Epocdigest V1 # 575

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Epoc Digest Tue, 17 Aug 2004 Volume 01 : Number 575

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Sent to: 746 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 12 messages:

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- Thoughts P800,

- USB to serial port configuration question

- Series5,

- Re: DOS & Windows

- Re: netBook Backlight

- Re: News from the Psion Teklogix Press Centre (aka Windows CE)

- RE: Batch URL downloader for EPOC?

- Re: Serial ports on laptops, etc.

- Revo Problems

- Psiwin IR Connection

- Street Planner

- What next?

*++++++++++&

Date: 4 Aug 2004 14:06:58 +0100

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: Thoughts P800,

Answer to: Mike Dyer

Re.: Thoughts P800 - I for one am interested in hearing how your P800 compares to the Revo, what is better and what is worse, and how you get along with the switch. I am sure that more subscribers will consider this switch in the near(er) future. I read that the P900 has a bluetooth facility for a keyboard ?

Best regards,

Itamar Engelsman

London, UK

*++++++++++&

Date: 13 Aug 2004 06:57:56 +0100

From: John Morris

Subject: USB to serial port configuration question

I was recently allocated a laptop at work which does not have a serial port. I have plugged in a Belkin USB-Serial adaptor, but after installing PsiWin 2.3.3 my laptop cannot find my Mako when it is connected. Could someone kindly explain how to configure the USB port to act as a Com port.

Many thanks

John Morris, Cambs UK

*++++++++++&

Date: 13 Aug 2004 15:31:54 +0100

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: Series5,

Answer to: Korbinian Demmel

Re.: Series5 - The line "4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 24MB & 32MB" is no proof as the 24 Mb and 32 Mb were never issued either. AFAIK there was no 4 Mb series 5 but only the 8 Mb with the 5MX being 16 Mb.

Best regards,

Itamar Engelsman

London, UK

*++++++++++&

Date: 13 Aug 2004 19:14:37 +0100

From: Steve Hodgson

Subject: Re: DOS & Windows

On 13 Aug 2004, at 07:46, Rolf Brunsting wrote:

> With hindsight I'd say that the PC world would have been much better

> off with a switch similar to the one Psion made when it moved from

> Series 3 & SIBO to Series 5 & EPOC. In other words, replacing a PC

> hardware and software platform that had it roots in the era of early

> 16-bit computing by a completely new 32-bit hardware and software

> platform around the time Windows '95 was launched. It would have been

> a painful switch, of course, as we'd have lost the backwards

> compatibility with DOS and Windows 3.xx. However, it would have saved

> us the stability problems the demand for backwards compatibility gave

> us.

I totally agree, the demand for backwards compatibility has lead to

Windows being deeply flawed in many areas. As an aside, there is an

article covering some of these issues available (hopefully still) at

http://www.euronet.nl/users/frankvw/IhateMS.html. In some ways it's an

excessively biased opinion but does contain some truth.

On the other hand, starting from scratch has been attempted in the past

but those competitors to Windows are all history now apart from a few

players with a very low percentage of the market. The only one I know

in any detail is BeOS, but I guess to some extent RiscOS was a

similarly radical break from previous tradition. Other more successful

'alternative' OS such as Linux, NeXT were built upon pre-existing unix

under-pinnings. Even MacOS, while a radical departure from System 9,

could be seen as a development both of NeXT and of BSD.

One thing those alternatives did show us is the potential that is there

for alternatives to outperform Windows by an order of magnitude.

> The introduction of the Series 5 means saying goodbye to the SSD cards

> people use with their Series 3 models as the 5 had switched to Compact

> Flash. And you couldn't run Series 3 applications on a Series 5,

> except for relatively simple OPL applications. You can therefore blame

> the whole computer industry for its technological development and

> technology 'A' being replaced by technology 'B'.

Something you just advocated above.

> As for "expensive serial linked products", what you forget is that the

> netBook you currently own won't fetch the price you paid when you

> bought it.

Or sadly anywhere near it if one is realistic. It's obsolete technology

now and, good though it is, that never really fetches a premium price

on resale unless it has established a cult following à la Newton.

Cheers,

Steve Hodgson

*++++++++++&

Date: 13 Aug 2004 19:20:49 +0100

From: Steve Hodgson

Subject: Re: netBook Backlight

On 13 Aug 2004, at 07:46, Chris Handley wrote:

> I also believe (but with less proof) that having the Netbook's > brightness set high causes it to darken faster, hence I keep it as low > as I can. On a new Netbook I always used a setting of 3. Nowadays I > use 3 if I can, but sometimes need to increase it to 6. Keeping the

> brightness low is DEFINITELY good for increasing battery life (by up > to a factor of two!).

I am up at 9 now so basically nowhere to go! It has definitely crept up over the years but even at nine I find myself surprised at how dull it is. To address Victor Marchand's points regarding temperature; I reckon this problem is unrelated. After cycling in to work on a cold day the netBook can be pretty cold and the contrast is very low for quite a while. The problems I am seeing are in the middle of the afternoon in a stabilised office environment.

Cheers,

Steve Hodgson

*++++++++++&

Date: 13 Aug 2004 19:46:37 +0100

From: Steve Hodgson

Subject: Re: News from the Psion Teklogix Press Centre (aka Windows CE)

On 13 Aug 2004, at 07:46, Itamar Engelsman wrote:

> Re.: News from the Psion Teklogix Press Centre - Unfortunately also > this was to be expected. If Teklogix wants to sell vast quantities of > products that have to integrate with the most used machines in the

> workforce they have no other option but to change over to WindowsCE. > Let's face it, these are the facts of life, we just don't like it

We also don't have to accept the change and move with them though! Windows CE/PocketPC, whatever it has been called has come a long way since it was first released and the dire days of the Philips CE machines with their bizarre attempt to replicate the Windows desktop experience on a small screen. From some debate at work today, it still seems that all is not as straightforward as it should be with Windows handhelds. A colleague of mine relied upon his ActiveSynch backup in a case he should have problems with the short life of the battery in his HP iPaq. Unfortunately when he really needed it he found that he could not readily restore from backup for some reason. Apparently this is not uncommon although can apparently be addressed by logging in as a 'guest'.

I have absolutely no experience of using these machines so this is all just anecdotal but it smells bad to me!

Cheers,

Steve Hodgson

*++++++++++&

Date: 14 Aug 2004 07:40:25 +0100

From: unzip

Subject: RE: Batch URL downloader for EPOC?

Hi,

it's not a batch URL downloader, but you might give it a try - I noticed you want to download mainly news sites, and that's what this free program is made for (among other things - I'm using it mainly to read e-books). It's MobiPocket (www.mobipocket.com).

It can download to a PC a set of web pages for example every day, and than, when you connect your PSION - it transfers them. If the web page doesn't have a special link for mobipocket, than you have to make a special file that says how mobipocket should download them. One of my friends has made such files for different polish pages, so I think you can prepare them also for those chosen by you.

Best Regards

*++++++++++&

Date: 14 Aug 2004 23:40:47 +0100

From: Alan Morris

Subject: Re: Serial ports on laptops, etc.

Rolf Brunsting wrote:-

<<< RCOM is a lot like DOS; if the amount of development that has gone into windows had gone into DOS, we would have a far better OS than windows. >>>

<< I'm sorry, but this is rather silly. DOS had reached the end of its development .... Microsoft's developers had to overcome these barriers when developing Windows 3.xx and later Windows '95 while remaining backwards compatible. >>

I accept the restrictions that you mention, but those restrictions were overcome in the program called Windows, that was running on DOS. Multi-tasking was part of DOS, before it was removed from DOS and put into Windows running on DOS - a marketing move!

<< With hindsight I'd say that the PC world would have been much better off with a switch similar to the one Psion made when it moved from Series 3 & SIBO to Series 5 & EPOC. .... It would have been a painful switch, of course, as we'd have lost the backwards compatibility with DOS and Windows 3.xx. >>

Agreed, with the exception of backwards compatibility.

When Chuck Peddle moved from his 8-bit PET to his 16-bit DOS (that had more memory access available than the version used by IBM) and CPM/16, Sirius 1, there was still compatibility.

I was always moving (by serial cable) between both platforms. 'Compatibility' has been the cause of much trouble in the PC world!

<<< But we live in a silly world were laptops don't have serial ports, stopping thousands of folk using expensive serial linked products; and no decent replacement for our most capable EPOC Psions. >>>

<< This is equally silly and rather selective at that. >>

Not silly and not selective. See below.

<< The design of the Series 5(mx) and Psion's other EPOC devices has been frozen in time while technological development in the PC world continued. It's therefore to be expected that Psion and PC no longer match as easily as they did in the past. >>

Although I'm one of many that are unhappy with Psion's departure, the problem I referred to is the lack of a serial port on all laptops.

<< there are RS232C PC-Cards available. I've used and 'industrial' one which gave me four additional RS232C ports and two printer ports. >>

I would buy one, but I can't find anyone that still sells them. I've been looking for a two serial port one for a long time.

<< A number of laptops are also fitted with SD or CF card slots so that an RS232C card in SD/CF format is a solution. >>

I use a CF card reader with my laptop without any problems.

