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Hardware

Psion Series 5mx released 59

Posted by Hemos from the fun-with-technology dept.
Pelle Braendgaard writes "The long awaited Psion Series 5mx is released on Tuesday. 5alive jumped the gun a bit and have a full detailed review up. I'm drooling already. Full JDK1.1 support, better screen, more ram, faster ARM CPU, etc.
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Psion Series 5mx released More

Psion Series 5mx released

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  • Someone's rev-eng'ed the link protocol and produced a Linux client. Istr they were talking about a kernel module to integrate it, too.

    And, like someone else said, there's p3nfs although that's a bit of a hack (but more portable :}).
  • The full screen apps don't waste screen space on window decorations, the menubar is normally hidden until needed, and it doesn't waste space on s silly application bar either.

  • It's 16 grayscale "colors" - for those that have sat at grayscale X terminals, that can be very clear to look at - possibly better for the eyes than colour in some lighting conditions.

    And it uses EPOC/32, not Windows CE. Once Opera/32 [operasoftware.com] is completed, I know what I'll do if I get some excess money to burn... :-)

  • ARM, the company, produces the designs and sells these on to partners who manufacture them and then resell them to customers who put them in machines who tehn resell *them* to end users like us who buy the things.

    The Psion 5 uses an ARM design licensed to Cirrus. The StrongARM is actually an ARM clone originally designed by Digital (now manufactured by Intel) which is code-compatible.

    (Disclaimer: I work for ARM, but I don't officially speak for them).
  • ARM used to stand for *Advanced* RISC Machines (not Acorn), but they've changed the name to just be ARM now.
  • I thought PalmOS was CE's main competitor... Anyway, i'm due for a new Palmtop anyway... (i'm still using the Psion 3a, which no longer fits my needs)

    Does anyone know if these things sync with Linux?
  • I have a #a, and it does some pretty neeto sound effects on its speaker, i colud only hope the speaker got better with time...
  • My question is, will the new software available on the 5mx be available as a ROM upgrade for Series 5 users? That Jotter app looks pretty handy. Java might be a bit slow on the older 5, though...

    And why didn't they put the Message Suite (e-mail, fax, and web browser - an amazing little package) on the ROM?

  • See the Beeb's (Auntie) write up on Psion at:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid _369000/369589.stm

    Buzz.

  • (I don't have the project website on me - anybody?)

    The Linux 7K project is at:
    http://www.calcaria.net [calcaria.net]

    /Bergie

    --

    --

  • It's not a beeper. In fact, the psion 5 has three buttons on the back which are record,play and fast forward buttons and it has a microphone on the front. These allow you to use it as a dictating machine which is quite cool. The speaker is reasonable for a small machine and you can sample sounds and then use them as alarms.

    Regards
  • Well, the '5mx won't run Linux from day one, as it uses a slightly different "system chip" than the CL-PS7110 present in the Series 5. But it's pretty close, so I imagine you'll see Linux running on the '5mx eventually...

    Ed
  • But the E-100 claims that it has:

    "Anticipated Avg. Rechargeable Bat. Life 25 Hours"

    Casio wouldn't exaggerate, would they?!?!?

    :-)
  • And MS know this damned well.

    The moment you can carry around a few megs of porn in your pocket and play it back in color, in the privacy of your own bathroom stall, you will have your future pocket-sized PDA leader.

    Sad but true.

  • It looks as if they're still using the same old crappy keyboard as in the series5. I've been using a Series5 for the past couple of months, and it's mostly a very impressive piece of machinery. It's fast, has excellent built-in software, excellent battery time, and the screen is ok. But the keyboard just plain sucks.

    Touch typing would be doable if it weren't for two things:
    1. Swedish keyboard layout which forces me to do double-key presses for three very common swedish letters.
    2. If you don't hit a key dead-on or you don't press it all the way down, nothing happens (this obviously goes double for the swedish keys).
  • This is by far the deciding factor for me. I don't want to have to boot windows to sync the thing. So, does anyone know if there will be any linux support?
  • Heck, get one on eBay and you save even more! You can get a Palm Original for $100 and a Palm Pro for $130. Just make sure your seller has good feedback, though.

