- Re: Treo 600 & P910

- RE: Tube Route

- freeware tube/metro,

- Nokia 9500

- Nokia 9500; Dell Axim x50v

- Re: Treo 600 & P910

- Re: Dimensions Revo vs 9500

- Re: 9500 screen size

- Re: Netbook Dialling Setup again

- Re: More on Rechargeable Batteries

- Re: Batteries

- Re: Compromises & Psion blinkers

- Re: 'Non-existant' battery problem of the Revo and other items

- Problem with Psion travel modem

- Re: 9500 screen size / Dell X50v

Date: 31 Mar 2005 17:22:12 +0000
From: Mike Dyer <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Treo 600 & P910

>Reply to: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated> >Subject: Treo 600 & P910,
>
>Re.: Treo 600 & P910 - did you compare the thumbboards of the Treo 600 with the >SE910 ? If these are more or less the same, why could you not manage with a 910 ?

Hi Itamar,

well I bought the Treo 600 brand new and boxed with a high quality case off eBay for £175, I don't think I could do that with a p910.

No-one on this list was very enthusiastic about the p910 thumboard when I asked, whereas Expansys and Pda Essentials magazine called the Treo 600 the best phone sized device for mobile email, which is my main concern.

I love it, I've got really fast on the thumboard now, the diary functionality (not standard Palm I gather) is second to none the screen feels more like a small monitor screen compared to my p800's screen which was just small  :o/

I still want to subscribe to 'The Digest' as there is a great bunch of people here, quite unique I think on the internet. But rather than risk upsetting people discussing the Treo, I shall become more of a reader than a contributor.

Best wishes to you all,

Mike Dyer.
--
Sent from a Toshiba Libretto 70ct

Date: 1 Apr 2005 00:49:32 +0000
From: Bob <address truncated>
Subject: RE: Tube Route

Thanks Chris as usual.  I will look it up.

Thanks,
Bobby

Date: 1 Apr 2005 12:55:40 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: freeware tube/metro,

Answer to: Chris S Handley

Re.: freeware tube/metro - For sake of good order let me add that this program also has a UIQ version and works on the P910 without problems.

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 1 Apr 2005 13:06:16 +0000
From: Roy Maidment <address truncated>
Subject: Nokia 9500

With all of the talk of the Nokia 9500, I'm again interested in the world of
Psymbian - having defected to the Palm world.  I am still quite happy with
the decision overall - the Tungsten T3 caters for most of my requirements.
However, there are glaring omissions in the following areas:
1. Handling of email - there are many email software programs available for
the Palm platform (I use Versamail).  However I've yet to find one that will
allow 'full' synchronisation with MS Outlook folders: i.e. Inbox, Drafts and
Sent items.  Mostly, the Palm offerings just do the Inbox!
2. Handling of email (again) - Multiple accounts are handled within the Palm
world, although they are treated as separate 'In-boxes' in each case.  This
means a lot of clutter, and no integration - a poor substitute for my much
missed 5mx experience.
3. PDF handling.  What can I say here - there isn't any!  There is a Palm
PDF version, but this strips out all graphics and returns text only.  It
also only works after a PC based conversion, and a Hotsync.  There are
alternatives (Repligo being one) for carrying around 'non Palm' documents,
but these are then quite restrictive in terms of onwards sharing.
Unfortunately, when a PDF document appears in my Inbox, it's time to fire up
the laptop, and have a gander!

There are some significant plus points however.  I am most pleased with the
following:
4. Synchronisation with MS Documents.  Having bought Documents To Go from
Dataviz, I am now pleased to be able to operate multi-tabbed spreadsheets,
which look exactly the same on both my PDA and Laptop.  No formatting
problems whatsoever!  Word is not quite as good - showing some tabbed
spacing differences sometimes - but still quite acceptable.  Indeed, this is
one of the areas where my old 5mx does suffer in comparison.
5. Synchronisation with MS Outlook.  Again, there are many contacts-type
software suites available for the Palm.  Using Contacts to go (again from
Dataviz) I get unparalleled synchronisation with Outlook.  This is of huge
benefit to me, as our company uses the latter extensively, and I have a 1000
plus contacts list.  Again, this was an area where my old 5mx sometimes let
me down: with duplicated entries, and simply not being able to store certain
bits of information.
6. Use of Avantgo.  I download content from this website daily - from The
FT, the BBC, Reuters, The Motley Fool and ITV News.  On the basis of this, I
have cancelled my papers, and saved quite a bit of cash!  Only one problem:
I don't see the 9500 listed as one of the supported devices........

