Welcome Psion

[Andy Sjostrom]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.computing.co.uk/Computingopinion/1142188' target='_blank'>http://www.computing.co.uk/Computin...opinion/1142188</a><br /><br /></div>Psion, maker of operating system Epoc and mother of Symbian, abandons its own platform in favor of Windows CE .NET. The article <a href="http://www.computing.co.uk/Computingopinion/1142188">"Psion prepares the way for the one true OS"</a> has more information. And amusement. Let's begin with information: "But now Psion has ditched Epoc altogether. The company's new Next Generation Terminal, a nifty little data collection device for warehousemen, ticket collectors, traffic wardens and so on, runs Windows CE.net. And, more significantly for diehard Psioneers, the next version of Psion's mini-notebook, the netBook, will run Windows CE.net as well."<br /><br />I wondered when reading the first paragraphs of the article why Psion didn't choose any flavor of Symbian. The answer is found further down: "Of course, Psion could update to its love-child Symbian, born of its relationship with the mobile phone industry. Unfortunately, Symbian has grown away from its parent, and is now so totally aligned with the needs of the mobile phone it would be just as expensive to adapt it for computer use as to go the CE.net route."<br /><br />Quite interesting analysis which I will leave to you to comment. From here the article starts to get amusing! The author joyusly exclaims his love for Linux and hopes Psion eventually will leave its newly found path in favor of Linux. Great news for Windows CE .NET is concluded as follows: "...then, when the dust has settled and we all use Linux as God intended, it will be the only operating system. And the wars of religion will be over."<br /><br />All I say: Welcome Psion!

[JonnoB]

then, when the dust has settled and we all use Linux as God intended, it will be the only operating system. And the wars of religion will be over."


The OS wars will never be over because there will always be people who will try to make something better.

[sub_tex]

I really hope they add some MAJOR tweaks to CE.NET so that we can get complete control of the OS via the keyboard, just like we could on those glorious Epoc Psion devices.

If they were to release a consumer CE device for a good price it would be amazing, I'm sure. The Epoc ones were so sweet. I still love my S5. I never pull out the stylus EVER!. Complete control.

I'm getting all misty eyed seeing Psion on the front page news section. It's been years since that name was used in any way other than "Remember those awesome Psion devices?"

:clap:

[g0097]

The netbook has drawn me more than once into its arms with its excellent design and function. I would love to see a netbook with a flavor of windows on it. The machine really was sexy!! :lol: I hope they are not as expensive though as the psion netbooks were! Those things were running over a thousand dollars. I got some pretty good deals on them and got one for as cheap as 550 dollars once but they still comand around four to five hundred dollars. If they do it right I think psion can pull some old Psion users with the same form factor and new added things such as wireless and multimedia.

[Peter Foot]

What an odd article, while from the first half it looks moderately sane and normal the author then goes off into a crazy unrelated rant about Linux.

All the minority (i.e. non-Microsoft) operating systems have their zealots, people who hold their chosen OS in a quite irrational awe
Hmm, little do we realise that the author seems to demonstrate a tendancy in this direction when reading further down the article...

But for all the preachiness of the messengers, Linux is beginning to look like the way of the future for ordinary, run-of-the-mill desktop computers.
But this article is not talking about ordinary run of the mill desktop computers so the guy has clearly got lost somewhere.
Hmm "preachiness" - someones be thesauralising again..

As Microsoft continues to enforce its registration policy, people with two or three computers at home will start to demand an operating system they can use on the old machines without paying Bill a large wedge of money for the privilege
Thats as may be, but this is an embedded device so people will not generally be doing custom upgrades or have a desire to play linux games on the device.
I found the information on Psion very interesting however I'll ignore the off-the-point rant and stick with Andy in saying:-

All I say: Welcome Psion!
0X

[TawnerX]

can somebody pleaseee hurt the person who uses bad matrix pun... :razzing:

This is also why there should be law and ordinance against bad movie.

[kiwi]

wow..
my second PDA after the original palm pilot 512 was a PSION 5. I was just checking ebay for them the other day.They kicked @SS on the Windows CE HPC's of the era.
:)
ah, memories.

B

[Thinkingmandavid]

My first two pda's were a IBm c3 and a REvo plus , the REvo is awesome. The Symbian OS Rocks! If I had my choice it would be that one wiht a new and improved revo !:) I think it is interesting about the netbook, I have been keeping up with that at Psoinplace, and I have of course signed the petition :D

[griph]

Psion, maker of operating system Epoc and mother of Symbian, abandons its own platform in favor of Windows CE .NET. All I say: Welcome Psion!

8O Totally Gobsmacked! I remember when I still had my Psion 5 and laughing at the first Windows CE devices! How things have changed!

[Brad Adrian]

To me, the best part of my Psion5 wasn't the hardware or the OS, but the built-in apps. They had (IMO) the best backup program and wonderfully easy to use database app.

