what else to buy with the psion 5mx?

[willbuy]

I just typed a long message (maybe too long?) to start a new thread and it didn't take. In any event, I am going to buy the 5mx this weekend (especially after reading the threads here) and my question is:

What else to buy with the psion 5mx?

Do I need the external travel modem?

I have already copied all of the suggestions for the top 5 software/uses which is very helpful. But I am wondering if I need anything else when I order the unit?

I am also going to buy a new mobile/cell phone since my tri-band motorola timeport is over 2 years old now. I saw that the Motorola p280 was recomneded so I will probably go with that (here in the USA my current service voicestream has it).

I will use my new psion during trips for:

-e-mail (I currently have a yahoo account and use Eudora)
-Calendar/Contacts/Notes (I use Sidekick)
-Excel + Word
-Quicken

How much memory should I buy? 128mb or 256kmb?

Please excuse my "entry-level" questions. Any information will be very helpful and appreciated.

Thank you and
best regards,
Kevin

[willbuy]

Sory, I forget to ask where I should buy the 5mx online?
I can only find it at Amazon. Are there any other online retailers that can be recommended?
Thanks,
Kevin

[netBookBabe]

Hi Kevin

First a bit of posting advice - sometimes messages do get lost at the time of submission. It's quite good practice to key a longer message into Notepad, then copy and paste it in to the posting form. Obviously you can just paste again if it goes astray.

As for what to buy along with a 5mx, I should say the most essential item is a CF card, but what size to recommend is difficult as it depends so much on your personal requirements. I have always found my 128 to be plenty adequate. A 256 may be slower, but I've never used one, so perhaps someone who has can comment on that.

Sounds like you certainly need a modem of some type. I would certainly recommend you choose a cellphone with internal IrDa modem for maximum convenience. Choose one that you KNOW another Psion owner has used successfully - saves a lot of hassle! For landline use you probably need a travel modem as well, or alternatively a card modem (such as Psion Gold Card) plus an adapter.

Excel and Word files will translate fine to the Psion. I'm not sure about synching with Sidekick - can someone else comment on that, please? You will need an Epoc app that is compatible with Quicken - I believe RMR Bank is one, but I'm sure there are others.

Being in the UK, I'm not too sure about sources of supply for the USA - it's not terribly easy to find a 5mx anywhere at the moment. Hopefully some of our US members will comment on this.

Hope that helps :)
Julie

[MikeMcC]

e-mail (I currently have a yahoo account and use Eudora)Julie seems to have covered most of the points but I notice you are using Yahoo for your mail. If you are using it with an email client and SMTP and POP3 protocols, rather than web-based, there may be a problem in that Yahoo recently introduced the need for SMTP authentication, which the Psion's "Email" program doesn't support. If you can use the SMTP server of the ISP you connect to the internet with, this should be alright though.

For "landline" connections, the IR Travel Modem is very convenient but if portability is not important, you can also use an external PC modem which you may already have.

[106112909]

Hi Kevin

I bought a second-hand Psion 5mx from http://www.psionex.co.uk/ and I am extremely happy with it. I have to admit that I don't know if they will ship to the USA.

Kind regards

[willbuy]

Thank you all for the advise.

I found the psion 5mx for $449 +$10 shipping. I will have to decide on the 128mb or 256mb but either way I should be O.K.

As far as a phone, I think I will go for the Motorola P280 since I read a post where that phone worked well. As well, I will order a travel modem. I will have to change my "main" e-mail from yahoo to one of my other e-mail addresses and forward everything to that address. And...I should be set for business druing my trip to China in 3 weeks. I wonder if the gps map covers China........

I thank everybody for putting my mind at ease over this purchase not so much for the money question but more for going down that particular "pda/computer path" and I beleive the psion will be a highly useful business tool for me.

Hoping to be "online" by the end of this coming week.

best regards,
Kevin

[bobbyr]

Hi Kevin,
I am the one that uses the P280 so you might have seen my post the other day. It is great. I also like the Psion 56K Travel Modem, I also have the Psion PC Card Modem Adapter with a PC Card Modem in it. It has a Viking 56K PC Card Modem which works well was reasonable at the time I bought it. Have you looked at ebay, there are usually a lot of 5mxs on there. I have bought several things from there and they have all been good and not problems.

I don't know but there used to be a place called Newworld Technology in the States in the days that Psion was really popular, they have since gone to the Pocket PCS and the like, but the last time that I looked they also had Psions---not sure if they still do or not. www.NWT.com. And I am sure that you tried Expansystems.