<< Finally, Belkin supplies very good USB to RS232C adaptors. >>

But alas some don't work with certain makes of laptops. Unfortunately, my Compaq wont work with my Belkin, and I'm not the only one with this problem.

<< Besides, you're talking PCs while forgetting the hardware/software decisions Psion itself made. >>

I fully support Psion's move from SIBO to EPOC, even though I own both and still use a 3mx every day for my Agenda.

<< As for "expensive serial linked products", what you forget is that the netBook you currently own won't fetch the price you paid when you bought it. It's therefore no use to keep looking at the purchase price. >>

I said "expensive serial linked products" and not netBooks. I paid less for my Series 7 and netBook than I did for some of my other serial linked products.

I was referring to my ham radios and GPS receivers. There are many more radio hams than Psion users and many more GPS users than Psion users, who spend more on their serial products than we have on their Psions.

One new ham radio designed in Japan and just announced with a UK price of £6000 (not a typo - six thousand pounds) requires a serial port on a computer that it can be connected to. Why use a serial port on a new radio? For the ability to be used with existing equipment (apart from laptops).

There must be many other interests that I'm not involved with that use serial port connected products.

<< We're therefore not living in a "silly world". It only becomes a silly one when you refuse to make sense out of what's happening in the world. >>

I can't make sence, and nor can thousands of others, of removing serial ports from laptops, while thousands of other serial linked products are still in use.

The sales of PDAs is now falling rapidly. Probably because of their limitations. Those on this digest know how useful a PDA/computer can be.

Alan R Morris, G4ENS.

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.

Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

*++++++++++&

Date: 15 Aug 2004 03:09:55 +0100

From: Manuel Campos Galvan

Subject: Revo Problems

Fellow Psionistas:

Thanks to all of you who assisted with setting up GPRS on my mother in law's Revo for testing. After a month of use I have grown to love the Revo, albeit I find it limited in its memory (8mb) well, constraining. However, it is wonderful to carry around.

In any case, the battery seemed to work fine until recently when the unit started turning itself off, even when it was fully charged. It would not turn on or, if it did, it did so sporadically. During this period if I charged the Revo the red light came in and after a few minutes it started beeping. Seems very strange to me. Now the unit won't turn on, even if charging (red led lights up) or connected to the mains.

Seems as if it warrants a trip to POS, but before I do it I just want to confirm whether there is anything that I may be missing.

Thanks and regards,

Manuel Campos

*++++++++++&

Date: 16 Aug 2004 09:34:30 +0100

From: K. Liebmann

Subject: Psiwin IR Connection

Hi folks,

I have a 5mx and WinXP. I have set up my laptop with integrated IR such that I can synch through IRCOMM when I am away. Works. In the office I use the cable.

A friend has the same hardware set-up (same PC and 5mx Pro). IR synchronization does not work though.

When he came here we tried his Psion on my computer. Same story, whenever I place his Psion in front of the PC, no connection. If I try with mine, connection works again. Connection speeds are the same. We tried various positions, enable, disable, re-start PC - no success.

We can beam files between the Psions, so the IR eye seems to work.

So, the problem seems to be on the software side of his Psion. Anything that his Psion might need? I seem to remember an IR patch, but this was ages ago and for the Psion5 and before?

Suggestions are welcome.

With kind regards

Karsten Liebmann

Schkopau - Germany

*++++++++++&

Date: 17 Aug 2004 02:03:15 +0100

From: Armin Podtschaske

Subject: Street Planner

Answer to: Mark Whiskin, Itamar Engelsman

Re.: Street Planner -

> The program needs to be re-installed each time you change

> machines. You can do this either from the CD or copy the .SIS file

> onto your Psion and activate it from there.

Or you keep a copy of the *.app file to overwrite the "used" .app file after machine change. When you start the program the first time after installing, the *.app file of all Palmtop-programs is altered by the program itself to recognise the individual machine.

Mark, which version of the program do you use? Maybe someone can help you with a copy of the *.app file.

Best regards,

Armin Podtschaske

Munich, D

*++++++++++&

Date: 17 Aug 2004 06:11:00 +0100

From: Steve Litchfield

Subject: What next?

One thing I get asked for a lot is 'Which current mobile solution do I buy to replace my Psion?'.

I've put up a fairly comprehensive grid of scored features at

http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/grid.htm . The top two came out as the Sony Ericsson P900 and the O2 XDA II.

Comments welcome! ____________________________________________________________________

Steve Litchfield, 3-Lib, http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/

Software and features for Psion/Symbian handhelds and smartphones

Also PocketInfo, useful files - http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/pocketinfo Journalism: sub-editor and/or senior contributor to: