XTree's learning curve was not shallow, but once you got the hang of it you could amazing things. Select all thousand.c and.h files, recursively in a large directory tree, and copy those and only those (maintaining the directory structure!) to another drive? Fifteen seconds. Let's see if I remember how. Branch, Filespec *.c, Tag, Filespec *.h, Tag, Showall, Invert tag, Alt-copy branch, Relative paths. Boom, done. Rename all your jpegs in a directory with a prefix for the site they came from, but preserving the rest of the filename? No problem. You could even create a custom batch file in which you could create any commandlines you wanted, substituting in whatever parts of the file/directory names you wanted at various places.
For those who miss XtreePro, there is an excellent reimplementation called ZtreeWin (http://www.ztree.com/). It's still text mode, but is a native Windows app (no Command Prompt needed, supports long file names, etc). The author is very respectful to the XTree legacy but has also carefully added additional useful functionality. One of the few pieces of shareware that I've gotten enough value from to spend my own money to donate/register.
Another speed boost option that doesn't require patches is to specify on the commandline a cipher that has a lower CPU impact. I did some testing and found that on my systems, I could get 2-3 times the throughput on gigabit Ethernet when using arcfour instead of the default.
It's very easy; just use the -c switch, like this:
$ scp -c arcfour source destination
Note that arcfour is less secure that the default cipher, but for internal networks or traffic over VPN tunnels you may decide the speed increase is worth it.
Another vote for the Tab Mix Plus extension... you can set it to have multiple rows of tabs (I use 8 rows as max) and a minimum tab width (I use 120 pixels) so you can always read the title of the tab, without having to scroll along the tab bar.
It can also highlight unread tabs and show a page loading progress meter in the tab title.
I find it quite workable to have 20+ tabs open, because I can see what the names of the tabs are and tell which ones I haven't read yet.
Folks who have been around for a while may remember the site adequacy.org, whose members were amazingly effective at constructing believable trolling posts. So much so that there's even a dedicated name for this - the "Adequacy Style Troll" (AST).
From my view this was the high point for trolling - carefully-crafted posts that seemed so logical that most of the way through you thought it was for real, and even by the end of a post and its outrageous conclusion you weren't always sure the poster was kidding.
Typically these posts weren't targeted at a specific person, but a general hot-button issue (Christianity, Linux, etc) and would elicit a lot of amusing responses from people who didn't get the joke.
It's common enough to be a problem... at my company (subscription-based web app for sales people) we implemented an IP cookie, and several of our customers would get randomly kicked out of their sessions after 15-30 minutes. We eventually tracked it down to their corporate firewalls shifting the public IP they use. I think these were mostly active/active firewall clusters where each node in the cluster had a different public IP. It could also happen at a customer site that has dual WAN connections. So it's not just AOL users.
We eventually had to update our software to have explicit exemptions to the IP cookie checking, on a per user basis, since our site was unusable to those customers when the IP cookie checking was active.
I can vouch for that... it may seem a bit silly in retrospect, but it was really quite moving for the time (1983). I remember being simultaneously surprised, angry, and impressed that a text adventure game had moved me to tears. That level of emotional involvement had not been accomplished previously in computer games in my experience.
Another user has already posted an excerpt of Flyod's death scene, but if you'd like to read the whole scene (along with interesting history of Infocom and its other games) I suggest this link:
Not all of them went away... ubid.com extends on each bid near the close time. At least, it did for the auction I participated in recently for a large HDTV. As I recall, every time a bid came in near the end they would push the close time out to 10 minutes. This went on for almost two hours past the originally scheduled end of the auction. During that time the price went up more than 40%.
Ubid tends to be more for large lots of overstock or refurbished stuff, rather than one-off collectibles offered by individuals, but they still use an auction format for many of their listings.
I think movemail support is on Unix systems only... if you are on another platform it is not available.
Here's what I do on Windows to read the mbox-format archives I have lying around from previous Unix accounts:
1. Create a new folder within Local Folders. 2. Locate the new folder within your Moz/TB profile on disk, usually in C:\Documents and Settings\blahblah... 3. Delete the folder message file (zero bytes). Don't delete the foldername.msf index file. 4. Copy the mbox-format file to this location using the name of the new folder (i.e., replace the 0-byte initial file with your mbox file). 5. Click on the folder in Moz/TB - there are all the messages!
You may need to restart the Moz/TB client or click on some other folder and then back to your new one in order to see the message list.
