planner&Garmin gps.

Many thanks to the whole community.
KSkalicky

Date: 23 Nov 2008 08:22:09 +0000
From: Ian Chapple <address truncated>
Subject: Using Psions

It's really interesting to hear how others are using their Psions. Mine are virtually retired. My netbook is used primarily to log my daughter's blood sugars using my own GlucoMon application. After upgrading my home Wifi network, I had to remove the wifi card from my network, as other devices on the network didn't like the network using mixed 11b/11g and WEP/WPA...

I do feel close to the Psion platform, as I am writing this on my Nokia E90, the spiritual grandson of the 5mx; mind you, the keyboard is rubbish in comparison...

I recently posted on the BBC program Click's website about how far ahead of their time Psion were, when looking at the huge popularity of the present day "netbooks".

Cheers, Ian.

Date: 23 Nov 2008 10:38:56 +0000
From: Cyril Catt <address truncated>
Subject: Usage of Psions

For five years I found my 3a an indispensible aide, with wonderful 
battery life. When it died I replaced it with a 5, only to find that 
it was so difficult to interface with my Macintosh that I  gave up the 
struggle.

A brief trial showed the Palm platform was not in the same league as 
the 3a. By that time the netbook was no longer available in local 
shops, and my needs had changed. So although I have maintained a 
lookout for a replacement, my experiences with the 5 and the Palm have 
made me cautious.

The Asus Eee raised my hopes as a step in the right direction: towards 
a more pockeable machine with basic apps and a useable keyboard and 
screen. But already the imitators are growing in size and scope 
instead of slimming down.

The iPhone and iPod Touch appear to be nearest to my preferred size, 
but although having many capabilities which I do not need, they still 
lack the basic word processing, spreadsheet, database and diary apps I 
want, as well as a keyboard suited to more than brief notes.

So I live in hope...

Cyril Catt

Date: 23 Nov 2008 13:37:07 +0000
From: John Spillett <address truncated>
Subject: Partitioning CF Cards

Many thanks for the advice from all.
I checked with the Microsoft Technical database and confirmed that the partitioning tool supplied with Windows XP Media version will not tackle CF cards.
However a free copy of Paragon Partition Manager was avaiable from "Computer Active". This is easy to use but do backup your pc in case of errors or misreading the screen. I backup regularly to a usb hard drive.
My 1gb card is now split into 256mb partitions that the Psion 5mx recognises.
I tried another CF card with gpart using Linux Mint running from a CD. This has a good GUi and is as easy to use as the Paragon software.
I noticed that my pc was much quicker under Linux compared to Windows which has got me thinking about what software I really need on a day to day basis.

Regards

John

Date: 23 Nov 2008 14:37:25 +0000
From: John Spillett <address truncated>
Subject: Uses of Psion 5MX

I acquired 2 damaged Psions on Ebay 2 years ago. I wanted something really portable with a reasonable keyboard and good Office software, Diary and a decent battey life.
The machines are a 32mb 5MX Pro from Germany which needed a new screen cable and part of the case replacing and a 5MX needing a new plastic chassis so that the screen wire spring could be attached. Also a new screen cable. Psionflexi fitted the cables very competently and supplied some parts. Other bits i salvaged from a 3rd with a u/s motherboard.
The main machine is the Pro and the other a backup / testbed for new software and dabbling with Linux and Java.
I use Agenda,Contacts,Word,Sheet,Email, calc and Jotter daily.
Email works well with my Nokia 6310i and is faster than my pc link at times. HTM emails can be viewed with Web.
My Keyspan RS232-usb converter has worked straight from the box and makes PSIWIN a useful tool.
I am amazed by the wide range of good software still downloadable, often free.
I have 40 programs loaded on my 256mb SD card and they all get used during the year eg RMRBank suite , Route/Street Planner, Fastbackup,etc also some OPL bits I have ported ( Morse tutor and a HF beacon predictor) or written to meet my needs ( eg height of oil in cylinderical oil tank converted to litres ).
I have looked the EEPC / Advent Netbooks with colour screens but they are a bit big for my suit pockets.

Regards

John

Date: 24 Nov 2008 22:22:18 +0000
From: Lewis Hartman <address truncated>
Subject: The Usage of Psions

I am still actively using both a netBook and less often a 5mx.

The netBook is used daily for the agenda, for RMRBank, for Route, for contacts, for numerous databases, for safeplace, for numerous other useful bits of software as and when required and for word, sheet and jotter for work files.

I regularly sync my netBook with my WinXP pc - for contacts and agenda, then sync this data to my SE P910i and ipod touch

The 5mx is my holiday psion for when I am away from home for more than a week and gets the majority of my files and software copied across from the netBook.

Every time people see me at work with the netBook, they still ask me what this lovely computer is, what it can do and that they would love to have one...  a pity!...

I have spares of the netBook, 5mx and P910i and have no thoughts of changing for as long as possible!

Even now, after using Psions for 15 years and the EPOC software for 10 years, I still find new things it can do and better ways of doing what I already use it for.  An amazing device, but more especially amazing software!

Cheers!

Lewis Hartman
UK