    (btw, does anyone have a happy hacker keyboard they no longer need/want? The Lite version is $70, but I'm a poor student...)
  • There is another simple file transfer program called plp by Philip Goodman which has an ftp style interface. I've only got it working one way at the mo' and Philips e-mail address is out of date in his plp_1_6 distribution. I got the source from a freinds magazine cover disk. If anyone knows of a later version or a way to get in touch with Philip please let me know.
    I haven't been able to get p3nfs to work with suse 6.1 - does anyone know of any problems with p3nfs compatibility with 2.2 kernels serial handling?

  • Didn't you read the article? The message suite (email and web) is on the ROM (much faster).

    Umm... Actually, web is only included in the CD that comes with the 5mx package, just like the JVM.

    Email, then, is on the ROM, and also contains other nifty features like fax and (finally!) SMS support.

    In all ways, 5mx sounds like a very promising machine. Now, if I only could synchronize it with my Gnome calendar... *sigh*

    /Bergie

    --

    --

  • I bought a Psion Series 5 about four months ago and have absolutely loved it. I take notes on it in class, write papers on it when I have a few minutes in the library between classes. If I have articles I need to read, but don't have time at home, I just download them to my Series 5 and read them when I have a few minutes on campus. The Series 5 is nice because it turns on instantly (I don't have to wait a minute for Windows to boot) and it is small enough to just throw in my backpack and carry it with me wherever I go. I got mine on eBay for under $300 and it has been well worth every dollar!!
  • The Psion Series 5 is an excellent machine (disclaimer: I own one) but I really wonder what Psion/Symbian has been doing for the last two years. A faster processor, a slightly better screen and some improvements to the built-in apps? That's a little bit disappointing. There's very little that I can't do with my 'old' Series 5 right now that the 5mx can. With a CF disk I should be able to install all the new apps without a thought and Psion's even considering a ROM update for the plain 5.

    So what do you get? Some more speed and a slighlty better screen. Considering the fact that speed never was a problem for me anyway (even searching my company's contact database with >3000 entries only takes a few seconds) - all that remains is the improved screen.

    Hm, I really was expecting something more dramatic to wipe out the CE competition (despite the fact that the 5mx probably still is the best PDA with keynoard around). To kick MS's ass they have to do better. Otherwise the Big Bad Company's marketing power will stomp Psion sooner or later (we've seen them doing that before and everybody knows that Beta was superior to VHS ;-).

    [Sidenote: I sent my Psion in for repairs almost three months ago and still waiting for the machine - grr. Their customer support is really awful]
  • I did not see anything about color.. I want color..and I don't want windows CE either...
  • Actually it is, for me at least. It just takes a wee bit of adjustment (read: fingers closer together) so after a long day of typing at a regular keyboard that must be remembered.

    Marv
  • I don't have much of a need for these devices except to play around, especially since I'm still a student. Somehow the stigma of being caught dead playing with a device as bulky as this and typing stuff in it is too much for me. Even the palm pilot is too much, although it would be neat to be able to put assignments into that and/or schedule my days a little bit better since I tend to get lazy.

    All of these things cost quite a bit for a student, are they worth it? I've only gotten to use a palm pilot for a small period of time. Are there any students out there using palm-size devices with any luck?

    Hi Ben,

    I picked up a Pilot 5000 when I was finishing school, a Pilot Pro when it came out and a Psion Series 5 last year (and I'm still going to night school ) so I thought I could give you some thoughts on this.

    I found that the Pilot was indispensable to me while I was in school. I used to carry a calendar book around with me to jot notes in and keep my schedule etc. Entering data was nice and easy, but *finding* stuff I'd previously written wasn't always fun. The searching abilities for a PDA are very valuable for me. A nice thing about the Pilot is that searching occurs across all apps/data. It's also smaller than a paper planner and you never need to look for a pen.

