- Itamar's Q's on the P990

- Psion hell,

- Re: End of EU summer time soon

- 9500 Contacts Search

- Re: Summertime 2007

- Re: Summer time 2007

- Netbook Batteries

- Summertime 2007,

Date: 25 Oct 2005 17:16:17 +0700
From: Arabbitte <address truncated>
Subject: Itamar's Q's on the P990

I expressed my doubts on this exact subject recently and saw that not everybody agreed with my simple point, that it was getting a little late in the day to make *available* a development environment for something that was going to be in the highstreet in 5 months time. Understanding leadtimes and the fact that it takes time to develop/port, test and package applications, I felt - and still do - that Symbian have been very tardy in getting this out. They actually boast on their website that  they are making development environments available now - "early" - to ensure lots of application availability for the Q1 2006 launch. Needless to say, I don't agree with this. They should have made a Symbian 9/UIQ 3 development environment available at the time it was announced - early in the year. The reason they didn't - I fear - is because it wasn't stable enough. Anecdotal evidence of initial tests of the 990 suggests they still have a way to go.

Having got that off my chest, I'm a little more positive about things after reading copies of various presentations made at the recent Smartphone show in London. One of my big concerns was the requirement to digitally sign applications. I didn't think unsigned applications - which run in a Java-like "sandbox" and require a once-off user approval to run - would be able to do very much but then this quote changed my mind: "Over 90% of all existing UIQ applications are not using APIs that are Licensee channel API´s in Symbian ver. 9. In many cases applications can be re-written to avoid these APIs". Elsewhere in these presentations there is mention of "try and buy" apps preloaded on the 990's supplied 64MB memory Stick. Included are big names such as Handy Day, Mobi Pocket, Wayfinder, SlovoEd (Dictionary), & messenging clients. If these applications are actually available at launch time, then things are looking up for P990 users.

I saw no mention of OPL in any of these presentations and the impression I got is that Symbian  think they have done enough by making OPL public domain. I think they could be advised to do a little bit more than they have: I know of at least one serious OPL developer who has abandoned the  environment because he felt that there was no future in it. We have also heard another developer's concerns over OPL's future in these very pages recently.

Also from the presentations: Comparing P990 vs. P910
Speed & Flexibility: UMTS (3G) and WiFi
Improved text input: Backlit QWERTY keyboard
Camera: Videotelephony, 2 Mega pixel and Autofocus
Improved architecture and platform: Platform security (C++ and CDC Java), Applications can run in flip closed, Multitasking, External memory up to 4G Byte
Features: FM Radio, Improved Music player (inc Real Audio player), better synchronisation, Better screen resolution (from 320 X 208 to 320 X 240) albeit in smaller physical space

Ever since the P800 was announced, I really wanted a Symbian-powered phone. I resisted for a long time because I didn't think the P800 and the P900 had enough to tempt me. When the P910 was announced, I jumped and I have to say, I am very happy. The phone now does everything that I did with my 5mx (albeit with the addition of extra-cost applications) but - despite that the P990 looks to be a very impressive device - I don't think I will splash out on one just yet. I don't think it offers me enough improvement to warrant the extra cost. Other P910 users may however find a USP amongst it's features - 3G for example.

All the best from a wet & windy Dublin, Ireland
Alan Rabbitte

Date: 25 Oct 2005 21:12:25 +0700
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Psion hell,

Answer to: Keith Clarke <address truncated>

Re.: Psion hell - Where do you live ?  Are you any time in the near future in London that we could meet to try and sort it out ?

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 25 Oct 2005 23:46:43 +0700
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: End of EU summer time soon

Steve Hodgson <address truncated> wrote:-

>>EPOC's date/time stamping is better than M$'s version,

> My repeated Psion agenda entry that marks the end of BST appears to have let me down for the first time! This is one of the more complicated entries thst I _was_ able to transfer to the Palm and is set for the fourth sunday of October i.e. 23rd October this year.

Steve change it from 'fourth' to 'last', that's where you've gone wrong.

Mine works Ok every year.  This year there are 5 Sundays in the month.  But a Palm may not have a 'last' option as on my Psion.  The EU rule is the last Sunday, so use 'last' in Agenda.

Alan Morris.

Date: 26 Oct 2005 08:10:51 +0700
From: Charles Davies <address truncated>
Subject: 9500 Contacts Search

Some while ago whilst considering the purchase of a 9500(which I now
have) I believe I asked if it was possible to do a complete field
search, as per Psion MX.  I am almost sure that someone replied and
said yes it is.
Now after trying and even consulting the manual it does not seem
possible.  Could someone enlighten me.
Charles Davies

Date: 26 Oct 2005 09:32:51 +0700
From: Chris S Handley
Subject: Re: Summertime 2007

On 24 Oct 2005, Karl Wagner wrote:
> BTW, I simply made a yearly reccuring entry to remind myself
> of the summertime changes, by selecting Repeat on Last Sunday
> of March and October, resp.

I didn't quite believe this, so I took another look, and discovered that the "More" button becomes unghosted for the relevant Repeat types.  Tapping it allowed me to select repeating on the first four weeks, as well as the Last week, just as you say.  Thus it appears that repeating on the 5th week of a month is automatically translated into the "Last" week by Agenda.

Looks like I over-complicated things in my previous email!  But I shall blame it on our Psion's EPOC gui (EIKON) for not making the ghosted & unghosted buttons look more different...
---
Chris Handley

P.S.  I am glad to hear that I was not the first person to suggest rationalising our calenda, but saddened that it never happened.  The alternative of having different numbers of whole weeks per month, in a pattern that repeats every 3 months, is ingenious, but I think it could be more confusing than the current system of 30/31 days per month!


Visit the web page email.cshandley.co.uk for my address

Date: 26 Oct 2005 10:06:11 +0700
From: Lord Kimberley <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Summer time 2007

Last Sunday of the month, so it will be on Sunday March 25th in Europe. The US will of course be the first Sunday in April, so they will chanhge a week later on April 1st. (many opporunites for April fool clock adjustments there!)

--

Yours John.

Tel:       +44 1763 289 732  e-mail:  mailto:<address truncated>

Date: 26 Oct 2005 12:16:24 +0700
From: Eric Lindsay <address truncated>
Subject: Netbook Batteries

On 25/10/2005, at 1:02 AM, The Digest wrote:
>
> Date: 24 Oct 2005 07:34:00 +0700
> From: Chris Pulster <address truncated>
> Subject: Re: Netbook batteries
>
>
>> I recently heard it mentioned that there are replacement slide-in > >>
> battery packs for Psion netBook/7Books that you can load with
>
>> alkaline or NiMH rechargable batteries.
>>
>
> There are no such batteries, sorry. I am selling original Psion 
> Netbook
> spare part batteries. These are full rechargable batteries, only the > closing lid is missing (remove it from your old batterie). Please chek > the picture and you see what you get:
> http://www.pulster.de/
> index.htm?d__netbakku_s__Netbook_Wechselakku628.htm
>
> Price is just 49 EUR.

Good price Christopher.  The three LiIon batteries used in a Psion7 
or Netbook use a standard design cell.  Over the past few years, 
battery capacity has increased, so you can now obtain these cells in 
2200mAH capacity instead of the original 1500mAH capacity, if someone 
wants to repack the Psion battery container.  You would probably need 
to look for a specialist cell repacker, and the price may be a shocker.

Date: 26 Oct 2005 21:44:03 +0700
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Summertime 2007,

Answer to: Karl Wagner

Re.: Summertime 2007 - AFAIK summertime will start on the last Saturday night of March which will be March 31st. Anyhow, I don't make plans that far ahead for my Psion, who knows whether it will still be in working order or not .... !?  (Pls don't repeat a complete message unless the contents is of importance to understand the answer).

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK