PSION Resurrected By Linux 91
razzer writes: "The PsiLinux.org team have worked magic with getting Linux to squeeze into its new home of portable computers. Thanks to the falling prices in hardware the PSION 5mx is the most powerful, cheapest and smallest way to carry your best friend Tux in your pocket. Something no geek should leave home without. But now its gone one step further, check out http://thomas.de-ruiter.cx/projects/psion which is Tader's site. You really need to see these PicoGUI ( http://www.picogui.org/ ) screenshots. The best one has got to be this one which shows the oustandingly attractive aqua theme."
hmm... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:hmm... (Score:1)
Re:hmm... (Score:2)
Re:hmm... (Score:1)
(I know, I know...)
Aqua theme (Score:1, Offtopic)
Mmm, looked at this kind of thing a while back (Score:3, Informative)
As I can get ssh (via java) and perl installed *anyway* running Linux on my PDA with it's tiny keyboard gives me no real benefit. Of course, I'll back up and do it some day, probably when I upgrade my PDA.
Besides, the 5MX isn't the smallest linux PDA, the Revo is smaller and also capable of running psion linux.
Nokia 9200 series (Score:1)
Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
Forgive me for being stupid, but why in all reality would anyone be too fussed about 'themes' on a Psion 5mx? The original EPOC GUI looked alright and had good support.
I had an old Psion 3 few years back running some hacked up debian rom and it worked, could establish serial ppp connections, even ran an eggdrop from it, but it was just a bit of fun (Yeah, don't try and compile _anything_ on a Psion unless you want to wait a long time).
I forget who it was now, but I remember a while back some articles about another PDA manufacturer was going to use/was using a Linux based o/s for it.. Not really seen much come of it yet..
There are lots of things to take into account.. like Synchronisation. What exactly would you sync up between a Linux PDA and desktop machine? It's not like you've got Outlook running or anything, and i've not seen any piece of 'groupware' on a Linux platform that even contemplated supporting PDA integration/sync'ing.. (Not that i've looked too hard)..
I think the scope here is much wider than just having a PDA running Linux, it requires just as much or more effort from the 'desktop' developers or these PDA's will be useless..
Re:Why?[OT] (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Re:Why? (Score:3, Informative)
As for the synchronization, PIM, etc. to go along with a Linux PDA, that's where there are lots of options. Microwindows, X, Qt/Embedded.. and PicoGUI. To me, the best reason to run Linux on a handheld is to take advantage of cross-platform applications. Especially in a GUI designed for scalability, you should be able to run the same app (with a recompile if it's in a compiled language of course) on a Helio, VR3, Psion, Zaurus, or a laptop.
pretty slick (Score:3, Insightful)
BAD: big guy making linux run on his own hardware
GOOD: little guy making linux run on the big guy's hardware.
Disclaimer: I'm not really being cynical here, i understand the concerns of limiting hardware access and draconian copy-protection, it's just interesting.
Re:pretty slick (Score:1)
So, this isn't really X.
It is Linux though, which is quite nice too.
Re:pretty slick (Score:1)
2 users? (Score:1)
Re:2 users? (Score:1)
Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault... (Score:5, Informative)
The netbook is an awesome machine - it still gets 'oohs' and 'aahs' from co-workers who haven't seen it. It's got a 640x480 touchscreen screen with full keyboard in a clamshell type design. I've got the 64Mb version with a 340Mb microdrive for any rubbish that I need. Here are the things that I absolutely love about it
* Instant on - i.e. within a second. Beats the hell out of booting a laptop, even from sleep mode.
* The bundled apps, although minimal, are perfectly functional. Wanna write a doc, do a spreadsheet, read / write email ? Absolutely no problem
* It stops me tinkering. It just does the job
* 6 hour battery life. speaks for itself.
The things I despise
* It's called a netbook. It's networking drivers are still 0.1, support the barest minimum of devices and frequently crash. How can you call something a netbook if it doesn't network ???!!!
* It's TCP/IP over the Irda is shockingly bad. Probably goes back to comment 1.
* Minimal, some say none, Mac support. Oh well.
* Lastly, FORGET about any further development about Epoc 6. Oh yeah I was an idiot to believe the rumours about that !!
