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Epoc Digest Mon, 02 Sep 2002 Volume 01 : Number 064
Sent to: 570 subscribers
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In today's Epoc Digest 32 messages:
==============================
- Re: EPOC DIGEST V1 # 062 : DATA sending over GPRS , how much ?
- RE: Nokia 7650
- Outliner/List Maker 4 ER5
- GPRS sheet
- PDFprinter and fanzine
- Dream 5mx (2)
- PDAPrinter, Dream, AAARGH!!!, netBook...
- Big Jotter files / Insert Date into Word / IR/Remote comms / The Euro
- GPRS Access - Erricsson T39m / GPRS - another question
- Washroom, Date in WORD,
- GPRS sheet
- Coloured Screens and Battery Life
- Re: Revo/Mako charging...
- Broken "penholder"
- nConvert and ExtraBars?
- Re: PDF file size
- Re: Colour 5mx - 3-4 hours?!
- Re: ER6 & Multi-Tasking...
- Re: Odin or 9 or ?
- Re: The Times They Are Changing
- Re: A Happy User Of The Psion IR Travel Modem
- Re: Jotter size and date in Word (4 Jason)
- Wrote my first macro! \0/
- Re: PDF file size
- Re: Data Counter
- GPRS cost
- Psionology
- Re: Inserting date into Word
- S5 Battery Report
- STD access numbers / PDF eZine
- Fluff: RE: Textmaker for HPC & more
- Re 5mx colour screen, PDF printer
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 20:01:53 +0100
From: "Arent Kits van Heijningen[106016.3614]"
Subject: Re: EPOC DIGEST V1 # 062 : DATA sending over GPRS , how much ?
on 31 Aug 2002 01:08:52 +0100
Kevin Collins <kpcollins x at x eircom.net> wrote : DATA sending
>>
One would think that whatever one is alleged to have received, surely one can only send what one sends! Now, my counter shows 106Kb sent (most unlikely: a handful of single unattached messages), as against 350Kb received (quite possible: because, as I said, I did use Opera at first to try GPRS out; although, I also noticed that a 52Kb inmail Digest seemed to increase my received counter by 64Kb!) Maybe we'll learn more of the data counter's reliability when the bills arrive: let's hope that the service providers are more accurate...<<
Yup , Internet-based data transfers carry a significant overhead
, think about email message headers and the overhead within the protocols themselves
And do not forget ENQ/ACK !!
For some time I checked the amount of data sent and received using the logging facility of my USRobotics Courier modem and my OsariS , even light surfing using Hermes and lynx on the remote bsd box was good for 200-300 kBytes of data going through , a medium email run -including the digest - was good for 200-300 kB outgoing and up to 1Meg incoming data !
With Email you have also to take the headers into account ( up to 2.5kByte per message ! )
So these counters are quite accurate ( technology did went forward after USRobotics released its Courier modem around 1992 or thereabouts and only revised the DSP to support the newer , faster protocols )
k
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 20:53:37 +0100
From: "Mark"
Subject: RE: Nokia 7650
Hi -
Mystery was having problems with his Nokia 7650 and Psion for web access & email. Are these problems just with GPRS or is it a problem with old-fashioned (!) circuit-switched data as well? Have you managed to get the 7650's own email program working?
I've managed to get the two working together over GPRS and CSD (and am very happy with my new Nokia 7650!) but it took a while as my mobile phone service provider initially only set my phone up for WAP over GPRS and not for email or web access.
I might be able to help - please let me/us know what the specific problem is...
Best wishes
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 21:17:46 +0100
From: "Simon Wolf"
Subject: Outliner/List Maker 4 ER5
Sign me up for this one too. I miss Bonsai on my Palm and, in the absence of anything else, still use the desktop component.
Kind regards.
Simon Wolf
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 22:10:12 +0100
From: Kevin Thorne
Subject: GPRS sheet
Reply to Itamar Engelsman:
Subject: GPRS sheet
<With the help of some time formulas I jotted down some time ago I now created a neat sheet file in which I note down the time spent online and bytes sent/received per session. If anyone is interested, let me know. >
Yes, I would be interested as I am considering GPRS myself. Please feel free to send the sheet file to me directly. Thanks - I'm sure it will make interesting reading.
Regards
Kevin Thorne
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 22:11:00 +0100
From: Kevin Thorne
Subject: PDFprinter and fanzine
PDF PRINTER
Someone (sorry, I've forgotten who) mentioned mBrain Software's new beta release of PDFprinter. Once installed it adds "PDF file" to your list of printers and if you select this as your printer it outputs your file to a file in PDF format. I tried it and was most impressed. The power of this program shouldn't be underestimated as of course the PDF file format works across most platforms, so it's a very easy process for example to send an EPOC Sheet file to a WinCE machine which can then immediately read the file. I quite often used nConvert to send my speadsheets created on my S7 to a PC - now all I need to do is print the file to the PDF print driver and send it, which I find easier.
FANZINE
A couple of articles I'd love to see in Andy Hayes' proposed fanzine would be how to use the (albeit limited) capabilities of EPOC for multimedia and how to make the best use of colour printing from the S7 (from Andrew Johnson's drivers). Concerning multimedia, there is now the EplayM Mp3 player engine to consider and I'd like to see an article showing how to use a S7 for presentations and how to use it to organise digital photos. Oh, and if anyone knows who we can bring our Psions into the 21st century by getting hold of Bluetooth drivers for them, please do let us know ;-)
Regards
Kevin Thorne
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 22:16:17 +0100
From: "Stephane Sage"
Subject: Dream 5mx (2)
Hello to all
I'm afraid I mispelt the web site adress of the people who consider installing a colour screen on the 5mx: it is www.posltd.com (nothing to do with POD...,sorry, Paul). As a matter of fact, they specialize in the repair and reconditioning of any PDA, including the Psions.
I'm glad that other digesters seem to like the idea, but please do not forget (David...) that a colour screen will be much more energy greedy (see Philip's comments). As to further equipments already wished from Astrid, Paul, Jan,...(PCMCIA, USB, Bluetooth,...), perhaps we can wait until we have achieved the first step. In any case, I will ask them about it.
Jan (Walker), who are these D&G PDA Upgrade people ? Maybe they would also be interested to look into the matter.
Itamar, as you write, it might be a bit late, but, who knows, our common action could induce Psion into coming back to us (now that they sell small colour screen PDAs for the industry - see their "Netpad"). Also, if POS were to get in touch with all Psion forums round the world + advertise in Palmtop User or the like, and if the retrofit's price is reasonable, I feel confident they will find a market for it.
Greetings from Grenoble
Stephane
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 23:44:25 +0100
From: Trygve Henriksen
Subject: PDAPrinter, Dream, AAARGH!!!, netBook...
Greetings!
David Lir wrote:
>> "The only problem? ... It only works on ER5 and Nokia 92xx machines, so >> S5classic, Geofox One and Osaris owners can't use it."
> Actually, right now (it's still in beta) PDFPrinter has a few other problems
> too. I noticed that *all* the font formatting (bold, italics etc) was stripped out
> in the process of printing to a .pdf file. Also, there are obvious extra blank
> spaces between letters and words. Hopefully these errors will be corrected
> before the final release. If so, I'm registering!
I didn't notice the extra spaces or the missing formatting...
What I did notice was the size of the resulting file...
(About 850KB for 207 pages, when the original EPOC Word file was 640KB)
And Sander told me that he's working on compressing things even further...
(Removing the extra spaces maybe :-)
With that kind of results, an EPOC PDF zine would be just the right size...
--
Oh, and for those who wonders, it produces PDF 1.3 files, readable by Acrobat Reader V4.0 or later.
-----
David Lir also wrote:
(About Owen)
> "I haven't lived in a house and had regular access to a fixed phone line
> since 1992, and as I bring my home with me when I travel, I never stay in
> hotels."
> Quite an amazing lifestyle you've got going there. I don't know how you
> managed to arrange to live such a dream - but to use an ancient Jewish
> saying "more power to you!"
I've seen his dream...
It's 28', made of wood(and fibreglass) and was built in Poland(or am I way off target here?) some years ago...
A nice boat, but a tad too small for me...
-----
> From: "avanti"
> Subject: Thank you so much for your message.
AAARGH!!!!
----
From: "avanti"
Subject: Thank you so much for your message.
Double AAARGH!!!!
Something for a list-admin?
----
>Itamar Engelsman wrote:
> Re. netBook ROM - Thanks for your answer. As far as I understood you do
> not gain the 16 Mb, as most of it will be taken up by the OS which now is
> not in the ROM anymore and needs space of the RAM. Will the same
> processor really work faster ?
Yes, it really will. This was even confirmed by someone at Psion...
But he couldn't promise that the module would work in every machine...
This is because a S7 might have 'lower specked' (read: cheaper) chips that may not like the speed. In those cases, the machine will probably not work at all...
Also, there's the problem of the PCMCIA port. A S7 can only deliver about 450mA to this port, while the netBook does about 750mA.
I don't think that problem can be solved with a swap of modules, so most network cards are out of the question.
Is a S7 capable of FIR?
(Fast IRDa, about 4Mbit/S.)
Some HP printers is capable of it, and the netBook can use it for IRLan...
(Beats the old 115200b/s IRDa :-)
:-)
Trygve
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 23:44:51 +0100
From: Jason Garbutt
Subject: Big Jotter files / Insert Date into Word / IR/Remote comms / The Euro
On 31 Aug 2002 23:59:02 +0100, David Lir
wrote:
"How big can a Jotter file safely get?
How large can a Jotter file get before it becomes unsafe? My main Jotter file is now over 700k compressed and I'm wondering if once a Jotter file gets this large or larger there's a chance of the file becoming corrupted. Should I split the file into smaller files, or is it safe as it is?"
Hi David,
About 18 months or so ago I had a large Data file corrupt itself and was a bit paranoid for a while. However, I soon calmed down and now use large data files regularly (2MB+) without any problems, so far <BG> (I use an S5c but AFAIK Jotter is just a tye of data file)
BTW, my main data file is my "Information" file which combines the many databases I used to have - it is my address book, note-book and general information repository. It's always open and therefore I can quickly find anything I need to without scrummaging around in different files.
--------------------------------
On 1 Sep 2002 01:04:22 +0100, David Lir wrote:
"Insert date into Word?
Is there any way to directly insert the current date into a Word document? The ctrl-shift-d keypress that works in Jotter doesn't work in Word, and I can't see anything relevant in the menus."
David,
If you haven't already, get yourself a copy of Macro5 ( *absolutely essential* Psion utility found at http://pnicolas.epocboulevard.com) which will let you setup a keypress to do exactly this, in any format you choose. And a million other things besides.
--------------------------------
On 1 Sep 2002 18:16:07 +0100, "Anthony Penchalu" wrote:
"Subject: Series 5 IR/Remote comms
I've been using my 5 for some years now, and have been connecting to my PC using PSIWIN (2.3), and to my Revo using the IR port, totally successfully, with never an error. Suddenly, yesterday, when trying to send a file to my Revo, using IR, the 5 flashed up a dialogue box saying "Not found" <CUT>
Hi Anthony,
I have had a similar problem to this but it happened when connecting to the net by cable/infrared. I don't know if it affected my PC connection as I was backing up via a CF card at the time. But I solved it by re-installing my Message Suite software (OVER the current installation - this way I kept all my email messages intact, ie Do NOT uninstall first).
Presume you've already tried a reset ?
--------------------------------
On 1 Sep 2002 19:45:25 +0100, Itamar Engelsman wrote:
"Someone still in favour of the Euro in the UK <G> ?"
Absolutely NOT. (Sorry, know it's off-topic but couldn't let it pass) <BG>
--------------------------------
Regards,
Jason
_________________________________________
&nb_________________________________________
*++++++++++&
Date: 1 Sep 2002 23:45:06 +0100
From: Jason Garbutt
Subject: GPRS Access - Erricsson T39m / GPRS - another question
On 29 Aug 2002 09:17:23 +0100, "Marios Haridimou" wrote:
"Subject: GPRS Access - Erricsson T39m
Many thanks to all who responded to my E-mail, especially Jason Garbutt
who sent me the GPRS settings.
I still have a question as I have not been able to successfully connect.
I finally received a GPRS number from my ISP (*99#). From Jason's
E-mail there was a CID number which I inquired about and was told that no the number was definitely only *99#."
Hi Marios,
Hope I can help again <BG>.
Firstly, have you tried to load a page in web, if you can do this you are online and the problem is with your mailbox settings, if not then:
My 'dialup' no is *99***004#
The 004 is the CID no which you will find in Settings / Data Comm. / Data Accounts, and then select the Data settings you use, then Option 3 should show your CID no.
I guess you could play around with different versions of your GPRS no., eg *99#4 or *99*004# etc.
Also worth calling your mobile provider again, do they have a data support dept, in my experience different staff have varying levels of knowledge.
Good luck.