    My schedule and contact list is simple enough that the Pilot has no trouble with it. A lot of people in sales etc. complain that (the address book especially) isn't powerfule enough for them. I don't use a desktop PIM so the included Pilot Desktop is plenty for me (and modern Pilots sync with Outlook).

    The downsides to the Pilots were low contrast (steadily improved with each generation... the current ones are quite good), bad case design (but the new Palm V is great), not enough memory (addressed through third parties) and no backlight (introduced with the second generation). I also would have preferred an integrated rechargeable battery instead the ability to use AAA's because I am seldom that far from an outlet. I would love to see the ability to use compact flash or smart media added in the future.

    Unfortunately, I was never able to take notes in class. I can't write graffiti fast enough and in engineering classes you often need to scribble diagrams and equations as well. I addition, in hostile environments it can be tough to write things by hand.

    I picked up a Psion Series 5 because it offered a keyboard and most of the computing power and PDA functionality that I needed. I considered a Windows CE machine at the time, but found that they all felt too sluggish and had too much decoration clogging the limited screen real estate (an especially big shock if you are used to the Pilot). For the past year, I have successfully used the Psion to touch type notes in my classes. It doesn't have a small document length limit like the Pilot, has bulleting and formatting options and the ability to quickly insert sketches.

    I also use the Psion as a serial console for my Linux box and as a serial debug console for embedded devices I program at work. When I wake up early enough, I download my e-mail to read on the bus. The main reason I am using the Psion right now instead of a Pilot even though it is bigger and clumsier (and the build quality is abysmal) is because of the keyboard. I find that I can type in environments wherein I would not dream of trying to write by hand.

    Also, I read a lot of e-texts and the 640x240 screen fits a lot more text than the 160x160 of the Pilot (although the screen contrast is also very bad). The S5 can handle HTML and text natively and has automagic conversion for RTF, Word and a host of other word processor formats.

    For me, PDAs are definitely worth it. They help to organise my life, help me to keep track of important information. Are they perfect? No, each machine is a different compromise (although the Palm V comes pretty close to perfect for me) but I definitely consider them useful enough to carry around. I'm not sure why you would consider it a "stigma" to carry a device as "big" as a PDA since most are smaller than equivalent paper planners. Then again, some people in my class type their notes on IBM PC110s and Toshiba Librettos (which although bigger, actually have worse keyboards than my S5!)

    Hope this gives you an additional point of view.

  • Given the size, I'm betting the keyboard is not useable for touch typing

    Actually, the Series 5 keyboard is the best I've seen on a PDA.

    Of course the small size takes some getting time used to, but after using it for a while, you can type with it (almost) as fast as with a regular keyboard.

    My only complaint is that in the Nordic edition letters like ä and ö require two keypresses (the letters are used in Finnish all the time). But if you are typing in English, this isn't a problem, of course.

    /Bergie

    --

    --

  • See
    the BBC's article `Psion now a Java machine' [bbc.co.uk] and ZDNN's coverage of Sun's announcement that Java will be coming to the Palm soon [zdnet.com]. Psion, as part of Symbian, are going head-to-head with Microsoft, with EPOC now WinCE's main competitor.

    The Dodger

  • Looks [psionking.com] good to me [= How much do they cost?
  • I saw an article in info week or some other rag last month that Psion was also working on something called "Project Jedi" which was supposed to cost about $1,200 and be released later this year.

    The specs were: 8.5x11 clamshell design, 64MB of mem (48 available, the rest used by the OS), nice color screen and a 200MHz StrongARM CPU... though the 5mx looks like a really nice handheld (I've got a series 5, and it's REALLY handy).

    -nate
  • I don't mean to be messing with Hemos or anything, but why is the Psion so much better than other things. I am still convinced that the Cassiopeia E-100/105 is quite a bit better than this guy. I mean, color screen, 131 Mhz processor (OK, it is DragonBall) and Wince does make it not quite as good, but still. . . Any explanations as to the Psion's superiority would be appriciated. . .
  • A machine like this, combined with a *specific* distribution such as one tailored for network debugging, or one tailored for project management or for contact management, would be *the* perfect use for Linux, to my mind.