To have a usable *nix ported to a netbook would be an absolute godsend. I could code here, code there, email, etc etc. Man I would *pay* (and I mean pay) at least 100 GBP to get my netbook running a reasonable X with just the simplest apps working.
Anyway, please keep up the great work linux -> psion porters. PLEASE !!
QNX? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault. (Score:2, Informative)
The speed at which things seem to be developing is really exciting, and so i wouldnt be surprised if there was a working X server before long.
Just before Xmas there was no kernel or anything for the Revo, and now I have it booting and running no problem....
just give it some time
Re:Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault. (Score:1)
Re:Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault. (Score:2)
Re:Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault. (Score:2)
Have you seen/considered SavaJE [savaje.com], a Java2SE OS, while it's not X, I've seen X for Java. It makes me wayy to tempted to nip into the local CashConverters and pick up a netBook...
mlk (happy Revo owner)
Re:Shafted by Psion, but probably not there fault. (Score:2)
Huh? Symbian [symbian.com] is very much alive and kicking, releasing new versions of Epoc (yeah, 6.0, 6.1 etc) when they're ready - and they're used in products like Ericsson R380, Nokia 9210 and the upcoming Nokia 7650 as a few examples.
You _do_ know that Symbian was created from Psion Software, and that Ericsson, Nokia, Psion, Panasonic and Motorola are co-owners, right? (Now add SonyEricsson to that)
Psion Range (Score:3, Informative)
Having said that, the Aqua theme does look tasty enough to warrant finding a Netbook going cheap. From experience with CE professional laptops, I can say that a laptop form factor with no HDD and 'instant on' is a lot more useable than a full scale notebook by far. Add Linux? Yum!
Falling prices? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Falling prices? (Score:1)
Re:Falling prices? (Score:2)
Psions are a great bargain nowadays (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Psions are a great bargain nowadays (Score:1)
It's also a cut being reflected on other sites, which leads me to believe it's come from Psion itself. It would make sense: their share price along with their market share is taking a bashing and the best way to get sales is to undercut even the unuseable end of the Palm range.
Re:Psions are a great bargain nowadays (Score:4, Informative)
If you're wondering why Psions are so cheap nowadays, it's mostly because Psion have stopped making them. The reasons are complicated, but I suspect it comes down to a form of the British disease: we invented many things that the modern world takes for granted, but we're hopeless at making money out of them.
I agree that the OS is rock-solid. I've owned three Psions in the last 4 1/2 years, and have had exactly one crash in that time. This resulted when I let my girlfriend's eight-year-old nephew play with the machine, a testing method I recommend to anyone who thinks they write stable code ;-)
I wouldn't swap my 5mx for any variety of WinCE, nor for a Palm. Many people don't realise that Psions are true handheld computers, whereas most PDAs are more like detachable peripherals for a desktop machine. Many Psion users don't even own a desktop.
The thing that drew me to Psion in the first place (apart from patriotism) was their excellent keyboards. It saddens me that most newer PDAs have, at best, sorry excuses for keyboards. I can type a lot faster than I can write with a pen, especially on a slippery surface like an LCD. Perhaps I'm atypical, but I enter a lot of text while I'm on the move. The wordprocessor is the most-used application on my Psion, followed by Contacts. I hardly use the Agenda on it. My favourite program for it, though, has to be the ZX Spectrum emulator that actually runs faster than the original on some games. So I suppose I don't fit too well into the target market for all these new Linux-based PDAs (when one actually appears on the shelves), because I don't need to be told minute-by-minute where I'm supposed to be, nor do I want to surf the web on a 2-inch screen or listen to the same 20 MP3s while I go there.
Damn... I'm getting nostalgic for a machine that isn't even officially dead yet. Psion have said they'll support them for the next couple of years. I take my hat off to these guys for the cool hack, but I think we won't see the true utility of Linux on a 5mx until Psion's support ceases.
Re:Psions are a great bargain nowadays (Score:2)
IMHO - Psion dropped the ball when they tried to grab market share by making the money losing Revo. Most Psion users (like me) diden't care what the things cost and would glady have paid the high costs of a product that allowed Psion to make a profit. Simply put - Psion should have played to their strengths: wonderfully built little computers. Palm already had the cheap little organiser market locked up.
