Rating: - Psion 5mx-The best PDA/Organiser in the world
After craving a Psion organiser for many years, I took the plunge some time back while on e-bay (Amazon is even better!).
I found the Psion far out weighed any wild hopes I had of it, and while it may be blak & white touch screened only, it's crystal clear and sharp to read.
Diary (years of, reoccuring dates & anniversaries), contacts (100's of Filofaxed addresses and contacts), all my phone details (1 yr old phone infrared beamed to a 7 year old Psion), pages of notes, jottings, reminders, and sketches etc etc all sitting on about 2mb out of 16mb, not including the 256mb card for backup!
It never fails to switch on instantly, it's intuitive & never crashes;yes there are lots of multimedia pda;s & handhelds out there, but this to me still has the crown.
POS (www.pos.co.uk) sell a 'brand new' psiX pda, which is a beefed up 5mx for just over £400, or you can pick up the original for as little as £30 used.
Enthusiastic usergroups abound, and there are literally thousands of programs waiting on a variety of easily found web pages to suit your every need.
The Psion easily becomes more than just an organiser, it becomes (in a nice way) an obsession, and a trusted companion. You can (in reason) use it for just about anything.
PS, I wonder just what a Psion of today could be doing if the company hadn't got 'scared' in 2001,and pulled out of the market. We can only dream?!
Rating: - Psion 5MX
I bought a 5mx in 1999 and used it everyday without fail for almost 6 years. It's now finally given up the ghost and I feel like I've lost a trusty friend. Researching the market for a replacement revealed there are plenty of handhelds out there, but absolutely nothing with a keyboard that matches the 5MX for size, build quality and design. Although, admittedly there's a few options that look like they were designed to be been given away with packets of breakfast cereal. If your priority is a decent built in qwerty keyboard and an instant on system, then you really are limited by what's available. I looked at getting either a series 7 or Netbook, but at 1.2kg approx. they weigh as much as my subnotebook, so just defeat the object.
I don't have issues with Windows per se, only that it takes too damn long to load and therefore isn't always convenient. As for compatability, just plug it into your pc with the cable and you're done. Yes, technology has moved on in the 6 years since I bought my MX, but that's what makes it all the more disappointing that there is nothing new to either match it, let alone better it now. So, here goes, I'm ordering my second MX right now!
Rating: - Still an excellent mini laptop..
I am yet another returner to the excellent Psion series 5mx. Why now when there are so many other sophisticated PDA's around? Its extremely stable, and has over the years only crashed twice. It is instant to use, just open and hey presto you can start immediately with no boot up. I prefer the organiser/ contacts/ agenda to that on my pc. You can really touch type at great speed on the keyboard which I think is still the best of all PDS's. You could use it to write a book or couple with ease. Also the touch screen is still fantastic and even my tablet laptop does not compare. There are thousands of software products for EPOC which can be used, much of which is now freeware. Also there are dedicated programmers who are still designing new software and symbian software for other devises is also sometimes available for Psion users. There are other symbian products which feature with inbuilt mobile phone, however they do not have the battery life of Psion which is about 20 hours and with the series 5mx you really do get a mini laptop.
Rating: - Psion 5MX Still the best PDA
In fact the psion 5mx is more pocket laptop than PDA - great keyboard, easy to use, instant on/off (handy for when the seatbelt sign comes on during a flight). I've had a 5mx for about two and a half years now - compact flash storage makes it easy to transfer files to and from my mac through a card reader, and great range of software. You can get a serial-USB adapter for use with iMacs, but I've found the card reader just as simple. Yes it has a useful calendar/alarm function, but it is in taking notes that the machine really shines. The cf card is the same as that used by my digital camera so I can take photos and build a web page while sitting at a museum coffee shop and upload when I get home (must get a compatible phone soon). Opera browser (separate download) is great for preview testing such web pages, and the travel modem (separate item) is fine for email and web providing you have a convenient landline connection to hand. Using third party software I was able to beam to and from palm PDAs without difficulty, and I can scan text with a CPen scanner and beam direct to the psion. Using nconvert (separate download) from Neuon you can convert file formats to be readable on any macine (eg word to RTF etc, and a host of graphics formats). All in all a great PDA that has more in common with laptops, but with the convenience of fitting in a pocket. Great machine, and despite no longer being supported, is well supported by user groups around the world. The only downside is you can't ... Read More
Rating: - Well tried and tested
I have been using this for 2-3 years. I feel lost when I don't have it. It is superb - the only thing that lets it down is that sometimes it doesn't remind me about a meeting - only to discover that I'd forgotten to enter the appointment - that is how reliable it is. This is far easier to use than my laptop as it take a fraction of the time to before using it. When I used a laptop, there were embarrassed silences while I waited for the system to boot-up and then to inform my colleagues that I could or couldn't make a meeting - now it is instantaneous.
Buy Psion Series 5MX 16MB from the online Electronics, Psion Series 5MX 16MB and view best new and used Psion Series 5MX 16MB Electronics in the uk prices shown.