- Re: Grand-Rapid browser
- Re: Emulator newbie
- Transferring to PC
- Batteries
- RE: Epoc Digest V1 # 544 (7)
- Re: Grand-Rapid Browser (and Java Launcher)
- MoonClock

Date: 20 Jun 2004 18:16:48 +0700
From: Christopher Holly <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Grand-Rapid browser

Thanks, King Midas, for the link to your SIS file for Grand-Rapid. I had
actually downloaded it by the time I got your message. Ain't Google grand?
I'm curious why yours says version 2.2 but in the AWT ini file I downloaded
from the grandrapid.com it says version 1.1. Was there some other
freestanding version in the past that you used when you put together your
SIS file? The Grand-Rapid website forum indicated a personal edition would
be released in June 2004.

I've just started playing with it (King Midas's SIS) a little bit. For some
reason the browser screen shrunk from full screen to about half-size, but I
just edited the dimensions in the ini file, and it seemed to find the right
size again. When I select About from the Help menu, I get a new smaller
screen with nothing in it, and the program seems to hang. At least I cannot
close the new screen. Perhaps there is no file for it to access? Same thing
with Help? I am probably wading in over my head messing with Java programs,
about which I know zilch.

So far browsing seems to work fine, except for one page I cannot get to
display. Probably a browser compatability issue. Opera would not show it
either. (http://www.lakemonroesailing.com)

If it were possible to have an reasonably up-to-date browser on my netBook
that worked reliably, I would pay money for that, and a lot more than $20,
Marcus, but I cannot imagine it would be worth your while to take on such a
major project for EPOC 32. Not that I would not like you to!



--
Chris Holly
830 S. Fess Ave.
Bloomington, IN  47401-4946
812-339-0938

Date: 20 Jun 2004 19:16:35 +0700
From: Chris S Handley
Subject: Re: Emulator newbie

Keith Clarke wrote:
> I downloaded the Symbian 5mx emulator

> I've just about figured out how to get all my data on to the
> emulator version, by changing the place it backs up to.

IMHO, that is NOT advisable, because of OPXs (and non-OPL programs) being
incompatible with the Emulator.  You are best to start with an empty
set-up, install Emulator-compatible versions of programs (and related
OPXs), and then copy your backed-up Documents folder into the Emulator.

BTW, you will find quite a few discussions about the Emulator archived on
Psion Place.


> does anyone have any tips on using the emulator? For
> instance, can I change data on the emulator then somehow
> synchronise the two to update the 5mx itself?

Very tricky.  If you can get the Emulator to access (and actually use!) an
InfraRed port on your computer, then you could use EpocSync.  However, my
own experience is that this is essentially impossible, at least using
Windows XP.

A more feasible solution would be to give the Emulator access to a Compact
Flash drive (e.g. a USB one), and then use a CF disk to keep the two
synchronised.  The only program I know that will do this is my FastBackup
program, which has an experimental Synchronisation mode.

Regards,
Chris Handley

Date: 20 Jun 2004 21:13:25 +0700
From: Kevin Thorne <address truncated>
Subject: Transferring to PC

Well, after much deliberation about EPOC web browsers I have finally bitten
the bullet and got myself an HP Pavilion laptop running Windows XP.  I now
have the best of both worlds but I'll still keep the S7 as certainly I have
no intention of lugging my laptop around when I have my beautifully
proportioned S7 around to handle my diary, contacts, email etc - it's still
far better than a laptop for that.  But I can now surf the Web with no more
trouble with inaccessable sites, as anyone would expect using IE6.

I do however intend to migrate a lot of files accumulated over the years on
EPOC to the laptop.  This got me thinking to how many could be moved over
directly and how many would need converting first.  I'm particularly
interested in the transferring of EPOC Word and Sheet files.  I do have
nConvert on my S7 so I'm wondering if it's best to convert Word files to
Word 97 and Sheet files to XLS?  Html files I'd guess would be a direct
transfer.  I'm not too sure about EPOC sound files, Agenda or Data files.

Regards
Kevin Thorne

Date: 20 Jun 2004 21:13:36 +0700
From: Kevin Thorne <address truncated>
Subject: Batteries

Reply to Richard:
Subject: Li-Ion batts

<I've read a couple of websites that Li-Ion batteries die after 2-3 years
if stored empty, and that it's worth occassionally using the battery.  (I
also seem to remember reading that Li-Ion batteries die after 2-3 years
regardless of use.  Anyway, if your netBook battery sits there empty, it
might be worth giving it a bit of juice every now & then.>

Yes, I'm sure that any rechargeable cell will benefit by being given some
work to do occassionally.  Regarding their life expectancy I can only give
you my own personal experience with my S7.  I bought it in March 2000 and
then it gave approximately 6.5 hours on a full charge (with a fair amount
of use of IR and an IBM Microdrive).  Now, over 4 years later (with the
same IR use and same Microdrive) I still get 6 hours.  I think I read
somewhere that they can last for up to 5 years if properly cared for.  I
certainly look after mine so maybe this is my reward!  Does anyone know if
it's still possible to obtain new netBook/S7 battery packs and if so, how
much are they?

Regards
Kevin Thorne

Date: 20 Jun 2004 21:59:32 +0700
From: Fergus Flanagan <address truncated>
Subject: RE: Epoc Digest V1 # 544 (7)

Itamar Engelsman you said

>>I still think it works very well for me as I use it a lot when
traveling, >>giving me a very small size full keyboard computer with good
battery life, >>reasonable word processor and good email program.

Not sure Itamar if you are using the 7 or 5, for all of this, but I can
only give my perspective based on usage of the 5.

Can anyone on this list touch type on the 5 keyboard, I've never met anyone
who could and I found no matter how diligently I typed I would often have
to go back and rekey a missed letter, and boy that irritated me the most!!
The crazy thing is I can type as fast on ipaq's built in keyb now as I ever
did on the 5.

>>I use it in the car on the dashboard with Route- and Streetplanner and my
>>Garmin GPS to show me the way in cities and highways.


You know I have actually tried this and I nearly threw the 5 out the car
window. Why? Because the screen clarity wasn't a patch on the Revo, the
only way it was viewable would be if you were using it at night time with
the light on, during the day it was a lost cause you simply don't have
enough light available while sitting in a car. I can remember using the
psion outdoors in the summer (sitting on a bench in the Barbican Centre)
where the screen would darken the longer it was in the sun and you would
have to re-adjust the contrast and then it would start shimmering, when you
went indoors when it cooled down requiring more re-adjustment. Even indoors
in an area of lowish light the 5 light would not be bright enough to be
able to see comfortably so then you would turn the light off to save
battery, it was still unacceptable, yuck! No thanks.

The thing was I still used the darn thing up until recently even with all
its faults. Having now got used to the ipaq, I sometimes pick up my 5mx and
the minute I look at the lousy screen off it goes and back on the shelf.
PIM functionality was ground breaking with the 5 but I believe pocket pc
2003 third party addons have come real close, and heh the 5 had that big
screen so what do you expect, of course it was going to be better.

The only department the Revo delivered in was the screen, unfortunately it
also created a new set of problems.

Regards
Fergus

Date: 21 Jun 2004 06:39:20 +0700
From: Marcus von Cube <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Grand-Rapid Browser (and Java Launcher)

Chris,

>P.S.  I have little interest in web browsing on my Netbook now, but I
can >provide a copy of my generic Java launcher if it would help quickly
test GR >on the Psion.  (BTW, it doesn't do anything you can't do on the
EShell, so >use that if you are familiar with it & like laboriously typing
paths! :-)

Thank's Chris, I might be interested. But Java programs can be installed on
EPOC without an OPL launcher. SmtpAuth is designed the "official" way. The
startup command line for java.exe is put into a text file in the
application directory and a small utility creates the proper AIF file.

The present GrandRapid version for EPOC (2.2) breaks some EPOC rules (main
app directory not
under System, ini file not on C but on installation drive, window not full
screen, "wrong" shortcuts...). I was unable to find the browser itself on
www.grandrapid.com, only the API version. Even the newest
release seems to struggle with some sites (at least mine). But I'm still
convinced that it should be possible to sort that out.

Marcus

http://www.mvcsys.de

Date: 21 Jun 2004 08:32:52 +0700
From: Philip Carlisle <address truncated>
Subject: MoonClock

For Itamar:  MoonClock
(http://www.symbianwave.com/product.php?id=moonclock) is a freeware program
that produces a picture of the phase of the moon plus a digital clock as an
additional (tap to change) option to the analogue or digital
clock-plus-date display at the bottom right of the 5mx/NBook screen.  As
you will have read (and as I should have read had I not focussed on the
word 'hardware') your 'hardware' needs a soft reset after installation of
the program.

Regards

Philip Carlisle