    With the scalibility of the kernel, the widely adaptable interfaces offered by X (and it's micro sized cousins), all it would take is some decent niche apps to *really* make a killer handheld.

    I find the Pilot is wonderful... but still limited in that it's yet another OS/environment/set of SDKs to program in. Same with Epoch, and I don't think it will ever catch on with as much shareware/freeware as PalmOS or even Windows itself has.

    Linux is catching up *rapidly* to the dearth of Windows shareware/freeware available (anyone remember the early days of www.winfiles.com?).

    All someone really needs to do is write a *GOOD* clone of Outlook, and a GOOD clone of Office (StarOffice falls under mediocre, not good) scaled for the type of use a handheld would get. For instance, mostly read, rather than hardcore write/edit, ease of connectivity, screen real-estate a focus. That would kill off WinCE, which is trying to be too much all at once.

    If you want to specialize, like a doctor carrying a bag of medicines and examination tools, keep a small, real-estate-friendly interface, or even a command line, and compile what apps you need.

    The biggest questions are A: Does this thing have a flash ROM that you can overwrite with your own boot code, and B: Is anyone up for the task?

    mindslip
  • One thing in particular that makes me like this device is the Next-like scrollbars and such. It's a really nice clean-cut design that kicks the pants out of Windows CE in my opinion.

    I don't have much of a need for these devices except to play around, especially since I'm still a student. Somehow the stigma of being caught dead playing with a device as bulky as this and typing stuff in it is too much for me. Even the palm pilot is too much, although it would be neat to be able to put assignments into that and/or schedule my days a little bit better since I tend to get lazy.

    All of these things cost quite a bit for a student, are they worth it? I've only gotten to use a palm pilot for a small period of time. Are there any students out there using palm-size devices with any luck?

    Ben
  • Hi, just wanting to know. Is the ARM, as used in Acorn RISC, Psion etc., related to the StrongARM (from Intel I think?). Thanks.
  • Here are a couple of reasons I can think of off the top of my head...

    1) Does not use WinCE.

    2) You can touch type on the keyboard.

    3) Wider screen.

    blah blah blah...
  • well, i got my palm IIIx cause i'm lazy and would loose track of time...
    i planed on using it for college but there was an shortage of money.... i use it at work.

    i really like having all my addresses, things to do, etc... in one place. also i was in a need of a new graphing cal. i have not found a program that does that easyly but i do have a nice programmers cal.

    i wouldnt want to try and write my notes in it, but, having them with you all the time would be helpful. maybe when studying.

    the palm IIIx costs under $300 so if someone wrote a graphing cal. app. you would be only paying $200 more...

    hmmm, better get back to work....
    nmarshall
    #include "standard_disclaimer.h"
    R.U. SIRIUS: THE ONLY POSSIBLE RESPONSE
  • A buddy and I were just talking about this same thing. He just got a PalmPilot. He was driving home and tried looking up something, like a phone number. So at a stop light he tried, but it was too cumbersome, and not very handy in quick lookups or entries.

    However, with my Psion, I'm able to quickly access data with it's "finger"-size app icons, for the mostly used apps (such as data/rolodex and agenda). Plus, if I can record and playback sound files with the external buttons, which make it very handy for times when driving, or voice notes, which can be transcribed later.

    Just my 2.5 cents worth.

  • It seems like the company that makes Psions is actually providing hardware information and helping to port Linux to these beasts.

    Linux already runs on these machines.

    Take a look here [calcaria.net]. They have screenshots [calcaria.net] of the machines running Linux, too.

    Very very cool!
  • I'm a Classics student and find my Series 5 really helpful for writing essays in libraries where I can work far more easily than in my room (which has far too many distractions in it :-) ). You also don't irritate everyone else with a whirring hard drive. Other than that, it gets used as an overblown address book and something on which to type little things that occur to me on long train journeys. Okay, so I certainly don't /need/ one but they are truly beautiful little things.
  • You're right that these things are expensive, but they're absolutely brilliant when you make a point of using them. I use mine for knocking up web pages when I'm away from my computer, writing reports, keeping track of email addresses and my timetable, recording quicky voice notes and anything else I can dream up (playing old ZX Spectrum games is a biggy ;).