I've been doing this for years since early Moz 0.9.something, and it's worked great.
I've never tried this on a live mail spool file that has new emails being added to it - only with static archives. I doubt it would work smoothly on live mail spool. But then, if you have a mbox spool file you're likely on a Unix box anyway and can use the movemail acocunt type.
As the IT Director for a software startup in Pittsburgh in 2000-2001 I had the opportunity to review several hundred resumes for about 10 IT positions. Initially I had a positive view of mainstream certs like A+ and MCP/MCSE. After dozens of interviews it became clear that on average, those who touted their certs the most actually knew the least.
I was amazed that candidates with networking-related certs couldn't adequately answer basic questions like the difference between shared and switched Ethernet, or the purpose of a subnet mask. Eventually it got to the point that I was less likely to consider a resume that had certs listed prominently compared to a resume that had no certs at all.
There are two attributes that I found were most likely to result in a successful, productive hire:
Good interpersonal skills. Sounds trite, I know, by in my view IT is a customer service position. You should enjoy helping people, not get riled easily, and be able to talk to them on their technical level without being condescending. Candidates with successful experience in front-line retail sales (department stores, automotive shops, etc) often downplayed this element of their work history, but I found it to be a positive indicator of a "customer service" mindset.
Self-motivated technical experience. Many people find it hard to break into the IT industry; that's fine - what did you do in the meantime? Build a home network? Put together a PC from components? Try other operating systems? Do volunteer IT work for schools, libraries, churches, friends & family? Great. Write some software of your own, esp. OSS? Even better! I found that the candidates who explored and learned new technologies just because they thought it was cool made the most capable employees when it came to integrating diverse systems and solving odd problems.
So are certs a waste of time? Not necessarily. My perspective is specific to a startup environment, where everyone needs to be able to do a lot of different things. Large companies often use certs as a filter, though, and if you don't have them you might not even get in the door.
Plastering your certification logos across the top of your resume is unlikely to impress anyone who is competent technically. You can still mention them, but make sure to have plenty of evidence of actual doing in addition, even if it's not formal job experience.
It appears that "CE" is being used by these companies simply as an abbreviation for Consumer Electronics. The "CE" symbol that you see on the label of many electronic devices has a different meaning - it is a certification that the product meets some minimum safety and environmental standards, and is allowed to be sold anywhere in the European Community.
For more reference: http://www.cetest.nl/cemark0.htm
Here's the text of that page: --- The ce mark is the official marking required by the European Community for all Electric- and Electronic equipment that will be sold, or put into service for the first time, anywhere in the European community. It proves to the buyer -or user- that this product fulfills all essential safety and environmental requirements as they are defined in the so-called European Directives. The ce marking directive (93/68/EEC) was adopted on 07-22-1993. The ce marking directive gives a detailed description of the initials CE and any other marks specific to a particular directive and the ways conformity may be acquired.
In return for fulfilling the ce marking requirements, the manufacturer or its agent gets the opportunity to cover the entire European market using only one approval procedure for the topics covered in the miscellaneous directives. The member states of the EC cannot refuse any electronic or electrical product that has been ce marked (unless fraud suspected). For some products however, national regulations may exist, as long as the topics covered in these national regulations are not covered by a pan-European Directive.
The manufacturer needs however,:
* be European or,
* have an official department in the European Community or,
* have an official agent or representative that is willing to share the liability for the ce-marking and hold the Declaration of Conformity.
Although the ce mark is sufficient to allow exporting to all EC member countries, their are some restrictions left over. Be prepared to translate some part of operating and/or safety instructions in the language of the country you are exporting to.
The application of the ce mark to your product MUST be founded on a Compliance statement of the manufacturer or representative in the EC.
The ce mark must be adhered to the equipment and it's size must be 5 mm (0.2") or higher.
We provide a suitable font to apply the ce mark to your documents from within word or any other windows document.
You may purchase this font at a reduced price in our CE-shop or directly here. ---
Name collision with HP LX Palmtop series
on
HP-LX 1.0 Secure Linux
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
HP-LX is an unfortunate shorthand name for this product, since "HP-LX" is a widely used to refer to HP's excellent (but discontinued) line of DOS based palmtops - HP 95LX, HP100LX, and HP200LX. It appears from the technical brief PDF that the official name is "HP Secure OS for Linux". Perhaps some other name could be used to avoid confusion, like "HP-SLX" (secure Linux).
For more information on the LX palmtops, see the FAQ at http://www.hplx.net/faq.faq.html. Attached below is a short excerpt from the FAQ that provides some background.