Re:Psions are a great bargain nowadays (Score:1)
mlk, a happy Revo user, that ill not move on till there is a nice sized keyboard device...
Re:Psions are a great bargain nowadays-bull (Score:4, Informative)
Sales? where? I dont call pricing it the same as the new Sharp Zaurus as on sale.
A search on ebay for used ones the average price is $160.00
If there are great sales on these items post a link to where, as 5 different E-tailers list them as really really pricey.
3G cell phones (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:3G cell phones (Score:1)
There is no chance in hell that Windows CE will ever become a bigger player on Cell-phones imo. It will also become smaller on the PDA front when Nokia whips up more Phone/PDA's that are of superior quality.
Re:Are you happy to see me?.. (Score:2, Funny)
Well, shucks, if they can get linux running on their psion i'm sure they can get Karin [de-ruiter.cx] doing many more tricks on their Psion.
(no, these aren't completely off topic, but more images from the same dir)
Dot CX (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Dot CX (Score:1)
I advise against buying a Psion (Score:2, Informative)
Nice hardware, shame about the company.
Re:I advise against buying a Psion (Score:1)
Re:I advise against buying a Psion (Score:1)
Apple. (Score:3, Funny)
Welcome to Lawsuit County, population: You.
--saint
After Psion, Nokia? (Score:1)
How about Linux on the 9200 series? Surely half the work has been done if its already been ported to a 5mx...
Re:After Psion, Nokia? (Score:1)
Penguin pants (Score:3, Funny)
(sorry, couldn't resist this awful joke.)
PicoGUI help wanted (Score:5, Interesting)
PicoGUI's still in need of developers, authors, and artists. We need developers to write PicoGUI applications and help debug/extend/port pgserver. We need authors to write more documentation. We could even use some artists (preferably with some programming knowledge) to make some more themes. If you're interested in helping, join the pgui-devel mailing list or stop by the #picogui IRC channel on irc.openprojects.net.
Re:PicoGUI help wanted (Score:2)
PSION long history with linux (Score:3, Informative)
Re:PSION long history with linux (Score:2)
mod me down. (Score:1)
Heh (Score:1, Troll)
You mean it looks like X?
-or-
Don't worry, it's prolly just in "X11 emulation mode".
C-X C-S
Psion Revo (Score:1)
Cool, now if only psion 5/5mx lasted 2years (Score:3, Informative)
If your thinking of buying a psion 5/5mx just be aware that it dosn't last very long, there are planty of other faults, don't get me wrong I loved the machine and psion, I owned a psion 3a before it, but I finally just got fed up with Psion's consistantly bad reliability.
Revo problem (Score:1)
Bit big-headed aren't you? (Score:2)
The nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition dept... (Score:1)
Sorry.... it had to be done.
;)
what works and what dont (Score:3, Informative)
Heres what works:
- infrared, just like a serial infrared on your desktop! (irattach and away you go).
- serial (connect it to your desktop with pppd)
- framebuffer console (640x240 4bpp)
- power on and off (deep sleeps the psion)
- backlight
- install a full debain-arm distro! (basically anything console that works on your desktop will work on the psion at the moment)
- great for running your favourite editor, irc, lynx etc.
Heres what dont work:
- X works but without keyboard or touchpanel support yet.
- sound (apparently it should be easy to write a driver but noone has got round to it yet)
- contrast controls
- uses more power than EPOC (even when 'off') but probably not huge difference in battery life.
Heres some problems with it:
- cant use IBM microdrives, only compact flash
- only 16meg memory, and swap on a flash card isnt a good idea (flash has a limited number of write cycles)
- a bit slow (36Mhz, emulated FPU)
- no specific distro for it yet (ie nothing like familiar for the ipaq, although most of familiar will run on it cos they are both ARM machines).
Wouldnt it be great if someone managed to buy the rights to build these machines again running linux instead of EPOC? I recommend snapping up a cheap second hand one while your still can.
Jornada please (Score:2)
It will have the crl bootloader + familiar distro.
Details will follow.
Anticipation...anticipation, it's making me wait!
Diamond Mako (Psion revo plus) (Score:1)
Mirrors? (Score:1)
Anyone have a mirror for the Series 5 version? The FTP site (ftp://linux-7110.sourceforge.net) seems to be dead or Slashdotted or whatever.
Thanks