-----------------------
On 29 Aug 2002 20:42:47 +0100, Itamar wrote:
"Subject: GPRS - another question
Why is it that it happened twice suddenly that I did not get a connection at all to the GPRS system of Vodaphone in Holland ? I could neither send nor receive anything, did not get a connection at all, once around 9.00 am in the morning and once around 12.15 pm. And again tonight at 9.15 pm trying to send this message."
Hi Itamar,
I've found that the GPRS network can fall over separately from the GSM network (to the Techie's: yes I know it's still GSM), I know that Orange's GPRS service has been out on 2 occasions since I started using it, whilst voice calls have been fine.
-----------------------
Regards,
Jason
_________________________________________
&nb_________________________________________
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 00:01:10 +0100
From: Itamar Engelsman
Subject: Washroom, Date in WORD,
Answer to: David Lir
Re. Washroom - Actually .... NO, I don't "do it" in the washroom !
Re. Date in WORD - A small macro like :
PROC date:
paste:("%%dHH:MM%%: ")
ENDP
will enter both date and time, delete what you don't want.
Bye,
Itamar Engelsman
London, United Kingdom
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 02:11:35 +0100
From: "Gary Y Reyes"
Subject: GPRS sheet
>Date: 29 Aug 2002 12:39:57 +0100
>From: Itamar Engelsman >Subject: GPRS sheet
>
>With the help of some time formulas I jotted down some time ago I now = >created a neat sheet file in which I note down the time spent online and = >bytes sent/received per session. If anyone is interested, let me know.=20 >
>
>Bye,
>Itamar Engelsman
>London, United Kingdom
Itamar,
Is this something that happens automatically on your Psion? Or do you manually input the parameters into the shee?
Gary
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 02:26:30 +0100
From: "Gary Y Reyes"
Subject: Coloured Screens and Battery Life
>Date: 29 Aug 2002 21:09:48 +0100
>From: Rolf Brunsting >Subject: Re: A dreamers updated 5mx
>
>
>Colour LCD screens haven't improved to the extent that a Series 5mx can be = >equipped with a colour screen without severe battery time penalties. = >Sharp's first colour Mobilon models were AA powered but didn't last for = >more than 1.5 hour. You might get 3 hours with the current screens, but = >that's doubtful. I'm afraid you'll have to wait till colour OLED or LEP = >displays become available with Series 5mx screen specs.
Rolf,
I have been playing around with a Treo 90 with colored screen for about 2 weeks now and have had to charge it only 3 times so far -- including the initial charge. And I have put it through a lot of use and a lot of synchronizing and uses of IrDa for mobile phone SMS and email. It uses lithium ion batteries.
So a colored screen for the Series 5 might not drain the batteries too much.
Sorry, Psioneers but my Revo battery has become unreliable and a replacement Psion (any model) is not available in my part of the world so had to augment my PDA needs. I still keep the Revo charged and use it sparingly.
Gary
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 03:46:44 +0100
From: "Mike Fellhauer"
Subject: Re: Revo/Mako charging...
>From: David Lir
>
>Mike Wrote:
>"Also, I think it's a very bad idea about charging the Revo while you are >away for 30 minutes a day...you'll be overcharging it in no time!!!"
>
>Well, I think Owen meant that an electric timer would be supplying power to >the unit once a day for only 30 minutes, just to allow it to top itself up >if the Revo circuitry decided that it needed it. After all, once the Revo >is plugged in it will charge itself up only as needed. I guess that Owen >didn't see the need to leave it drawing AC all day when just a few minutes >access to power a day should be enough to keep it topped up - hence the >timer. Perhaps I misunderstood his intentions or how the Revo charging >circuitry works?
>
I knew exactly what Owen meant...the problem is the Revo loses only 3% of battery capacity a day, the RevoPlus/Mako 5-6%. The charger can charge the machine up to 80% in an hour in fast charging mode. In order to switch to trickle charge the batteries have to be 80% or less. In other words, the charger will overcharge the machine in no time...maybe if the charger is set to 5 minutes a day, or 30 minutes in one week. Like I said though, it's safest to just let the batteries run down while you are away (I plan to when I go on vacation next week).
As for what someone said regarding my comment about the possibility of the house burning down with Owen's plan, I meant that if the Revo batteries were to overcharge, overheat, melt the wires, cause a short circuit, ignite, ignite what the Revo's sitting on, and then the rest of the house, it *IS* a very real possibility to burn your house down.
Anyway, this topic has been beaten to death...time to bury it. Some people recharge their machines daily, and eventually run into problems...I charge
my machine once a week, and my backup machine that hardly gets used once every two weeks; I certainly wouldn't charge it daily while I'm away and I can't keep an eye on it!