Also I use Earthlink for my ISP. I have been using them for years and they are real helpful and works well. Also use a 256mb CFD works great and don't notice any difference in speed.

I hope that this is helpful.

Thanks,

Bobbyr

[willbuy]

Thank you Bobbyr for the information. I have checked out ebay and will see how that goes.
I was wondering why you would use the pc card modem if you already have the p280 and a travel modem? Is that to use at home or at an internet cafe or someone's office while traveling? Or in case you do not have cell phone coverage while traveling?

I assume the p280 will get used most of the time. Second, the travel modem to connect the unit to a home or hotel line. The pc card I assume to use in a laptop. Are my assumptions correct?

Please let me know the advantages to that setup as it will probably apply to me.

Thanks again for your reply,
best regards,
Kevin

[netBookBabe]

Kevin, like bobbyr, I too have cellphone with modem, a travel modem and a card modem.

The cellphone with modem is essential, I think we agree. You only really need one or the other between the travel modem and the card modem/adapter. I have a slight preference for the card modem with its cabled connection, as you don't have to be careful about line of sight as with the travel modem. Can be handy if you want to surf on occasion from the comfort of a squashy sofa! ;) Lazy? Who, me?? LOL

Another reason, in my case, for owning a card modem is that it slots directly into the netBook, making the neatest possible solution with that particular machine. The reason for the travel modem is for use with my Revo, which is not compatible with the card modem adapter - wrong type of connector.

So, it's personal choice and price may come into the equation. Travel modems are getting a little scarce and can tend to be quite pricey. Card modems can often be found at bargain prices, particularly at auction, and if you're lucky you might find someone selling the adapter and modem together.

Hope that helps to clarify.

Julie

[doogald]

$449 is way too high for a new machine! Try http://www.expansys.com/ , a UK firm that has a US distribution center. I bought mine from them 4 weeks ago. $293 plus shipping. They also have CF cards but, if you are a member of Costco wholesale clubs, they had 128 MB CF cards on sale for $49 the last that I was there.

[willbuy]

thanks once again for all of the advise. I will make my purchase tomorrow morning at the online site that doogald recommended.

Sorry that I am not quite "getting it" but I am still a bit confused about the modem situation.

1) modem in the phone - modem in phone communicates via infra-red. What speed should I expect?

2) travel modem - I thought that was a cord that goes from the psion and connects to an external modem that then connects to the psion. Is this corrrect? What is the speed here?

3) card modem - Is this a card that fits into the psion and then there is a cord that connects to the phone? The model here in the USA is: Psion WAN Global V56 Card (I assume the connection cord is included with the modem or do I have to find this separately?
What is the connection speed here?

Seems to me that 1 and 3 are the two that are needed. I suppose I would use the travel modem whenever there was a landline available (hotels, offices etc.), especially if it was faster than 1 or 3.

Are my assumptions correct?


Oh, forgot to ask: I should simply use rechargable batteries and not bother with any cords, correct?
Thank you for your reply,
best regards,
Kevin

[gwizard]

I got a 5mx not too long ago at Expansys (like Doogald) for $283. It has a UK keyboard but I'm getting used to it. I love this machine. Sorry I can't help you with the modems though, I'm no expert in the modem field but hopefully soon I'll be getting a PC Card modem and adapter used.

[bobbyr]

Hi Kevin,
I will do my best at this modem thing. Julie is right, some of us have different modems for different things. If you get a Series 5mx all that you need if you don't want to do things wirelessly is a 56K Travel Modem, which works via IR and only has on line and that it the one that goes into your phone socket on the wall or on the phone if you have a computer socket on it. It uses batteries two AAs. It also can take a power supply so that you can plug it in, if you prefer.
Or there is a PC Card adapter, which holds a PC Card Modem, which you can get in 33.6k or 56k. This one does not use IR, it has two lines on it. It plugs into your Series 5mx and the phone socket. It also uses AA batteries or can be used with a Power Supply. I use them both, I prefer the Travel Modem when using a land line.

If you want to go wireless, thats what I use my P280 for. I use it on the beach, traveling or in the house when the phone is in use for talking on-----hmmmmmmmmmmmm novel idea, using the phone for voice. :o)

If you had a Series 7 or Netbook, there is a slot in those machines for the PC Card modem itself, no adapter required, and I keep one in my Netbook most of the time. I swap it when needed with my 250mb CFD with programs on it.

As far a speed, it depends on your ISP, if they support V.90 and can get you to 56K or if not, you will go something less than that. Just like your PC.

As far a batteries go, I bought a charger and tried rechargables and from what I have observed, when they are fully charged, they only look about 80% on the battery gage on my Psion, so I usually use alkiline batteries.

I hope that I have answered most of your questions and I hope this clears it up somewhat for you, If not ask us some more as we are all here to help each other.

Thanks,

bobbyr

[MikeMcC]

Sorry that I am not quite "getting it" but I am still a bit confused about the modem situation.

1) modem in the phone - modem in phone communicates via infra-red. What speed should I expect?Basic GSM phone communication is at 9600bps which is slow compared to a V90 PC modem which runs at (theoretically) 56000bps download, 33600 upload. Faster connections can be obtained using HSCSD or GPRS technologies, probably around 28.8kbps, provided both the phone handset and network support these.

2) travel modem - I thought that was a cord that goes from the psion and connects to an external modem that then connects to the psion. Is this corrrect? What is the speed here?"Travel Modem" is confusing as Psion have had two Travel Modems. The original was launched at the time of the Series 3c, connects to the serial port and runs at 14.4kbps. The more recent one is the "IR Travel Modem" which communicates with the Psion by infrared and it is a V90 56kbps device.

3) card modem - Is this a card that fits into the psion and then there is a cord that connects to the phone? The model here in the USA is: Psion WAN Global V56 Card (I assume the connection cord is included with the modem or do I have to find this separately?
What is the connection speed here?A PCMCIA modem can be used with Psion's "PC Card Adapter". This is an external device which connects to the Psion's serial port, it runs on 4-AA batteries or the Series 5 mains adapter, and houses the modem card. The connection speed is that of the actual modem card used.

Seems to me that 1 and 3 are the two that are needed.These are three options, the other being a conventional external PC modem. What you "need" depends on your particular requirements. A PCMCIA modem with the PC Card Adapter will not be faster than the V90 Travel Modem, though it might be more reliable, particularly if you are sitting in an armchair with the 'kit' in a position where keeping the IR modem lined up could be difficult.

[doogald]

I own the IR travel modem and generally I really like it. It works well with the 5 mx (though it must be within several inches of the IR port - from my experience you cannot use it across the room).

The only thing that I do not like about are its lack of indicator lights. There really is no way of knowing whether or not you are actually on hook. The speaker is on the bottom of the unit and very quiet so it is difficult to hear the normal sounds of modem connectivity - I have my 5 mx's modem setup to set the speaker up to loud and it is still hard to hear.

Otherwise it works great. I do not use it often; generally only on weekends away from home, and that is about 20 weekends per year. But when things are working well it works great.

The only issue is that you may not be able to find the Psion branded one. I believe that Psion has stopped making them. Expansys may have them, but if they do not, another retailer to try is http://www.clove.co.uk/ . They do not have a US shipment center that I know of but do have reasonable shipping charges. If they do not have the Psion modem there is also a more expensive brand from a company called Pegasus that may be worth investigating.

[spegru]

You must get a copy of the Opera Web browser from http://www.opera.com/download/get.pl?platform=symbian&force=5.14 .

It's far better than the Psion one. Faster, more compliant and crucially, it supports SSL encryption for ecommerce and (I believe) hotmail.

rgds

spegru

[netBookBabe]

Originally posted by spegru
You must get a copy of the Opera Web browser...
Very good point, spegru. I see Opera as such an integral part of my Psions that I didn't even think to mention it!

I can confirm that it does support Hotmail, certainly in the latest version (5.14) - not quite sure at what version that support came in.

It also supports Java applets of the type we use for the EpocChat chatroom - these do not work with Web.

Kevin, you should check carefully on your CD that comes with the 5mx - some owners have reported Opera being included, and others say not. It may not be the latest version however, probably v3.62.

If all else fails, you get a 30-day trial of 5.14, which only counts the days you actually use it, so if you only log in every other day, for example, the trial will last around a couple of months. Plenty of time to decide whether it's worth purchasing for you.

Julie

[tymbaryon]

I don't know if it is correct to add more and more information to somebody that is recently entering Psion World
Welcome anyway....

If I might suggest it... probably, before quite a huge hardware investment (travel modem, pc card adaptor, GPRS mobile phone... - unless you are a rich guy) it is better to test what your real needs are.

If you have access to somebody else PC maybe, at the beginning you should try PassThru 32 of Kevin Millican (http://www.millican.info/Home/PassThru.htm).
This nice software borrows the PC modem and it is quite cheap (20$) but you can try before buying it.
Other solution is using DSLink (somewhere in the net you can still find it and it is "free") or MochaPPP (http://www.mochasoft.dk/ - shareware 9.95$ - try before buy it).
Both programs let Psions to connect to Internet as if they are in a network with the PC. Nonetheless not all protocols work (FTP does not for instance) and some Internet programs are erratic with it.

However if you are a manager travelling throughout USA there is a better solution.
As far as I know many hotels in USA are equipped with broadband Internet (xDSL) which can be access only with a network equipment.
In this case the best investment (even though not that cheap) is probably an infrared network device available at http://www.psionusa.com/PsionSolutions/Network/Clarinet.html

..... hope you can find the way out of our "advices"

[tymbaryon]

Forgot to mention that if you use Yahoo mail with pop option, as Mike Mcc correctly mentioned, you can't send it with Psion built-in email client.
Fortunately there is a new email client available at

http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/~ktkawabe/densha_e.html

which supports "pop before smtp" and "smtp authentication"
The latter is needed with Yahoo.
If you have trouble to install it, write to Keita, the author. He is very gentle and helpful.

[netBookBabe]

tymbaryon

There's a question about XJMail in the netBook forum:

http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2135

I don't see why it should be any different on the netBook from the 5mx, so maybe you might be able to help, please?

Thanks
Julie

[Mark Kenepp]

I will have to change my "main" e-mail from yahoo to one of my other e-mail addresses and forward everything to that address. And...I should be set for business druing my trip to China in 3 weeks.

You can retrieve Yahoo mail with the built in email client on the 5mx. Yahoo charges for the service, but I believe that it is the same service that allows message forwarding so you will need to pay the fee for either POP access to the Yahoo mailbox or mail forwarding. When setting up your email settings, you enter the POP address for Yahoo and the SMTP address for the ISP you are currently dialing into (as Mike mentions)

I have used my Mako with Yahoo so it can be done. I personally would not recommend accessing the web view of Yahoo mail especially if you are connecting via mobile phone. Collecting email via mobile is tolerable, browsing the web is frustratingly slow. IMHO ;)

[tymbaryon]

Yes indeed, Mark is right, setting Yahoo or whatever email account with pop.your-email-account and smtp.account-you-dial is an excellent solution but it does not work all time. Some ISPs don't allow that neither.
XJMail is freeware... so, it does not cost anything to use it in case the previous solution does not work ;)

[bobbyr]

I agree with tymbaryon that some of us that have many Psion devices, forget that it took some of us anyway, years to accumulate this stuff. So he is right to start off easy, and as inexpensive as you can and go from there. I was interested the device that tymbaryon suggested for broadband in hotels. I traveled a lot and spent many nights in hotels, and used my 56k modem, as I didn't have anyway to use the broadband connection. So his suggestion is a great tip for travelers.
Thanks,

Bobbyr

[mboot]

If you are using it with an email client and SMTP and POP3 protocols, rather than web-based, there may be a problem in that Yahoo recently introduced the need for SMTP authentication, which the Psion's "Email" program doesn't support.


Does anyone know more about this? Currently I access Yahoo/POP3 from the standad Psion email app with no problem - perhaps it's about to change?
Thanks

[MikeMcC]

Originally posted by mboot


Does anyone know more about this? Currently I access Yahoo/POP3 from the standad Psion email app with no problem - perhaps it's about to change?
Thanks The problem is with sending mail using Yahoo's SMTP server which now requires authentication. You shouldn't have a problem retrieving mail from their POP3 server or sending mail if you use the SMTP server of the ISP you are connecting to the internet with.

[mboot]

Thanks Mike - I should have read more carefully!

[dbourne]

Re. Power/batteries:

I recently bought a power adapter (from Proporta at www.proporta.com) - and I now wish I had done so ages ago. Apart from anything else it means you're not using up power from the batteries when you've left the Psion sitting connected to your PC backing it up then forgot/got distracted... This one is really light in weight, unlike e.g. most mobile 'phone power adapters and is not expensive.

As for batteries, I get about 5 weeks of use from a set of top-of-the-range Duracell batteries, which I consider pretty fair.

Regarding other things to get: respect Murphy's Law and get a spare pack of pens so you don't lose yours. Decent ones from Psion, or cheap clunky-looking multicoloured plastic ones from Proporta (they do fit into the pen slot).