Ulixes
05-31-2004, 03:51 AM
Hi all,
I'm a long time italian Psion user since the glorious Series 3a times.
Lately I've lurked on these forums and found a really active community. It's a great emotion to see that Psion is still in the hearts of many users just like me.
As a welcome gift I have for all the Psion/Netbook Pro users a sensational scoop!
This is the first real piece of evidence after the famous Potter's interview.
I simply couldn't resist to post it all here.
--------
http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Search/EditStory.asp?ID=6995
NHS deal with Psion heralds move away from Windows
by Tony Glover
23/05/2004
BRITAIN'S National Health Service (NHS) has signed a multi-million pound deal for a substantial number of new handheld computers from UK-based computer company Psion Teklogix. The deal signals a move away from laptops using Microsoft's Windows operating system in favour of less fragile devices running the open-source operating system Linux.
Though the first versions of the Psion handheld computers being used by the NHS run a scaled-down version of Windows, The Business has learned that Psion has developed a prototype of the device, the Netbook Pro, that will run on Linux, increasingly seen as an alternative to virus-prone Windows.
Psion believes public services such as health need especially reliable devices and operating systems. The current generation of Psion Netbooks, which are larger than a traditional handheld computer but more compact than a laptop and retail at just under £1,000 (E1,480, $1,750) have been designed to be physically tougher and lighter than a standard laptop and to have a much longer battery life.
The initial NHS pilot trials were with district nurses, who used the laptops to connect with mobile phone networks to access patients' medical records while visiting them. This uses the interim mobile data technology called 2.5G. But according to Psion, the Netbooks have been designed to easily convert to run on newer wireless networks such as 3G or wi-fi. The NHS chose the Psion devices because they were a more rugged version of a traditional laptop.
Organisations like the NHS, which often have responsibility for people's lives, are wary of Microsoft's Windows operating system for several reasons. The first is cost: Windows is expensive and extra software like Microsoft Office can add as much as £400 a machine to the bill. The second reason is the recent rash of computer viruses like Blaster and Sasser, which have highlighted vulnerabilities in Microsoft's operating system. While office workers may regard virus attacks as a nuisance or a threat to revenues, Psion believes computer crashes could cost lives in environments such as hospitals, where a delay in the treatment of a critically ill patient can be crucial.
Linux represents a way back into the Microsoft-dominated world of computing for companies like Psion. Psion recently enraged many of its shareholders by selling off its share in Symbian, the Nokia-backed company that is using a modified version of Psion's old operating system, Epoc, to power high-end mobile phones. But Psion chairman and founder David Potter subsequently revealed to The Business that the company is involved in developing a whole range of handheld computing devices running on Linux. Other supporters for Linux include Microsoft rivals such as IBM and Sun Microsystems.
When Psion sold its 31% share of Symbian for £135.7m, it was assumed to have buried its old handheld computing *****ions, which were based on the Epoc operating system, now owned by Symbian. The uncrashable Epoc operating system made Psion's hanhdeld computers firm favourites in Europe and enabled Psion to see off bigger competitors such as Far Eastern electronics manufacturer Sharp. But the devices did not prove popular in the US. Linux has now given Potter a second chance.
http://www.thebusinessonline.com
---------------
Well, aren't these great news?
Especially the phrase "whole range of handheld computing devices"...
Probably we will never see again our beloved Epoc on a Psion but at least we will not have to get stuck with Win CE.
I think that Potter is in love again with handhelds, and that's what we where hoping all the time.
I'm a long time italian Psion user since the glorious Series 3a times.
Lately I've lurked on these forums and found a really active community. It's a great emotion to see that Psion is still in the hearts of many users just like me.
As a welcome gift I have for all the Psion/Netbook Pro users a sensational scoop!
This is the first real piece of evidence after the famous Potter's interview.
I simply couldn't resist to post it all here.
--------
http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Search/EditStory.asp?ID=6995
NHS deal with Psion heralds move away from Windows
by Tony Glover
23/05/2004
BRITAIN'S National Health Service (NHS) has signed a multi-million pound deal for a substantial number of new handheld computers from UK-based computer company Psion Teklogix. The deal signals a move away from laptops using Microsoft's Windows operating system in favour of less fragile devices running the open-source operating system Linux.
Though the first versions of the Psion handheld computers being used by the NHS run a scaled-down version of Windows, The Business has learned that Psion has developed a prototype of the device, the Netbook Pro, that will run on Linux, increasingly seen as an alternative to virus-prone Windows.
Psion believes public services such as health need especially reliable devices and operating systems. The current generation of Psion Netbooks, which are larger than a traditional handheld computer but more compact than a laptop and retail at just under £1,000 (E1,480, $1,750) have been designed to be physically tougher and lighter than a standard laptop and to have a much longer battery life.
The initial NHS pilot trials were with district nurses, who used the laptops to connect with mobile phone networks to access patients' medical records while visiting them. This uses the interim mobile data technology called 2.5G. But according to Psion, the Netbooks have been designed to easily convert to run on newer wireless networks such as 3G or wi-fi. The NHS chose the Psion devices because they were a more rugged version of a traditional laptop.
Organisations like the NHS, which often have responsibility for people's lives, are wary of Microsoft's Windows operating system for several reasons. The first is cost: Windows is expensive and extra software like Microsoft Office can add as much as £400 a machine to the bill. The second reason is the recent rash of computer viruses like Blaster and Sasser, which have highlighted vulnerabilities in Microsoft's operating system. While office workers may regard virus attacks as a nuisance or a threat to revenues, Psion believes computer crashes could cost lives in environments such as hospitals, where a delay in the treatment of a critically ill patient can be crucial.
Linux represents a way back into the Microsoft-dominated world of computing for companies like Psion. Psion recently enraged many of its shareholders by selling off its share in Symbian, the Nokia-backed company that is using a modified version of Psion's old operating system, Epoc, to power high-end mobile phones. But Psion chairman and founder David Potter subsequently revealed to The Business that the company is involved in developing a whole range of handheld computing devices running on Linux. Other supporters for Linux include Microsoft rivals such as IBM and Sun Microsystems.
When Psion sold its 31% share of Symbian for £135.7m, it was assumed to have buried its old handheld computing *****ions, which were based on the Epoc operating system, now owned by Symbian. The uncrashable Epoc operating system made Psion's hanhdeld computers firm favourites in Europe and enabled Psion to see off bigger competitors such as Far Eastern electronics manufacturer Sharp. But the devices did not prove popular in the US. Linux has now given Potter a second chance.
http://www.thebusinessonline.com
---------------
Well, aren't these great news?
Especially the phrase "whole range of handheld computing devices"...
Probably we will never see again our beloved Epoc on a Psion but at least we will not have to get stuck with Win CE.
I think that Potter is in love again with handhelds, and that's what we where hoping all the time.