---
Q. What is the HP100LX?
Depending on your point of view, it's either an IBM PC-XT stuffed into a very tiny case with some Personal Information Management (PIM) software and Lotus 1-2-3 built into ROM, or it's a high-end electronic organizer that also runs MS-DOS software.
Q. What is the HP200LX?
It's the successor to the 100LX. It's essentially a 100LX with cosmetic changes and the addition of Pocket Quicken, LapLink Remote, and some feature enhancements for the PIM applications in the ROM.
Q. What is the HP Omnigo 700LX?
It's basically a somewhat faster 200LX with a docking cradle for a Nokia GSM cellular phone, some LEDs on the front, and some extra built-in communications software. It is only available in Europe and Asia/Pacific, where the GSM standard is, well, standardized. This product has been discontinued by HP and is no longer sold. If you can get a used one, it's possible to use it in the US if you live in an area where GSM coverage is offered (i.e. California, Nevada, etc.) if you get a compatible phone. The Nokia 2190 fits the OmniGo 700LX's cradle and works in the US, for example.
Q. Why would I want an outdated DOS palmtop when I could get a modern Windows CE machine?
The 200LX may be a few years old, but it is a far better computing device than any Windows CE machine. A few of its strengths:
- Battery life (up to 2 months on a single pair of batteries)
- DOS compatibility (can run millions of programs written for desktop computers)
- High-resolution screen (fully CGA compatible, 640x200 [33% wider than most WinCE units])
- Better keyboard (separate numeric keypad; nice solid feel with good tactile feedback)
- Better PIM apps (built-in apps are unsurpassed for quality and ease of use)
- Pocket Quicken built in (keep track of your finances without spending any extra money for the financial software)
- Better expansion support (see flash cards and other memory expansions as a drive, not just a folder)
Q. Why would I want an outdated DOS palmtop when I can get a sleek PalmPilot or Palm III?
The PalmPilot series is made for a completely different purpose than the 200LX. The 200LX is essentially a full-blown computer that fits in your pocket, and doubles as an organizer. The PalmPilot series are meant to be organizers and to help connect with desktop computers. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but for real computing in the palm of your hand, the 200LX is the only choice.
---
Carrying a separate keyboard to unfold and attach your Palm/Handspring
to is not the only way to have portable keyboard input. There are at
least two very usable PDA models that have a built-in keyboard: the
Psion Revo and the HP 200LX
I find that the Revo is just as portable as a Palm, and far superior
for text entry. The unit is about the size and weight of a checkbook,
and fits well in a front pants pocket or suit jacket inside pocket.
The keyboard works amazingly well considering its size. Since I'm not
a touch-typist, I find that text entry on the Revo is almost as fast
as with full size desktop keyboard.
The screen is 480x160, providing a full document width in the built in
word processor and spreadsheet. The included web browser works well,
and there is now a Revo Plus that comes with Opera as a browser and
supports 128-bit SSL, frames, etc.
The PsiWin software syncs to Microsoft Outlook, among others, and can
convert documents between MS Office and Psion formats.
If you like using a keyboard, but could never find a keyboard-based
PDA that was both usable and sufficiently portable, you should take a
close look at the Revo. Psion also makes some other models - the Series
5MX is quite nice but a bit large for a pocket, and the Siena is
extremely small but closer to a Sharp organizer than a full scale PDA.
Prior to the Revo I used an HP 200LX. The 200LX can also be carried in
a front pants pocket, but is bit bulkier. It runs DOS 5.0 in a full
80x25 screen, and as a result there are thousands (maybe tens of
thousands) of (generally older) programs that can run on it.
The 200LX has an RS232 port on the side, making it a good choice
for a portable terminal for people who have to administer devices via
a serial port. On the other side is a standard Type II PCMCIA slot.
The built-in PIM software is generally pretty good, and has some
quick-lookup features that I've still never seen any other PDA
surpass.
Unfortunately HP discontinued it a while back, but I expect they are
still available in the secondary/used markets.
Both systems can be used quite well without a hard surface - simply
hold under the system with your fingers, and type with your thumbs. It
sounds awkward, but it works pretty well, and I can usually enter a
contact faster than neighboring Palm users.