So, to my question: would the 9500 be able to better my Palm experience - so
far as items 1,2 and 3 are concerned - whilst simultaneously not eroding the
happy experience that I am enjoying with items 4 and 5?

With best regards (and apologies for the long post)

Roy M

Date: 1 Apr 2005 16:16:49 +0000
From: Moshe Nahir <address truncated>
Subject: Nokia 9500; Dell Axim x50v

Thanks to Steve Litchfield for his valuable information on the use of the
Nokia 9500. It has brought me somewhat closer to deciding to go that route,
though it's still not the perfect baby we have been praying for.

To Karsten,

>...I was thinking of going the Dell route ... Can you tell why you truly
regret (purchasing the Axim x50v)?

The x50v is a beautiful, powerful little machine. It is really great for
what it is (and for those who need it). Unfortunately, what it is is not
what I need. What I need is one with some kind of a keyboard and a decent,
landscape-oriented screen similar to the 5mx. For some reason I thought I
could live with two pieces, 5mx and the Dell x50v for wireless connectivity
(plus a small mobile phone!), until the ideal, one-piece solution (excluding
the phone, which I don't mind carrying separately) appeared in the market.
However, I am finding this to be cumbersome and impractical, so I plan to
sell the Dell and do without wireless until some manufacturer comes to the
rescue...

Greetings
Moshe Nahir
Winnipeg, Canada

Date: 1 Apr 2005 17:17:47 +0000
From: Mike Dyer <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Treo 600 & P910

>Date: 31 Mar 2005 07:26:28 +0000
>From: Ian Chapple <address truncated>
>While not having used a Treo 600, I have seen them being used. The main >differences with the thumboard seem to be: its size and the size of the keys, the fact >that it is flat with respect to the screen, rather than protruding at an angle, and >probably most important of all, the weight distribution of the whole device. At the >end of the day, the thumboard for the 910 is an "add-on", with the Treo 600 it is an >integral part of the device; in fact, if I recall correctly, it is the only way of controlling >the device, along with the the directional pad, as Graffiti is not supported.

Hi Ian,

absolutely, the Treo is very well balanced and sits comfortably when typing with two thumbs. The OS has certainly been customised to enable most applications to be ran from the keyboard but there's nothing to stop an owner loading up graffiti if they so wished.

Regards,
Mike Dyer.

Date: 2 Apr 2005 00:22:16 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Dimensions Revo vs 9500

Dear Thomas,

<< You are right in saying that the 9500 is smaller than the Revo. However, how do you carry your Revo ? In your jacket ? The 9500 is a phone and I have a habit of carrying my phone in my trouser pocket, something which I dare not do with my Revo >>

There are alternatives in the form of belt clips, belt holsters and shoulder holsters. I carried my Series 3 and Series 5 Psions in Covertec belt holsters, for example. I even had a funny encounter with a Nokia 9110 Communicator user who challenged me to a 'gun fight' as he carried his 9110 in a similar holster. Question was, who could draw his mobile device the fastest. It was a joke, of course, and we happily exchanged user experiences - Series 5 versus Nokia 9110 - for an hour or so.

Though I haven't checked Nokia's web site I'm quite sure Nokia supplies belt clips and/or holsters for the 9300 and 9500. If not, there are several companies who make such items for PDAs, mobile phones, etc.
like Vega and Covertec. I've seen some of them that were smart enough to be worn with a traditional banker's pin striped three piece suit.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 2 Apr 2005 15:26:52 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: 9500 screen size

Dear Moshe,

<< Could someone using the 9500 please comment on the functionality of its keyboard, even if only for 2 finger typing, in doing 'serious' work ... >>

As I've written reports and other documents on a Series 3a and a Revo I didn't have much problems with the keyboard of the 9500 I had on loan for a few days. However, I think it's not so much the functionality of the keyboard but the willingness to adapt that's the deciding factor.

