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Epoc Digest Sun, 28 Dec 2003 Volume 01 : Number 411
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Sent to: 799 subscribers
In today's Epoc Digest 26 messages:
==============================
- Re: netpad
- Guarantees (4 Itamar)
- Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 409 (37)
- Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 409 (14)
- Re: Progress
- Re: Yet another card format :o(
- netBook Keyboard
- Palmtop magazine, MP3, MBook Warrantee,
- Cost of netBook / Phoneman Pro / Forthcoming Technologies
- Email question
- Re: MNetbook
- Re: netpad infos
- Yet another card format :o( (4 Owen)
- Re: Update
- Re: Spot a Psion, nConvert (4 andrew)
- Re: Port scan on the S5mx (4 Rolf V)
- Re: MNetBook (4 Jim)
- Re: Dana v. Mbook (4 Jim)
- Re: Backups Again (4 Chris)
- Re: Backups Again (4 Chris H.)
- Re: All sorts (4 Andy H)
- Re.: Malaybook (4 Itamar)
- PDF files (4 Chris H.)
- Chris' Indent Macro (4 Chris H.)
- Re: Source for Series 5(MX) Screen Cables
- Andy's mail problem, USB/wi-fi cards, immersion, memory lane...
*++++++++++&
Date: 27 Dec 2003 08:21:00 -0500
From: Chris Pulster
Subject: Re: netpad
> From: Rolf Brunsting
Rolf, thanks for your helpful informations concerning IP norms. The specification of the netpad is here:
http://www.teklogix.com/assets/downloadable/ netpad_Mobile_Computer_US.pdf
and says: "IP Rating: Extremely rugged package rated to IP67 (submersion
in water to depth of 3.3ft/1m for 30 minutes)", besides:
"Drop Specification: 5ft/1.5m drop onto concrete" (I understood, this is
a different point as IP).
Christoph
*++++++++++&
Date: 27 Dec 2003 08:23:21 -0500
From: Thomas F. VAN DER ZIJDEN
Subject: Guarantees (4 Itamar)
Hello Itamar, hello group,
On the subject of guarantees.
What happened with the 5mx was this:
1. I brought it to the shop in Rotterdam a long with the prolonged guarantee certificat from Dixons.
I instructed them that they might have to send it to Schiphol Airport, because Psion does no longer have repair facilities in The Netherlands. They took the certificat, the 5mx and said they could manage: "We are not stupid at Dixons, you know ? "
2. Then it took some months - which I expected - but I made a call anyway. Here is the answer.
"Euhm... yeah... we went to that web site and you need a credit card for that. Dixons does not have a credit card. Can you pay in advance ?"
"But what about your warranty ?"
"Well, that's actually an insurance, so you can get back what you paid." "OK, that sounds logical" (that was also written on the certificat
actually). "Can you send it to Schiphol Airport ? "
"No, you need to pick it up from Rotterdam and send it yourself."
"^&$#&"
"OK, OK, we'll send it..."
3. Two weeks later UPS tried to deliver it to me, but UPS only delivers under working time, so after the third try to my home address they sent it to my working address... where I *just* succeeded it in getting it into my hands, because our own mail service was too enthusiastic : "He, isn't that the French guy ? Let's send it to Feluy." (That online track service of UPS works as a treat. I could immediately see that the package arrived on site)
The good news: the 5mx is in perfect working order
The bad news: I still didn't get my money back, so Dixons will need some harassment from my insurance for juridical matters.
I hoped that there are some (Dutch) readers on the list that have the same experience. I already heared from one guy that he received his money back, so that's a relief. Still : Dixons, Psion and UPS working together in one project... that's not feeling comfortable !
On the guarantee of the Malaybook :
Correct, now the price difference is getting perhaps too big, but at the time the Dutch Symbian User Society and Pulster had a special offer for 499 euros.
Still : I have heared from clients of Sita that they sent the Malaybook in a plastic bag ! Not my cup of tea, such a shop.
Yours sincerely,
Thomas VAN DER ZIJDEN
*++++++++++&
Date: 27 Dec 2003 08:44:15 -0500
From: Chris S Handley
Subject: Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 409 (37)
Subject: Ref: The MBook's notorious screen cable problem ?
Thomas F. VAN DER ZIJDEN wrote:
> Ehmmm... glup... did I miss something ? I did not know that
> the screen cable on the Netbook was also a notorious
> problem-giver. Could you give more info on this ?
I'll attempt to summarise what I know of the problem, but the best place for comprehensive information is the discussions that have taken place in the Psion section of PDA Street.
The problem is both worse & better than the 5mx's problem:
It is worse in that it seems to affect a far greater percentage of older Netbooks (I'd guess 100 percent but someone'll doubltless disagree), and also that it occurs far quicker & more predictably (typically 6-12 months for fairly heavy use of a Netbook).
It is better in that it is not a permanent unfixable problem. Whereas the 5mx's problem was caused by the cable physically cracking, the Netbook's problem is just caused by the cable coming loose from the motherboard (or perhaps the contacts joining the two becoming oxidised). This means that once your warrenty runs out, it is still feasible for a user to fix the machine himself for free:
With some technical experience & care, dismantling a Netbook to access the cable connection isn't too hard; you can then unplug the cable, maybe clean it a bit, and then securely plug it back in. Hopefully this should last another 6-12 months (or however long it took with your usage), although there are not enough reports to be sure on this.
For those with less technical expertise, and no friends with that expertise either, there also exists a far quicker & easier solution, although it won't last nearly as long (anything from a few days to maybe a month). All you need to do is press quite hard on the middle of the "Ser7ies" or "Netbook" logo that is just above the keyboard's 6 & 7 keys. The cable connector is near where you are pressing, and for some reason the pressure has a positive affect. WARNING: In my personal opinion repeated use of this solution carries it's own potential problems; mechanically flexing the motherboard & associated components could shorten their lives, although there is no evidence (yet) that this is so.
I have been lucky. I have two Psion 7s (the second was bought as a backup incase the first had a screen cable problem), and both developed the problem after about 6 months use. The luck comes from both being under warrenty, and that it seems that when Psion repaired them, they provided a fix similar or identical to that used in the newest Netbooks. While I can't guarantee that this fix will permanently solve the problem (as it is really more of a Netbook design flaw), it does seem to provide a much better success rate - I haven't heard of one failing yet & my own one has lasted over 12 months so far without problems.
But please do not expect that Psion will automatically provide this fix, especially for Series7s. The first time mine was repaired, it did not get this fix, and I suspect it was only my detailed letter(s), some luck, and some kind person in the repair centre that means I got the fix the second time round. The repair center I used has been closed down, the one that followed it has also closed down, and the last I heard repairs are now handled in another country...
Psion are known to have made several attempts to fix this problem before getting something that actually worked (or at least works better, see above). So only the newest Netbooks were manufacturered with this fix as standard. AFAIK, Malaybooks are too old to come with this fix. Series 7s definitely never came with it.
Regards,
Chris Handley
P.S. So as you may have gathered, I expect to be using a Series 7 (upgraded to the Netbook OS thanks to a Netbook Personality Module) for a very long time to come, especially if the Symbian Netbook Pro never materialises.
================
Subject: Re: Antony Pocket Pc
Rolf Brunsting wrote:
> Psion's management. They will be able to explain to
> you why Psion's handheld computer division was closed down.
> When it takes (say) 500,000 units to break
> even, while there are only 250,000 buyers, it's a "No
> Brainer" to stop developing, manufacturing and selling them.
An alternative view is that their marketing department sucked really badly sometime after the Psion 5 appeared, so that they simply couldn't sell enough units - despite having a (generally) superior product.
Maybe some of that can be blamed on a lack of funds for marketing, but when they decide customers really don't want colour screens there is something seriously wrong. Just a colour screen would have made-up for a lot of the bad (or non-existant) advertising, as people would no-longer automatically assume a Psion did little more than a cheap "Digital Diary" made by Casio.
I suppose that is the whole point though - if a company is unable to market a product properly, the open market will punish them if someone else can do it better. Sadly there were many such companies.
BTW, you might ask why did a black & white Palm do better than a black & white Psion 5mx or Revo? Some people have sited ease-of-use, or price, or marketing. No doubt those have some effect, but in the end I think maybe the biggest factor was simply that Palms used ONLY a stylus for input, and therefore they looked remarkably like those futuristic pads you see in Star Trek. This made it clear that they weren't a boring or simple Casio Digital Diary, even if the reality of stylus input is fairly horrific in my humble opinion.
So ends my theory of why Psion screwed-up. I hope Psion is finding the Enterprise market better than the Consumer one, but I have my doubts that it will always be better. Certainly it seems risky to have "all your eggs in one basket (or market)". Perhaps I should be blaming Psion's management instead? ;-)
Regards,
Chris Handley
================
Subject: Re: Backwards compatibility
Rolf Brunsting wrote:
> Backwards compatibility is a major contributor to what
> Microsoft's desktop operating systems have long been accused
> of. That of being bloated, inefficient, unreliable and unstable.
> I'm sure that we could have had a much better PC had Microsoft
> and Intel been allowed to put the hardware and software of the
> PC on a new footing after the 486 PC.
I essentially agree with what you say, but if Microsoft & Intel had infact done as you suggest, I think it is VERY likely we would be no-longer be using Microsoft software running on a Microsoft OS running on an Intel-like processor.
I would suggest that the reason they still hold a monopoly position is BECAUSE they have bent over backwards for, errr, backwards compatibility, despite the horrendous problems that causes. We might even have been using near-identical products from some other companies that decided to support backwards compatibility if Intel & Microsoft had decided not to.
Both Intel & Microsoft will or have moved us towards brand-new system architectures (64-bit RISC & WinNT/XP respectively), but even so they are doing it incredibly incrementally to avoid giving their customers the chance to consider switching to the competition.
Regards,
Chris Handley
================
Subject: Re: Progress
Rolf Brunsting wrote:
> MP3 is only fit for the spoken word as far as I'm concerned
You sure know how to be controversial :-)
> as It can only get its small file sizes by throwing data away.
This is in fact MP3's reason for existing... Throwing away the least important audio information. And a surprising amount of information is totally unnoticable to the general population; perhaps 80 to 90 percent if you go by MP3 compression ratios!
> Use MP3 to
> squeeze a CD recording into a smaller format and you're going
> to loose valuable musical information.
I find that highly unlikely:
One minute of CD audio uses 10.1 Mb of space. It is easy to calculate that you need an MP3 compression level of about 1400 kbit/sec to have an MP3 file of the same size.
It is generally accepted that you only need 128 kbit/sec to get "near CD quality", which is an 11 to 1 size reduction. If you only reduced by a third the size of a CD recording, your MP3 compression would be 470 kbit/sec, which is 3.7 times larger than "near CD quality" - for which I suspect even a "golden ear" would not be able to tell the difference.
In the real world, even quality fanatics with huge harddrives aren't going to use more than 256 or 384 kbit/sec. Personally I would suggest that 192 kbit/sec is a sensible maximum, which gives a compression ratio of 7 to 1. That said, I usually use 128 kbit/sec as a good compromise between size & quality.
> Compress lightly and
> you lose the musical differences that distinguish a
> Bösendorfer from a Yamaha grand piano. Compress more and you
> can no longer hear that you're listening to a grand piano -
> it becomes 'a' piano.
Actually slow music using just a few instruments, say a piano & some singing, such as found in the Mad World song currently at number one here in the UK, are the most easily compressed (and for good reason). I have gotten as low as 48 or 64 kbit/sec without obvious artifacting, although granted it will only sound like "a" piano. But 64 kbit/sec is SERIOUSLY compressed, and you could hardly claim it is compressed only a little more than "lightly".
I think you must be basing your conclusions on having heard some very highly compressed or badly encoded MP3s, because properly encoded MP3s using a sensible bit-rate should be literally indistinguishable, even if heard side-by-side with the original.
I will happily admit that only in recent years, with the advent of Broadband & Gigabyte harddrives, have "high bit-rate" MP3s (i.e. ones of reasonable sound quality) become common, and that even now "low bit-rate" MP3s are still easily found.
The best way to get decent MP3s is to buy the CD and then encode it as MP3 yourself (and an Apple iMac is the easiest way to do this). That way you can set the level of quality you want, and also be sure that it hasn't been compressed more than once (which can lead to horrid MP3 artifacts, rather like repeated JPG compression artifacts).
> Compress even more and the piano turns
> into one of those inexpensive Casio keyboards. You also loose
> the sharp attack and the mellow roll. It simply becomes the
> ping ping ping of a vintage mobile phone's ringtone.
This sort of effect probably wouldn't be obtained unless you went as low as 16 or 32 kbit/sec (for say just a piano), which NOBODY today would ever use - except perhaps for voice.
> And then
> I'm not even talking about the sound stage. The overall
> majority of MP3 music sounds as flat as a pancake.
That is probably either because it uses a low bit-rate, or because it was recorded using "Joint Stereo" whereby the differences between both stereo channels are encoded separately.
Hard-core quality enthusiasts will encode each channel separately; this nearly doubles the size of an MP3, but gives clearly defined stereo. Possibly it is a flaw of the MP3 standard that means some people feel this is necessary.
> In other
> words, MP3 is for the generation that grew up treating music
> as if it were wall paper - they're hearing music - they're
> not listening to music.
While I can understand how you might have managed to come to this conclusion, I believe it HAS always been the case, and WILL always be the case that some people like music just because of the tune, while others will also take pleasure in hearing HOW it was played. Your are obviously one of the latter.
Just because some (or even most?) people seem fairly happy with MP3s that aren't high quality, that should not lead you to conclude that MP3s are in of themselves a bad idea!
BTW, next you'll be telling me DVDs are a bad idea because they compress the video. Oh, hang on, they (sometimes) use MP3 for the audio tracks... ;-)
Regards,
Chris Handley
*++++++++++&
Date: 27 Dec 2003 17:25:52 -0500
From: PRAR
Subject: Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 409 (14)
At 23:38 25/12/2003 -0500, you wrote:
><< next time you favourite soccer team loses, you can take your netpad and >through it against the wall, no problem at all, IP67 >>
>
>In other words, IP67 says that the netBook is dust proof and can withstand >being submerged in the bath or in shallow waters. It doesn't say anything >about the sturdiness of a netBook, nor whether it will survive intact >after having been thrown against a wall. Sell a netBook as such on the >basis of its IP67 rating and you can run into difficulties. When the >netBook doesn't survive intact the purchaser has a valid claim against you.
NetPAD Rolf, netPAD. I would certainly not take a netbook in the bath with me, but I might consider it with the netpad.
*++++++++++&
Date: 27 Dec 2003 22:18:11 -0500
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: Progress
Howdy!
Rolf Brunsting wrote (> ):
> Or somebody like me who doesn't see any point in
> having an MP3 player. Whether it's in the form of
> a dedicated MP3 player or a PDA with MP3
> functionality. MP3 is only fit for the spoken word
> as far as I'm concerned as It can only get its
> small file sizes by throwing data away.
I stayed away from MP3 for a long time for the same reason. When I bought my 20gig MP3 player, I was amazed to find that the same CD ripped on my laptop and played back in my Creative DAP MP3 player actually sounded better than when I put the original CD in my CD player and played it back through the same amplifier and speakers. I suppose this may say more about my CD player than the MP3 format, and my MP3 player probably has better audio components than any PDA with MP3 capability as an extra feature.
It is possible and indeed probable that the recording would have sounded even better than my MP3 on a really good CD player. However, I would argue that rather few people actually own a CD player that sounds noticably better than my MP3 player. Of course, my main reason for using an MP3 player instead of CD's is that it frees up loads of bookshelf space on the boat. I don't seem to have any more room though...