Slashdot Mirror
XTree's learning curve was not shallow, but once you got the hang of it you could amazing things. Select all thousand .c and .h files, recursively in a large directory tree, and copy those and only those (maintaining the directory structure!) to another drive? Fifteen seconds. Let's see if I remember how. Branch, Filespec *.c, Tag, Filespec *.h, Tag, Showall, Invert tag, Alt-copy branch, Relative paths. Boom, done. Rename all your jpegs in a directory with a prefix for the site they came from, but preserving the rest of the filename? No problem. You could even create a custom batch file in which you could create any commandlines you wanted, substituting in whatever parts of the file/directory names you wanted at various places.
For those who miss XtreePro, there is an excellent reimplementation called ZtreeWin (http://www.ztree.com/). It's still text mode, but is a native Windows app (no Command Prompt needed, supports long file names, etc). The author is very respectful to the XTree legacy but has also carefully added additional useful functionality. One of the few pieces of shareware that I've gotten enough value from to spend my own money to donate/register.
Another speed boost option that doesn't require patches is to specify on the commandline a cipher that has a lower CPU impact. I did some testing and found that on my systems, I could get 2-3 times the throughput on gigabit Ethernet when using arcfour instead of the default.
It's very easy; just use the -c switch, like this:
$ scp -c arcfour source destination
Note that arcfour is less secure that the default cipher, but for internal networks or traffic over VPN tunnels you may decide the speed increase is worth it.
Another vote for the Tab Mix Plus extension... you can set it to have multiple rows of tabs (I use 8 rows as max) and a minimum tab width (I use 120 pixels) so you can always read the title of the tab, without having to scroll along the tab bar.
It can also highlight unread tabs and show a page loading progress meter in the tab title.
I find it quite workable to have 20+ tabs open, because I can see what the names of the tabs are and tell which ones I haven't read yet.
Folks who have been around for a while may remember the site adequacy.org, whose members were amazingly effective at constructing believable trolling posts. So much so that there's even a dedicated name for this - the "Adequacy Style Troll" (AST).
From my view this was the high point for trolling - carefully-crafted posts that seemed so logical that most of the way through you thought it was for real, and even by the end of a post and its outrageous conclusion you weren't always sure the poster was kidding.
Typically these posts weren't targeted at a specific person, but a general hot-button issue (Christianity, Linux, etc) and would elicit a lot of amusing responses from people who didn't get the joke.
The archive is still on line at www.adequacy.org, and the Wikipedia entry gives a good overview of the approach.
Anyone have any favorite Adequacy posts they'd like to share?
It's common enough to be a problem... at my company (subscription-based web app for sales people) we implemented an IP cookie, and several of our customers would get randomly kicked out of their sessions after 15-30 minutes. We eventually tracked it down to their corporate firewalls shifting the public IP they use. I think these were mostly active/active firewall clusters where each node in the cluster had a different public IP. It could also happen at a customer site that has dual WAN connections. So it's not just AOL users.
We eventually had to update our software to have explicit exemptions to the IP cookie checking, on a per user basis, since our site was unusable to those customers when the IP cookie checking was active.
I didn't see actual torrent download links in any of the posts, so here's the link for the desktop i386 iso from torrent.ubuntu.com:
3 %D1%9A%06%E9w%DCn%DD%8E%3D%8D%07%A0%7D%06KuT
http://torrent.ubuntu.com:6969/file?info_hash=%FE
If you want to download a version for a different architecture, or the alternate text-based installer iso, they are all listed here:
http://torrent.ubuntu.com:6969/
I can vouch for that... it may seem a bit silly in retrospect, but it was really quite moving for the time (1983). I remember being simultaneously surprised, angry, and impressed that a text adventure game had moved me to tears. That level of emotional involvement had not been accomplished previously in computer games in my experience.
Another user has already posted an excerpt of Flyod's death scene, but if you'd like to read the whole scene (along with interesting history of Infocom and its other games) I suggest this link:
http://home.grandecom.net/~maher/if-book/if-5.htm
search in the page for "Floyd and Planetfall", it's about a quarter of the way down through the very long article.
Not all of them went away... ubid.com extends on each bid near the close time. At least, it did for the auction I participated in recently for a large HDTV. As I recall, every time a bid came in near the end they would push the close time out to 10 minutes. This went on for almost two hours past the originally scheduled end of the auction. During that time the price went up more than 40%.
Ubid tends to be more for large lots of overstock or refurbished stuff, rather than one-off collectibles offered by individuals, but they still use an auction format for many of their listings.
I think movemail support is on Unix systems only... if you are on another platform it is not available.