You're bound to make quite a lot of typing errors at first because your fingers are used to the keyboard of your Series 5mx. Keys are no longer where your fingers 'think' they are. Navigating through long(er) texts will also be awkward at first. This can be an irritant as writing something as straightforward as a one page letter will take more time. And you have to through this 'irritation phase' before your fingers start to find the right keys, navigation becomes smoother, etc. I therefore think it's best to take the bull by the horns and put the Series 5mx in a drawer, lock the drawer and use the 9500 and the 9500 only. I'm sure there are times that you curse the 9500's designers at times. Still, you're going to use the 9500 as its the one you have with you. And you can only adapt to the 9500 by using it.

<< ... and, just as important, the adequacy of its screen? >>

The screen is a bit smaller and the on-screen lay-out is a bit different compared to the Series 5mx but is perfectly usable. The
screen is much more readable, meaning that you're not going to use the magnification function as much.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 2 Apr 2005 16:57:27 +0000
From: Richard & Jennifer Wong <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Netbook Dialling Setup again

Thanks Jack. I think I've followed all your instructions but still having difficulties.
It finally dials correctly inside France now, but when I go to Time and change Tools/Home... to Sydney Australia, and I try dialling France I get 0011 33 0 1 XX XX XX XX, in other words an extra zero.
When I change the country back to France I get an extra 0 after the country code in Australian numbers too even though it is typed in as (0) Should I be changing the settings in Dialling too when I change countries?  I don't understand the difference between Location and Country in the Dialling Settings and changing the phone settings in Time. I can't get behind the logic of it all.
Current relevant Dialling settings for Home (Paris) are Location Area Code 0 and Dial Out Local code 0 (Long distance and Call Waiting are blank).  It actually seems to make no difference whether I but 0 in Dialout Local code or not.
Best Wishes
Jennifer

Date: 2 Apr 2005 21:01:31 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: More on Rechargeable Batteries

Dear Gary,

<< Also, rechargeable AAA's I have seen are either NiCd or NiMH.  These battery types don't provide extended power at high drain rates and do suffer from memory effect. The latest in Lithium Ion technology is what the flat cells use and they provide longer operating hours >>

Don't know what you mean by "don't provide extended power at high drain rates" as NiCad packs have been the battery of choice for power tools which draw a much higher current than any PDA or mobile phone. NiCad packs are now being phased out for environmental reasons - Cadmium is a toxic metal - in favour of NiMH or LiIon packs.

As for the so-called "Memory Effect", most of what's written about it can be compared to the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers. The actual name for the effect is 'Voltage Depression" and all dry batteries show it to a lesser or greater extent. Voltage depression is reversible by draining the battery and charging it to full capacity. What people call the "Memory Effect" is actually a characteristic of NiCad batteries in that they degrade more quickly when partially charged or "topped up".
In other words, when you want to get the most out of NiCad batteries you need to drain them before you recharge them. Most people don't do this as 'drain before recharge' simply doesn't fit their work pattern.

Finally, that LiIon packs last longer is simply due to physical law. You're able to store more charge per unit of mass when using a LiIon based electrochemical mixture than when using NiMH or NiCad based mixtures.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 2 Apr 2005 21:36:26 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Batteries

Dear Alan,

<< I would agree with your view Karsten.  A new world standard flat pack would be ideal, but that now wont happen >>

It's not for lack of trying as Duracel attempted to introduce standard size battery packs for laptops some years ago. These packs would give the consumer the same advantages as the AA, AAA, C and D sizes. Reason why Duracel didn't succeed is probably the same as for PDAs and mobile phones.

<< I can't ever see a new 'standard' size battery ever being introduced in this world of own profit before the good of customers >>

Sorry, but this is a rather one-sided interpretation of "the good of customers" as the customer has more requirements. One of them is that a PDA, mobile phone or MP3 player needs to fit a shirt, trouser or jacket pocket. Some design aspects are largely fixed as they're function dictated. Think of a mobile phone's keypad. It becomes unusable when
you make the keys too small and/or place them too close together. You're also limited by the dimensions of a number of components like
the thickness of LCD display panels. Custom battery packs give designers more freedom to play with dimensions and shapes and come up with a mobile device customers can easily slip into a pocket.

<< Karsten : I would believe, designing for custom batteries either just misses the consideration for the life cycle of the product or this is deliberate to make business with battery replacements.

Alan : I'm sure it's to maximise profits on battery sales >>

I think both of you are making the same mistake when pointing your fingers at the manufacturers. We, consumers, also play a role as one of the things we want from a PDA, mobile phone or MP3 player is that we
can use it for at least a day. Add all the other things we want to have and the use of rechargeable battery packs becomes almost a mandatory design requirement.