    Probably the worst thing is the size. Not so bad in winter when I can shove it into my jacket pocket, but finding room for it can be a bit of a pain in the butt in hotter weather.
  • 20+ hours battery life.
    Fantastic touchtypeable keyboard.
    WP supports fonts, styles, spellchecker.
    Spreadsheet has full graphing capability.
    Sound support.
    You can embed all the different types of document in one another (sound, spreadsheets, pictures, graphs etc etc).
    Doesn't fall over when you tap the screen.
    Can run Linux.
    Has LOADS of software.
    Realtime OS.
    Application documents are usually very small.
    Supports 128Mb+ CF disks.
    Built in IRDA.
    And it does all this faster on a 18MHz CPU than WinCE on a 75MHz CPU.

    Oh, yeah... It doesn't crash either...

    Once you have one of these, you don't need a PC AT ALL. There's more, but you should check out the psion web site; www.psion.com
  • Considering ARM stands (stood?) for Acorn Risc Machines then yes they are related :) .. the rights to the StrongARM were purchased by Intel when the software side split from the hardware side of the company.

    At least that's my recollection from speaking to an Acorn owning friend (I'm not an Acorn person).. they're good machines :)
  • I'd rather have something that was truly useful than something that is just pretty.
  • The number one question...

    Have they fixed the blasted hinges yet!
    That is the number one weakness of all Psion
    products, those stupid weak hinges on the screen.
  • It Runs Linux... ask Alan Cox :-)

    (I don't have the project website on me - anybody?)

    Psion have HUGE experience in handhelds. I believe they *invented* the personal organiser, but they just don't have MS/HP/Casio marketing power.
    Instead, they have 'DOH-why-didn't-I-think-of-that' software/hardware design.

    My ancient Psion 3a, when necessary, is the emergency console for my Linux box (if X freezes, or svgalib crashes).
    The rest of the time it keeps my appointments, spreadsheets, notes etc and passwords (encrypted file - a feature even then) with me.
    And all for 2xAA batteries every 3+ months...

    And this from when its competitors were still calculators!
  • I am an engineering student with a Palm III that I use for the exact purpose you mentioned: assignments and day planning. (the shareware RPN calculator doesn't hurt either) Of course, Hardball (like Breakout) sees some use during pathetically boring lectures (and has much higher replay value than the HP-48's Minesweeper :)

    You're right in that they cost a bit much for a student, but if you look around the various mailorder-type websites until they have specials on them, you can get them for significantly under list price. I got mine at MicroWarehouse [microwarehouse.com] for about $75 under the price listed on 3Com's site.
  • There's a free package available called p3nfs that enables you to mount the Psion's internal drives on your Linux (or other Unix) box, via the serial cable. It works pretty well, and I use it to tar and gzip my Psion's data regularly for backup purposes.

    Converting documents (i.e. between Wordperfect and Psion's Word program) is still only supported (AFAIK) under PsiWin in Windoze. I've been trying to get PsiWin to work under VMWare, but I can't seem to get the serial ports to work in VMWare...

  • Actually, they've completely redesigned the hinges in the 3c and 5 series. Much better, although the display on the 5mx is a bit tough to read at times. (Oh, and I have nothing to do with the company.)
  • I used to hook my series 5 up to a Linux box using the terminal application and then transfer files using the built-in Z-modem support... You just need to attach a tty to your serial port on the Linux machine. This also allows you to do cool things like use the Series 5 as a text terminal for your machine, so you can read email/chat on IRC whilst someone else uses the Linux box for something more graphical =)

  • Colour screen means your batteries don't last long. The Psion is supposed to last 30 days on 2 AA batteries.

    Win CE machines need colour because the user interface sucks without it.

  • Can someone tell me what the psion sound device is like, and if it's a beeper as i suspect ;), if it's possible to add some sort of sound device to it?
    I've no desire for color, but i'd really like to be able to compose on the run :-)

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