Here's what I do on Windows to read the mbox-format archives I have lying around from previous Unix accounts:
1. Create a new folder within Local Folders.
2. Locate the new folder within your Moz/TB profile on disk, usually in C:\Documents and Settings\blahblah...
3. Delete the folder message file (zero bytes). Don't delete the foldername.msf index file.
4. Copy the mbox-format file to this location using the name of the new folder (i.e., replace the 0-byte initial file with your mbox file).
5. Click on the folder in Moz/TB - there are all the messages!
You may need to restart the Moz/TB client or click on some other folder and then back to your new one in order to see the message list.
I've been doing this for years since early Moz 0.9.something, and it's worked great.
I've never tried this on a live mail spool file that has new emails being added to it - only with static archives. I doubt it would work smoothly on live mail spool. But then, if you have a mbox spool file you're likely on a Unix box anyway and can use the movemail acocunt type.
I was amazed that candidates with networking-related certs couldn't adequately answer basic questions like the difference between shared and switched Ethernet, or the purpose of a subnet mask. Eventually it got to the point that I was less likely to consider a resume that had certs listed prominently compared to a resume that had no certs at all.
There are two attributes that I found were most likely to result in a successful, productive hire:
- Good interpersonal skills. Sounds trite, I know, by in my view IT is a customer service position. You should enjoy helping people, not get riled easily, and be able to talk to them on their technical level without being condescending. Candidates with successful experience in front-line retail sales (department stores, automotive shops, etc) often downplayed this element of their work history, but I found it to be a positive indicator of a "customer service" mindset.
- Self-motivated technical experience. Many people find it hard to break into the IT industry; that's fine - what did you do in the meantime? Build a home network? Put together a PC from components? Try other operating systems? Do volunteer IT work for schools, libraries, churches, friends & family? Great. Write some software of your own, esp. OSS? Even better! I found that the candidates who explored and learned new technologies just because they thought it was cool made the most capable employees when it came to integrating diverse systems and solving odd problems.
So are certs a waste of time? Not necessarily. My perspective is specific to a startup environment, where everyone needs to be able to do a lot of different things. Large companies often use certs as a filter, though, and if you don't have them you might not even get in the door.Plastering your certification logos across the top of your resume is unlikely to impress anyone who is competent technically. You can still mention them, but make sure to have plenty of evidence of actual doing in addition, even if it's not formal job experience.
It appears that "CE" is being used by these companies simply as an abbreviation for Consumer Electronics. The "CE" symbol that you see on the label of many electronic devices has a different meaning - it is a certification that the product meets some minimum safety and environmental standards, and is allowed to be sold anywhere in the European Community.
For more reference:
http://www.cetest.nl/cemark0.htm
Here's the text of that page:
---
The ce mark is the official marking required by the European Community for all Electric- and Electronic equipment that will be sold, or put into service for the first time, anywhere in the European community. It proves to the buyer -or user- that this product fulfills all essential safety and environmental requirements as they are defined in the so-called European Directives. The ce marking directive (93/68/EEC) was adopted on 07-22-1993. The ce marking directive gives a detailed description of the initials CE and any other marks specific to a particular directive and the ways conformity may be acquired.
In return for fulfilling the ce marking requirements, the manufacturer or its agent gets the opportunity to cover the entire European market using only one approval procedure for the topics covered in the miscellaneous directives.
The member states of the EC cannot refuse any electronic or electrical product that has been ce marked (unless fraud suspected). For some products however, national regulations may exist, as long as the topics covered in these national regulations are not covered by a pan-European Directive.
The manufacturer needs however,:
* be European or,
* have an official department in the European Community or,
* have an official agent or representative that is willing to share the liability for the ce-marking and hold the Declaration of Conformity.
Although the ce mark is sufficient to allow exporting to all EC member countries, their are some restrictions left over. Be prepared to translate some part of operating and/or safety instructions in the language of the country you are exporting to.
The application of the ce mark to your product MUST be founded on a Compliance statement of the manufacturer or representative in the EC.
The ce mark must be adhered to the equipment and it's size must be 5 mm (0.2") or higher.
We provide a suitable font to apply the ce mark to your documents from within word or any other windows document.
You may purchase this font at a reduced price in our CE-shop or directly here.
---
HP-LX is an unfortunate shorthand name for this product, since "HP-LX" is a widely used to refer to HP's excellent (but discontinued) line of DOS based palmtops - HP 95LX, HP100LX, and HP200LX. It appears from the technical brief PDF that the official name is "HP Secure OS for Linux". Perhaps some other name could be used to avoid confusion, like "HP-SLX" (secure Linux).
For more information on the LX palmtops, see the FAQ at http://www.hplx.net/faq.faq.html. Attached below is a short excerpt from the FAQ that provides some background.
---
Q. What is the HP100LX?
Depending on your point of view, it's either an IBM PC-XT stuffed into a very tiny case with some Personal Information Management (PIM) software and Lotus 1-2-3 built into ROM, or it's a high-end electronic organizer that also runs MS-DOS software.
Q. What is the HP200LX?
It's the successor to the 100LX. It's essentially a 100LX with cosmetic changes and the addition of Pocket Quicken, LapLink Remote, and some feature enhancements for the PIM applications in the ROM.
Q. What is the HP Omnigo 700LX?
It's basically a somewhat faster 200LX with a docking cradle for a Nokia GSM cellular phone, some LEDs on the front, and some extra built-in communications software. It is only available in Europe and Asia/Pacific, where the GSM standard is, well, standardized. This product has been discontinued by HP and is no longer sold. If you can get a used one, it's possible to use it in the US if you live in an area where GSM coverage is offered (i.e. California, Nevada, etc.) if you get a compatible phone. The Nokia 2190 fits the OmniGo 700LX's cradle and works in the US, for example.
Q. Why would I want an outdated DOS palmtop when I could get a modern Windows CE machine?
The 200LX may be a few years old, but it is a far better computing device than any Windows CE machine. A few of its strengths:
- Battery life (up to 2 months on a single pair of batteries)
- DOS compatibility (can run millions of programs written for desktop computers)
- High-resolution screen (fully CGA compatible, 640x200 [33% wider than most WinCE units])
- Better keyboard (separate numeric keypad; nice solid feel with good tactile feedback)
- Better PIM apps (built-in apps are unsurpassed for quality and ease of use)
- Pocket Quicken built in (keep track of your finances without spending any extra money for the financial software)
- Better expansion support (see flash cards and other memory expansions as a drive, not just a folder)
Q. Why would I want an outdated DOS palmtop when I can get a sleek PalmPilot or Palm III?
The PalmPilot series is made for a completely different purpose than the 200LX. The 200LX is essentially a full-blown computer that fits in your pocket, and doubles as an organizer. The PalmPilot series are meant to be organizers and to help connect with desktop computers. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but for real computing in the palm of your hand, the 200LX is the only choice.
---
Carrying a separate keyboard to unfold and attach your Palm/Handspring
to is not the only way to have portable keyboard input. There are at
least two very usable PDA models that have a built-in keyboard: the
Psion Revo and the HP 200LX
I find that the Revo is just as portable as a Palm, and far superior
for text entry. The unit is about the size and weight of a checkbook,
and fits well in a front pants pocket or suit jacket inside pocket.
The keyboard works amazingly well considering its size. Since I'm not
a touch-typist, I find that text entry on the Revo is almost as fast
as with full size desktop keyboard.
The screen is 480x160, providing a full document width in the built in
word processor and spreadsheet. The included web browser works well,
and there is now a Revo Plus that comes with Opera as a browser and
supports 128-bit SSL, frames, etc.
The PsiWin software syncs to Microsoft Outlook, among others, and can
convert documents between MS Office and Psion formats.
If you like using a keyboard, but could never find a keyboard-based
PDA that was both usable and sufficiently portable, you should take a
close look at the Revo. Psion also makes some other models - the Series
5MX is quite nice but a bit large for a pocket, and the Siena is
extremely small but closer to a Sharp organizer than a full scale PDA.
Prior to the Revo I used an HP 200LX. The 200LX can also be carried in
a front pants pocket, but is bit bulkier. It runs DOS 5.0 in a full
80x25 screen, and as a result there are thousands (maybe tens of
thousands) of (generally older) programs that can run on it.
The 200LX has an RS232 port on the side, making it a good choice
for a portable terminal for people who have to administer devices via
a serial port. On the other side is a standard Type II PCMCIA slot.
The built-in PIM software is generally pretty good, and has some
quick-lookup features that I've still never seen any other PDA
surpass.
Unfortunately HP discontinued it a while back, but I expect they are
still available in the secondary/used markets.
Both systems can be used quite well without a hard surface - simply
hold under the system with your fingers, and type with your thumbs. It
sounds awkward, but it works pretty well, and I can usually enter a
contact faster than neighboring Palm users.
Cheers,
Dennis