Mike Fellhauer - Revo user since 1999
Secretary of the Psion Enthusiasts Association of Toronto
http://www.phaedrav.com/peat/
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 04:23:11 +0100
From: Sinisa Hristov
Subject: Broken "penholder"
Hi fellow Psioneers,
The "penholder" in my S5MX is broken.
It is the small black plastic part
that "locks" the pen.
I would appreciate any advice on:
* obtaining a spare part, or
* finding a suitable glue for it.
Sinisa Hristov
Kitchener, ON
Canada
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:25 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: nConvert and ExtraBars?
I've just been demoing nConvert and I've found that it fails to be launched from ExtraBars; it begins to launch, but then instead of nConvert coming up the System screen does! I have tried shutting down all other programs - one-by-one - to see if one of them weren't interfering with nConvert in some way - but to no avail. The only thing that's worked so far is launching nConvert via plain old Extras. Any ideas?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:28 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: PDF file size
Philip wrote:
"As a point of interest, during the course of my work, I have received some pages of A4 as a PDF file from the printers (as a proof). The file size was 390k for just two A4 pages!
Although a PDF magazine is a great idea, do we want such a large download? Even if the file is zipped, the file is still likely to very large."
File sizes for .pdf files really vary. I don't envisage 2 pages of mostly text becoming anywhere near 390k in size. The size will depend on how many graphics are included and on the efficiency of the application used to create the file. I'm sure there are others here who can give you a more precise answer.
"Also all recipients of the PDF magazine would need an Acrobat reader."
There is a free PDF reader for EPOC available at www.mbrainsoftware.com ; also Adobe Acrobat is a free download for Windows and the Mac. Is there some problem with expecting a prospective reader to install such a free program? What other format would be more suitable? I'm assuming this would be an EPOC/Symbian zine, if so should it be provided in ER5 Word and ER6 Word (is that what it's called on the Nokia?) formats instead, and what of those of us with older machines like the 3a? (Not that a pdf file is readable on a 3a) The great thing about PDF is that *most* of us would be able to read it on our handhelds *and* on our desktop or laptop, and those unable or unwilling to read the zine on their handheld could still read it on their desk/laptop. I don't know of any other formats, other than .html and straight text which could be read on any ER5 or ER6 machine and most any big OS. HTML would be messy in that the graphics could not be embedded (they'd have to be provided in a folder which would have to be in the same directory as the zine file in order to be viewed on the page - and Web can't see such files - though Opera can.), and there would be no concept of pages. I also don't think this would save any amount of k in file size! A text file might provide a smaller file size, but absolutely no graphics could be included - not to mention text formatting. One positive thing with text though: it's easy to send it out embedded in the same email message that sent it - no attachment necessary. Me? I don't really care what file format is decided on - the real question is who is actually going to do this?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:33 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Colour 5mx - 3-4 hours?!
Philip Crookes wrote:
"Would I be interested in conveting my 5mx to color? You bet I would. I'd even take a hit on battery life, wo long as it still worked with AA batteries for at least three or four hours - I can always carry a couple of spare pairs of charged MiMH cells with me."
"Perfection would be a PMCIA reader that could take a wireless card - but one thing at a time."
Aaaaack! I could never live with such a miserably short battery life - and I already use NiMH cells. Even the Mako with 6-7 hours was inconvenient for me :) Really if one needs a colour handheld with a keyboard and a wireless PCMCIA option - why not consider a Jornada 72X? They've got some fine apps for it and the hardware seems to have most or all of the advances many are asking for in an upgraded 5mx. All I want for my 5mx is the D&G RAM upgrade and a Revo-type screen - nothing else.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:37 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: ER6 & Multi-Tasking...
Kevin wrote:
"although ER6 is a powerful multi-tasking O/S, one cannot really run more than just a small handful of programs simultaneously without memory problems, unlike a 5mx. Sure, you can always close some down but then this rather negates the point of having a multi-tasking O/S in the first place!"
Thanks for that bit of information, Kevin. I didn't know that! This alone would rule out the Nokia for me :(
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:40 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Odin or 9 or ?
Peter wrote:
"There have been some postings recently referring to ODIN as a colour-screened, keyboard machine. I think whoever made this reference is referring to the (probably) fictitious "Series 9" which first appeared on a Norwegian website (in 2000 I think), the address of which I can no longer find. I still have a photograph of this "machine" in my netBook. The giveaway was a colourised Revo ER5 screenshot on a machine that was supposedly a CRYSTAL communicator running Symbian V6."
Hmmm... well I think it was me who first brought up the issue, but I couldn't remember the machine's name so I declined to name it! However Rolf mentioned 'Odin' and I guess I went from there. Hmmm... I can't believe both Rolf and I were wrong! ;). Anyway, I don't think the prototype machine (the one with the keyboard and clamshell design) which I believe was photographed at trade shows was a fake. There were, at one time, at least a few photos of it taken from different angles available on more than one site. Perhaps you're right though - it was quite a while back. Perhaps Rolf, or some other knowledgeable Psionista, could clarify if there ever was a working prototype of a colour clamshell Psion machine with keyboard - and just what that machine in the photos was if it wasn't just that.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:45 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: The Times They Are Changing
Jim wrote:
"when I can no longer get my Psions repaired and the final unit goes belly up there are usable keyboard machines out there."
Besides the machines you mentioned there is the Jornada HPC line. This would seem to be the closest direct replacement for a 5mx. I took a good look at the Sony and found it to be rather HUGE once opened - certainly compared to how it looks in photos. I also found it rather awkward to use - at least as a keyboard machine. Great screen though. If I were going to go back to the Palm I'd get a Treo - especially if I wanted it for its wireless email or cellphone features.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:19:49 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: A Happy User Of The Psion IR Travel Modem
Well, I'm a happy user of a Psion 56k IR Travel Modem too! I use it daily for email, and a couple of times a week for browsing the web and have sent a dozen faxes with it - all without incident. I've been using Opera 3.62 (bundled on the 5mx CD) for browsing and I always close everything down with JB5StopGo before I browse. I used it just a couple of days ago to download the latest upgrade to DreamConnect (they added zooming and a *powerful* search feature). What can I say? The IR modem has been very very good to me! P.S. I don't know why the article's author said the modem doesn't support faxing - it certainly does!
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 05:20:08 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Jotter size and date in Word (4 Jason)
Jason wrote:
"Hi David,
About 18 months or so ago I had a large Data file corrupt itself and was a bit paranoid for a while. However, I soon calmed down and now use large data files regularly (2MB+) without any problems, so far <BG> (I use an S5c but AFAIK Jotter is just a tye of data file)"
Hmmm...glad to hear that such *huge* Data files are not giving you problems. I guess with a daily backup I've got little to worry about anyway :)
"BTW, my main data file is my "Information" file which combines the many databases I used to have - it is my address book, note-book and general information repository. It's always open and therefore I can quickly find anything I need to without scrummaging around in different files."
Good idea - that's similar to the way I use Jotter. I've combined all of my old Jotter files into one big file; still I prefer to keep my contacts separate, accessing them through the excellent DreamConnect, and I still keep some stuff in various assorted Data files - most encrypted with the excellent Encrypt-it!. Perhaps I'll try transferring the data in my large Jotter file into a Data file - perhaps I'll find it more flexible?
"If you haven't already, get yourself a copy of Macro5 ( *absolutely essential* Psion utility found at http://pnicolas.epocboulevard.com) which will let you setup a keypress to do exactly this, in any format you choose. And a million other things besides."
Thanks for the tip - I've already got M5 up and running. Since I posted I've installed a macro that inserts the date into Word (using ExtraBars instead) but it looks like this: Sun 01 Sep 2002 , while I want it to look like this: 09/01/2002 - which is the way it looks in Jotter. Any ideas?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 2 Sep 2002 07:09:30 +0100
From: David Lir
Subject: Wrote my first macro! \0/
Well, I'm beginning to see what all the hoopla about macros is about! I finally got around to reading through the EScript help file which came with ExtraBars and after a bit of fiddling around I was able to create my first macro :)
Now when I hit Ctrl-Fn-Shift-D when in Email (easy to do with StickyKeys) a new message is created and is addressed to the Epoc Digest - and the cursor is all ready to go blinking at me from inside the subject field. Saves me loads of trouble and it was fun to write too. I've also setup a Clipping in ExtraBars which is inserted with a hotkey which you can see as my sig below. Now, what else can I automate? Hmmmm...
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David Lir - \\:>{o>
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 07:32:08 +0100
From: "Chris Matthee"
Subject: Re: PDF file size
===== PDF file size (answer to Philip) =====
I've found in the past that printers, publisher, graphic houses, etc. likes to send you a scanned image of the final product in the pdf. That is why the pdf files is normally very large. To give an example. I have a 13 page pdf document that only contains text, tables and a very small graphic logo of the company. The size is less than 50k.
===== Nokia 9210 =====
My Nokia 9210 has also completly taken over as my only pda. Having the combination pda/phone works very well. But, I have to agree with Kevin that Nokia got it "almost right". If only it supported GPRS and/or ethernet connections. <sigh>
Chris
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 11:11:33 +0100
From: Kevin Collins
Subject: Re: Data Counter
To Itamar:
> Re. DATA counter - The 6310i only counts the total data > sent and received, not separately. How do you know what > you sent and received ?
As well as "All Sent Data" and "All Received Data", do you not also have "Data Sent in Last Session" and "Data Received in Last Session"? I read from the latter two, and it struck me as strange that, after sending one 2Kb email, the "Data Sent in Last Session" counter showed almost 6Kb....
--
Regards,
Kevin [Cork, Ireland]
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 13:31:47 +0100
From: Alexei
Subject: GPRS cost
QUOTE:
It is also interesting that GPRS in Uk costs with Vodaphone Gbp 2.35 / Mb (is abt. Euro 3.76) and in Germany Euro 25.- / Mb. Someone still in favour of the Euro in the UK <G> ? UNQUOTE.
Hi!
Is that really cost 25 Euro per 1 Mb in Germany?
Than I do not think they GPRS providers gets a lot of customers, subscribed - this cost is VERY high.
For example, in Moscow (which is quite expensive overall), GPRS cost only $0.25 per 1Mb.
B Rgds,
Alex
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 13:59:40 +0100
From: Jason Garbutt
Subject: Psionology
Hi Digestives,
Andy Nott of the Psionology website, www.btinternet.com/~andy.nott , has put a plug for the EPOC digest on his site, so I thought it only fair to return the favour !
"The site includes news, reviews, links, information and downloads for Series 5/5mx and Revo/Revo Plus users. The site is still developing and the Psion News page especially is updated regularly."
I'd say it's well worth a look for all Psion users !
Note - Usual disclaimer about no connection etc. ;-)
Regards,
Jason
_________________________________________
&nb_________________________________________
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 15:42:41 +0100
From: Julie Wills
Subject: Re: Inserting date into Word
>From: David Lir
>Subject: Insert date into Word?
>
>Is there any way to directly insert the current date into a Word document? >The ctrl-shift-d keypress that works in Jotter doesn't work in Word, and I >can't see anything relevant in the menus.
David
I'm sure Huub Linthorst will tell you himself that one option is to use ExAb <g>.
This is freeware if you run it as a macro, or shareware if you run it as a separate program ... but this doesn't let you choose your date format (AFAIK - Huub, if I'm wrong, please let me know how to do it) - it's always DD/MM/YYYY (in the order chosen in your International Settings in the Control Panel). With ExAb there is also a way to choose the date from the calendar before you paste it, so it doesn't have to be today's date.
Alternatively, you could use Macro5 and set up a shortcut of type ClipText, with the expansion of
%%date%%, or you can specify your date format as follows:
DN Full day name
dn Three letter day name
DD Day of Month 1-31
MM Month number 1-12
MN Full Month name
mn 3 letter Month name
YY Year (4 digits)
yy Year (2 digits)
So setting up a ClipText shortcut containing
%%date dn DD mn YY%%
gives me Mon 02 Sep 2002 on my English Psion. The one thing I can't get it to do is to drop the leading zero from day and month numbers.
Hope this helps
Julie Wills, Twyford, READING, UK
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 15:43:01 +0100
From: Keith Giles
Subject: S5 Battery Report
I had used my old S5 while on my Canadian bike trip plus a couple of times after returning home. I check my S5 and 5mx battery status once a month - since they're essentially in storage. I checked today and saw the S5 batteries were low, so replaced them. I was pleased to see that I had gotten 20h 12m of battery use. Run *that* up your Revo/Mako. :-)
Happy Cycling,
Keith
Sunnyvale, CA
http://home.attbi.com/~ohsix827/
Thought For The Day: A person's age can be measured by the degree of pain one feels as one comes in contact with a new idea. (Hey, does this refer to me and my Mako battery?)
All my outgoing e-mails have been checked by Norton Anti-virus.
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 16:32:20 +0100
From: Simon Jeffree
Subject: STD access numbers / PDF eZine
Re: STD access numbers
To: Kevin Thorne
<< Just ask the Freeserve helpdesk or if you can wait a few days I'll try to dig it out the number from one of my old bills (just let me know if you want me to try to find it for you). I think I've also got a list somewhere of other ISP's STD dial-up numbers >>
Although I'm now happily using Virgin.net, it would be nice to know of any other ISP's STD access numbers, so yes, if & when you do find it, I'd love a copy.
Re: PDF eZine:
I echo the concerns voiced by Philip Bister of John George & Sons Ltd. over the possible size of the PDF file. I would generally much prefer to receive it by email but not if it's very large. Since it is going to be targeted at ER5 users, why not make it as a Psion Word file. Just a thought.
Regards,
Simon Jeffree
Maidstone, Kent, UK
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 17:20:00 +0100
From: <timschweikert
Subject: Fluff: RE: Textmaker for HPC & more
David,
>Tim wrote: "EPOC Word is well beyond anything in the PPC/HPC world," >
>Actually this in no longer true! A wordprocessor for the HPC
(TextMaker) has just been introduced which is MUCH more capable
(feature-packed) than EPOC Word, You can read about it here:
>
>http://www.softmaker.de/index,en.htm
I checked out TextMaker and it certainly appears to be a normal word
processing application for a _Desktop_, and in multiple languages.
The price of $69.95 seems a bit high until you realize what it does.
TextMaker includes footers, tables, calculations, jpeg placements,
etc. Pocket Word was never like this! ...and never could have been
with Microsoft's philosophy of locking you into a normal Winxx
system. Of course, all this comes at the expense of "disk" space -
better than 5megs. I'll purchase as soon as the download version is
ready. Thanks for the tip!!
<snip>
>Another point: WordSmith on the Palm is surprisingly good, though not
as capable as EPOC word.
The latest Quickword (Quickoffice) on the Palm does a lot of catching
up to Wordsmith.
Slightly more on topic, on the advantage of POP3 email system, I use
my Earthlink ISP for email and newsgroups. In a recent msg,
Earthlink told me that I spent 31.9 hours on their ISP in a _year_
(for my home ISP via a 56K modem). I don't feel deprived either...
and look at all of the ads I missed, oh my....
Nevertheless, back to the purpose of this newsgroup - EPOC computers -
I have to concede that someone was right when they said that the
proposed color screen for the 5MX had better hurry or there won't be
many afficiandos left to sell to. I need battery life long before I
need color, but it's also rather obvious that the mainline developers
have left the 5MX/Revo/Mako series, and the upcoming market is still
very fragmented. I still purchase an ocassional application, but no
significant updates/upgrades any more. I have to admit that my
family will just use the two remaining 5mx units until they fail -
which I don't expect will be long - and I am looking elsewhere. I
do not believe that I will spend any $$ on repair when they do fail,
nor will I replace them. The replacement is probably going to be a
mix of unit types, including Palm.
Tim
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Date: 2 Sep 2002 19:26:03 +0100
From: John Wetton
Subject: Re 5mx colour screen, PDF printer
Hi Everyone,
Like most of the others who've mentioned it, I'd also be interested in the colour screen --- but I would like to know what existing software for the 5mx supports colour? Especially if word and sheet support it?
I assume that rather than POD, the company thinking about this is POS Ltd? Maybe we should all drop them an emai) to voice our support of the project, and drop in a few other suggestions while we're at it?How about a modified CF door fixing, so that a "false door" can be fitted to allow for using CF cards that stick outside the case?
Who knows, if sufficient responses came through, maybe they'd try and arrange a mdified production run from Psion ????? ( Oooops, must have dropped off - time to wake up to the real world again !)
Re PDF printer - this is another good idea, this combined with colour support, could make NConvert and the like redundant.It would need to support all formatting, etc, to be of real use.Keep us informed of progress with this project.
The two bits above are REALLY tempting me to get another 5mx while I can :)))
Off topic, and onto windows I'm afraid :( Does anyone have any suggestions to allow a small office network, to store and access email folders? I am looking to effectively be able to use the desktop PC as a server, but to be able to view, send, edit, and copy emails from the two laptops.Sent messages would need storing on the "office server".If anyone can offer advice please drop me a line off digest at jwsail(at)bigfoot.com .I've heard there are a few bits of software out there that do this sort of thing, but I'd rather try something someone actually recommended - and if it was cheap as well........
Cheers folks,
John Wetton
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