[TawnerX]

I think the downfall of Psion are several things:

1. They fail to harnesh the power of internet to congeal the community.
They also fail to use internet to do direct sale and the US distributor is fubar from the beginning. They were selling the handheld like it was the 80's. Granted the internet was very new at that time, and they are not exactly in the center of the internet universe. But they deserve to die for being idiots in marketing and fail to notice growing trend. Who on earth tries to sell PDA by doing a wall st. full page ad stunt. Totally dubious.

2. They still thinks Psion/MX as traditional old skool computer. They fail to pick up fancy fun things that will drive any geek crazy beyond just owning a cute and slighly cool mini computer.: mp3, web browser, ebooks, games and toys. So what if that too visionary for the early 90s.

3. the hardware is interesting, but again the design guide is old skool computing. No audio, no color. MP3 application alone could have bring them massive sale, just like how mp3 saves Palm-sized.

4. and finally of course, they didn't pay attention to the pesky little Palm and actually fight war of attrition against Microsoft in mini keyboarded handheld.

-----------------
I think if there is anything that Psion can do now is doing a PDA with interesting features. They are an expert at hardware integration like industrial handheld.

I could imagine they would make a funky sport/executive PDA with GPS integrated, folding keyboard, various wireless, etc. And of course most important feature "Elegant" design in the tradition of proper British design school. It wont be like those back alley taiwanese discount plastic chasis, or design by comitte ala Dell.

[bjornkeizers]

Psion.. Hmm, that's certainly a blast from the past.

I own two PSION devices: A 512 kb Siena and a Psion Revo Plus [16 mb] The hardware and the OS aren't bad; in fact, they have some things that are still not present in Windows CE.. like a decent Word and Excel clone.. I can do graphs on my Revo!

The problem is, PSIONs were way too expensive. Just before they stopped making them for and selling them to consumers, they were as expensive as Pocket PC's, and twice as expensive as Palms! And they only had one or two models out at any time.. the Revo and MX5

You can't compete against all those palms and pocket pc's with only two devices which are too expensive.. so they rightly deserved to go out of business.

[Timothy Rapson]

I had a Diamond Mako. It was the best money I have ever spent on any computer product ever, nothing is even close.

CE/PPC/Wizard/Palm none of the mobile OSs come close.

What a sad day. The day companies and consumers finaly settled for what lame mobile OSs we have now over the best ever.

Linux and Symbian might restore some sense to the OS world, but so far Epoc is still the OS above all OSs.

[Thinkingmandavid]

for those of you who think you know what you are talking about but dont, and for those of you who do, here is the link that tells about that launch of that Netbook and someone who actually works for Teklogix....http://pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=917074c9c5c5792fdf52d477de8453cc&threadid=20368
This will let you know what has been going on and the reason for the switch of the OS on this model not all models. There is a user in this thread by the name of harveyr, who works for teklogix...Have fun reading:)

[Thinkingmandavid]

www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=917074c9c5c5792fdf52d477de8453cc&threadid=20368

[griph]

Psion.. Hmm, that's certainly a blast from the past.

The problem is, PSIONs were way too expensive. Just before they stopped making them for and selling them to consumers, they were as expensive as Pocket PC's, and twice as expensive as Palms! And they only had one or two models out at any time.. the Revo and MX5
.

I dont believe for their time that Psions were particularly expensive - even in the UK where we traditionally pay pounds for dollars (eg get ripped off). Granted that they were around the price of a Pocket PC but when they launched - there was *nothing* like it on the market. I remember very well the inner turmoil between resisting buying and Gimme gimme gimme - I gotta have it! Everytime the devil got the best of me and the credit card.

One of Psion's problems was reliance on Proprietary hardware - they used their own expansion cards that were horribly expensive - 4mB Flash - £400! The Psion 5 started the process of using standard CF memory, but by then others were getting in on the market.

It is only recently that we have seen multiple offerings from PPC providers. When I bought my first iPaq there was only one model!

The software for the Psions was actually pretty good. The Word processor in my Psion 3A was still better than in my iPaq! It also had a built in programmer, good built in apps and there was loads of shareware to download including games - albeit now rather rudimentary.

Colour screens were only available in the Psion's Twilight years - they just could not compete with the clout of big companies backed by MS, but in their day they were the front runners - the inventors of the Handheld Organiser - we should remember them for what they started - would Pocket PC's be here if Mr Potter hadn't had that dream realised?

[kamodt]

This isn't the first time Psion considered WCE. They were considering using the Jupiter software for the first netBook but politically couldn't pull it off. They were in the throes of building Symbian and didn't want people to think that there was anything wrong with Psion OS.

It would have been a major coup then and it's pretty cool now that they've realized they need the development resources that WCE brings them.

Of course, the real coup would have been if we'd been able to convince Steve Jobs to keep their eMate and Messenger products alive with WCE. That would have been cool!

Keith Amodt

[Jonathon Watkins]

To me, the best part of my Psion5 wasn't the hardware or the OS, but the built-in apps. They had (IMO) the best backup program and wonderfully easy to use database app.

Don't forget the Epic sound alarm controlls you had over appointments etc. All built in. :? My Sienna and Revo served me well. I miss them :cry: (a bit :wink:)