Slashdot Mirror


Psion Is Back :-), With Windows :-(

An anonymous reader writes "Forbes has an article about the come back of Psion in the high end PDA market. Psion's OS, Symbian, that used to power their PDA (as the Revo for example, or the Series 3, or the Series 5), has been mostly used in cell phones lately, like the Nokia 3650. According to Forbes's article, the new Psion laptop/PDA, the Netbook Pro, will not be powered by Symbian OS, but by Microsoft CE.Net." prostoalex points out a ZDNet review of the device, "which is smaller than your usual notebook PC, but larger than a regular PDA. The product Web site contains specifications in PDF format. It's an Intel Xscale PXA255 400MHz, 128MB SDRAM and 32MB Flash, SVGA (800x600) device supporting CompactFlash and Secure Digital (usual for PDAs) as well as PCMCIA (usual for laptops)," and notes that despite the OS, "the specs list the presence of JEM-CE Java Virtual Machine."

179 comments

  1. Slashdot now using :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashdot users see how lame it is :-(

    1. Re:Slashdot now using :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn right it is lame... if this does 1.1KG I would defer to this )http://products.sony.co.uk/productdetail.asp?id=1 0_27_4484) at only 300g more.

    2. Re:Slashdot now using :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See that? Waaay over there? No, further. Further... that's it! Way the fuck over there! It's the joke you missed, go back and get it.

    3. Re:Slashdot now using :-) by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      For us US-centric /.ers, here goes:

      Psion Netbook Pro (400MHz XScale w/WinCE): 2.42lbs
      Sony Vaio PCG-TR2A (1GHz Pentium M ULV w/WinXP): 3.11lbs (standard battery)
      Fujitsu Lifebook P5000 (900MHz Pentium M ULV w/WinXP): 3.4-3.85lbs (config dependent) (and it benched faster than the 900MHz version of the Vaio which had twice the RAM)

      I'd rather have the Fujitsu, because it has a modular drive system. (BTW, the model you linked to is discontinued in the US)

    4. Re:Slashdot now using :-) by takasuz · · Score: 1

      And,

      Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 (400MHz XScale w/Linux-based):0.44lb

      The specs are similar, so why not linux? Probably I should wait till the next Zaurus appears.

  2. Linux user gets laid... :-) off :-(. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    1. Re:Linux user gets laid... :-) off :-(. by BhAaD · · Score: 1

      Jokes...

    2. Re:Linux user gets laid... :-) off :-(. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Sarcasm is strong in this one.

  3. Why dont they use BeOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They purchaced Be source they might as well put the work done by BeOS-IA to good use. It would run great on a 400mhz processor.

    1. Re:Why dont they use BeOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Palm bought Be, not Psion.

  4. Quick! by SkArcher · · Score: 1, Funny

    This PDA needs an OS transplant!

    --

    An infinite number of monkeys will eventually come up with the complete works of /.
    1. Re:Quick! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This PDA needs an OS transplant!

      OMG!!!! WINDOWS!!!!

    2. Re:Quick! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That isn't a troll.

    3. Re:Quick! by Analysis+Paralysis · · Score: 1

      A number of Psion users agree with you and have created an online petition to have the Symbian/EPOC (not Sybian you perverts!) OS as an option (as used in Psion's previous NetBook, 5/5Mx and Revo/Mako).

      A NetBook Pro forum has been set up at PDAStreet/Psionplace to discuss this - with plenty of posters bemoaning the lack of EPOC.

    4. Re:Quick! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      not Sybian you perverts!

      What ever do you mean? You're like the lesbian running around acting like a lesbian and yells "sexist" whenever someone says you're a lesbian.

      Are you trying to imply that you are a Sybian? Please don't sit on my face, please not now Rosie O'donnel.

  5. Please Cease and Desist Use of :-( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    As you may be aware, ":-(" is the registered trademarked property of Despair, Inc. It has come to our attention that Slashdot's use of this trademark was unlicensed, and thus it must be removed. If our trademarked :-( is removed immediately, it will not be necessary for us to file charges . Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

    1. Re:Please Cease and Desist Use of :-( by zenpiglet · · Score: 1

      I particularly liked the slogan for the Demotivators Screensaver:

      "Windows. Now more depressing than ever."

  6. this is not IRC by arcanumas · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Day Slashdot uses "LOL" in a story, i stop reading it...
    I'me afraid it's close..

    --
    Slashdot Sig. version 0.1alpha. Use at your own risk.
    1. Re:this is not IRC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      asl?

    2. Re:this is not IRC by Sancho · · Score: 1

      I dunno, I think the emoticons are worse than an abbreviation like LOL.

    3. Re:this is not IRC by fermion · · Score: 1
      and the day that a comment get's posted without a spelling or gramatical error is the day I stop reading, as well!

      By the way, what is IRC? Some of us are over 30 ya' know.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    4. Re:this is not IRC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're over thirty you should know!
      Check google.

    5. Re:this is not IRC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I suspect you are pulling my leg about not knowing what IRC is ,but i will respond anyway.
      IRC = Internet Relay Chat.
      RFC here
      And an explantion here

    6. Re:this is not IRC by darc · · Score: 2

      Ironically, those over 30 might recognize that IRC is Internet Relay Chat, a chat network and system set up waaaay before the world wide web ever was, dating back to when usenet didn't have spam, and the glory days of gopher.

      Ah well. May as well join into modern convention.

      LOLOLOL ROTFL U R 2 K00L K BYE.

      --
      Tired of legitimate data sources? Try UNCYCLOPEDIA
    7. Re:this is not IRC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By the way, what is IRC? Some of us are over 30 ya' know.

      No, it's the other way around you stupid cow! People over 30 knows what IRC is, people below don't.

      I bet you can't even buy a beer yet.

    8. Re:this is not IRC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      30,m,Lonely

  7. Good. by Rolken · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With something that close to a PC, I'd rather be using Windows anyway. There's no point in creating compatibility issues for myself just to be able to say I screwed Microsoft. With cell phones syncing isn't an issue, so go ahead and have that market.

    1. Re:Good. by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Especially when I can get a full featured laptop for $1600 with a widescreen display and a CD-RW/DVD and a 900MHz Pentium M ULV, and it only weighs a pound more (OK, so it's only a 10.4" widescreen...) So, in the new /. phrasing:

      Full-featured 3.4lb laptop with a widescreen :-), that's 10.4" :-(

    2. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'd have to be stupid to pay that much for a laptop. I just picked up a Dell Latitude P3 1.13GHz for $450.

    3. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, everyone who wants and can afford a faster computer than the one you just purchased... is stupid. Of course.

    4. Re:Good. by evilviper · · Score: 1

      Windows CE isn't compatible with Windows, so compatibility is moot. You wouldn't have any more of a compatibility issue with Symbian/EPOC than you would with Palm OS or Win CE.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    5. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Totally agree ... I hear idiotic Psion fans whinging about this change and petitions being held but ... THIS IS A BUSINESS MACHINE desined for the BUSINESS COMMUNITY ... not gadget freaks sitting around in the consumer market.

      I'm a total Psion/Epoc/Symbian fan but it's crasy to have Epoc in a machine targeted at the enterprise community.

      However good Epoc is, expansion/connectivity (e.g. bluetooth, sd cards, MULTI-WORKSHEET spreadsheets, etc.) is key and having WinCe in the Netbook (an excellent piece of hardware in itself) makes the device much more attractive to the business community ... the market it (and Psion Teklogix) aim at.

      So Psion fanboys, hush, you obviously are not in business ... if you like Epoc so much write the drivers and applications necessary to make it an attractive offering emulator and let the rest get a much more improved Netbook.

      It's an excellent move by Psion (and I don't work for them) ... I loved the original netbook but didn't have time for Psion to reinvent the wheel so went elsewhere.

      This new Netbook is very appealing and is something we'll consider introducing to our workforce.

    6. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You probably don't know what you are speaking about. Last time I seen Windows CE/Pocket PC it didn't have decent MULTITASKING and there were compatibility issues even between desktop MS Word and Pocket Word.

      It's a complete overkill to have such an amazing hardware running Windows CE. It could even run Windows 2000 (400MHz, 128 MB RAM...) if they only used some Transmeta/Via/... low consumption x86 processor and added a ~$150 512MB CF Card as a disk.

    7. Re:Good. by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      I'll say that IS a great deal, and I would have definitely got that. However, how heavy is your Dell? Does it have a ULV Pentium M? What's the optical drive? Is it less than 2" thick? Is it smaller than a sheet of paper? NOT that I have enough money to buy a $1600 laptop, I'd say it's pretty damn close to being worth the money. Especially considering $500 usually buys you a 366MHz PII laptop...

    8. Re:Good. by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Actually, the one I mentioned is probably about the same speed. The one he purchased is 1130MHz, whereas this one is 900MHz. However, there's the Pentium M ass-kicking effect, most pronounced against a Pentium 4, but due to the enhancements made on the Pentium M, it IS faster than a Pentium 3 at the same speed. In this case, it's a smaller computer, not a faster computer.