I have been given some MP3 files by friends (yes, I know it's not really legal, please don't start that argument) and find that the quality can vary a lot with how they were ripped. The worst is when somebody has used the ripping feature of the MusicMatch software when the CD player in the computer actually plays the CD and the software records the audio output and rips it.
Why anyone would want to write software that goes the tortous route of first converting digital to audio (played back on a really shitty CD player) and then converting the audio back to digital instead of going direct from digital CD to compressed digital MP3 is beyond me. It would be similar to printing a TIFF image and scanning it to create a JPEG instead of converting it on the computer.
This is a bit like the argument between vinyl and CD. My mother didn't want to go to CD because vinyl sounds better, but she had a cheap and junky grammophone and just about any CD player would have sounded better. I on the other hand was an audio buff of the first order and had a grammophone where just the tone arm cost around 700 pounds (Euros weren't invented), never mind the actual turntable and pickup. My grammophone really did sound better than CD's, at least with my own records which were treated very gently. Even so, I have found that the most important parts of any HiFi system are not the media, player or amplifier, but the speakers and not least the room you are listening in.
PS. I can certainly hear the difference between a Steinway and a Casio keyboard on my MP3 player, as well as the difference between Truls Mørk's cello and a set of bagpipes!
Owen
Thought for the day:
If you love something set it free, if it doesn't come back, hunt it down and kill it.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°07.85'N 15°25.66'W
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 27 Dec 2003 22:18:27 -0500
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: Yet another card format :o(
Howdy!
I wrote (>> ):
>> My moan and question to the list is does anyone
>> know why there are so damned many different flash
>> card formats?
Rolf Brunsting wrote (> ):
> First because of the advances in memory chip
> technology.
Doesn't really explain it, as most of the different card formats are of similar size. The main difference between the CF which is the largest of the bunch (not counting PCMCIA) and the other formats is that CF cards have an onboard controller. This is probably the main reason CF cards are bigger, apart from them being an older format. In (all?) the other card formats, the controller is in the device rather than the card.
The onboard controller is probably also the reason we can use CF cards in our 5ives, 7evens and N/M-Books of sizes that would have been beyond our wildest fantasies when the machines first came on the market. A card controller designed back when our Psions first came on the market would be unlikely to support the 256mb CF I now have in my 5mx and people have come across this problem when buying new larger cards for older digital cameras that use one of the other formats.
> Secondly, because of commercial interests. Using
> your own card format makes it more likely that
> people buy other products from you.
Not necessarily true. The Memory Stick is the single most important reason I would not consider a Sony camera. They actually make some nice cameras, I just don't want to go with a device that uses a card format that nobody else uses. The new xD card format was the main reason I took a long time to decide whether to buy my new Fuji camera.
The S5000 is a very nice camera, and the only two things I don't like about it are the fact that it uses xD cards and that it doesn't have an external flash socket. However, as it has a manual exposure setting I think I can overcome the flash problem by screening the light from the buiItin flash and using a slave. I'm struggling a bit to get used to the LCD viewfinder too. It freezes for a second after each shot, which makes it difficult to track moving objects, particularly when shooting from a moving boat.
I spent a lot of time in an Internet café looking for alternatives to the S5000 with similar specifications and support for SmartMedia or CF, but couldn't find anything to match it at a similar price. You can't call this market loyalty, as the reason I already have CF cards is my Psions and a long dead Nikon camera and the reason I have SmartMedia cards is my Fuji 4700z camera.
The only real contender I found was Fuji's older model, the S602 which uses both SmartMedia and CF and is only marginally larger than the new S5000. I went shopping for one, but the only store that still had one in stock wanted a ridiculous amount of money for it and it turned out considerably cheaper to buy the S5000 and a 256mb xD card. Fuji almost lost this sale to someone who was already a happy Fuji customer because they changed the card format. The S5000 would not have needed to be any larger if it had had slots for SmartMedia like my older and much smaller Fuji 4700z or CF (and SmartMedia) like the S602 it replaces in the marketplace.
> Now that you
> have a 256 MByte xD card, and may buy an extra
> one, creates the incentive to replace your Fuji
> S5000 by another Fuji camera when the time comes.
No, several manufacturers have now adopted the xD format, so this doesn't hold water. If I want to stay with xD for my next camera, I have the choice of several manufacturers. However, my next camera will probably be a digital SLR, in which case I may end up back with CF (and CFII) again unless the manufacturers decide to upset all the professional photographers by changing the card format for their high end models.
One potential problem with the xD cards is that they are so damned small that if I dropped one in the grass when I was out photographing, I might not find it again. Both expensive and annoying, particularly if the card had a whole day's work on it.
Owen
Thought for the day:
I doubt, therefore I might be.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°07.85'N 15°25.66'W
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 00:48:18 -0500
From: Keith Giles
Subject: netBook Keyboard
Has anyone found a way to switch the Menu and Fn keys on the netBook? I've looked at Zavorine's Keyboard Mapper, www.zavorine.com/epoc but can't figure out if it would work. If someone knows how, could you give explicit instructions.
Happy Cycling,
Keith
Sunnyvale, CA
http://ohsix827.home.comcast.net
Thought For The Day: If at first you don't succeed - find someone who knows what he's doing.
All my outgoing e-mails have been checked by Norton Anti-virus.