Manufacturers have succeeded in bringing the power consumption of such components as colour screens down to manageable levels. Result is that the stand-by and talk-time of mobile phones are now better expressed in days rather than hours. The new iPod Photo models last for 15 hours on
a single charge despite the colour screen and the hard disk. Which tends to be sufficient for a day's worth of music and showing snapshots to your friends. Which greatly reduces the need for spare battery packs as the chance that you run out of power and have to pop in a spare pack becomes close to zero. A recharge during the night gives you ample
power for the next day(s). It's mostly photographers who carry spare battery packs as digital cameras are still quite power hungry.

Another aspect is that the replacement cycle of PDAs, mobile phones, has gone down. A new year means a new mobile phone for many people so that mobile phones tend to be replaced after only 15 months. PDAs tend to be replaced by a new model after about 2 years and similar figures apply for MP3 players and digital cameras. While the lifetime of
battery packs has gone up, meaning that they can take more recharge cycles before they're worn out. Result is that the vast majority of customers no longer need a replacement battery pack because the device it's in is already out of their lives before the battery pack is gone.

In other words, a much lower demand for replacement and/or spare battery packs means a smaller market means high prices.

<< However many custom batteries have been built to a low standard and with a very high replacement price >>

As long a you buy the genuine article, like a genuine Nokia battery pack, you get one that comes from exactly the same production line as the pack Nokia supplies in the box with the phone.

<< I can remember when one could recharge a Ni-cad and leave it for months before use.  Then it gave almost full capacity >>

Which has nothing to do with quality of manufacture. It's a question of electrochemistry as it's the nature of NiCad batteries to have a very low self-discharge rate compared to NiMH or LiIon batteries.

<< I remember with my first camcorder.  I bought 2 extra battery packs.
  A week before going on holiday I charged them, but when I started to use them, I only got a few minutes use from each battery. I thought I had been sold a faulty batch, but soon learnt that this was how the
then new Ni-cad worked >>

Fresh rechargeable batteries - straight from the factory - need to be charged, drained and recharged a number of times before they're at peak performance. Rule of thumb is that it's 5 drain-charge cycles for NiMH, 7 for LiIon and 10 for NiCad. What's more, NiCad batteries don't like
to be 'topped up' while you can do that safely for NiMH and LiIon batteries.

<< Fortunately my Psion 7, nB and spare battery packs don't have this problem.  The spare (I rotate all 3 each month) can give full capacity even after leaving for a month >>

I'm sorry, but that's simply not true. A freshly charged Series 7 / netBook battery pack is able to supply a higher number of mAh than a pack that's charged and put aside for a month and will therefore last longer. When there's *absolutely* no difference between the two packs you've proved existing physical law wrong, can define a new physical
law (Morris' Law) and are on your way to Stockholm to collect the 2005 Noble Prize for Physics.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 2 Apr 2005 21:37:18 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Compromises & Psion blinkers

Dear Chris,

<< Anyone waiting for a mythical 'ideal' Psion replacement to be produced would do well to consider how long the Nokia Communicators (from 9200 onwards) have been around, and the fact that they still don't have all the software that anyone could ever want >>

Well .. we never had all the software we ever wanted for our Psions. There are about fifteen different personal finance managers for the EPOC Psions but only one spreadsheet. Many people preferred Sheet to be a 3D rather than 2D spreadsheet application. As Sheet remained 2D there was a gap for independent software developers to fill. None ever did. Doesn't this make the mix of Nokia Communicator software "anyone could ever want" as mythical as the ideal Psion replacement?

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 2 Apr 2005 21:56:09 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: 'Non-existant' battery problem of the Revo and other items

Dear Friends,

Illness in the family and moving house has kept me away from the Digest these past months. Results is that (a) I had to do a lot of reading in order to catch up and (b) that the below replies are quite late. My apologies for their lateness.

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To : Chris
Re : 'Non-existant' battery problem of the Revo

<< I was going to let that outrageous comment slide, but then my Revo's battery coincidentally started acting-up again, so I then (perhaps unwisely) changed my mind.  I am quite flabbergasted that you can make such ridiculous comments, when you are usually so knowledgable >>

I used the words "so-called Battery Problem" for the simple reason that "Revo Battery Problem" is the name people have given to it. The name
has stuck even though the problem isn't related to the Revo's batteries.

<< ... it appears that you don't even believe the problem exists!? ...I can only presume that you have (ill-advisedly) vastly extrapolated to everybody else the fact you haven't ever experienced a problem with
your Revo, and so incorrectly concluded that the reports you read are both unrepresentative and down to those user not following some basic charging instructions... >>

There's a very big difference between not always agreeing with what people write about the Revo Battery Problem and saying that the problem doesn't exist. There are a number of possible causes for the behaviour we call the Battery Problem. One of them is not following Psion's instructions as mentioned in the manual. Another is that the symptoms
of rechargeable batteries nearing the end of their life are quite similar to those of the Battery Problem. We therefore can't simply exclude user error and dying batteries as the cause of a Revo user's experience.

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To : Alan
Re : Multitasking

<< I consider the multitasking capabilities on the P910 to be artificially crippled (my original post on this matter was in Digest
634) and therefore don't consider it to be "proper multitasking". You will no doubt disagree with me, but, as an end user, I am more interested in what is provided ... >>

I disagree for the simple reason that I'm an an engineer and very much prefer to see technical terms used in their proper context. My experience is that borrowing technical terms in order to describe an experience tends to lead to confusion and misunderstanding. What I'd like to prevent is that the P910, and SonyEricsson's other Pxxx models, get a less than favourable reputation for the wrong reasons. That
people start to think there's something wrong with a Pxxx's multitasking capabilities while that's no the case.

<< The fact that the Symbian OS fully supports multitasking is really of no interest to me if the flavour of it installed on my P910 goes to some effort to not use it. This is really the core of my argument; why is it dumbed down? >>

Simple fact is that it's not Symbian OS or the UIQ user interface that's responsible for closing a Jotter note when you switch to another application but Jotter itself. It's a function that's built into the
UIQ versions of Jotter. When you'd transplant Jotter from a Pxxx to a Series 5mx, or other EPOC Psion, it would also close the note.

Whether it's right for Jotter to close the note is something we can discuss till the end of time as there are valid reasons for closing the note as well as valid reasons for keeping the note open. The developers who created the UIQ user interface, and wrote the UIQ style guidelines, had different ideas than the Psion developers who created the EIKON
user interface. As the Pxxx models are a mixture of PDA and mobile phone it's to be expected that UIQ is also a mixture of PDA and mobile phone user interface elements. To the effect that Jotter is a bit too mobile phone like for your taste. Still, it makes a Pxxx more easy to operate for people who moved from a mobile phone to a Pxxx. Needless to say that former PDA users need to adapt themselves as a Pxxx can behave (slighty) different from what they're used to. Which is probably the compromise referred to in the UIQ style guide. Had the designers
decided to make UIQ PDA like in it's behaviour they'd still be faced with the question whether to do things the PalmOS way, the Windows Mobile way or the EPOC/EIKON way. Borrowing a page from the PalmOS
style guide can be as annoying to former Windows Mobile and EPOC users as borrowing a page from the EPOC/EIKON style guide to former PalmOS
and Windows Mobile users.

Note that EIKON application aren't free from similar peculiarities. Most word processors I've used give you a blank page when launched.
Word on the EPOC/EIKON Psions, however, loads the most recent document you've worked on. Which is nice when you want to continue working on this document but an irritant when you want to work on another one or create a new document. And it's not only Word which has this behaviour. Sheet, Data and Sketch also load the most recently used file. It's a design aspect of the EIKON user interface - Thou shalt load the most recently used file. Whether that's the right behaviour is also
something we can discuss till Kingdom comes.

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To : Itamar
Re : Proper Multitasking

<< IMHO SE would have done better to give the option to the user whether the jotter (calendar and contacts too) will be closed when changing programs or not >>

When the UIQ style guide says that applications need to be in a particular 'base state' when you return to it this automatically means that edit windows/dialogs need to be closed, whatever the application. It's the software developer's equivalent of "When in Rome do as the Romans do". Make it optional and you have to include the option in the UIQ Style Guide and make it a system wide setting all applications need to adhere to. Otherwise you'll get differences between the applications SonyEricsson supplies in ROM and third-party applications you install
on the Pxxx. That edit windows/dialogs are closed may be irritant. You're worse off when applications A, B and C close the window/dialog but applications D, E and F not. You're much more likely to make mistakes, resulting in erronous and/or lost entries, when it's not a mandatory requirement.

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To : Eric
Re : 'Non-existant' battery problem of the Revo

<< When the Revo first came out, I advised against purchasing it, partly because of the type of battery and it being installed without easy access ... I seem to recall Rolf disagreed with me then ... >>

It didn't, and still doesn't, make sense to me to write that "... buyers should not purchase any electronic equipment with 1)
rechargeable batteries, but especially NiCd, 2) non-removable batteries and 3) non-standard sized batteries ...".

The characteristics of NiCad batteries are well suited for a number of applications, like power tools. Even though they're on their way out
due to environmental regulations - cadmium being toxic. The disadvantage of using NiCad batteries for handheld computers and mobile phones is that you need to use them till they're nearly empty as they deteriorate quickly when 'topped up'. The time to recharge is therefore dictated by the NiCads. Many people don't like that, start to top up
the NiCads and reduce their performance and lifetime. Use NiCad batteries in a handheld computer and it's best to make them user exchangeable. A fresh set can then be popped into the handheld computer when power runs out. NiMH and LiIon batteries don't have this disadvantage as they can be topped up when convenient. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that batteries have a lifetime that's expressed in number of charge cycles - a complete recharge from empty
to full. Topping up NiMH and LiIon batteries counts as a partial cycle. In other words, when you recharge NiMH batteries from 50% to 100% twice you've used one cycle rather than two. Though this gives the impression that you can recharge NiMH and LiIon batteries almost indefinitely they do have a finite life.

Whether you make NiMH and LiIon batteries user exchangeable depends on the application. When they have a lifetime of 500 charge cycles and are able to power a handheld computer for 3 to 4 days of average use they need to replaced after about 1,750 days. Which is roughly 4.5 years as there will be times when you use the handheld computer lightly and
times when you use it intensively. The 3 to 4 days of average use give you sufficient reserve to use the handheld computer from early morning till late evening when needed. The lifetime of the handheld computer itself, however, is roughly 2 years for technical and economical reasons. The vast majority of people will therefore replace their handheld computer before its batteries are worn out. It's therefore quite safe to make NiMH and LiIon batteries non user exchangeable as Psion did with the NiMH batteries of the Revo. The only people who may be negatively effected are those who use their Revo intensively almost every day. They're going to reach the point at which the batteries need to be replaced much more quickly that is the norm. Thing is, that these people are also the ones who tend to replace their handheld computers more quickly. There's a good chance that these 'power users' are
already looking for a new handheld computer by the time the batteries of their Revos start dying.

I readily accept that this may be uncomfortable reading for a number of Digest subscribers. It's clear that we all like to buy a handheld computer and use it for as long as we want to without having to replace batteries or other components. Or that your handheld computer becomes technically obsolete (well) before you consider it to be obsolete. We tend to blame the manufacturers for this as they launch new models at 1 to 1.5 year intervals. When you always want to have the latest and greatest you end up buying 2 or 3 handheld computers per year. Reality is that we're responsible as well because we, consumers, tend not to behave according the above. The number of people who *really* use their handheld computers till these are no longer up to the job is quite low. Most of us buy a new one because we can no longer resist the lure of having a new handheld computer which does more. Irrespective of whether we actually need the new and improved features, the faster processor, etc. That devices like handheld computers have a lifetime of about 2 years is therefore the result of manufacturer-consumer interaction.

I therefore don't have any problems with the Revo's NiMH batteries being non user exchangeable. The Revo is, after all, designed for the light or moderate user. Somebody who commutes daily to and from his/her work, allowing the Revo to be recharged at home (during the night) or
at the office. The batteries have a sufficient power reserve and lifetime to last for as long as they're going to use the Revo. The Revo may not suit the high intensity user and/or frequent traveller, of course. Still, Psion has a suitable device for them in its product
range in the form of the Series 5mx.

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To : Kevin
Re : Older Machines still in use

<< I was very surpised how easy the 9500 was to set up for GPRS on Orange - just go the website and put in a few details and they send you back a configuration text which you just open on the machine and voila
- it's configured! >>

Over the air configuration predates GPRS - network operators could already configure (plain) GSM phones using a special version of SMS.

<< That got me thinking....is it possible to get my S7 to use my GPRS service via a connection between the IR ports between S7 and 9500?  If so, does anyone have the settings? >>

I trust you have already configured your Nokia 9500 to pick up e-mail and browse the web using a GPRS connection. What you then have on your 9500 is a so-called "PDP context" which defines the (type of) GPRS connection. When the 9500 is true to spec it should be possible for an external device to use it via infrared. You can check whether this is possible by connecting the Series 7 using the Comms terminal emulator via infrared with the 9500. When you connect and type the command

     AT+CGDCONT?[Enter]

This command requests the 9500 to list the PDP contexts that are programmed in it. The 9500 should respond with

     +CGDCONT: <cid>, <PDP_type>, <APN>, <PDP_addr>, <data_comp>, <head_comp>
     +CGDCONT: <cid>, <PDP_type>, <APN>, <PDP_addr>, <data_comp>, <head_comp>
     +CGDCONT: <cid>, <PDP_type>, <APN>, <PDP_addr>, <data_comp>, <head_comp>
     +CGDCONT: ... etc.

The <cid> is an identification number (1 to 32) and <APN> the Access Point Name. As you're using the UK network operator Orange and probably have only one GPRS connection set up you'll get something like:

     +CGDCONT: 1, IP, orange.co.uk, ... etc.

Now, you can use the <cid> in a dial instruction which replaces the telephone number of an ISP's dial-up node. Create a new Internet definition on the Series 7 and enter your user name, password, etc. in accordance with the information received from Orange. You can check
your 9500 for this or call Orange technical support. The 'phone number' you enter for the definition is:

     *99***<cid>#

When the <cid> in the context list you get is, indeed, 1 the number to enter is

     *99***1#

The procedure to use the 9500 as a kind of GPRS modem is the similar to that for using a GSM phone:
     1) You activate infrared on the 9500,
     2) Align the infrared ports of the 9500 and Series 7,
     3) Switch to Web or Opera on the Series 7,
     4) Enter a site's URL and press [Enter]
     5) Select the name of the Internet definition you've created as the ISP to contact in the connection dialog
     6) Press [Enter] to connect.

For e-mail send/retrieve it's:

     1) You activate infrared on the 9500,
     2) Align the infrared ports of the 9500 and Series 7,
     3) Switch to Email on the Series 7,
     4) Tap the send/retrieve button (or use the menu),
     5) Select the name of the Internet definition you've created as the ISP to contact in the connection dialog,
     6) Press [Enter] to connect.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands


---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Beilen - Netherlands

Date: 2 Apr 2005 22:24:40 +0000
From: Peter Rand
Subject: Problem with Psion travel modem

I use a 14.6k Psion travel modem with an Ericsson MC218, and have been having trouble connecting with the Internet lately.

Frequently I get the message:
"Error with COM connection" when I try to go online, and I am unable to establish a connection.

Has anybody experienced this problem? I'm wondering what my next step should be - a reliable Internet connection is vital for my work. So far I've been very pleased with the Psion travel modem, and don't know why it has been so flaky lately. Is this a problem that can be easily fixed, or do I need to start shopping for another portable modem?

Thanks for any help,

Peter

Date: 2 Apr 2005 22:55:51 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: 9500 screen size / Dell X50v

K. Liebmann <address truncated> wrote:-

>> ... and will possibly sell then my brand new Dell x50v, which I purchased
>> as a possible replacement and/or complement, which I truly regret. ...

> I had a good look at the Dell's too. So far my 5mx is still ok, but I was
> thinking of going the Dell route when he acts up again. Can you tell why you
> truly regret?

I had a spare 5mx in stock for when the current one failed.  I bought a Fujitsu-Siemens LOOX 720, which is a full VGA screen and probably better than a Dell.  It's quite a decent device, with a number of 'buts'.  It has both a normal USB connector and also a USB Host connector, but so far not been able to use anything with the Host.

I bought it to display digital camera pictures and it's probably the best available for this function, even with such a small screen - it's half the physical size of a 5mx.

It also displays OS maps using the download from WinBox, but although the screen is full VGA it's very small.

There is nothing else that it can do better than a Psion.  Also the PsiWin sync is much better than PPC.  I've got a CF and SD card and can't sync anything other than the normal memory.

Since buying the FS 720, I've bought a new 5mxPRO from Clove, so now have two spares.

--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook.