- *** SPAM *** answer to Chris Cooper ( erectile disfunction...)

- Re: The Digest V1 # 809 SMTP/GPS

- Nokia 9500 Excel problem

- K700i connecting problems

- RE OPL on next gen Symbian device

- Backward compatibility

- On the subject of upgrades, synchronisation, and so on....

- My Pocket on XP (was RE: Upgrade to XP)

- Future of PDA's,

- e mail and broadband,

- SMTP through BT Broadband (was Re: The Digest V1 # 798 (5))

- RE OPL on next gen Symbian device

Date: 29 Sep 2005 07:59:12 +0000
From: Pierre Le Corfec <address truncated>
Subject: *** SPAM *** answer to Chris Cooper ( erectile disfunction...)

I had the same problem and solved it by wrapping a thin steel wire around the
the 2 clips through the 2 holes under the studs linking tightly the 2 clips the base.
The repair is likely to be much more reliable than the original.
Works perfectly since .
Pierre

Date: 27 Sep 2005 15:42:22 +0000
From: Chris Cooper
Subject: *** SPAM *** Erectile dysfunction in my 5mx

Some time ago, the plastic studs that anchor the metal tensioning clips on my 5mx broke. The upper end of each clip is normally attached by a screw at the base of the screen section and the other end vanishes under the lip at the back of the well in the base section. Out of sight under this lip each clip hooks around a small upright plastic stud. One of these studs broke, months ago, and the other followed soon after. There's no question of my repairing them myself.

I unscrewed the clips and stashed them away. I now have a 5mx that works perfectly, but is rather floppy. The keyboard slides freely in the base section, but is prevented from flying into space by the lip at the sides of the base. (I hope my ad-hoc terminology makes things clear.) I have to open and close the machine with some care, to prevent the keyboard getting banged about. I can see the ribbon connector flexing vigorously, but I don't see that it should be subjected to any more strain than normal.

The only effect on operation is that the bottom row on the keyboard is now a tad too yielding, as the whole keyboard-screen assembly can tilt up. It's consequently often a struggle to get a key combination such as Ctrl-Fn-2 to register. Propping the front of the keyboard on a pencil or ballpoint helps.

I don't want to lash out on a body transplant for the machine, but I don't know what could be done short of that. It seems a long shot, but – does anyone know of any brilliant way of getting some rigidity back into this most vital organ?

TIA,

Chris

Date: 29 Sep 2005 08:23:46 +0000
From: Plutopants <address truncated>
Subject: Re: The Digest V1 # 809 SMTP/GPS

Itamar said:
[Wha do you mean with "AUTHSMTP" ?  Do you mean the program SmtpAuh]

Yes, sorry, I did mean SMTPAUTH for Psions, Marcus vn Cube's programme available from http://www.mvcsys.de/doc/smtpauth.html

[Garmin GPS, is that the one currently advertised for abt 200 pounds with UK maps only ?  How does it compare to the routeplanner programs you were used to and can you add European maps to it ? Is it possible to add he speed cameras to it as well ?]

The Garmin Quest costs about £330 (UK incl VAT) and relies on Mapsource software. Mine has an 'Atlantic' basemap covering Europe and the software covers most of Europe. It is possible to load other maps on this model (it has 256MB RAM). The model you refer to I believe is the new Garmin Streetpilot which is now on sale. This is a new budget model which I believe is all self-contained and contains a feature the Quest lacks: Postcode search! Seems great value. My Quest is also waterproof, so it's fine on the motorbike as well.
I find Mapsource (CitySelect v7) easy to use and clear. It only works on a PC and you transfer your waypoints & routes to/from the GPS via USB1.
I miss the Psion interface with Routeplanner, but the Quest has buttons to find addresses and points of interest on the unit itself. Refresh times are good an quick. The unit is fairly rugged, but the antennna is
a vulnerable part, so it's not unbreakable.
You can add whatever maps you like from the Mapsource range using a PC. You can add your own waypoints (up to 500 I think), but these are
perhaps not suitable for speed camera positions. As far as I know, at the moment, you can't add them. Sadly, this far on, there is no simple 'Overlay' feature, which the Psions did so well and allowed us to customise maps so flexibly.
+ internal rechargeable LiIon battery (<20 hours), waterproof, quick route calculations, good price, uploadable maps, on-unit controls
- Vulnerable antenna, no postcode seach, no customisable overlay feature

In looking for a GPS, I considered other PDA-based systems, but came to the conclusion that a dedicated unit was better for my use, thereby keeping my documents and contacts details safely tucked in my bag. The all-in-one notion appezals, but then, if one part fails and it needs repair, you loose the use of the other parts.

George

Date: 29 Sep 2005 08:29:55 +0000
From: Charles Davies <address truncated>
Subject: Nokia 9500 Excel problem

Message to Itamar,
Will give yr suggestion a try but have my doubts.
Yesterday I type in the offending formula and it worked fine until I
went to save and the it went in to conversion again.  Now being
suspicious I reloaded, back in conversion mode again and then lo and
behold formula disappeared just replacing the results again.
Charles

Date: 29 Sep 2005 08:43:34 +0000
From: Wong Koi Hin <address truncated>
Subject: K700i connecting problems

Folks,

I am currently using the Sony Ericsson K700i. I have been unable to talk to the phone from my Mnetbook using infra-red (my only option) I have been using the same options for SE phones like my previous SE T610 and
SE T68i. Neither Internet dial-up nor faxing works.

Can anyone share their settings or suggest ways for me to troubleshoot?

Cheers,

Koi Hin

Date: 29 Sep 2005 08:52:24 +0000
From: Martin Maxwell <address truncated>
Subject: RE OPL on next gen Symbian device

From: Martin Maxwell <address truncated>
Subject: UIQ/Symbian, OPL

To: Arabitte
Subject: RE OPL on next gen Symbian devices

Dear Alan,

No reason to paint it black unnecessarily and prematurely. Wait instead til the device is out.

>Looking at the timescales, I'd say there is now no way OPL will be ready for the launch of the P950 which - although nobody knows for sure - >will probably be before Christmas. <

I think it's too much to ask that an open source development environment like OPL should be immediately available for a *new* UI version running on a *new* version of Symbian OS. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever see the day when OPL is a vendor supported standard feature, like in pre-ER6 days.

Like Steve, I'm of course also worried about OPL's availability for ER8, ER9 and beyond.

>But I doubt it. As a tiny example, if you go to the UIQ site, you will find all types of technical documentation on UIQ 2.1 available for free >download but if you go looking for the same for UIQ 3, the best you can get is a - rather aspirational - 6 page "glossy". Doesn't give me a lot >of confidence for something thats going to be running on a phone in the next 3 months or so ...

I think that's a fairly typical state of (published) documentation of a new unreleased software in a highly competitive marketplace.

>Even taking this into account, I'm not sure if I will make an early jump to a P950 (or whatever it will be called). From what I see today, I think >I'd be loosing lots of functionality (never mind money!) and gaining very little.

That's a decision each and everyone has to make, and it has to do with the match between the features of the device and your own needs. Personally I've never found it worthwile to 'upgrade' from Psion 5mx and I still find a two-device solution (5mx & P900) optimal for my needs, but that's my choice.

Best regards
Martin Maxwell
Columbo ~ Sri Lanka

Date: 29 Sep 2005 12:13:08 +0000
From: Peter Julian & Associates <address truncated>
Subject: Backward compatibility

Itamar & Alan,

re backwards compatibility.

This seems to only be a real issue when you are dealing with hardware that rapidly expires either through industrial progress (inevitable in the IT industry), or software/OS changes.

I never really subscribed to the endless loop of PC/Windows rebirth, ie, overwrite all your old code to debug it, never really fix it, re-release it in a bloated format, need faster processors to run through the bloatware, buy another faster PC, needs new software, and so on.

With economically efficient coding, for example, as used in RISC OS, our userbase are still using machines manufactured 15- 20 years ago. They were very very well built, and have always been upgradeable to a
greater extent. The GUI is a dream to use, transparent, and very time efficient.

The downside of this is that they are so well made and run 'thin' code that the userbase doesn't buy new hardware on a continual basis, which eventually nullifies the commercial lifeblood of the OS.

RISC OS has a stalwart userbase which is now enjoying new desktop machines running on only 400Mhz ARM9 and 600Mhz StrongArm/Xscale processors with a very low power draw 0.5W. And because the OS and software is thinly coded, we can use fancies such twin screens, etc. There is a rebirth in the platform, we now have about 3 web browsers under development (native and GPL), and two new ranges of desktops being released currently.

What this means overall is that we are not a knee jerk platform that has to react immediately to each and every consumer device, we take our time, assess demand, and make sure that the product is robust.

That is why I have a lot of time still for EPOC devices, they were beautifully engineered, robust (except screen cables), and radiated a thoughtfulness and efficiency that end users respected.

Funny when you think back to the Psion 3a that was badged as an Acorn device. If both companies then had co-operated more fully, you would have had a huge player marrying desktop functionalities with handheld efficiencies. Microsoft and Palm wouldn't have stood a chance.

Even until recently, about 2-3 years ago, there was a serious move to ship a flash ROM onto the Netbook for the RISC OS. Can't remember the exact reason the project got shelved, think it might have been that there were a few too many technical difficulties that Psion were unwilling to release their source code to enable a solution to be found. Or something like that.



>
> Answer to: Alan Rabbitte
>
> Re.: The future for UIQ - First of all I would like to say that it is > interesting that with all the criticism of Microsoft their OS's are
> fully backward compatible. I still run a program on my Windows XP
> computer that was written in the 1980's (!) to run on a PC with 2
> floppy disks and DOS only. Personally I think it is sad that the
> various Companies working on OS's do not take backward compatibillity > as an important matter and prefer to see the commercial advantage of
> users buying everything new again. Each time you buy a new phone (not > to speak of PDA's) you have the chance that the database for storage
> of phone numbers has changed again needing to retpye everything into
> the phone again. You buy a car with Bluetooth in it compatible with
> your current phone and a year later you change the phone and the car
> system cannot read the stored phonenum bers anymore (happened to me). > Or you buy a phone/PDA and invest in various bits and pieces and
> software and just a year or two later it is all outdated and you need > to buy it all again, if all the different software programs are
> available at all for the new gadget. Maybe in this light it might be
> beter to initially invest in several gadgets instead of all in one
> (phone, GPS system, PDA, etc) so that if you update one you will not
> necessarily have to update everything with it? Your thoughts please?
>

--
Peter McCafferty, Peter Julian & Associates, Architects
6-8 Tiverton Street, London, SE1 6NZ, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 72 34 01 12
Fax: +44 (0) 87 00 55 78 12

Date: 29 Sep 2005 13:27:01 +0000
From: Kim Smith <address truncated>
Subject: On the subject of upgrades, synchronisation, and so on....

Dear All,

As an avid reader of the Digest and the comments therein I recently thought about many of the subjects raised and came to several conclusions:

First, although I have oft been smitten with "gadget fever" it does lead to problems.  As was recently mentioned, upon 'up-grading' another set
of problems will emerge and previously compatible programmes will no longer work, or require major re-working to restore their functionality. With the recent spate of so-called "smart" phones on the market there is a natural tendency to grab the latest technology (I have been guilty of this!) but the initial benefits may only be temporary and much of the previous functionality is lost at the expense of a new "shiny" toy.
A friend of mine gives all his upgrade phones to his children who are desperate for the latest phone on the market. However, he can now get half-price billing if he doesn't take the latest upgrade! Other readers may want to avail themselves of this fact.

Secondly, what's wrong with the old maxim, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?  I have owned several Psions over the years, have persevered and reached a comfortable state of truce with PsiWin and synchronsation, back-ups and so forth and all meet my needs and work flawlessly.  My recent upgrade to an Orange SPV C500 is on eBay.  I don't want its camera, video recorder, MMS, Video-conferencing, Windoze "functionality" and synchro with Outlook (don't use it) and I can use the cash to pay
for a service for my trusty, reliable, dependable 5mx!

I already possess a separate video camera, digital camera, remote control, toaster, etc and don't need all the lot crammed into one device so small you need surgically adjusted fingers to use the buttons!  Maybe I'm a bit of a Luddite here, but at least if one of these tools malfunctions, it isn't at the expense of the rest!

On synchronisation.
I've used PsiWin with Win 98, 2000 & XP with little or no difficulty. Curiously, the single biggest flaw has not been with the Psion, but with Windoze itself!  As an OS it has the reliability of a chocolate
fireguard at times, necessitating at least one re-boot a day, not so with the Psion.  Again, bomb-proof reliability from a solid operating system.
Having made this statement, I'm moving camps to the Mac as my everyday machine, (which kind of makes me sound a little hypocritical?) but again this is based upon the stability of the OS.

As yet I have not installed PsiMac or MacConnect, but for the purpose of back-ups this may not be necessary and I'll still use the Win platform only for this.  I welcome comments from other Psion/Mac users as to any potential benefits or dangers of this process, and again am indebted to contributors to the Digest on the various websites for the wealth of information which I am studying in depth.

So for me, keep the Psion, keep my old Nokia 6310, ditch the "flash" phone & save a bob or two!

Happy Psioneering!
Kim

Date: 29 Sep 2005 16:31:21 +0000
From: Mark Kenepp <address truncated>
Subject: My Pocket on XP (was RE: Upgrade to XP)

To: Colin
Re: My Pocket on XP (was RE: Upgrade to XP)

Hello Colin,

I used the version of My Pocket bundled with the Ericsson MC218 which I read would not work with a Psion 5mx and learned through experience would not work with PsiWin 2.3.3, at least when I had it installed on XP.

I am pretty sure that I did indeed have My Pocket up and running on XP with my MC 218 and Epoc Connect before I discovered the problem with Outlook synchronization. It was after I installed PsiWin 2.3.3 that I found I was unable to use My Pocket anymore.

I guess I could purchase the commercial version but it is really not that important to me.

Cheers,

Mark Kenepp
San Francisco, CA

Date: 29 Sep 2005 16:43:07 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Future of PDA's,

Answer to: Franco Cozzani, Steve Hodgson & others

Re.: Future of PDA's - Well, many moons ago we had these huge adding up machines with a handle on the side, than came thos calculators with the red numbers, still huge, until we moved on and on until oday we have scientific calculators in our mobile phones. Do we look back to the old machines ? Not really. When the Psions came out first almost all the PDA's had keyboards, like the Casio's for example, bu in those years mobile phones looked like bricks. With the integration of the various different gadgets into one (PDA, phone and GPS) they keyboard has disappeared in favour of other ways of datta entering, with foldable keyboards as add-on option for those that need a keyboard. My brother visited me recently and showed me his latest laptop, very light and thin, runs full Windows but can be put in "sleeping" mode when closing it and will continue to work when opening it again, great !  However, I asked him how long the batery lasts and he said "2 hours", but he does not need longer even on flights. In the past we had in the office a photocopy machine, a scanner and a fax, today they are all in one machine.
My point is that the world evolves and I see the direction i is going in further integration between the various machines. This means that maybe the classic PDA will disappear, but it will be replaced by phone/PDA's that could have also GPS integrated (like the Motorola already has), modems, etc. The screens will get better as well as the size of the hard disks due to continueing development of smaller and smaller ones. As users, we either evolve with the developments or jump out of the "bandwagon" and continue to use our old machinery until they die. Personally, it is a combination of the two, with on the one hand my mBook (and a spare S7 in the cupboard) and on the other hand my P910i, waiting for the next step in due course. If my IR keyboard would have been more functional I could move my emailing to the P910 as well, but in the end I have soooooo much software on my mBook as well as macro5 and other "making life easy" utillities that it is hard to replace it totally, even after that many years of evolving of the world .... !

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 29 Sep 2005 16:43:08 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: e mail and broadband,

Answer to: Tony Napier

Re.: e mail and broadband - If BT is your broadband provider they have to give you their SMTP address to use on their line. Phone technical support and ask them for their SMTP address for their broadband line and they should be able to give it to you.

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 29 Sep 2005 16:57:41 +0000
From: Mark Kenepp <address truncated>
Subject: SMTP through BT Broadband (was Re: The Digest V1 # 798 (5))

To: Tony Napier
Re: SMTP through BT Broadband (was Re: The Digest V1 # 798 (5))

I did do a quick search on the Internet to see if I could find the BT Broadband SMTP Server for you and ran across this article that does not look promising: http://www.gradwell.com/knowledge/bt-broadband-smtp.php

It appears that BT Broadband does not supply an SMTP Address which means that your only option would be to use an SMTP relay service and a third party program on your Psion which would allow you to authenticate to an SMTP Server.

Sorry I could not be of more help.

One of the reasons I stopped using my MC218 for email is that my current ISP requires that I authenticate to the SMTP server and since I have a plethora of other options for collecting email on the go, I figured why spend the time and effort to get my MC218 to work when my other devices already work.

Cheers,

Mark Kenepp
San Francisco, CA

Date: 30 Sep 2005 00:17:16 +0000
From: Martin Maxwell <address truncated>
Subject: RE OPL on next gen Symbian device

From: Martin Maxwell <address truncated>
Subject: UIQ/Symbian, OPL

To: Arabitte
Subject: RE OPL on next gen Symbian devices

Dear Alan,

No reason to paint it black unnecessarily and prematurely. Wait instead til the device is out.

>Looking at the timescales, I'd say there is now no way OPL will be ready for the launch of the P950 which - although nobody knows for sure - >will probably be before Christmas. <

I think it's too much to ask that an open source development environment like OPL should be immediately available for a *new* UI version running on a *new* version of Symbian OS. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever see the day when OPL is a vendor supported standard feature, like in pre-ER6 days.

Like Steve, I'm of course also worried about OPL's availability for ER8, ER9 and beyond.

>But I doubt it. As a tiny example, if you go to the UIQ site, you will find all types of technical documentation on UIQ 2.1 available for free >download but if you go looking for the same for UIQ 3, the best you can get is a - rather aspirational - 6 page "glossy". Doesn't give me a lot >of confidence for something thats going to be running on a phone in the next 3 months or so ...

I think that's a fairly typical state of (published) documentation of a new unreleased software in a highly competitive marketplace.

>Even taking this into account, I'm not sure if I will make an early jump to a P950 (or whatever it will be called). From what I see today, I think >I'd be loosing lots of functionality (never mind money!) and gaining very little.

That's a decision each and everyone has to make, and it has to do with the match between the features of the device and your own needs. Personally I've never found it worthwile to 'upgrade' from Psion 5mx and I still find a two-device solution (5mx & P900) optimal for my needs, but that's my choice.

Best regards
Martin Maxwell
Columbo ~ Sri Lanka