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 05:09:20 -0500
From: Itamar Engelsman
Subject: Palmtop magazine, MP3, MBook Warrantee,
Answer to: Steve Litchfield
Re.: Palmtop magazine - Yes, I do know that it is not a Psion magazine anymore. However, I think somehow the general quality (of articles) has dropped and the number of pages has dropped as well. You know that I have a Palm as well and still I don't find that much of interest in the magazine. Maybe it is just personal.
Answer to: ian chapple & Rolf
Re. MP3 - Your comparison to digital cameras is only partially valid as most cameras give you the option to save in JPEG or in RAW uncompressed format. But maybe a difference is also what type of music you listen to ? I have some jazz and modern songs (Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, etc.) on my Palm which sounds good enough to enjoy, but agree that a classical concert would certainly stretch the Palm far above it's limits.
Answer to: Jim Watson-Gove
Re. MBook Warrantee - Well, 1-1/2 years after purchasing the S7 it works, the keys are still readeable almost as new, the cover does not peel, the screencable has not broken down and in general it looks very well. I think you will find the quality of the MBook to be very good. You also hear very little about S7/nB/MBook repairs or problems (although of course some did break down).
Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 10:48:27 -0500
From: Andy Hayes
Subject: Cost of netBook / Phoneman Pro / Forthcoming Technologies
Hi All
Damon said: -
> In three years a new Mac iBook has dropped about sixty percent in > price. Yet the old Netbook seems to be selling at close to its
> original price.
>
> Isn't price dictated by demand?
The netBook may be selling at close to its original price, but in what quantity? As soon as the mBooks became available (at an original price of 258usd (?)) a lot of people decided that they could afford one or could afford a backup to the one that they already had. I think that we are all used to seeing the prices of what we buy in the gadget market drop as new products with better features are brought out to replace the old. Psion have done this with the series 3 and 5 machines in the past, if memory serves me, but the netBook stayed stubbornly high and may be a reason why they have not reached more customers. How many of you with 7/netBooks/mBooks would like a docking station, but refuse to pay the £90 ish for one?
My comments had weight added by Jim: -
> 2. The Malay book raised its head. From the beginning I wanted a
> 7 or a Netbook to supplement the Mako, 5 and 5mx. I wasn't
> willing to pay the high cost of either. At $450, it suddenly
> became possible to own a netbook.
I downloaded the free copy of Phoneman Pro for my son from their site when the digest said that it had been released free. I must admit to being really pleased that they have said that a new version would be issued at some point and the old registration numbers would still work with it. That is such good value and I don't think that they would be blamed if they charged a small upgrade fee for the new version. Phoneman Pro was one of those truly brilliant apps for the Psion from my point of view. It ranked among En Route, Street Planner and RMRBank, but as phone technology moved on it couldn't keep up and I now only use it for sending SMS messages. It can't manage (properly) the "multi-level" (sorry I don't know the correct term for when one name can have several phone entries as well as email addresses, addresses, notes etc.) phone book of my Nokia 6310i without a very long-winded setup operation involving the sacrifice of sheep of bleak Shetland hilltops. I for one will be looking forward to the new incarnation of the application.
As we move into the new year I wonder what the next device to be built into a phone will be, and wonder if the list members have any suggestions. My money is on an iron. It may seem ridiculous at first thought but the ability to iron shirt collars whilst phoning is another way of saving valuable time. Another alternative might be nasal hair trimmers for those of us over 40 (and male), or beard trimmers. Perhaps the ladies might consider some hair crimping tool. I imagine that the batteries would be huge for the latter. More likely, and with the availability of large 4gb CF cards, we are just likely to get more tunes (or spoken words!) on built in MP3 players or films on video.
Take care
Andy Hayes
---
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*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 15:38:18 -0500
From: ian chapple
Subject: Email question
Dear all,
I occasionally receive emails which are displayed in Email with a red exclamation mark in the mail icon. Does anyone know what this means? The emails are all readable, and there seems to be nothing odd in the addresses etc., so I'm at a loss to know what it means.
Cheers, Ian.
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 15:46:21 -0500
From: Daniele Squarci
Subject: Re: MNetbook
Jim Watson-Gove wrote:
>>I have a small laptop carrying case (padded soft case) - what is recommended for a case for the Mbook itself? <<
If you like briefcase-style, Psion had its made-to-measure case for the S7/netBook manufactured by Jaga in the UK. It's a dark blue leather case with one section where the netBook fits snugly, a second section where you can put the mains adaptor and cables, and a third for a few A4 size papers and business cards. The quality is very good. Buy from Jaga direct at www.jaga-associates.com (or maybe .co.uk - I forget). I paid GBP 45 including shipping to Italy. They also make another style of case.
Ciao
Daniele Squarci - Italy
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 17:25:39 -0500
From: Daniele Squarci
Subject: Re: netpad infos
Steve Hodgson wrote: >> ED> IP67 says that the netBook is dust proof and can withstand being submerged in the bath or in shallow waters
Can I be the first to say...
Immersed in water!!!!????<<
The original poster was referring to the Netpad. Don't try dunking the netBook!! :-))
Ciao
Daniele Squarci
Italy
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:20 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Yet another card format :o( (4 Owen)
> My moan and question to the list is does anyone know why
> there are so damned many different flash card formats?
I think it has something to do with capitalism, competition, progress and greed, Owen. ;)
> I have a USB card reader which reads every existing format
> EXCEPT the xD cards used by the Fuji
Lexar makes a reader that reads all the flash formats: CF, SD, MMC, MS, and XD.
> Another question would be whether the 5mx has the
> power to convert the 6 megapixel images to something more
> e-mail friendly in nConvert.
I seriously doubt it!
> Thought for the day:
> I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.
Story of my life - except I haven't got my head together yet!
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:24 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Update
> Should have kept it in a PalmTec/Scribble hardcase
Hate to reply to myself - but it completely slipped my mind that PalmTec/Scribble has become Proporta (www.proporta.com). Just in case anybody went looking :).
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:26 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Spot a Psion, nConvert (4 andrew)
>> A file without the <HTML> tag in the beginning is NOT a
>> valid HTML file.
>
> Not strictly true! If the nConvert is choking on the HTML
> files in question because they start with a <!DOCTYPE, then
> that must be an nConvert bug. Doctypes have been required for
> a long time in HTML files.
Basically, the problem is that nC ONLY uses the <HTML> tag to verify that a file is convertible. It scans for and must find the <HTML> tag somewhere towards the beginning of the document. After playing around with some more files it seems just how far down the <HTML> tag can be for nC to find it varies somewhat from file to file. At any rate, nC will not start a conversion if the <HTML> tag is missing, even if the <html> tag or the <!DOCTYPE tag is there.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
P.S., I checked out your site: very nice!
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:30 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Port scan on the S5mx (4 Rolf V)
> Hi there,
>
> I want to read during the email receiving process all
> informations, sent and received at the port 110.
>
> Do someone know such a program or the way to do that?
I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for - but NetUtils (open source) has a 'Portscan' feature:
http://itnat.kbsunet.ru/~vkv/
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:42 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: MNetBook (4 Jim)
> I assume that there is some sort of general warrantee. Do I
> register with Telelogic or Psion?
Psion does NOT warranty MnetBooks at all. Whomever you bought it from may have offered their own warranty. I think that Chris Pulster does offer a warranty of some sort with the MnetBooks he sells - but AFAIK Sita does not - though they will exchange a DOA machine for up to 30 days.
> I have a small laptop carrying case (padded soft case) -
> what is recommended for a case for the Mbook itself? I
> remember one Keith Giles had for his 7 that looked pretty
> good - what are you using Keith???
CaseLogic made (past tense) a nice lightly padded case (Model: PSC-1) with an expansive front pocket and a short handle (that can be lengthened to a shoulder strap) for the Sony PSOne that fits the netBook perfectly. I found glowing reviews of the case for use with a Fujitsu mini-notebook on the Web and I found the case at RadioShack for only $20CDN. The case is perfect for the netBook - the pocket is big enough to hold a number of PCMCIA cards, CF cards, my Cross stylus pen, telephone cables, and even a small paperback book. You may be able to find the case as old stock in Video Game shops.
Here's some pics of the case:
http://www.pooterland.com/caselogic.html
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:46 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Dana v. Mbook (4 Jim)
> 2. The Malay book raised its head. From the beginning I
> wanted a 7 or a Netbook to supplement the Mako, 5 and 5mx. I
> wasn't willing to pay the high cost of either. At $450, it
> suddenly became possible to own a netbook.
I bought my 2 MnetBooks for $258 each (from Sita) back in early March, so the MnetBook has actually RISEN in price - though it now comes with a modem and WiFi card.
> The pluses for the Dana are:
>
> 1. Low cost. The newest Dana (a 16 meg machine) is even
> cheaper than the earlier model that I have (an 8 meg
> machine).
It's still expensive at $379 (for what you get) when compared to the MnetBook at $450 which at least has a nice colour screen, relatively fast processor, modem, WiFi card and superior OS.
> 2. Rugged. The machine is almost bullet proof.
AlphaSmart made the Dana (primarily) for kids - it better be tough! I wish all portable computers were as rugged as the Dana.
> 3. Very long battery life - when using the Dana on a regular
> basis, I was charging it maybe once a week.
Incredibly long battery life :) - and a replacement NiMH pack is dirt cheap at only $10!
> 4. The rechargeable battery pack can be temporarily replaced
> with AA's if you get caught away from the AC mains.
You can also run the Dana completely from alkaline cells if you want - the runtime on 3 AA's is longer than that of a 5mx running on 2. If you buy your alkaline AA cells in bulk - there's really no need to bother with rechargeables with a Dana, IMO. Except perhaps environmental reasons.
> The downside is the file
> management capability of AlphWord is primitive. I solved
> this by buying WordSmith and then badgering the WordSmith
> people into adding widescreen capability to WordSmith. The
> file management of WordSmith is excellent - as good as it
> gets with Palm OS.
WordSmith *is* excellent - I still miss a couple of its more minor features since moving over to EPOC. But did Blue Nomad really widescreen enable WordSmith - just because you badgered them? ;)
> The email program that AlphaSmart has selected for the Dana
> is Mark/Space. The new Danas come with it and the web
> browser. I found Mark/Space wanting and loaded up
> SnapperMail which is excellent.
Is SnapperMail widescreen enabled?
> HandBase looks good but about the time I was playing with
> that, I gave up and moved back to Psion. The multitasking
> ability - the ability to set up and work with folders - and
> the powerful processor finally carried the day.
I especially appreciate EPOC's multitasking with EPOC Task Manager installed. ETM's task switcher works like FileSwitch except that it shows a scrolling row of up to 8 (colour) icons (when the hotkey is used) and includes the complete filepath in the dialog. It makes it VERY easy to switch to any running app or file, or to merely switch back and forth between any two. It's very similar to the task switcher in Windows.
> Palm OS is really meant for a PDA that is an extension to a
> Windows (or Apple) machine where most of the work is done on
> the desktop machine.
I agree 100%; but it is still quite amazing what you can accomplish on a little Palm.
> The keyboard on the MBook is superior to the keyboard on the
> Dana (IMO).
That I didn't know! After hearing glowing review after glowing review of the Dana's keyboard I had come to the impression that the Dana keyboard is better than the netBook's. It's good to hear the opinion of someone who has both machines and who word-processes so much.
> The only downside is the battery on the MBook. I find the 8
> hours speced a bit low and it will drive the way I use the
> machine (at home plugged in a lot - using the 5mx when away
> from the house).
You should be able to buy the NETBOOK PRO's battery soon - for approx. 12 hours of runtime. Still considerably less than the Dana though.
> jim - port townsend
I considered picking up a Dana for one of my kids - I even considered moving over (just for a second!!) myself. What drew me to the Dana was the rugged design, long battery life, ability to use alkaline cells, etc. I decided to stick with my EPOC machines (and buy my MnetBooks) because of the easy interplay between a small machine (5mx) and a larger machine (MnB) - and the multitasking, proper file system with a folder hierarchy, and ability to store my files in RAM or on the card while maintaining the original file formats. The Dana is a nice machine which is let down by its OS, IMO.
BTW, thanks for the comparison, Jim.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:14:56 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Backups Again (4 Chris)
> Subject: Re: Backups Again
> David Lir wrote:
>> FlashBack has a nifty profiles feature that lets the user
>> specify what individual files, folders or trees are to be
>> backed up in a given profile and FlashBack does open and
>> close the files that are to be backed up in the current
>> profile, and leaves the other running files open -
>
> I would just point out that FastBackup does all this.
> Perhaps I'll look at trying to improve the help file...
>
>> Also, you can use FastBackup to backup that single file on D
>> to E and it will close and open it, as necessary. Just *keep
>> the file in its own folder* on D (D:\My
>> Stuff\Diary2003\Diary2003) and then *create a FastBackup
>> profile to backup just that folder* to E.
>
> The next version of FastBackup will make it easy to add
> single files for backup, although the current version already
> supports this if you add the filename manually.
Yup, I know that FastBackup runs profiles too (and opens/closes files) - I use two of them everyday. However, it is MUCH easier to configure a profile to backup any number of folders, trees or individual files in FlashBack then it is in FastBackup - from my perspective. In FlashBack the 'Add file' dialog has 'Add file', 'Add folder' and 'Add tree' buttons - which is quite good. In FastBackup it is a bit more confusing how to select a tree and an individual item's filename must be entered manually in FastBackup - which I confess I completely forgot about. One thing that I particularly like about FlashBack is that it can optionally create a shortcut to each profile. One tap on a profile's shortcut in System and the profile runs - any chance we will see such a feature with FastBackup in the future?
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:15:00 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: Backups Again (4 Chris H.)
>> BTW, would it be possible to add an option to FB so that it
>> could open up in Profiles mode - rather than Backup mode?
>
> Yes, it WOULD be possible, but I feel that it would be
> misleading while the macro canNOT backup using Profile
> mode...
Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I meant that I wanted FB to open up with 'Profiles' selected, rather than 'Backup' in the 'Action' field.
>> Also, it would be nice if I could run all the Profiles
>> sequentially without having to confirm that that is what I
>> wanted to do each and every time. Not that I'm complaining!
>
> Hmmm, you mean make it stop asking you whether to run all
> profiles when you first hit the "Go!" button? I can see your
> reasoning, but I am worried that inexperienced users may
> accidentally backup using Profiles mode instead of simple
> Backup mode. I sided with being "idiot proof"!
Make sense. Anyway, I created a single-buttoned Merlin toolbar to do what I want. Instead of 'down, p, Enter, y' to make my profiles start - I just tap the one button now.
> P.S. Feel free to make constructive complaints about
> FastBackup, or ask dumb questions - you never know, FB may
> get improved as a result! :-)
So were my earlier remarks 'constructive complaints' or 'dumb questions'? ;)
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:15:04 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re: All sorts (4 Andy H)
> Oh well, the time has come to start rebuilding netBooks. I
> have got two newish netBooks, one a UK one and the other a
> Malay one. I have also got an early netBook which has donated
> the extra 32mb DIMM and that is now about to have its
> personality module swapped out for the mBook one. Getting the
> OS onto a mBook is an absolute nightmare. If you ever have to
> do it prepare for a delay in your life!
I've reinstalled the OS on my MnetBook a few times, for various reasons. It is very simple really and does not take up much time at all. For some reason though (on my machine at least) the OS cannot be loaded if the backup battery is in the machine - it doesn't make a difference if it is reinserted before or after the main battery either. Here is the procedure that I use to reinstall the OS on my MnetBook - it works for me every time and only takes a few minutes:
To successfully load the OS on a Malaysian netBook:
01.) Place the Malaysian version of the OS Image file (OS.IMG) at the root of a CF card sitting in the lefthand tray (D:). The card may be formatted Fat 12 or Fat 16.
02.) Unplug the AC Adapter from the netBook.
03.) Remove both the main Li-ion battery and the lithium backup coin cell from the netBook.
04.) Reinsert ONLY the main Li-ion battery.
05.) The machine will beep once and turn itself on. (If it does not then remove the Li-ion battery again, keep it out for a few seconds, and then reinsert it.)
06.) After a few seconds the One-Ed screen will pop-up.
07.) After a few seconds more the machine will beep again once.
08.) Almost Immediately after that beep the ER5 screen will show.
09.) After a few seconds more the System screen will show.
10.) Reinsert the backup coin cell.
11.) Reattach the AC Adapter, if desired.
Note: the OS will not load with the backup coin cell inserted - so keep it out until AFTER the OS has loaded! This may be a peculiarity specific to my machine only - but it has been my experience.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:15:09 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Re.: Malaybook (4 Itamar)
> Answer to: David Lir
>
> Re.: Malaybook - You write there are a few advantages to
> upgrade to a full netBook version. What are these few
> advantages ?
Urm, um...I already mentioned the 'few advantages':
"all of its, admittedly few, advantages: Opera 5, a few bugs fixed, better ethernet support."
BTW, don't I feel foolish - I forgot to remove notes to myself from the subject field in a couple of my recent messages before sending them out to the Digest! :-* I guess it wasn't too bright of me to put notes to myself in the subject field of outgoing emails to begin with! DUH.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:15:12 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: PDF files (4 Chris H.)
> There is also an official Adobe Acrobat Reader in Java, which
> works (sometimes better than PDF+), but unless you have a
> Netbook with extra RAM installed it is not really worth
> considering.
>
> Regards,
> Chris Handley
I've got an MnetBook with the extra RAM. Does the Java Reader run as slowly as the Java version of Lemmings or GrandRapid? If so I won't bother with it.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:15:15 -0500
From: David Lir
Subject: Chris' Indent Macro (4 Chris H.)
> David Lir wrote:
>
>> I'd especially like to see the ability to just add the
>> and indent to *selected* text - if possible. I don't think
>> any other reply utility/app/macro/whatever has such a
>> capability.
>
> You can easily 'add' this yourself!
Thanks, I made the change - happy am I!
>> I also would like to see the macro be updated so
>> that it does NOT place a blank line with the and indent at
>> the end of the quoted text - which I have to manually
>> delete.
>
> Ahem. IIRC, that was added as an attempt to work-around a
> bug where occasionally the last character was lost. It
> didn't work, so probably I should remove it & maybe even look
> for the real cause!
I can live with it as it is - I'll just have to watch for that missing character! Of course, it would be great if you would fix it, but I'll understand if you leave it.
------------------------
David Lir - \\:>{o>
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 18:44:32 -0500
From: Astrid Stappenbeck
Subject: Re: Source for Series 5(MX) Screen Cables
Stephen Stone wrote
> I've yet to see mention in the Digest of Paul Wright's efforts to create new screen cables for our dead or dying Series 5(MX) computers. <
Well, I've never heard about these efforts but since they didn't seem to have materialized into a product yet you might instead check out the German
http://www.ka-flex.de/
who already sell.
Astrid
*++++++++++&
Date: 28 Dec 2003 19:27:57 -0500
From: Trygve Henriksen
Subject: Andy's mail problem, USB/wi-fi cards, immersion, memory lane...
Greetings!
Andy Hayes wrote:
> The SMTP Server program
> : host
> moongate.btinternet.com[194.73.73.118]
> said: 550-http://www.spamhaus.org/SBL/sbl.lasso?query=SBL12077
> 550 mail
> from 193.252.22.158 rejected: administrative prohibition
> (host is blacklisted)
Just in case you're still wondering, there's nothing wrong with Chris' mail address.
It's your mail server that's the problem. For one reason or another, the smtp server you're using to send emails have been blacklisted by SpamCop, and Chris' ISP is using the spamCop blacklist to reject connections from your server.
I suggest you contact your ISP and tell them to clean up their act, contact SpamCop and be deleted from the list.
I'm mentioning this on the digest because this is a situation that we all will see more and more often as ISP's begin to take action against the deluge.
---
Tom wrote:
> PS - is it possible to use pcmcia cards which convert to USB ports
> with the psion, or wi fi cards?
USB: Nope. Unless someone writes the low-level USB device drivers...
Wi-fi cards, though....
There are several brands and models of Wireless network cards that works in the netBook.
There's also at least one GPRS capable PC-card format phone that works.
(The Option GlobeTrotter, which is triband, but only works in the latest 'post september' HW revision because they're the only ones that can deliver enough power)
I don't think the Nokia D211 can be used.
(Power requirements, but I can see if I can test one soon)
I know there's an Ericsson model out there, too, but have no idea whether it works or not.
----
Immersing a netBook in water....
I expect Rolf to respond to this, but just to be on the safe side...
Not a good idea as it's the netPad, not the netBook that's IP67 compliant...
:-)
Trygve
Guess what I found....
A floppy drive cleaning kit! And it's for 5.25" drives!
Brings back memories...
(And a lot of dust. When was the last time I cleaned that closet?)
*++++++++++&
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