    9. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure how heavy it is. It's definately not the lightest laptop that I've ever had. The model is Dell Latitude C810, so you could look it up if you want the exact specs. It's got a P3 Mobile CPU running at 1.13GHz, 256MB RAM, 20GB hard drive, and an integrated nVidia GeForce2 Go.

      Although it might be larger than my old Compaq Armada, it's nice because the keyboard isn't cramped and the viewable screen area is 15", which is much larger than the Armada's 12" display.

    10. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good for you. I was comparing this laptop to the one in the previous post. Anyhow, I've done research and I could not find a better price for this system. It may not be the highest end laptop, but I definately don't need anything more powerful right now.

  8. MUST /. be so biased? by Kedisar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Without even using the thing, they just see "windows" and automatically go :-(

    At least let it show what it has to offer before you automatically go "well, I'll NEVER use that peice of shitty windoze-crap!" Sheesh...

    1. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A company's products are evaluated on the reputation of the company in addition to the quality of the product. We expect Microsoft to have something up it's sleeve. We expect them to say one thing and do another. This mistrust is not unfair.

    2. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by siege04 · · Score: 1

      You must be new here.

    3. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      I don't think it's really bias. It's a geek site, and a large percentage of the readers like to mess around with the code of anything and everything they can. Windows on a device means by default you're not going to be able to do that with any of the software on it that you don't go out and search for, or write yourself.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    4. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Want +5 Insightful? Just post a message, say something like

      "M$ is teh gay"

      Just make sure to type M$ and Winblows alot. Fill up the page with it, heck, I think it's a requirement to be an editor now.

    5. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      exactly.

      it's unbelievable the editors are 20-somethings still acting like 12 year olds.

      It's no surprise considering they still watch anime, have poor spelling and grammar skills, and probably have never talked to a woman without having to give their credit card numbers.

    6. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's wrong with anime? =@_@=

    7. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Doomrat · · Score: 1

      I love you guys. And really, 20% of Slashdot is advertisements, so we should start refering to it as $lashdot.

    8. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bill Gate$ Fanboys are teh ghey!

    9. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, why can't you write win CE apps ?

      God you're dumb.

    10. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      So, why can't you write win CE apps ?

      That falls under my comment of "or write yourself". Writing for WindowsCE isn't nearly as much of a pain as it used to be, especially now that SDL is available for it. But that defeats the whole purpose of buying an Operating System or Distro for me. Modifying existing programs in an enviroment that almost suits my needs is fun. Having to build the majority of the enviroment from the ground up to get the same effect is a waste of time and the money spent on trying to get this in the first place.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    11. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In SOVIET RUSSIA, Microsoft writes Slashdot with a doller sign!

    12. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude! Have you actually tried to use Windows CE? At least for its PDA incarnation? it makes Windows ME look good! Need I say more?

    13. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WOW!!!! ..Yeah.. lets see what windows has to offer... 0ohh... just kidding... SOlitaire is available for Linux too? darn...

    14. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by crucini · · Score: 1

      A man rings your doorbell. When you open the door, he punches you in the nose and runs away. The next morning he's back with a baseball bat in his hands. Do you open the door to see "what he has to offer?" Maybe he's offering a great price on a baseball bat?

      Some of us are black and blue from Microsoft. We're in no hurry to open any more doors for them.

    15. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by k8to · · Score: 1

      Maybe if you were aware of the history of Psion, you would realize that their home-grown OS had high levels of productivity and usefuleness/data intergchange for over a decade.

      The frowny face at Psions with WinCE isn't just anti-microsoft bigotry, it's a userbase who was satisfied who has now been given a bait-and-switch.

      --
      -josh
    16. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by evilviper · · Score: 1

      I have had Windows CE devices... They are flaming pieces of shit, and I will never even think of trying that again.

      Unconditional hate of Windows is justified.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    17. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "large percentage of the readers like to mess around with the code of anything and everything they can"

      How many slashdot readers know how to code? I guess that it's not THAT many...

    18. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by Air-conditioned+cowh · · Score: 1

      Every thing that happens that results in Microsoft's influence increasing is bad because their level of control has already reached a worrying level, and they just keep expanding.

      Do you really want to live in a world "locked-down" by Microsoft?

      I don't.

    19. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by plumby · · Score: 1
      What do you find so bad about them?

      I've had two different iPaqs over the past 3 years, and apart from the size, they are pretty good. They've got pretty good handwriting recognition (I've tried to go back to Graffiti on Palms, but it's painful in comparison - don't know whether the latest ones have addressed that). The apps pretty much do what I want from an organiser. They are certainly not perfect (size, as mentioned, and build quality - my first one died 3 days after the 1 year warrenty ran out), but they are certainly not flaming pieces of shit.

    20. Re:MUST /. be so biased? by evilviper · · Score: 2, Informative

      What do you find so bad about them?

      There's an incredible large number of things, I'm sure I'll leave some out here...

      Performance. On a 100+MHz processor, WinCE apps take an incredibly long time to open, even compared to the apps on my 36MHz Psion5. Every time you do something, click on something, etc., you have to wait. EPOC/Symbian is just so much snappier.

      Stability. Using the device regularly, it would just completely corrupt all my data almost like clockwork, once every week. I admit I'm a heavy-duty user, but that's no excuse. I've NEVER had my EPOC-based Psion5 crash, corrupt data, etc. After years of using it, it's track record is spotless, while the WinCE device was quite the opposite.

      Then there's stability of of the system. I had to reset the damn thing at least once a day, if not more. I have NEVER had to reset my Psion. These 2 things alone make WinCE qualify for the "flaming piece of shit award."

      Features. The Windows CE apps were bare-bones, featureless junk. You can type text into the word processor, and that's about it. Very little formatting, no fonts to choose from, no font sizes, no embedding of other data... Just nothing at all. It was like a system which has nothing but Notpad. With the Psion, I got a full-featured office suite, that comes close to rivaling the desktop version of office, with infinitely more stability.

      And how about printing? You are absolutely screwed if you want to print something. You need a computer with the Sync software installed, connected to a printer. That means you get to cary your cables around, a CD of your software, and need to find a system where you can install it. Then you get to go through the annoying process of telling it 20 times that you don't want it to automatically backup your files to the computer. What a huge pain.

      Flexibility. Anything you want to do, you have to load a seperate program. My Windows CE device didn't even come with a filemanager. It's like Windows 3.1, where you had to open files from within the apps, wthout the 3.1 option of Winfile. There was no registry editor, even though I ended up needing to change settings there rather often. It was just simply not a real system, just a toy... Just a hassle.

      Input. Kill me if I ever consider using handwriting recognition. One in every 10 characters would be a typo, if not more. I switched to using the on-screen keyboard, and input wast still many times slower than it would have been, had I just be writing on paper. I will stick with a keyboard any day. WinCE input was still error-prone, and it wasn't very good about making formatting changes. I would decide to go back and italicize something, and it usually just wouldn't do anything. I would end up selecting a little bit less text, and a little less, and sooner or later it would highlight something, but not everything I wanted it to. It was like working with Microsoft frontpage all the time, with all of it's restrictions on what you can do, where you can do it, and within what area you can do it.

      Programs. I found limited Windows CE programs available. With my Psion, I found a free, small, PDF reader based on XPDF. The Psion comes with a terminal emulator, and it was just a free download to get a good telnet program. Converters, advanced calculators, etc. A free SSH program. EPOC comes with a great POP3 e-mail program, and a quick download gets you an upgrade to IMAP support. I found that tar, gzip, and bzip2 were all ported to EPOC, and were freely downloadable. Much more. When you look at thrid-party software, you see the nature of the product. With Windows CE, you find lots of practically useless toy programs (like MP3 players, IR remote control programs, etc), while with Psion/EPOC, you find incredibly useful, productivity apps.

      Battery Life. With my Psion, I get approximately a month of use out of a pair of AA batteries. I happen to use rechargeable NiMH rechargeable AA batteries. With my

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  9. Not for that much..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    the price is over $1500, I'd rather buy a fully functional laptop for that price. /overpriced

    1. Re:Not for that much..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For that much, you could almost buy a decent Mac laptop!

    2. Re:Not for that much..... by Kedisar · · Score: 0

      Really now, my Thinkpad cost $1500 (MSRP) and something tells me that Windows XP Pro, 1.3ghz Pentium M, 40 gig hard drive, and 15" screen is a great benefit over a few bits of flash ram gadgetry.

    3. Re:Not for that much..... by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "the price is over $1500, I'd rather buy a fully functional laptop for that price. /overpriced "

      You buy stuff like this for a specific reason, not for general computing. It's sort of like saying "I'd rather buy a fully fuctional car than a bus pass." This is not a mass-market product, so you shouldn't be worrying about buying it over a laptop. Instead you should be thinking about whether or not it has specific qualities that would solve a problem for you. If it does, but the price is too high, then you're not the customer for it. BFD.

      It's small, has a touch screen, and is instantly on. Presumably (the site's been Slashdotted) there are no moving parts so you don't have to worry about walking around using it. I can tell you my company would be interested in it. We have a digital video camera that sends data to a small portable PC. (not a laptop, long story.) Right now, we have an iPaq using 802.11 to talk to it. You can use it as a viewfinder, and to tell it "record, stop record, use this filename, etc" A device like the Psion (depending on a few details I haven't been able to verify) sounds like it'd be a useful replacement, in some situations, to the iPaq. We don't need a 14 inch screen, we don't need a 2 ghz processor, and we definitely don't need the boot-up time. We just need a simple device with a decent resolution screen (800 by 600 is great!) that can instantly turn on and off. Afterall, it is just a glorified remote control.

      So, to summarize, no it's not the product for you. However, it's a faulty assumption that it's intended for you. I've noticed that some Slashdotters have a tendancy to not look at the strengths of a unit, instead figure out how they can get by without wanting/needing it. That's not the true geek way.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  10. It's too big! by fejikso · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Have you seen the size of the device?

    IMHO, those big-sized PDA's have not and will not be successful because they are too big to be as convienient as a palm-sized PDA but too small to be enjoy the benefits of a notebook.

    So, in the end, it doesn't matter which OS it'll use... people won't like it and won't buy it.

    1. Re:It's too big! by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 1

      IMHO, those big-sized PDA's have not and will not be successful because they are too big to be as convienient as a palm-sized PDA but too small to be enjoy the benefits of a notebook.

      It's aimed at the corporate market - who will buy it because it has an 8 hour life on one charge (with a wireless card) and is much harder to mess up than a laptop. It also can display a decent ammount of a technical manual and work with an Extech wireless printer - an ideal type of device for a company like Sears and their home service guys.

      (Sears currently use Extech printers and PDAs for their field staff - but they are a bit of a pain to read tech manuals on. This size PDA is no more hassle to fit in a truck, and a good deal more robust than its competitors, tablet PCs, as well as having a much better battery life.)

      --
      Beep beep.
    2. Re:It's too big! by yomegaman · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Once it's too big to carry in my pocket, I really don't care how big it is because I'm going to carry it in a bag anyway.

      --
      ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
    3. Re:It's too big! by steveha · · Score: 1

      Don't let the Windows CE fool you. This isn't a Pocket PC, this is a subnotebook.

      I have an old laptop computer that is far less powerful than this thing; it also has an 800x600 16-bit display, but it weighs almost twice as much and has one-quarter the battery life. This thing's 400 MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, and 20 MB of available flash memory are already enough for many applications, and you can always add more storage in one of the three slots (PC card, CompactFlash, SD/MMC).

      This thing has several niches it can play in. It could be trivially ruggedized (no hard disk, no moving parts of any sort) so it would be a good choice to throw in the back of a repair truck. It could be loaded with just a few corporate apps, and it should be a very reliable subnotebook (people won't be installing CometCursor or Gator on a CE device!). If your corporate apps are in Java, no problem, because they added Java (CE doesn't come standard with Java). Like another poster noted, this ought to be perfectly good for reading PDF tech manuals. It also ought to be perfectly good for email and web.

      Heck, I'd love to own one of these, but not for US$1500. I'm too cheap, and there are not enough times when I wish I had a no-moving-parts laptop.

      It would be even more fun if this thing were running Linux. It should actually be possible; I know Linux runs on the XScale CPU. But I don't know how tough it would be to get all the hardware working, including modems and WiFi cards. For my purposes, all I really need are web and ssh, and you can do both of those on CE.

      steveha

      --
      lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
    4. Re:It's too big! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some of the responses I've read on this here ... it's too big, overpriced, runs WinCe ...

      People obviously don't understand (or want to understand) who the device is targeted at.

      I'm going to start a petition requesting people think before the littering the internet with their nonsense replies.

      If you want Epoc on the new Netbook, you're all geeks, write an emulator.

    5. Re:It's too big! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, that's right, that's why the original Netbook itself is still being sold and why they're releasing this new Netbook Pro.

      Think before you speak. This device is aimed at the business customers who want a light laptop-alternative to do the basics. And now that the Netbook Pro can handle wifi/bluetooth/sdio cards etc etc etc ... it makes it much more attractive. When before we would not buy a Netbook, now we are evaluating them.

      Think.

  11. Choice of OS - not so surprising by vlad_petric · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Symbian is great & all (extremely stable, low footprint, etc.), but in terms of programmability it just sucks badly. Because it's meant to be used on devices with small memories, even doing "simple" operations on strings can be quite a chore. This advantage is crucial for something like a phone, but it's not unusual for a PDA these days to have 64M+ (very limited gains here). Furthermore, the non-standard programming style makes portability a serious issue.

    Of course, it would have been nicer if their choice was Linux. OTOH my current Linux PDA (Zaurus) can't really be sync-ed with my Linux Desktop (unless i downgrade my ROM or use OpenZaurus, which is a mess in itself), whereas a WinCE one can ...

    --

    The Raven

    1. Re:Choice of OS - not so surprising by GoofyBoy · · Score: 1

      >can't really be sync-ed with my Linux Desktop ... whereas a WinCE one can"

      Are you implying that WinCE can sync with a Linux PC? Care to share a link because thats the setup I have now and would love to do that.

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    2. Re:Choice of OS - not so surprising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Symbian born to cope with low memory footprint ->
      Symbian API is so ugly that it's not even funny ->
      Low memory footprint are no more an issue ->
      Symbian is dead

    3. Re:Choice of OS - not so surprising by vlad_petric · · Score: 2, Informative
      SynCE with MultiSync .

      There are some rough edges, but you can get it to work (not true for Zaurus w. new ROM)

      --

      The Raven

    4. Re:Choice of OS - not so surprising by UpnAtom · · Score: 1

      The nicer screen you have & the more memory you have, the shorter the battery life.

      Psion was always a niche product - small & lightweight for those who needed a useable keyboard.

      I still rely on my Revo and probably will until somebody produces a better input device.

  12. Psion is back but not for consumers by GoofyBoy · · Score: 1


    From the ZDNet article:
    "If you're thinking of buying a NetBook Pro to replace your notebook, note that Psion has no intention of directly supporting individual consumers at this stage."

    And even if it were at $1500 US there are better options.

    I suppose you need to add a couple more ":-(" in your title.

    --
    The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
  13. Decent Mac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now there's an oxymoron...

  14. Who would want this? by fbw · · Score: 5, Interesting
    ...when you have alternatives that beat the device on all fronts?


    The Fujitsu P1000 is lighter, smaller in all dimensions, has a larger screen, higher resulution, twice the memory, significantly more storage space (hard drive instead of 32mb flash), comparable battery life, also a touch screen, and it's even cheaper to boot too. Oh, and it runs Windows 2000 or XP instead of CE.NET, or potentially your alternative OS of choice if you spend enough effort in it.

    1. Re:Who would want this? by nucal · · Score: 1

      Yes, it can run Linux

    2. Re:Who would want this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      so ?
      "Hibernation works well in Linux under APM, but is still iffy in the land of the ill-supported ACPI."

      Iffy on linux maybe :)

    3. Re:Who would want this? by Aliencow · · Score: 1

      And the screen is awfully easy to break, you can't put more than 256mb of ram in it, the CPU is seriously underpowered, the screen's resolution suck (not high enough) and the battery is no way near 8 hours. And Yes I really did use one.

    4. Re:Who would want this? by PD · · Score: 1

      When manufacturers say their batteries last 3 hours, they really last two. When they say they last 4 hours, they really last 2.5. When they say they last for 5 hours, they really last 3. When they say they last for 8 hours, they really last for 5. I hope that helps.

    5. Re:Who would want this? by Aliencow · · Score: 1

      Good luck trying to heavily use a P1000 series Lifebook for 5 hours in a row though.

  15. What's the point? by saihung · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There were many great things about Psion palmtops - their clamshell formfactors with actual usable keyboards, their lightweight power requirements (several days on a charge), and yes, their OS. The netBook/Series 7 really never did much for me - it was basically laptop sized, still ran EPOC/Symbian OS so it could (more or less) only run simple PDA style apps, and was, like this machine, expensive. I don't see why new Psion this is an improvement. I loved my Revo+, but it always seemed like Psion didn't know what they wanted their product to be or who their audience was. They killed their own products through simple lack of development.

    1. Re:What's the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Becasue the netBook isn't marketed as PDA, yes it's from Psion (and yes they made PDAs, but they stopped) it's a platform for the vertical markets ie door to door sales man, social services running bespoke apps on platfroms with better battry life than PC based notbooks and less moving parts to break...

      Fizban
      The cause of the problem is:
      crop circles in the corn shell

    2. Re:What's the point? by sir_cello · · Score: 1


      I agree.

      The Series 5/5mx (as an evolution from the Series 3) was a good product.

      The Revo was basically a "funky" and slightly cut-down version of the 5/5mx; that came out sometime after the 5mx, and just before the Series 7. I have had no experience with it, but I could see where they were aiming it. Unfortunately their target market probably wasn't big enough, didn't need the keyboard, and was happy with the functionality offered by mobile phones (which were becoming more sophisticated at this time). The Revo loses out to Palm's and mobile phones in my opinion.

      The Series 7 was an attempt to get into a market that doesn't seem to have much momentum - somewhere between a PDA and a PC notebook -- i.e. a slightly dumbed down PC notebook. I see the potential, but I don't see the reality. Time will tell if a market segment opens up here (e.g. providing students with notebooks for school/university: the MTBF/cost/complexity/reliability of a standard PC style notebook may be considered a bit of an overkill, so this segment may provide a good price point). I see the Series 7 as also trying to be part of "the tablet pc" market. I know that in our household, despite the need for high end notebooks for work / etc; we use one of our old notebooks as a "dumb webterminal" - the Series 7 or a tablet PC would be the kind of off the shelf product that we'd consider if we had to pay for this sort of functionality.

      It is a shame to lose Psion consumer products. They produced good products. I feel that they were distinct enough from other organisers as well.

  16. I have a question... by Vikki_R. · · Score: 1

    This is prolly a dumb question, but why can't it run Linux? Can't you buy it and load Linux on it? It *does* hook up to a PC, after all. *shrug* Just my dumb question of the day...

    1. Re:I have a question... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You really were home schooled, yikes

    2. Re:I have a question... by t_allardyce · · Score: 1

      Dont make that mistake, i have a Casio Cassiopiea PocketPC and windows is on the ROM, you cant bypass it (why would Microsoft allow that?) and it comes with such useless things filling up the limited space as "AOL Sign Up" (you'll use that once if that and its stuck there for ever) and an un-bypassable tutorial when you hard-reset it that shows you how to "cut and paste" and it damn wont let you pass until you bloody well cut and past that example apointment! And ofcourse casio decided to stick their own calender and address book in there as well as Microsofts versions for no apparent reason. Its all there on the ROM, even though the system is missing some quite important features, looks like they didnt have space.

      --
      This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
    3. Re:I have a question... by ttj · · Score: 1

      It's actually quite a good question, and I would believe that even if currently there is no support for Linux, the PsiLinux project will eventually get Linux running on it. More information about running Linux on Psion PDAs is available at the aforementioned site.

    4. Re:I have a question... by Sciamachy · · Score: 1

      Depends if the ROM is flashable or not, or if there's a part of the ROM that's flashable (i.e. if they have a non-changable base system ROM and a flash rom that'll hold upgrades - well, being WinCE it'll need service packs every so often!). If they can over-write the ROM easily enough, it's possible to upgrade it to Linux (or even install SymbianOS if you so desire and have a copy of an old Netbook ROM).

  17. Only a matter of time . . . by psilosopher256 · · Score: 1, Troll

    I'm looking forward to the day that the NYT uses emoticons in headlines. Thanks, /., for showing me how classy and trust-inspiring that sort of thing can be!

    --
    ---Psilosopher
  18. Expensive PDAs by damacer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'd like to hear how useful most people find the more 'advanced' features in high end PDAs.

    For me a PDA is does its job well as a electronic todo-list, calandar and address-book. Any lowend PDA has all of the features. So, is it really worth it pay the extra cash for a highend model?

    1. Re:Expensive PDAs by mabhatter654 · · Score: 1
      As an SysAdmin, I'm waiting for something like this to knock off all my "secretary" PCs. This has almost enough guts for 90% of office workers needs. Definately would meet student's needs. But other posters are right, it's WAY overpriced. This should be $500-$700 tops. and it's got no NIC! I'd really like a PalmOS version of this though. That would bring Palm into the bigtime, and there are already lots of apps ready. Remember, it's time for simplicity over cool features!

      We're looking at the Post-PC age. PC power is now a commodity, most productivity software can be found OSS, there's not really a need for the general user for faster, we're at the point it just needs to WORK. Like a TV, day after day, the same thing. Combine this with the Rumba server [from down below] and PS2 and you could actually be 100% connected WITHOUT actally owning any PC hardware! That's a great thing, if disconcerting for /.ers.

  19. Coming next on slashdot by ModernGeek · · Score: 1

    Graphic emoticon support! Soon slashdot will be just as cool as MSN 6 and those boards that are full of emoticons, images, etc.

    --
    Sig: I stole this sig.
  20. Why is with windows ":-(" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is it sad that it is with windows? Most people use windows, and can do more with windows, so it is obviously the most powerful choice. The average person can acomplish more in less time in front of a windows machine. Windows is, to most people, the "full computer." (of course, I am not in this majorioty, but slashdot cannot ignore it)

  21. Wrong chassis (don't care about the OS) by gdav · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Netbook! It is, and always was, TOO BLOODY BIG.

    I wish they would continue developing the Psion Series 5 line, which has the best small keyboard ever made. I'm being very careful with my last surviving 5mx, but nothing lasts forever.

    I was really impressed by Epoc32 at the time (mid 1990s?) but I'd buy an updated Series 5 running anything - Linux, Symbian Quartz, MS Pocket PC - whatever. Just so long as they kept the keyboard. And fixed the stylus retainer!

    1. Re:Wrong chassis (don't care about the OS) by jswalter9 · · Score: 0

      Psion has never actively pursued the consumer market; they consider the enterprise to be their niche. In some ways, the device is more rugged than other alternatives, and with no HD you do have increased battery life without an extra extension battery. The new model also boasts the ability to store things you don't want to lose in a total power failure on an internal flash card (which is nice in comparison to the original netBook that had no internal persistent storage). I don't at all prefer CE.Net, and would have liked to see them at least offer a port of Linux, but I guess there's business decisions that overrule technical ones.

      --
      Retired from software... maybe. Sort of.
  22. But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by Texas+Rose+on+Lava+L · · Score: 0
    From the article:

    The company says it will sell the Netbook for a list price of about $1,500, which is comparable to that of a notebook PC. But it argues that the cost of owning a notebook over its lifetime, including the purchase price, software upgrades, maintenance and repair, can average out to $8,000 per unit, versus an estimated $2,000 per unit for a Netbook Pro unit. And while we're familiar with how notebook PCs get abused and damaged in the course of routine use, that figure seems a bit high by our reckoning.

    If you believe this company's RIAA style math, their Psion is only 1/4 the cost of a regular notebook. I guess they might be able to convince a few PHBs with that argument. The only advantage I see to this over a laptop is it would be easier to use on an airplane.

    1. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Add a pound and $100 and you've got: 900MHz Pentium M, 256MB RAM, CD-RW/DVD, 10.4" XGA Widescreen, built-in WiFi (centrino-grade), and a better OS (relative to WinCE, but if you don't think XP is a good OS (aka you're sane), or just don't like it, run Linux on it - just as easy as on any other centrino).

    2. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My my my, you really seem to like to bash Windows for someone who uses it exclusively on his Intel machines. Shut the fuck up you little 16-year old hypocrite.

    3. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haha, the truth about the "m$ windoze sux0rz" trolls comes out.

    4. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nmap has something to say too:

      Port State Service
      25 tcp filtered smtp
      68 tcp filtered dhcpclient
      80 tcp open http
      110 tcp filtered pop-3
      135 tcp filtered loc-srv
      136 tcp filtered profile
      137 tcp filtered netbios-ns
      138 tcp filtered netbios-dgm
      139 tcp filtered netbios-ssn
      445 tcp filtered microsoft-ds
      520 tcp filtered efs
      5800 tcp open vnc-http
      5900 tcp open vnc
      Device type: general purpose
      Running: FreeBSD 2.X or 3.X or 4.X, Microsoft Windows 95,98,ME or NT,2K,XP
      OS details: FreeBSD 2.2.1 - 4.1, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Win 2000 profressional or Advanced Server, or WinXP
      TCP Sequence Prediction: Class=random positive increments, Difficulty=8586 (Worthy challenge)
      IPID Sequence Generation: Incremental

      Now, if this isn't a Windows box...

    5. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Easy, there. Some people don't like Windows because they're locked in to it by MS software. Also, did you notice I said Windows XP ? I personally don't mind 2000 that much. I AM tied down by MS software, but I'm switching gradually, as I find alternatives. As for the XP box, that's really my parents' box. I TRIED to convince them to run 2000, but they didn't want pirated software on it if they had to take it in to the shop, and Windows XP Home was $99, but 2000 Pro runs $250-300.

    6. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      You don't know how NMap works, do you? NMap tells you what it THINKS is there. For example, I once portscanned an XP box that seemed to have a trojan (it didn't, though). It told me that kdm was running on it, even though it got the OS signature as 2000/ME/XP. I looked in to the port number on Windows, and it found that a RAT Trojan called NetSpy used that port. Of course, it turned out to be the link between Windows Explorer and Windows Fax. (If you do the proper netstat, it'll show 1024 and 1028 as open, talking to each other)

      Notice many of those ports are filtered? Most of the juicy ones, anyway? That's the Zyxel ADSL Modem (it's a one-port, one-PC router).

    7. Re:But it's $6,000 cheaper than a laptop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Well Netcraft seems to have some different ideas than you, Mr. I-hate-Windows-but-my-webserver-runs-IIS. Also, if we take a look at your HTML source, we see the following:
      <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0">
      Oh, and someone with mod points, please, mod this loser "-1, Offtopic". I think that would be the icing on the irony cake.

      Eric == P0WNZR3D
  23. How much would you pay, then? by Thag · · Score: 1

    I'm thinking you can view this as either a mini-laptop with mobile or a super-PDA.

    As a mini-laptop, I'd start just below entry level for a new laptop, and add the value of wireless. New laptops start in the $600-700 range, so we'll say 550 plus $100 for wireless is $650.

    As a super-PDA, you might be able to justify it as a step up from a Sharp SL-C7xx series, which would take you into the $800-900 range.

    Either way, it seems overpriced to me.

    Jon Acheson

    --
    All opinions expressed herein are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled.
    1. Re:How much would you pay, then? by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Actually, it should be about $1000 - at least - mini-laptops run $1500-2000. Still, I'd much rather pay $100 more and carry a pound more to get a real mini-laptop. Psion has ALWAYS been overpriced, especially in the US, except on the bottom of the line, where it sucks.

  24. MOD PARENT UP - GOT IT IN A COCONUT (NUTSHELL!) by RobertTaylor · · Score: 1

    das ist die autobahn, ja?

  25. this is so sad... by lxs · · Score: 1

    A Psion running CE, that really is a fate worse than death.

  26. Why is this so expensive? by hirschma · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm asking, actually curious if anyone has any insight.

    I mean, it has an embedded processor, little memory, a small low-res screen, likely no graphic chip, no hard drive, smaller battery, etc. Every component is cheaper than what you'd find in the cheapest consumer notebook. And they aren't supporting consumers, so that cost is reduced.

    My guess is that the R&D came mostly from a cheap/freely licenseable reference board.

    Is this simply a function of economies of scale, the fact that their target audience is price insensitive or has few other options, or is there something else at play that I'm not seeing?

    Jonathan

    1. Re:Why is this so expensive? by t_allardyce · · Score: 1

      Yes, Windows licensing fees.. One day they will be more expensive than whole PC's too!

      --
      This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
    2. Re:Why is this so expensive? by hirschma · · Score: 1

      Um, most notebooks have Windows installed on them as well. I'd guess that the CE license is cheaper than XP Home.

  27. This is sad by pesc · · Score: 1

    I really respected Psion. They made usable PDAs long before the Palm computer was released. They came with a usable keyboard, yet had a small size to fit in a pocket. With long battery life.

    I loved my Revo. It was small and had a great look. With a real keyboard. And the built in symbian OS and applications were great.

    And now this! Too big for a PDA, and runs Windos for crissake! They have gone from innovative unique products to this totally uninteresting yet another WinThing. Bleh!

    I just wonder what I shall replace my Revo with. It must have a good keyboard, yet fit in the pocket. Long batery life and some kind of built in networking. (Does WLAN kill batteries? Do I want bluetooth?) NO WINDOWS. Maybe a Zaurus 760? When are they released outside of Japan?

    --

    )9TSS
    1. Re:This is sad by amembleton · · Score: 1

      Maybe a Zaurus 760? When are they released outside of Japan?

      You can get one imported from Dynamism.

    2. Re:This is sad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.conics.net has them (with english os, too).
      And last time I checked they were cheaper then dynamism & co. (I'm not gettin paid by them or something but the c7xx has been on my list for a while, too, so i compared prices)

    3. Re:This is sad by Lurks · · Score: 1

      Sony PCG-UX50 might fit your bill. It runs palmos, has bluetooth, wifi and a keyboard. It's bastard expensive though.

  28. d00d r u kidding? by gatesh8r · · Score: 1

    IRC taugt me 2 type mi term paprs wel! Like I 3 meeting ppl f2f irl. It's a gr8 thing.

    --
    Karma whorin' since 1999
  29. Hmm by pr0c · · Score: 5, Informative

    We use a rugged Psion Handheld with an RFID reader to identify livestock electronically (approx 50 sets) as seen here http://www.insight.com/uk/apps/productpresentation /index.php?product_id=PSIMX2MB.

    It couldn't possibly be a less reliable piece of shit. Memory cards randomly stop responding, it thinks its batteries are too low to operate even when fresh. Devices attached to it such as the RFID reader stop responding randomly.

    I've had one get hot enough be uncomfortable to your hand but not hot enough to burn (it stopped working of course) and others just stop working all together. They are rated for a 1 meter drop on concrete and we had one stop working after a 2 foot drop off of a chair onto carpet and die.

    I guess the only thing worse than these Handhelds is the RFID reader manufactured by a different company, Hotraco, that misread often if they bother to read at all. We have gone through a few dozen failed units and had to mail the rest to the factory for an internal wiring weakness repair as an oversight from the factory.

    Anyway.. I guess all I'm getting as is you'll never see me buy a Psion PDA. At least my Psion Goldcard works well!

  30. Odd decisions. by fondue · · Score: 1

    Firstly, at least Psion acknowledge that the PDA form factor is a dead end, with increasingly powerful phone platforms making it irrelevant to the modern market.

    However I do think that it's odd that they've decided to differentiate their new offering by aiming at a 'laptop-lite' kind of product. It's like something from five years ago. The price just seems far too high, especially compared to Sony offerings in the sub-notebook and PDA+keyboard markets (which are expensive in themselves).

    The decision to use WinCE is just stupid, doubly so for a company involved in Symbian.

    Also no Bluetooth, WiFi or ethernet port built in. Erk.

    At a fraction of the price, a little less bulky and with Symbian and it might be interesting.

    --

    Preferences > Homepage > Customize stories on homepage > Authors > Zonk > Uncheck

  31. zerg by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 1
    come back
    return?
    --
    [o]_O
  32. Boycott the pSion by Adolph_Hitler · · Score: 0

    Lets make them switch back to Linux with a boycott!

    --
    People don't exist to serve systems, systems exist to serve people.
  33. We need less expensive PDAs by zymano · · Score: 1

    Not the more expensive Pdas .

    We need a pda that cost around $70 dollars.

    A replacement for graphing calculators would be nice.

    The LCD screen is what i am guessing is causing the prices to still be up there.

    1. Re:We need less expensive PDAs by spiffyspiff · · Score: 1

      you mean colour screens are expensive? guess so. but greyscale lcd's are dirt cheap. there are a number of pda's (palm lookalikes) that sell for around 30 or less / $50 in the UK. e.g. Sharp ZQ's, Franklin's etc. they're not great. but i would guess in a couple of years time tungsten lookalikes will be the same price. (nice keyboard, wireless etc). i would guess the cost is the memory as well as the screen. and probably the battery charger.... (plus the OS of course if you're paying someone like palm or m$). i was a long time psion user ( best part of 20 years i think!). their consumer products fizzled out. and now they've sold out to m$. shame. they used to have a very good reputation for hw and sw as far as i was concerned (revo's aside). ah well. like someone else said, if they do well, someone will drop linux onto it. maybe some of the peeps at psion will get a conscience and help out. spiff

    2. Re:We need less expensive PDAs by neglige · · Score: 1

      I think the pricing scheme will alway be like it is, just as with PCs. High-end PDAs will cost around $800, $300-400 will be mid-range, and $200 will be an entry model (and anything above $1000 will be considered overpriced). What you will get for this price will vary, of course. Today's high-end systems will be tomorrows lower end.

      I wonder if anyone will come up with customizable PDAs, just like PCs or, to a lesser extend, Laptops. Since PDAs are small and highly integrated, this might take quite some time. But there is always hope :)

      Of course you can always find cheap (old) PDAs at an internet auction near you ;)

      --
      My cats ate my karma. They also wrote this comment.
    3. Re:We need less expensive PDAs by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      I'm curious about what you actually want from a PDA. My phone (T68) has a calendar and a phonebook (the two functions I really need from a PDA). It also lets me make voice and data (GPRS) calls and syncs with a computer. The keyboard is not great for typing anything more than a few words, but if I need to type more than that I use a laptop. Oh, and it cost less than $70.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  34. Fortune now a Forbes article? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did /. hire an MBA or something? :) What next: From the Yuppie Times here's an article about using Linux to manage a B&B in the Hamptons. Why I just saw the Hilton sisters the other night and well....

  35. I thought Psions were much better than Palms by LeoDV · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A long long time ago, PDA's didn't have built-in cameras, or tiny keyboards, and wireless computing was holding the infrared port of your PDA an inch close to that of your cellphone, not Wi-Fi.

    Can you remember? It was back when the hi-tech Palm to have was the Palm V but Palm IIIs were really the more affordable ones, it was also the height of the war between Palm and Psion. I decided I needed a PDA (I later found out I'm not rich and don't have the need, so I still don't have a PDA), and sampled each of the two big flavas (ooh), i.e. fold-out with keyboard and palm-likes, and found the fold-out kind to be vastly superior to the other, simply because input was made easier by the keyboard.

    Even if you know Graffiti, it's a long way to input things. You have to make a movement with your pen. So you can use the virtual keyboard, which eats up half of your screen, but you can only touch one key then move to the other. But then when I used the fold-out PDAs (my preference wasn't towards a Psion but a clone by Ericsson), holding it with both hands in front of me walking on the street, I could type with both thumbs. All things considered, since a keyboard layout is extremely familiar, and since I had two input sticks (my thumbs) instead of only one on the palm, I quickly achieved a much faster input speed, with a bigger screen... I loved it.

    Of course it depends on what you use it for. My use for PDA's was to jolt down ideas, so my emphasis was on what I could use to type in a lot of words. If you use it for scheduling, the palm-type might be better. Either way, Psion went out of business shortly thereafter and I always regretted their smart little devices. I know there have been others since then that have used the same basic layout (actually if I had to pick a device I'd probably pick a Hiptop), but my point is that I've always been nostalgic about Psion and it's good to see them back, even with Win installed.

    I'm sure we'll see a NetBSD port before the week-end is over anyway, right? ;-)

  36. Psion Teklogix, NOT Psion Computers by gidds · · Score: 4, Informative
    Don't get too excited. Psion Teklogix, producer of the original netBook and now this update, is not exactly the same company which made the Series 5mx &c. It only seems interested in corporate accounts, in large orders and vertical markets. (It was formed from Psion Enterprise and Teklogix International; I suspect that the latter had by far the stronger influence.) Psion Computers, the consumer-oriented branch and producers of the Organiser, Organiser II, Series 3/a/c/mx, Siena, Series 5/5mx, and Revo, is effectively long gone...

    Please sign this online petition if you'd like to see the netBook Pro running EPOC/Symbian OS. I doubt it'll have any immediate effect, but by indicating people's interest in the platform, it may yet do some longer-term good.

    I mourn the loss of Psion as was... while Symbian may have kept the core OS alive and in demand, that's no good to us if it's not being employed (or even promoted) in a form factor which can demonstrate its strengths. :(

    It's a credit to Psion that, for all its screen problems, the 5mx is still an amazing bit of kit - still my machine of choice, to which nothing else comes close. I just wish that they'd recognise that achievement and cultivate it. If only they'd not chickened out of the market; a little marketing and promotion would have done wonders. [fx: sigh]

    --

    Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.

  37. too much.. too lame.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it was too expensive when it was running EPOC..

    amd it's way, way overpriced now that it's running CE..

  38. Don't even think of ... by porky_pig_jr · · Score: 0

    imagining the Beowulf of those :-(

  39. UK import by amembleton · · Score: 1

    I forgot to mention this in the parent post.

    If like me you're from the UK or Europe then you can get one from ShirtPocket for a whopping GBP 565!

  40. Dyslexic users and education by Nick_Gunz · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's an aspect of this whole Psion giving up on the Series 5 that I've never seen reported anywhere, but which has deep personal relevance to me and countless others. It sounds odd to say it, but Psion computers changed my life in a very real way, and now they're not making them my life is going to get a lot worse.

    I'm dyslexic (learning disabled to North Americans). I find it very difficult to write by hand and am unable to take notes effectively except by keyboard. Right now I'm a PhD student at the University of Cambridge but, if I handn't had access to a computer, I'd never have been able to finish high school.

    I used to carry a full sized notebook, but these computers have many problems including lack of portability, inadiquate battery life, and the fact that they're just to big to sit on those little note taking tablets they have in university classrooms. There are countless daily tasks I couldn't acomplish on such a low-portability, slowly deploying system.

    But Psion S5 computers are differnt. They are small, they are light enough to be carried everywhere. They take AA batteries that can be easily replaced on the fly and come in several convenient rechargable formats. They're instant on, so they can be used just like a non-disabled person would use a peice of paper. But most importantly, they have a full touch type keyboard. No other comptuer of its size now has a keyboard that can be used for touchtyping.

    It is that last factor that makes these machines so useful to people with writing problems. Without these computers I am too disabled to do my job. With them I am able to fulfill my potential in my chosen field. Taking them away from me is like breaking the hands of a pianist.

    The frustrating thing is that I can see such a ready market for these little machines. Everywhere around me are classrooms full of students writing away on paper when they would much rather be writing on a computer. I even see students perched awkwardly near ill placed power outlets, or sitting on the floor so that they can use their full sized notebook computers. How many of them would pay for a small touch-type computer if it were aimed at the student market? I'd be willing to bet a lot of them. Perhaps even the majority.

    But small computer have always been aimed at executives, and executives don't need them, because executives have offices and secretaries and such. As a result of this misdirection in the PDA market, thousands and thousands of disabled people are being robbed of their potential and their future. I don't know what I'll do when I can't get any more Psion S5 machines. They don't last forever. I'm beginning to suspect my status as a non-disabled person won't last forever either.

    You see a nice toy that never really sold well. I see a big part of my future disapearing.

    - NG

    1. Re:Dyslexic users and education by evilviper · · Score: 2, Informative
      Indeed... I'm not dyslexic at all, but the Psion 5 was the second handheld computer I bought... The first was a Windows CE that I thrashed after a couple weeks, because it's completely useless for just about ANYTHING...

      The Psion 5 however, was incredibly great for taking notes, or even writing up full-featured documents/reports. I could embed a spreadsheat/graph/image into a word document, just like you can with the Office suites on computers. I could type up an entire paper anywhere I happened to be, and could print it out just about anywhere. A few printers around me at my school had InfraRed ports built-in, so I could very easilly print to them. It also supported serial printers, or, in a worst case, you can install the software on a computer, and print through any printer the computer is attached to.

      I'm not disabled, but it sure saved me a hell of a lot of time, effort, hassle, and frustration, and I was quite saddened when they went out of business. Unlike 99.99% of other handhelds, Psions were not toys, they were useful, and productive devices, that I would have been willing to pay several times as much money for.

      I don't know what I'll do when I can't get any more Psion S5 machines. They don't last forever.

      I'm going to keep using mine for as long as I can. I've already fixed it when I experienced the famed spring problem, and I don't expect any more physical problem that can't be fixed. I fear the day that the electrical components go out, but it is a device that is extremely low power, and runs at room temperature, so I can't anticipate it ever going out, unless I drop it.

      As for you, I know of several computers will keyboards that are about the same size. HPCs have them, but you'll have to deal with Windows CE. I would seriously look for a Palm OS-based device with a keyboard, and I'd bet you'll find at least one good option. Good Luck. Worst case, you'll have to buy a couple more used Psions until another company makes something similar.
      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    2. Re:Dyslexic users and education by sir_cello · · Score: 2, Informative


      I second that; I have used a Psion 5 (not mx, unfortunately) to take notes for two postgraduate qualifications (the second one, a masters, I am completing at the moment).

      It's the perfect tool for students and this purpose:
      - inexpensive (relatively) at only 200-300 pounds;
      - runs off standard AA batteries for a reasonable amount of time, or you could use nimh rechargable AA's (I do);
      - has a workable keyboard you can actually type on in class;
      - has a touch screen, so you can draw images into your documents;
      - small and compact, fits into an A5 sized padded case for me (same padded case carries a few pens, spare batteries and other items) - means you don't look like a complete idiot down the pub lugging around a notebook case;
      - has all the built in organiser, spreadsheet, database, events calendar, etc you need to organise student life /activities;
      - has a connectivity suite, so you can connect to the internet, use it with email, etc (the 5 is too slow IMHO, but 5mx better);
      - use it with CF cards for extra storage, read documents offline;
      - there's a lot of freeware and shareware;
      - IrDA means you can use (I do) it with your mobile for data / SMS / phonebook / etc;

      The difference is that a Palm is designed to be a personal organiser. The Psion is designed to be a personal computer.

      It's very sad to have lost the 5/5mx; the overall design is of a high quality and standard.

      The only thing I wish my Psion 5 had was bluetooth (apart from wishing that it was a 5mx for the additional speed).

    3. Re:Dyslexic users and education by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

      I'd recommend a Fujitsu Lifebook P1000-series, or something similar, running linux. with the optimizations that can be made to the boot process (as recently reported here), you can likely get it to boot in under a second without too much hastle.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    4. Re:Dyslexic users and education by burns210 · · Score: 1

      so don't let the S5 go away, stock up a couple now for when yours die.

      Seriously, i will never know how useful this machine is to you, but the way you described its importance, i would suggest getting on ebay, or the like, and buying 1 or 2 extra S5s, with maybe a couple spare pens, and whatever accesories that could be hard to find in the future, then pack them away for when your currect S5 dies.

      Best of luck to you with your PhD

    5. Re:Dyslexic users and education by burns210 · · Score: 1

      it might be worth giving this guy a look. not as compact, but looks handy none the less.

    6. Re:Dyslexic users and education by evilviper · · Score: 1

      Seems fairly nice, but crap, it's not just a little bit bigger, it's notebook sized... More like double the size of the Psion5.
      Also doesn't seem to support CompactFlash cards, just SD/MMD.

      Wifi would be a nice addition, something that is unfortunately absenst from Psion systems.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  41. Bathwater saved. Baby misplaced. by ScottSpeaks! · · Score: 1
    I've been a Psion user since the Series3, back when their most serious competition was still the Wizard. The software was always first-rate, and the design (fitting a usable alpha keypad in a pocketable device) impressive. Unfortunately the units just weren't built to last, with materials that couldn't hold up to the clever folding designs. At least it gave me excuses over the years to replace the S3 with an S3a with a Revo with a Revo+.

    So, what have we here? Take a Psion. Remove the Symbian software. Remove the pocketability. What's left is... well, maybe someone else will be interested. {sigh}

    Meanwhile, as my current Revo is starting to click and wiggle when I open/close it, I'm contemplating buying a Nokia 9290 phone(!) to replace it.

  42. MS, burn in hell! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, fuck every PDA and cellphone using Microsoft Windows CE or Microsoft mobile platform. Imo.

    They already earn too much on their regular monoply, why should we let them take over yet another market???

    Repeat after me: From this day forward, I hereby swear not to buy any handheld device using an operating system written by Microsoft, until there are no other options left.

    Actually, I can't find words to describe how much I loathe that vermin of a software producing company.

  43. I have a house! :-) It has windows. :-( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...

    Lousy sunlight.

  44. Re:moo by FosterKanig · · Score: 1

    You should have your lower horn removed.

  45. Boring and irrelevant by cabalamat2 · · Score: 0, Troll

    I won't be using one. Psion, once an innovative company, is now an irrelevant M$ cloner, doomed to continually decreasing margins, while any profits from their products increasingly go Bill Gates' way.

    You'd have thought they would have learned from the mobile phone industry and realise why that industry is loathe to touch MS witrh a barge pole.

  46. For 30% more you can buy... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...3 times better. Rather sad. I still have a working Psion II, streets ahead in its day. But Psion lost their way long ago. I didn't even make fun of my friend who bought a Netbook. There was no challenge in ridiculing such an easy target.

    --
    Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
  47. PDAs are dead bcoz ... by losttoy · · Score: 1

    .... I want PDA + Cellphone + MP3 player. And a $1500 PDA?? Now who would want that??

    1. Re:PDAs are dead bcoz ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a business machine ... aimed at the business market for specific reasons. Think about that while you sit in the consumer market looking for gadgety little devices.

      Geezuz.

    2. Re:PDAs are dead bcoz ... by Da+VinMan · · Score: 1

      I have one. You could have one too. http://www.t-mobile.com/products/overview.asp?phon eid=166765

      There's probably even newer phones than this, but this is the one I have, and I like it. As far as it being a MP3 player, I haven't tried that out. It *should* work for that, I just haven't bothered to try.

      --
      Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!
  48. Vaio lighter still by mazor · · Score: 1

    The recent Sony Vaios have gotten fat. My 2 year old PCG-C1VPK (666MHz Crusoe, 192M w/ WinXP) weighs in at 2.2 pounds with the standard battery. Nothing on the market today even comes close.

    That Psion would release a "super PDA" that can't run off-the-shelf software that is bigger and heavier than my full-on XP Vaio laptop is pretty sad.

    -mazor

  49. The 5MX by snap2grid · · Score: 1
    Psion have said that their support for the old palmtops will run out in 2004 at which point I better pray that nothing goes wrong with my 5MX. Knowing this, I've been looking for something to potentially replace it on that fateful day. OK, so modern PDAs have fast processors, colour, USB, Bluetooth etc etc.

    But the Psion has a keyboard... and that just pisses over the usability of them...

    I've owned various Psions over the years and I can still count the crashes on one hand.

    I'm going to miss it.

    1. Re:The 5MX by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      I had a 3 for a few years, adn the only time it ever required a reset was when I found that the `change password' dialog let you type in escape characters, but unlock dialog didn't, resulting in it requiring a hard reset to blank the memory before I could unlock it.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  50. Replacment PDA here: SoftfieldTech Vr3 version 2 by zealotasd · · Score: 1
    It's inexpensive, $100 direct from >a href="http://www.softfield.com/vr3.html">Softfield or maybe $70 direct from Softfield's eBay sales, or even more inexpensively purchase a Vtech Helio (linux compatible) from eBay for about $25(used, missing items) to $55.00 (used and complete or new). The Vtech Helio has a faster (~70MHz) CPU than the Softfield VR3 version 2's (~66MHz) CPU, but it has less ROM/RAM (6MB/8MB) than the SoftfieldTech's VR3 version 2's ROM/RAM (16MB/16MV). Keep in mind, Vtech Helio perhaps has a hack that lets you replace the RAM/ROM to larger ammount, but I'm still looking. Oh and remember the Softfield VR3 version 2 is different than the original Agenda Computing VR3 (Agenda only has ROM/RAM 16MB/8MB or 8MB/16MB?)



    Great graphing calculators with the correct software, nonetheless! There is an emulator for graphics calculators, but why bother when you could have PERL or PYTHON or GCC or a X Server/Framebuffer...the programability is endless, but the space is limited!

    --

    Secured Party, Without Prejudice, UCC 1-207: Creditor
  51. The Netbook was way ahead of it's time... by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    The Psion Netbook was way ahead of it's time when it came out. 10hrs. + battery time under full load, 640 by 480 color display, fully Java compliant, built in Webbrowser, built in IDE for C/C++, Java and the Epoc PL (name?), word processor, spreadsheet and so on. It walked all over any other PDA and Notebook back then. It was exceptionally expensive, but it ruled.
    It's a shame they waste such a well balanced system that's custom built to fit the Epoc OS on WinCE.
    The bright side: The last stashes of old Netbooks may get cheaper now. :-)

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  52. Slow Down Cowboy! by pacc · · Score: 1

    Slashdot requires you to wait 20 seconds between hitting 'reply' and submitting a comment.

  53. Article is misleading by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The /. article, that is.

    If you read, it says its not really for sale; this is more of a technology demonstration.

    And $1500? I think the Sony UX50 was silly at $700. This takes the cake.

  54. And I know the reason by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "You buy stuff like this for a specific reason"

    I agree. Its one or both of the following reasons:
    1) You have too much money
    2) You are stupid.

  55. This is "/." not "c:\" by bit01 · · Score: 1

    M$ has a it's propaganda at microsoft.com and a thousand other websites, not to mention so called "educational" institutions. I for one am glad /. offsets by a tiny amount those bigoted mouthpieces.

  56. Windows CE.Net by nunya_biznez · · Score: 1
    >the Netbook Pro, will not be powered by Symbian OS, but by Microsoft CE.Net.

    Was I the only one to read this wrong in a first glance and wonder if MS was starting to take the old 'Windows CE-Me-NT' version seriously?

    I wonder how CE.Net compares to CEMeNT?

    "Anyone who quotes me in their sig is an idiot" --(who cares anyway?)

  57. The C-760 is what the 5MX should have been by mousse-man · · Score: 1

    Ok, little rant.

    Psion made very nice machines for their day, they were very usable and I could transfer files even with my old Amiga. I liked the little machine. It had a great battery life and other awfully useful features. Even some quite usable software for it's day (compared to today). I vividly remember it to use to take notes during my high school and then embellish them on my Amiga so they could be made readable. The Calendar grew to something like 400 KB in the end (don't laugh, this was huge back then), but it helped me to get along.

    Later on came the PalmIII (a true organizer), a PalmIIIc (I needed a color gadget), and now a Sharp Zaurus 5500 (runs Linux, runs some nice software, has Wlan and and and). The Palm had the best text input using Graffiti, the Zaurus version of Graffiti isn't as good (but actually, I'm redoing it since I positively think we need a full set of Graffiti characters since this makes jotting down notes much easier). The apps on a Zaurus are usually quite much what I need, except maybe in the games area, but then I'm not too much of a gamer.

    Now comes the C-760. A small keyboard (I'll have to testdrive one to see how usable it really is), very nice screen, you can use it as a tablet PC and ontop of it, most Zaurus apps that run with Opie should be a compile away, if they don't run straight away. Life might become interesting in the PDA sector again, with some really usable PDA that doesn't run on WinCE. I think XEmacs will still be a bit much for this thing, but it might turn out to run after all.

  58. Emoticons? by guttergod · · Score: 0

    OMG! This has the potential to be a fad worse than all of those mastercard priceless parodies. I'm awaiting the mass hysteria. I believe in that more than I believe in the new psion.

    --

    Apple built a platform for their ideas, Google built one for everyone's.

  59. smaller than a pc but... by E1v!$ · · Score: 1

    ...larger than a pda?

    Sounds like a roll of toilet paper.

    Too bad TP already has the market covered.

  60. If they could fit Epoc onto the C-760 by Moderation+abuser · · Score: 1

    It might be useful. The on board Zaurus software is just deadful.

    --
    Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
  61. That grinding sound you hear... by Pembers · · Score: 1

    ...is thousands of Psion users gnashing their teeth in frustration. Of all the changes Psion could have made to revive their fortunes as a maker of PDA-type computers, this is quite possibly the most stupid. Their EPOC operating system and the software that came with it was, in my opinion, the best part of the Psion computers I've used (series 3c, 3mx, 5 and 5mx).

    Over the last six years, I've owned five Psions, two of which I bought as spares after I found out Psion were going to stop making them. (From other comments here, I see I'm not alone in doing this. That should give Psion some clue how loyal their users are - or were.) I'm still using the 5mx, mainly for writing the novels that I'm plugging in my .sig.

    In all the time I've been using Psions, I've had precisely two crashes that caused me to lose data. That makes EPOC by far the most stable system I've ever used. (I should say that I use the built-in applications almost exclusively, so I don't know how easy or hard it would be for a third-party program to mess things up.)

    The hardware side is another matter altogether. My first Psion, a 3c, lasted about 15 months before the screen gave out, losing about half the columns. (It was second-hand, admittedly, so I don't know how much abuse it had had previously.) The next one, a new Series 5, managed 18 months before one of the bits of metal that holds everything together when you open it popped out of place. Not wanting to be bitten again, I took out a 3-year warranty on the 5mx that I bought after that. Sure enough, after about 2 years, the touch screen stopped working. By this time, Psion had stopped manufacture, so while I was waiting for the 5mx to be repaired, I bought not one, but two second-hand Series 5s.

    So, after all that, it shouldn't surprise you to hear that the government would have to make pen and paper illegal before I'd use a PDA with a Microsoft OS on it.

  62. Linux users are back :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    with zealotism :-(

  63. EPOCalypse now by payndz · · Score: 1
    Damn, that's a shame. I still use my Series 5 for work (I'm a journalist) as a quick, convenient and above all *light* way to transcribe interviews while on the train back home. Pull out the Flash card, stick it in my USB reader, transfer it to the iBook, run it through Five-To-Mac, job's a good 'un.

    Psion lost the plot when they started making machines (hello, Series 7) that were too big to slip into a pocket. They rather lost their USP - a small machine that you can touch-type on - after that, so it's little wonder that they started drowning. Another great British success story...

    --
    You must think in Russian.
    1. Re:EPOCalypse now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A good transfer app I've seen is Java Psion Link.

  64. I had a 5mx by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Was the best PDA I have ever owned much better than the POS WinCE 1.0 unit it replaced. Good battery life, great gui for a handheld something CE never had, good keyboard, what else can one ask for, it can still do things that the newer PDA's cannot do. The only thing I could tell it was lacking was reasonable internet connectivity, ie you needed an external modem or IR cellphone but that was undeniable cool but not practical. If they built those today with color screens, WiFi, more memory, and a faster processor they would have a killer product. As it stands really the only real PDA type machines are PocketPC or CE or what ever MS is calling it this week.

    1. Re:I had a 5mx by gidds · · Score: 1
      it was lacking... reasonable internet connectivity, ie you needed an external modem or IR cellphone but that was undeniable cool but not practical.

      Why not practical? For most of the last several years I've done all my email on my 5mx; connecting with a landline modem at home and via my mobile phone when out. And over the same period it's done all of my CIX messaging, connecting the same way. (It currently has a messagebase of over 80MB with over 170,000 messages.) Web browsing is a little painful over a mobile, but I've done it occasionally; it's only FTP and news that are pretty impractical.

      BTW, as a matter of style I tend to reserve the term 'PDA' for something Palm-style, and call my Psion a 'pocket computer'. I know that Palms and their ilk can do great things, but they're still really an adjunct to a desktop machine; people who've used one know that Psions are far more independent, and capable of so much more.

      --

      Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.

  65. Me too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow that is amazing because I had owned one also and also am dyslexic in the same manner and definitely cannot really read my own handwriting. It was the greatest thing ever because I could always pull it out and have access to what I was working on immediately, could access all my calendars, and I was able to go from getting C's to becoming an A student. Now that it is gone and I am in University I have to use a laptop which for the most part works well but it is still not as convenient and I still use my Psion to record laboratory data but I cannot sync any data to Mac OS X so it has become effectively useless.

    So like you I mourn the loss of such an elegant machine that had meant so much to me personally honestly I think it is a market still worth pursuing if they could make a series 5 like machine the size of a pocketpc with the keyboard that would do well in a lot of markets. I know I bought one and I am in the USA so I had to get it through one of three retailers and I paid like $600 for it so I am sure there are others like me, who would count that as the best money they have ever spent.

    But since Psion is no more we probably could look to Apple because they have an interest in education and could make such a device.

  66. (new "Symbian OS news" feed) -anyone see this yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://sys-con.com/story/category.cfm?id=106

  67. Translation to the Poster's Native Language by use_compress · · Score: 1

    AN ANONYMOUS RAAEDR WRIETS FORBS HAS AN ARTICL3 ABOUT TEH COME BAK OF PSION IN TEH HIGH END PDA MARKET!!!11 PSIONS OS SYMBIAN TAHT USED 2 POWER THEYRE PDA (AS DA REVO FOR AXMPLE OR DA S3REIS 3 OR DA S3REIS 5) HAS B3N MOSTLY USED IN C3L PHON3S LAETLY LIEK TEH NOKIA 36501!!!11!1 WTF LOL ACORDNG 2 FORBSS ARTICL3 DA NU PSION LAP2P/PDA TEH NATBOK PRO WIL NOT B POWARED BY SYMBIAN OS BUT BY MICROSOFT C3N3T!1!11 PROS2AELX POINTS OUT A ZDNET REVEIW OF DA D3VIEC WHICH IS SMALAR THAN UR USUAL NOT3BOK PC BUT LARGER THAN A RAGULAR PDA11!1111! LOL TEH PRODUCT W3B SIET CONTANES SPECIFICATIONS IN PDF FORMAT1!1!111! OMG WTF LOL ITS AN INT3L XSCAEL PXA25 40MHZ 128MB SDRM AND 32MB FLASH SVGA (80X60) DEVIEC SUPORTNG COMPACTFLASH AND SECURE DIGITAL (USUAL FOR PDAS) AS WEL AS PCMCIA (USUAL FOR LAP2PS) AND NOTES TAHT DESPIET DA OS DA SPACS LIST TEH PRESENC3 OF JEM-C3 JAVA VIRTUAL MACHIEN111!1!

    http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertranslat or.html

  68. Re:(new "Symbian OS news" feed) -anyone see this y by softwareJoe · · Score: 1

    very cool, a new magazine JUST for Symbian OS...since there are significantly more Symbian licencees than PocketPC Smartphone Edition licencees (according Canalys, the majority of mobile devices in the EMEA market now use the Symbian OS and there'll be plenty of content because the OS is unusual and interesting. It will be interesting too to see how the magazine shapes up and tackles the challenge to Symbian OS from Windows CE .NET which seems to be gaining ground.

  69. Maybe bias is pro-Psion, not anti-MS by TiggsPanther · · Score: 1

    But people know what WinCE has to offer, and they already know whether they like it or not. Plus, more importantly, people know what the EPOC/Symbian OS Ohas/had to offer. There are bound to be people out there who prefered Psion's way of doing things to WinCE - or even PalmOS.

    Chances are that even if Psion had come back with something running PalmOS then people would bitch. Or Sony releasing a Clie using WinCE instead of PalmOS.

    People tend to have their favourite hardware/software combos, and bringing back an "old friend" but with a "new face" is always going to get people's backs up. But in this case the "new face" is somehting that many people already have their own opinions about.
    And many of those opinions are liekly to be through prioer experience of WinCE, not just the normal (but sometimes justified) anti-Microsoft vitriol.

    --
    Tiggs
    "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
  70. 3650 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I recently purchased a 3650 and I must say it is one of the most flexible OSs around. The ability to add-in the few missing features complements the OS beautifully.

    web hosting